As followers of Jesus lets do all we can to be followers that make followers, teaching them to obey all Jesus commanded as we seek to obey him in our lives too.

The saying goes a picture paints 1000 words. It means that sometimes a picture can communicate something in a snapshot thousands of words take to describe

I’ve got some pictures on our screen this morning, hopefully when you see those pictures it conjures up what they mean what the thing is about. The road sign of a girl and a boy holding hands walking along, When we see that sign, what does that communicate?

The green cross often lit up, but not always, no matter what country we’re in. We know what we can get when we see that green cross. A pharmacy.

My third picture is the baptismal font similar to the one at the back of Church, and for us, as Christian, the baptismal font is a place of welcome, a place where we welcome people into the church family of God, and it’s a representative of what all that means

In the baptism that we’ve had this morning. There were two signs within the service, the sign of water and the sign of the cross. The water is a symbol. A picture of being washed clean, have been cleansed. The Christian faith talks about forgiveness, being made clean in the eyes of God. An image of the cross shows that it was Jesus, dying on the cross, coming back to live, defeating sin and death, and being raised to heaven to reign with God, who made it possible for us to have a right relationship with God once more.

The baptism has the signs and pictures that start us out on a journey of faith & signs us up to be followers of Jesus, following in Jesus’ steps. As Christians, we believe that Jesus is our king. He’s the king of Gods kingdom, and those that believe in God, and follow him are living under Jesus’ rule and reign.

When Jesus was on Earth, he taught his disciples, and the crowds gathered around him, about the reason he had come to earth, and about what he was gonna do about the kingdom that he was going to bring in. He often taught using parables, stories, and these parables often used pictures/imagery, to communicate truths about Gods kingdom. In Matthews gospel, Jesus often begins His parables with “the kingdom of heaven is like”, and over the summer we’ve been looking at several of them. We’ve had the kingdom of heaven is like the merchant, he goes looking for a Pearl and finds one of great value. We’ve looked at how the kingdom in heaven is like a net that caught many fish which were separated out once the net was on shore. There was the parable of the yeast that was hidden in the dough and worked its way throughout the whole batch, and we’ve had the parable of the soil where seed was sown and when it was on good soil produced lots and lots of grain. It multiplied.

Today’s parable is slightly different to all of those previous parables that we have looked at in Matthew chapter 13. Whereas the previous parables have said, “the kingdom of heaven is like”, today’s parable has the phrase “a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like”.

Jesus is moving from teaching about what the kingdom he’s bringing in will be like, a kingdom that will multiply and grow and spread, that is precious, and is above every ideology that exists, being planted by God, who looks over all that he has created and made. He’s moving from that to what a follower of the kingdom is to be like. There is no doubt in this parable that action is required. There is a sense that belief in Jesus, and who he is and what he’s come to do isn’t passive but needs a response.

The parable starts: the teacher of the law, who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven.

It’s likely Jesus is talking to his disciples at this point, and it makes me ask the question when he says teacher of law who does that include? There wasn’t to my knowledge, a teacher of law amongst his disciples. There were a fair few fisherman, we know there was a tax collector. if there was a teacher of the law, it was never mentioned. Jesus’ followers were ordinary men who had humble jobs and left them to follow Jesus. So if we read this parable and think, well it’s just talking about preachers like Paul, like Clare, Colin Bruce I think we’re wrong because this was first spoken to the disciples who were ordinary men. they hadn’t gone to theological College. They hadn’t learnt how to preach and put together a sermon. They were just walking alongside Jesus. We’ve seen that those walking alongside Jesus, seemingly ordinary, are used by God for his purposes.

Just before Jesus went up to heaven after he’d been raised from the dead He spoke with his disciples, and he said this to them all authority in heaven on Earth has been given to me, therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you and Surely I’m with you always to the very end of the age.

They might not have gone to theological College, but they’ve been given this command by Jesus to make disciples of others to baptise and teach them everything Jesus had commanded.

In this parable it starts, the teacher of the law has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven. Being a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is someone who is following Jesus, who is learning his teaching, obeying his commands and baptism is a sign of this. Jesus’ disciples were in this category. They were followers of Jesus, who were to make followers of Jesus, who were to make followers of Jesus all the way down to us here today.

So this parable talks of a teacher of the law who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven, and it says that this person is like the owner of the house who takes from the store houses, both new and old treasures. So what does that mean first for the disciples, and then for us as disciples of the disciples of the disciples?

I think it saying that those who become a follower of Jesus, are like the owner of a house, owning a house is a great responsibility and Jesus is saying that Jesus disciples were to be given responsibility for Gods kingdom as he commands later on in Matthew 28. As we read through the rest of the new Testament, we see the account of the disciples going out and sharing the good news of who Jesus is for the whole world. if you haven’t read the book of acts, it’s a great account and we have letters written by Church leaders to churches to give encouragement and instruction to remind them of who Jesus is to interpret for them what is come before and help them move through what they’re currently going through into a future they will see Gods kingdom come into completion when he comes again to bring about a new heaven and a new earth.

And the parable says that a follower of Jesus is like this homeowner who takes from the store house both new and old treasures.

Storehouses weren’t necessary just for treasures in terms of monetary value pearls, gems etc. There were storehouses for food, maybe store houses for furniture, treasured possessions, even store houses for important paperwork.

I think this idea of a teacher of the law who is a disciple of the kingdom of heaven being like a homeowner who takes from the store houses both old and new treasure is given to emphasise to Jesus’ disciples the importance of the Jewish roots that Jesus and they themselves had. The kingdom of heaven for Jew and Gentile is a continuation of the story of God and his people, his chosen people who are the Jews. And the New Testament shows that Jesus is the fulfilment of the promises and it’s continuation.

The gospel of Matthew that we’re looking at today, the letters, the majority which Paul did write one being to the church in Rome, for example, were written with the backdrop of the old Testament of the story of Gods people

And as we read the new Testament, which was written after Jesus, we see so much use of the old Testament and interpretation of the old testament prophecies, pointing to Jesus, being the fulfilment of God’s promises. Because of Jesus, Gods story was continuing for both Jew and Gentile, and the disciples were to take what had been told, and handed down through Jewish history, and in light of who Jesus is, and what he done, and teach all the truth of that.

The teacher of the law who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a store house who takes out both new and old treasures. This was the instruction. The picture given to Jesus’ disciples, they were to teach about Gods kingdom that Jesus has brought in to happening. Looking back at the old Testament and interpreting it in light of who Jesus is and what he came to achieve.

What does that mean for us? This morning as we’ve baptised Halle and welcomed her into the family of God, we’ve welcomed her to be a lifelong learner about Jesus. The same is true for all of us who see ourselves as followers of Jesus.

Yes, we may not have gone to theological College, but this parable gives a sense that today all of us are house owners to some extent in Gods kingdom, where we do hold responsibility, as a house owner in the families that we are part of, our friendship groups, work, school, volunteer roles.

We said at the beginning that a picture paints 1000 words. The picture of the parable today was the Storehouse in the idea that disciple of the kingdom of heaven, someone he takes both new and the old out of the store houses. That precious thing is being used.

As for us, as followers of Jesus what do we keep in our storehouses – can we access the treasure within. What do we really know about our faith, our God? Is it from what we read on social media, what others tell us, or have we studied it for ourselves. I’ve said it before – but don’t just trust what we’re being told up here. Investigate for yourselves.

A lot of people have said to me that they do struggle with the old Testament and it can seem to read very differently to the new Testament, but it’s actually part of God speak story and there is so much of the old Testament quoted in the new so much interpreted in the new Testament in light of who Jesus is and what he’s done for the world.

Matthews Gospel alone , quotes over 60 times from passages of the old Testament, showing how Jesus fulfils the old Testament writings. In Paul’s letter to the Roman church, he quotes the old Testament, 69 times – showing Gods kingdom is for Jew and Gentile.

I think a lot of us can be put off reading the old Testament. It can seem outdated, lots of bloodshed, lists of names and family trees that we get confused by and lost in, but it’s exciting part of God’s word and it gives this big picture of the state of humanity, if left to his own devices and how God wants to restore that brokenness to bring bloodshed to an end to rule the kingdom of love and peace. We are lucky that we are in a day and age where lots of scholars have wrestled with these passages over centuries and there are things for commentaries which are peoples thoughts on Bible passages. If you’ve never picked up a commentary do try sometime, it might help particularly in assessment passages to just give another insight. Some bibles actually show us when the autism has been created and say if you are reading the new Testament have a look at when these crates are being made and maybe look back at what is being created read around and see what the context is in.

As followers of Jesus lets do all we can to be followers that make followers, teaching them to obey all Jesus commanded as we seek to obey him in our lives too.

Jesus often talked about judgment, and in Matthew 13:47-50 He talked about the terrifying place prepared for bad people at the end of the age.  But how will He decide who is good and who is bad?  Will the dividing line He uses be reasonable or arbitrary?  This sermon reflects on that question.

We’re probably less familiar with fishing methods these days.  We go to the supermarket and buy fish nicely filleted, but everyone knew how a dragnet worked in Jesus’ day.  These long nets could stretch up to half-a-mile.  The ends were attached to boats, while the top of the net would have floats and the bottom would have weights attached. As the two boats moved through the water towards the shore, the net would catch everything in its path.

But the concern of the parable is less with the net and more with the fish.  They then need to be sorted.  The good ones are kept while the bad ones are thrown back.  And, says Jesus, that’s how it will be on that final Day of Judgment.  Good people will be saved, but bad people will be thrown into a blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Strong words!

But before we get into that, let’s think about the fish.  What did Jesus mean by ‘bad’ fish?  I don’t think He was commenting on their behaviour, and I don’t think He meant they were diseased.  He was probably referring to clean and unclean fish.  You’ll probably know that Jews have dietary laws  –  some creatures are ‘clean’ (i.e. kosher or okay to eat), while others are ‘unclean’ and definitely not for human consumption.  The critical distinction when it comes to fish can be found in Leviticus 11:9-10:  “Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams you may eat any that have fins and scales.  But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales you are to regard as unclean”.

Now some Christians still hold to these laws, while others say that they were given in an era when food hygiene was harder to manage, and eating some foods was more likely to make you ill.  Exodus 15:26 talks about diseases that the Israelites would be protected from if they followed God’s laws.  So, for example, you could eat saltwater cod, salmon, sea bass, haddock and mackerel, but you were not allowed to eat freshwater cod, dogfish, skate or sturgeon (so no caviar!).

But all this is just a prelude to what Jesus wants to say about the final judgment.  When we stand before God there will be good and bad people, or in the language I’ve just used, clean and unclean.  “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place”, asks the 24th Psalm?  “The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in idols or swear by a false gods”.

So I’m thinking:  but aren’t we all flawed?  Who would dare to say they have clean hands?  Sure, there are both amazing and awful people, but in between a whole spectrum of possibilities.  Sometimes we get it right, but quite often we get it wrong.  Life is a battle  –  our motives can be mixed, our attitudes can be skewed, our words can be unkind, and each of us has character flaws to which we may well be oblivious.  The internationally celebrated evangelist Billy Graham frequently quoted Jeremiah 17:9 in his sermons  –  “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  When we song that song ‘Only by grace can we enter’ we rightly come to those disturbing words: ‘Lord, if You count our transgressions, who can stand?’  And then there are the sins of omission to which we confess each Sunday  –  good things we could have done but failed to do!

But if none of us is clean, is there any basis at all for hope?  If there is to be a judgment day, how will God decide who passes the ‘clean enough’ test, and who’s simply too grubby?  We know that God is gracious and forgiving, but on what basis will the judgment be made?  Will the line be an arbitrary one?  Will some scrape over the line while others just miss out?  This is a question that has exercised the greatest Christian minds across the centuries, so let me give you a little bit of history to reflect on, and reflecting is all I’m asking you to do today.  I want you to think about three big things  …  the after-life, the meaning of Christ’s death, and faith.

THE AFTER-LIFE

Christians have long believed in heaven and hell.  Evangelists preach on it, Christians use phrases like ‘lost eternity’, and at funerals we tend to go soft because we want to see our loved ones again.  Some hope that there might be a second chance beyond the grave.  In fact, in 1274AD the Western Church led by the Pope articulated a new doctrine  –  purgatory.  It offered hope for those not good enough for heaven to be purged of evil, and that period in purgatory could be aided by their relatives and friends praying for them (hence ‘prayers for the dead’).  The Church offered the prospect of eventual promotion to heaven.

Protestant churches like ours don’t buy into that doctrine, but the prospect of unending torment in hell has seemed too harsh for some, and so slightly softer doctrines like annihilation and conditional immortality have proved quite popular.  On top of that, the human societies like genetics, psychology and sociology have added a further dimension of complexity.  People are far more complicated that we first thought.  We inherit character traits and we’re shaped by people and events about us.  You’ll often hear that people who abuse others were abused themselves as children.  We are victims as well as perpetrators, sinned against as well as sinners.  No wonder we should leave the issue of judgment to God!

So you get the sense that a lot of thinking and agonising has gone on.  Christians have wanted to be faithful to the teaching of the Bible, but they have had to grapple with the legitimate insights of modern science as well as acknowledging their own inner reservations.

THE DEATH OF CHRIST

The Christian Church has taught for centuries that Jesus’ death was a redemptive act.  Just as the blood of the lambs in Egypt saved the lives of the firstborn Israelites, so the death of Jesus, the Lamb of God, has far-reaching effects.  In fact, say the NT writers, His death achieves forgiveness for people both across space and time.  But how does that work, and why should we believe it?  That’s the question that has exercised the greatest Christian minds for centuries. 

Well, let me explain a doctrine that is widely believed in our Protestant churches.  We owe a great deal to an Archbishop of Canterbury  –  Anselm.  Around the year 1100AD he wrote an important book entitled ‘Cur Deus Homo’ (Latin for ‘Why God became a man’).  It was a brilliant piece of scholarship in which he tried to make sense of what the NT writers were saying about how the death of one man, Jesus Christ, could forgive the sins of the whole world.  He finished up describing God’s need to satisfy two competing demands  –  the demands of justice and the demands of love.  As a loving father He longs to forgive, as a just judge He is obliged to punish.

Suppose one night I set fire to your house.  Suppose your smoke alarm wakes you up and you make your escape with only a few minor burns, but the fire spreads rapidly and the fire-fighters are unable to save your possessions.  The subsequent disruption to your life is considerable.  The police get involved, and in due course some CCTV footage points to me as the culprit.  I’m charged and I stand trial.  The evidence is pretty irrefutable.  Now, the law doesn’t quite work like this, but indulge me.

The judge asks me:  ‘How do you plead?’

I say:  ‘Guilty, your honour, but I’d like to add that I’m really very sorry and would like to apologise’.

The judge says:  ‘That’s good to hear.  Apology accepted.  Case dismissed’.

You jump up and say: ‘But what about my house, my possessions, compensation for all the inconvenience we’ve suffered?  And if you just let him off, he’ll do it again’.

God, said Anselm, is a father longing to forgive, but He’s also a just judge.  And both those demands/urges need to be satisfied.  Just saying sorry is not enough.  And so God comes in person because He loves us, and on the cross He suffers the punishment that should have been ours.  Jesus’ death on our behalf satisfies both God’s judicial obligation to punish sin and His parental longing to forgive sinners.  As Isaiah foretold: “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all”.

We often sing that hymn ‘In Christ alone’ and then that line ‘And on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied’.  It focusses on God the judge and omits God the parent, so a friend of ours wrote to Keith Getty and Stuart Townend and suggested a slight rewording which might better capture the tension in the heart of God: ‘And on that cross as Jesus died, God’s holy love was satisfied’.  That phrase ‘holy love’ was used by earlier generations to express exactly that tension, but sadly my friend’s suggestion was politely rejected.

Now Anselm’s view is not the only understanding of how we are made clean in God’s sight.  For one thing, it takes our focus away from the life of Jesus, and almost suggests that He only needed to come for a long weekend.  But that view has been by far the most influential one among Protestants.  400 years later Martin Luther would talk about ‘imputed righteousness’  –  none of us can stand before God and boast about our own goodness, but we stand clothed in Christ’s goodness.  In the words of Charles Wesley’s famous hymn:

No condemnation now I dread, Jesus and all in Him is mine

Alive in Him my living Head and clothed in righteousness divine

Bold I approach the eternal throne

And claim the crown through Christ my own

FAITH

Which brings me to our final doctrine  …  faith.  Anselm and Luther have given us food for thought, but are we all automatically saved through what Jesus has done?  Will people of other Faiths and cultures, will kind-hearted humanists, will people with severe learning disabilities, will tyrannical imperialist like Hitler and Stalin, will Lucy Letby?  Will everyone reap the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice regardless of what they’ve done in this world?  Some Christians say ‘yes’, and you probably need to listen to their arguments before you dismiss them.  But during this series on the parables of Matthew 13, I’ve been dealt the two which very clearly talk of judgment.  And from reading Jesus, it’s hard to conclude that everyone will be saved.

So how can a person benefit from a sacrifice made 2000 years ago?  Once again I’m simplifying centuries of debate.  Jesus used different words  –  have faith, believe, follow.  But 2000 years on those words convey different ideas in English.  For us the word ‘believe’ has a pretty passive feel to it  –  God does everything, I do nothing.  I believe I can cook a meal, but I leave it to my wife.  Linford Christie once said he believed he could run the 100m in 9.6 seconds, but that he wasn’t practising it yet.  The Devil could happily say the creed, but he clearly doesn’t follow Jesus!

By contrast, the word ‘follow’ suggests something more.  Firstly, you believe the good news Jesus offers the world, but in the light of that, you decide to change direction and walk in His ways.  Salvation is still an act of grace, but it requires a life-changing response.  That’s why, with Jesus, salvation is ultimately associated with what you do.

J.C. Ryle, the first Bishop of Liverpool, would regularly ordain new priests.  Each time, on the evening before, he would talk through the service with the ordinands, but then he said this:  Tomorrow you will need to respons to a series of questions.  I will ask you again and again ‘Will you?’, but there will come a day when you will stand before God and He will ask you ‘Did you?’

As Claire told us two weeks ago, there are 2.2 billion Christians in the world.  I don’t know how many of them are genuine or what exactly they believe.  But one day God will sort out the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the chaff, the clean from the unclean.  Before that day comes, we need to reflect on the extraordinary sacrifice Jesus made, and on his challenging call to follow.

Jesus and his apostles might seem to the world as an insignificant beginning but Jesus’ parables today hint that the insignificance will be significant indeed.

Starting out things are small

All businesses have to start somewhere and all businesses often start out small.

Jobs and Wozniak started Apple from Jobs’ garage in 1976 and it grew to a company valued over a trillion dollars. The company Nike began with a coach tinkering with shoes and a safely unimportant runner who tried them out.

Quite often businesses and organisations that have success and influence began humbly.

I’m going to introduce you today to Management advisory service. Imagine you are the fly on the wall in the offices of Management advisory service. A company who tries to help companies begin well. So let’s listen in to the conversation between the Management advisory service and a potential client…..

Hello, it’s nice to meet you and welcome to management advisory service. I have your proposal for forming a company before me, do have a seat.

I hope you don’t mind me saying at this early stage but I did find a few discrepancies on your form.

In other words, I couldn’t actually make head or tail of it.

I have your file here

it says you’re 30 years old yes? you are the son of Joseph and Mary, Yes? And for a number of years you’ve been working in your fathers business as a carpenter is that correct?

Your answer to question seven on your application has perplexed me somewhat. the question was: will your company be a public limited company, just a limited company, or a father and son business.

You wrote an everlasting company.

I mean what a ridiculous answer I’ve never heard of an everlasting company. face the facts good man, Companies either have cash flow problems, get forced out of business by strikes, are defrauded by their employees, have too high overheads, cannot obtain raw materials…..

and that’s the good news.

Most cannot pay their creditors interest and land up at the receivers bankrupt.

I’m not being negative about your chances of survival, but it’s my job to help you face the facts man

and this proposal is not a winner.

Are You still interested in forming a company?……

Oh you are?

And father and son would represent your work nicely?

father and son it is then, now let’s move on.

Another concern on your proposal is your proposed personnel……

start small with a dozen employees, but a few million to be added at a later date? what?!?!

Even these first 12 I mean seriously, I wouldn’t be in much of a hurry to recruit them if I were you!

look at their CVs – these four fishermen for example, Andrew, James John and Simon who for some absurd reason you want to call Peter, yes Peter.

Now I need to be honest with you here, so take it like a man there are some hard facts to consider.

pardon?

Listen, listen to be blunt. These men are useless

for instance, take this Thomas fellow. How could you ever motivate a man like him? He’s such a doubter, he would question your every decision

what you need is, a team of men with influence, charismatic personality

People who are strong and decisive….. with good communication skills,

and of course people with contacts within government are most helpful if you know what I mean,

but most of all you need people with brains, not sawdust.

I know you consider this plan serious but you have to admit it is rather unusual.

Personnel issues Aside….

your plans to free the oppressed and recover site to the blind are somewhat ambitious.

Do you know it’s all been tried before the wonder pill the miracle Faith healer pill, the wonderful miracle, faith healer pill it’s all just a fad young man.

Listen to me, forget this signs and wonders idea

with this group of ragamuffins, you have to face it, Jesus. Your staff will never be world changers they’re just ordinary people!

That was adapted from Fish and chips by Barry Boyton.

In the business world God’s business plan for world change seemed ridiculous but as with modern examples of apple and Nike , Our modern saying ‘Great Oaks from Little acorns grow’ rings extremely true.

Jesus and his group of friends might seem to the world as an insignificant beginning but Jesus’ parables today hint that the insignificance will be significant indeed.

Despite the ambivalent and hostile reactions to Jesus and his message, which we can read in chapters, 11 and 12 these parables suggest that God’s purpose will reach its triumphant fulfilment.

Jesus‘s ministry may be unnoticed or disdained for the time being, but the time will come when it will be impossible to ignore it.

The parables

‘All three parables from v24-33 which included those of the wheat and weeds that Bruce looked at last week and those of the yeast and mustard seed from today are all explicitly about the kingdom of heaven and describe different aspects of the new reality which has come into being through Jesus’ ministry. This reality is that God is at work in his world.

The mustard seed, a tiny seed will grow to a massive tree and the yeast hidden in dough will spread causing the dough to rise.

Both of our parables speak of a small, barely perceptible, beginning which results in a spectacular transformation – this is the truth of the kingdom of God.

As we look at these two parables, we need to remember that parables are often exaggerated to convey their point.

Mustard seed

In the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a The mustard seed which grows into a big tree which birds flock to and nest in its branches.

In reality Mustard tree isn’t exactly huge – but the parables’ meaning is not dependent on botanical accuracy. It’s what it represents and conjures to the minds of its hearers.

In Jesus’ day The words here conjure up connections to the Old Testament writings that prophesied what Gods kingdom would look like.

There is an image in Daniel 4:12 and 21 of a tree ‘It’s leaves were beautiful, it’s fruit ambundant and on it was food for all, under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches from it every creature was fed.’ – this speaks allegorically of a kingdom whose dominion extends to the ends of the Earth and incorporate all people.

Likewise in Ezekiel we can read( 17 verse 23) On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it and it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar birds of every kind will nest in it they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. 31:6 all the birds of the sky nested in its boughs all the wild animals gave birth under its branches all the great nations lived in its shade.

The symbolism here suggests that gods kingdom will be extended to the Gentiles too, and that seems to be why Matthew phrases Jesus’s parable in this way, hinting to these prophecies, and helping his readers conclude that God is at work to expand his kingdom to include all nations.

God is at work in the world bringing about his kingdom where Jew and Gentile – all nations will be incorporated and included. Jesus and his friends might in their time have seemed like a group of unlikely world changers but today there are an estimated 2.2billion Christian’s in the world. God is at work changing lives, bringing people into his kingdom.

Yeast

In the parable of the yeast we hear that the kingdom of heaven is like yeast mixed. In the original the verb hid is used to describe this mixing of yeast.

In the ancient world the usual method of bringing about fermentation in bread making was to insert into the new dough a small amount of old fermented dough reserved from the previous baking ( like a sourdough starter) the remarkable thing about the leaven is the expansion it causes in the new dough.

When it’s mixed in you cannot distinguish the starter from the dough it was added to. The starter is hid.

This parable puts a positive spin on the secrets of the kingdom being hid. It seems to convey that that for a while it may seem hidden but it will work it’s way through the world. In Jesus’ day – the part Jesus played in bringing Gods kingdom about was not understood but here we stand centuries later and Gods kingdom truly has grown. it began with a group of common uneducated, fishermen, and farmers carpenters and women tax collectors and disreputable characters.

If the kingdom of heaven is like yeast affecting dough then we can conclude that Those in Gods kingdom have a dramatic effect on society. God can take even the most distasteful character and transform them and then transform society through them. despite its appalling failures down the ages the church has had an amazing record in medical care, social work, education, liberation of women and slaves and the defence of prisoners, the age of the helpless, and those whom society neglects.

Impact of God’s kingdom

The first institution for the blind was founded by Thalasius a Christian monk. The first free dispensary was founded by apPolonius, a Christian merchant. The first hospital was founded by Fabiola, a Christian woman.

There are many other Examples of in history of Christian’s bringing about gods kingdom in the world.

Florence Nightingale was born to wealth in Britain, at the age of 17. She believed that God spoke to her and called her to service. her theology, her knowledge of God, and trust in him, motivated her to commit her entire life, to the cause of alleviating conditions of the poor, especially in hospitals and work houses.

William Wilberforce who lived in the 18th, 19th centuries, was a member of Parliament, he wrote that God Almighty had set before him two great objectives, the suppression of the slave trade, and the Reformation of society. He successfully mobilised Reformation societies which enlisted the signatures as over 1 million English people for a petition to set every slave free.

Mission aviation Fellowship, is a Christian humanitarian aid organisation that today operates 138 purpose-built light aircraft in over 26 countries and partners with more than 2000 humanitarian organisations, including UNICEF, World Health Organisation, the Red Cross, Medicare and tear fund . It Was co-founded by Stuart King who lived in my hometown of Folkestone. He was an RAF pilot in World War II, his faith and skills as a pilot saw him pioneer work to deliver bibles, humanitarian aid, fly in and out of emergencies. All motivated by a love of Jesus and a desire to live out his kingdom

Salt and light
Earlier in Matthews gospel Jesus teaches that in his kingdom his followers are to be Salt and light to the world – Matthew 5:13-16, you are the salt of the Earth but if the salt looses its saltiness how can it be made salty again it’s no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under foot, you are the light of the world a town built on a hill cannot be hidden, neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl instead they put it on it stand and it gets light to everyone in the house in the same way let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven.

how are you being called to be salt and light in your homes, friendship groups, communities, jobs, volunteer roles?

Gods kingdom may have started in a seemingly initially insignificant way but it is pervasive and although these parables are mainly an encouragement of God being at work in the world bringing about his kingdom, the bible tells us that we too are part of that plan. That we are to be active in his world. So let’s be active in Gods kingdom as he builds it and grows it.