Kingdom of God Dynamics: Luke 13:18-21
“18) So He was saying, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? 19) It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” 20) And again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21) It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”” Luke 13:18-21
Jesus now begins to talk about the subject of the Kingdom of God. This is about to become an increasingly common part of His teaching. According to Acts 1:3, the Kingdom of God would become His primary subject matter during the forty days between His resurrection and ascension. Jesus was preparing them for something very big!
From these two short parables in Luke 13:18-21, we learn two important characteristics about the coming Kingdom of God.
First, like a mustard seed it starts very small but grows very large. The gospel story of Jesus Christ started with a very small group that would quickly grow very big.
I love the numerical growth recorded in the book of Acts. It went from the 12 to 120 to 3,000 to 5,000 to uncountable very quickly. Like a mustard seed, it started very small but grew very big.
Second, like leaven, it started with three pecks of meal but soon affect it all. So would be the coming spread of the gospel. It Started in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, but would soon spread to encompass every nation, tribe and tongue around the world. It started with a few and soon spread to many.
Let me summarize; the dynamics of the Kingdom of God are “small to big” and “few to many.” So should our vision and fruitfulness be for the glory of God in this world. When the Spirit of God starts moving and the gospel starts spreading the results are explosive!
Never limit God or put Him in a box. If you are in true kingdom work, your small box will quickly become woefully small and your vision inadequate. If you sow sparingly you will reap sparingly. But in Kingdom work, if you sow abundantly you will reap abundantly.
If you unleash the gospel and the Spirit of God, you will soon move into mustard seed and leaven dynamics! Pray, plan and work toward Kingdom of God growth and expansion! Expect “small to big” and “few to many.”
The opposite is true if you are building for yourself or working through the strength of your flesh. It will remain small, pathetic and dysfunctional. Jesus promised to build His church, not your church or my church. If this is your story, it’s time to repent and switch into Kingdom mode!
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
“18) So He was saying, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? 19) It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” 20) And again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21) It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”” Luke 13:18-21
Jesus now begins to talk about the subject of the Kingdom of God. This is about to become an increasingly common part of His teaching. According to Acts 1:3, the Kingdom of God would become His primary subject matter during the forty days between His resurrection and ascension. Jesus was preparing them for something very big!
From these two short parables in Luke 13:18-21, we learn two important characteristics about the coming Kingdom of God.
First, like a mustard seed it starts very small but grows very large. The gospel story of Jesus Christ started with a very small group that would quickly grow very big.
I love the numerical growth recorded in the book of Acts. It went from the 12 to 120 to 3,000 to 5,000 to uncountable very quickly. Like a mustard seed, it started very small but grew very big.
Second, like leaven, it started with three pecks of meal but soon affect it all. So would be the coming spread of the gospel. It Started in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, but would soon spread to encompass every nation, tribe and tongue around the world. It started with a few and soon spread to many.
Let me summarize; the dynamics of the Kingdom of God are “small to big” and “few to many.” So should our vision and fruitfulness be for the glory of God in this world. When the Spirit of God starts moving and the gospel starts spreading the results are explosive!
Never limit God or put Him in a box. If you are in true kingdom work, your small box will quickly become woefully small and your vision inadequate. If you sow sparingly you will reap sparingly. But in Kingdom work, if you sow abundantly you will reap abundantly.
If you unleash the gospel and the Spirit of God, you will soon move into mustard seed and leaven dynamics! Pray, plan and work toward Kingdom of God growth and expansion! Expect “small to big” and “few to many.”
The opposite is true if you are building for yourself or working through the strength of your flesh. It will remain small, pathetic and dysfunctional. Jesus promised to build His church, not your church or my church. If this is your story, it’s time to repent and switch into Kingdom mode!
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
