Tonight, I invite you to turn with me to Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13. When you have found Matthew chapter 13, please also turn in the back of the Psalter Hymnal to page 61. Page 61 where we find Lord's Days 48 and 49 as we consider Lord's Day 48 tonight. In connection with two small parables, There are four parables recorded in Matthew chapter 13, actually more than four, five or six, but the two small ones found in verses 31 through 33. First of all, looking at Lord's Day 48, question 123, giving expression to what we believe here. What does the second request mean? Thy kingdom come means, rule us by your word and spirit in such a way that more and more we submit to you. Keep your church strong and add to it. Destroy the devil's work. Destroy every force which revolts against you and every conspiracy against your word. Do this until your kingdom is so complete and perfect that in it you are all in all. Matthew 13 begins with the parable of the sower. I trust you know that parable well. The four different kinds of soil where the seed is sown and Jesus says some of the seed falls on the hard path. The birds came and ate it up. Some of the seed fell upon the rocky places and it no sooner took root and it withered because it really had no root, no deep roots. Some fell upon the thorns and once that began to grow the thorns, the weeds choked it out. But yet other seed fell upon the good soil and produced a great crop. I would like to pick it up, I had indicated at verse 24, but I'd like to pick it up at verse 18 as our Lord gives the meaning of that parable then to read the parable of the weeds and then the two that we want to consider tonight of the mustard seed and the yeast and then finishing up reading with the meaning of the parable of the weeds. So we hear now God's most holy, inspired, infallible, inerrant word beginning at verse 18 of Matthew 13. As the Lord Jesus Christ has listened then to what the parable of the sower means when anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell in rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy, but since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the Word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the Word and understands it. He produces a crop yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. Jesus told them another parable. The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner's servants came to him and said, Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from? An enemy did this, he replied. The servants asked him, Do you want us to go and pull them up? No, he answered, because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters, First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn. He told them another parable, The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches. He told them still another parable. The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough. Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet. I will open my mouth in parables. I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world. Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field. He answered, The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. Verses 31-33 again, He told them another parable, The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants. It becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches. He told him still another parable. The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough. Let's bow together, asking for God's blessing upon the reading and preaching of his word. Father, we come before You acknowledging, confessing, Lord, that we cannot see unless You should open our eyes. We thank You for the precious gift of Your Holy Spirit to illumine us, to help us to see the wonderful truths of Your Word. We pray, Father, that You would indeed do that for us, even in this evening hour, that we might see the beauty of Your most holy Word and of the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and our place in it by Your grace. We ask that You would hear us, that You would bless us, bless this preaching and hearing of Your Word for Your glory and honor, for the edification of Your people. We pray, too, for the conversion of sinners. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. O beloved in Christ the Lord, we find ourselves in that special season of the year again which the commercials on TV and the stores will not let us forget. special for them because they draw our attention to the kingdoms of this world, really, try to distract us from the truth of what we know this season is all about, and try to draw our attention and focus on the things that we want, the things, our own personal kingdoms at home. But we find ourselves as believers celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ during this season. The incarnation of God Himself come in human flesh. But even as believers, we know, don't we, that it's not just about the birth of a child, the Christ child. It's not just about God's gift of His Son. But it's about the gift He came to bring. You cannot separate the gift of Jesus Christ and the gift He came to bring. It's only because of all of that that we are able to sing as we have done tonight in Christ alone how deep a Father's love for us. We cannot forget about the gift He came to bring and therefore we know that in a sense the shadow of the cross was present already in the manger of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He came to save His people. To save you and me by dying for and by paying for our sins. And therefore, He came to establish His kingdom and to bring those He came to save into it by faith. To bring those who were alienated from God, as we were reminded this morning, pushed away from God intentionally because of our sin, and to draw us once again close to God. And Jesus, we know, preached about His kingdom often. He said in Mark 1, verse 15, the kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news, showing how one enters by the grace of God through repentance and faith. In Luke chapter 17, He said the kingdom is within you. We know that He described His kingdom in His many parables. The kingdom of heaven is like. And as well as we have been considering with our study of the Beatitudes, Jesus teaches what the character of the kingdom citizen is all about. In Matthew chapter 5 with the Beatitudes. He preached often about His kingdom. But at the same time, He taught His disciples. He taught you and me to pray about that kingdom. And to pray specifically, Thy kingdom come. Now what does that mean? We ask that question because in essence, already as we have noticed, Jesus said, it's here. It's within you. He said it's near. Yet we are called to pray, Thy kingdom come. Because it's not yet perfect. It's not yet complete. Yet it will be, as Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 25, when he says, For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. Indeed, we know that God's kingdom of power exists over all things. but one day his kingdom of grace too will be over all things. Now when it comes to a kingdom, we know what a kingdom is. We have a general idea of what a kingdom is. We think of a realm, a territory which is ruled by a king. And a kingdom has citizens, those who submit to and who obey the rule of the king. And a kingdom also has enemies that want to destroy that kingdom. And most likely we think of earthly kingdoms, don't we? And thinking of earthly kingdoms, then we think of physical territories with physical boundaries indeed ruled by a king. And those kingdoms we know as we think back over history, those kingdoms come and go. We think of the kingdom of David or the kingdom of Solomon or the Babylonian kingdom or the Holy Roman Empire or even the kingdoms that have existed over the last couple of hundred years and still today. And some of those details that are true of these physical kingdoms are also the same with the kingdom of heaven. The catechism, in summarizing the teaching of Scripture, in teaching us of what it means when we pray, Thy kingdom come, points out some of these details. Thy kingdom come. This kingdom has a king. Its king is the Lord Jesus Christ, God Himself. This kingdom has citizens. Those who are ruled by, who submit to the rule of the king. But the territory of this kingdom, you see, is not limited by physical boundaries like the physical earthly kingdoms are. But its territory is the heart of faith. This kingdom is found wherever the sovereignty and the kingship and the rule of Jesus Christ is found. wherever He is believed, wherever His rule is operating in the hearts and lives of His people. That's God's kingdom of grace. But this kingdom also has enemies. The devil, Satan, and all who reject the Lord Jesus Christ. But this kingdom that we speak of, that we are called to pray for, even though it's not delineated by physical boundaries, it is still real. It exists, but again, until Jesus Christ returns, it is not yet perfect, it is not yet complete, it is still growing as the elect, those chosen by God before the foundation of the world, are brought to faith in Jesus Christ. Again, as those who were purposefully pushed away by God are brought near to Him through faith in Christ Jesus. That is what we are called to pray for. You see, this second petition, beloved, is not a request that we pray in kind of a hopeless fashion. They're not words that we say really without much hope, but this request is asking God to finish what He has started. To finish what He has started in me, in you. To finish what He has started in His church, and to finish what He has started in the world. This is a prayer for the perfection, for the completion of His kingdom. And it's also a prayer of confidence. And that confidence is in Christ Jesus, as we were beautifully reminded this morning. Because He is supreme, He is the sufficient One. He has done all that we have needed. Indeed, to bring those who were alienated, pushed away, to bring us back, to reconcile us with God. We pray these words in confidence. Thy kingdom come in Christ Jesus who rose again, who ascended triumphantly with His kingdom established, with His throne confirmed as the Father has placed Him on His right hand and His Lordship glorified as He has been given the name that is above every name. We pray with confidence, without a doubt, That God will do it. And you know it's confirmed by these two small parables. Now with these two small parables, we learn in kind of a general way that things are not always as they seem. Things are not always as they appear. Kind of like the words that are inscribed on the mirror on the passenger side of your car. Objects are closer than what they may appear. And while this world remains, the kingdom of God is not what it appears to be in the eyes of the world, as these two short parables point out. Yet these parables are comforting, to be comforting for you and me as believers, especially as we consider the context. Those other two that we pointed to. The parable of the sower, again, with the four different soil conditions, teaches us, at least in part, that much of the seed of the Word of God falls on unresponsive and unbelieving soil, a sad truth. And the parable of the tares or the weeds teaches that even the good soil is in a sense in danger as unbelievers mingle with believers in the visible church. This is the sad truth of the situation, Jesus says, in this life. But Jesus' message here, I believe, with these two short parables is that even in the midst of that sad truth, His kingdom will not be lost. No matter how many weeds the devil sows, Christ's kingdom will not be lost, but instead, His kingdom is like a mighty tree that fills the earth with its branches. It is like powerful yeast which diffuses, which spreads its influence through all the world. As in connection with the second petition, these parables teach God's kingdom coming. We notice, first of all, its coming with an insignificant beginning verse 31 again he told them another parable the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and planted in his field though it is the smallest of all your seeds yet when it grows it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches now jesus in his own masterful way again and he uses an illustration that was familiar to the people of his day. The mustard seed is not the smallest seed that exists in the world, but it is very, very tiny. Boys and girls, it's as tiny as some of the spices that you find in your mom's kitchen cabinet. If you drop a mustard seed in the grass, most likely you're not going to find it back, no matter how long you search and hunt, because it is so small. It is generally, as Jesus was saying there, it was generally the smallest of the seeds that was planted in the garden so tiny that it was used in conversation as a point of comparison for how small something was or how insignificant something was. Kind of like we might describe someone as being tiny as a mouse or someone eating like a bird. The mustard seed was used as a point of comparison of how tiny or small something was. Jesus Himself in Luke chapter 17 speaks of faith as a mustard seed. And he points out there that little faith, tiny faith, the even beginning of faith is powerful by the grace of God. And his hearers also would have understood then they would have been familiar with the seed's growth. The seed, that tiny little mustard seed, grew into an impressive mustard tree. It grew anywhere from 10 to 15 feet tall and that in one year. From the smallest of the seeds that were planted in the garden to the largest of the garden plants, it would grow a thick trunk with solid branches that were able to support the weight of a man. You see, beloved, the proportion between the tiny seed and the tree that it would become was beyond measure. There was no scale by which to describe it. When I was younger, I used to like making those plastic models of cars. And on the box, it would have the scale that this car, once it's built, is 1 32nd, let's say, of the real thing. So that the real car is 32 times as long and wide and tall. The mustard seed is so tiny compared to what it becomes, you can't even begin to come up with a scale to describe, to compare it. The seed seems so insignificant and so worthless, but it grows to be a productive, valuable tree. And Jesus uses this to make a kingdom comparison. The kingdom of heaven came to earth with the coming of Jesus Christ. He came to save His people from their sins. He came to draw them into His kingdom. To believe in Him. To obey Him. But its beginning was less than impressive. Its beginning was insignificant in the world's eyes like that tiny seed. We ourselves, we can talk about the visible facts that we know of. The king of the kingdom was born in a lowly manger. There was no room in the civilized inn with people. But he was born and laid in an animal's manger with really only very few even noticing. Even as a small infant, he had to flee for his life, for safety, because he was wanted dead. He didn't enjoy a golden 50-year ministry, but only a short three-and-a-half-year ministry. And really, he had only a few loyal followers, and they were even the lowly, the despised, those who were uneducated and who were unlearned. He socialized with the outcasts of society, the prostitutes and the tax collectors, those who were considered to be terrible sinners, while the important folk of the day and the religious leaders of the day despised Him. He suffered a criminal's death on the cross and even then His disciples deserted Him for a time and the church that He left behind was really quite small, really only a very few people, a hundred or so. And in the world's eyes, beloved, this insignificant, this small beginning does not make for much of a kingdom. And therefore, the cross of this hated and despised and condemned and rejected and apparently defeated man has become a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. Even today, many who are told about the cross of Jesus look at it and figure, I'm better off on my own. I can do it myself. he was a disappointment to the Jews who expected the Messiah to come in royal splendor, to establish his throne in Jerusalem, to deliver his people from Roman tyranny. In the eyes of the flesh, beloved, the beginning of the kingdom of heaven was less than magnificent. It held out no promise. It held out no hope. Not like the kingdoms of this world, you see. the kingdoms of this world we know enjoy oftentimes proud beginnings they promise to be as high as heaven like the tower of babel they promise to do it all for you and me we think of our own nation right now with a health care debate and other things that are going on that the government must supply for everyone in our country our American kingdom must do it all you see but you see the kingdoms of this world come and go the kingdoms of this world do not last they end up nothing more than a deserted heap of bricks they end up as nothing more than a prize of archaeological expeditions or think of many businesses that start today they celebrate with huge grand openings and lots of publicity come to us we can give you what you need We are the only ones you need. Yet, in the time of economic downturn, they suffer and many of them die. The kingdoms of this world do not and will not last. As Peter says, all flesh is as grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall. But again, during this season of the year, Our society would tell you and me, work on your own kingdom. Spend on yourself. Build your own little kingdom and thereby support the kingdom of our economy. The kingdoms of this world will not last, but Peter also says the kingdom of heaven and the word of that kingdom lasts forever. It began as a mustard seed, but it enjoys in the second place an immeasurable growth, an unbelievable growth. Again, like the mustard tree from that tiny sea. The branches of the mustard tree reach out in every single direction. And so it is with the Kingdom of Heaven as we know on this earth. The Kingdom of Heaven has spread far and wide. For example, on Pentecost, Christ's small congregation grew by 3,000. We read about the spread of the Kingdom in the book of Acts, especially Paul's missionary journeys and all the churches that were planted. And today, we know that there are missionaries literally in the remotest parts of the world bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And beloved, that is where our focus must be as well. Indeed, our God provides for us to provide for the things that we need. But our focus, even in our giving, is to be on that kingdom that will have no end. and supporting that kingdom, being used by God to spread His Word, the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Just as the birds would perch in the branches of the mustard tree, many find comfort in the branches of Christ's kingdom family tree. That kingdom attracts many by the shelter and the protection that it offers because of her victorious King. It's only there, beloved, that you will find shelter from the storms of life. It's only there that you will find rest from the weariness of sin. It is only in that kingdom where you will find shade from the heat of the battle fire of the evil one. And again, as the other two bearables point out, that heat of battle fire is there. There continues to be a conflict. You see, the kingdom of God enjoys an immeasurable growth, but that growth does not mean, as some have said, That the world itself becomes increasingly Christian with every institution being Christianized until one day the whole earth will be filled with love for Christ. The scriptures speak against that. Those other parables speak against that. We see that truth in our own day that the wickedness of man, the wickedness of our society is shameless beyond compare. People just don't care how they live and how they act in the unbelieving world. We are reminded again in those other two parables that much of the seed of the Word falls on soil that is unreceptive and unresponsive. We are reminded that the weeds will continue to exist until the end comes, when Jesus comes again. We know, dear people of God, that the cause of Christ continues to be attacked. That's why we pray, Thy kingdom come. In part, it means destroy the devil's work. destroy every force which revolts against you and every conspiracy against your word. Satan could not keep the Messiah from coming. He could not stuff out the line of the seed of the woman. He could not keep the Messiah from coming. He could not keep the Messiah from going to the cross. He could not keep Him from rising from the dead. And therefore, now He attacks the church of Jesus Christ. He sows the seeds of falsehood, doubt, humanism, materialism. He tries to convince you and me, especially in times of hardship and difficulty and stress and sorrow, that God is not real, that God truly is not a God of His Word, that God does not care about you and me. He tries to convince us that there is a better way, but there is none other way, dear people of God. There is only one way, the perfect way and truth and life, who is Jesus Christ. We know that the cause of Christ appears to be defeated, but that's really Jesus' point here in this context with these two small bearables, that it's not defeated. That the kingdom is really growing. Despite what it may look like, the kingdom is really growing, It will stand for eternity, straight and solid and tall like a mustard tree, a haven of rest for all who are brought in by the grace of God. He will rule, as we sang in our doxology this morning, earth's remotest regions shall his empire be. Even as now, in the third place, it enjoys an immense influence. A powerful influence. Verse 33, he told him still another parable. the kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough. Now really there's so much in comparison between the mustard seed and the yeast. Both have a very small beginning. Both enjoy a huge growth as we know. But here in a particular way we notice the influence, the powerful influence that yeast gives. Again, he uses an illustration that would have been familiar to those who made bread on a daily basis and even is familiar to those of you who bake bread today. Yeast, we know, is a powerful substance that makes the bread dough rise. That's one of its important uses. It makes bread light. It makes it fluffy. Without that yeast, it would be flat and hard like a cracker. And they would keep just a tiny piece of dough that was fermented with yeast in it for the next batch. And a large batch here is talking about anywhere from a half to a whole bushel of unyeasted, unleavened dough. So you can imagine, once that yeast was put in there, and that half to one bushel rose, it grew, it was a huge amount. But when that very little bit of yeasted dough was worked and squeezed into that large batch, it leavened every last bit of it. Not one bit of it remained unaffected. It worked its way through every bit of it. It is hidden, of course. It works silently and mysteriously, yet powerfully it transforms and changes every bit of dough. It penetrates with its energy and power and influences that with which it comes in contact. Again, our Lord uses that as a comparison for the Kingdom of Heaven. That describes the rule of Jesus Christ through His Word and the influence that it has. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the rule of Christ is implanted in the heart of man from the outside, like that little piece of fermented dough is put into the large batch from outside. The faith of Christ and rule of Christ is implanted into man's heart from the outside. Jesus Christ, through His ordained means, sows the seed of the Word. And the Holy Spirit implants the incorruptible seed in the hearts of God's people. Man cannot think or talk or work his way into God's kingdom. He is made a part of it by the Holy Spirit of God through the leavening power of the living Word of God, by faith. And it's a hidden work. You and I cannot see the Holy Spirit working in the heart. We see the effect of it. We ought to see the effect of it. He works silently. He works mysteriously, yet powerfully. As Paul says, the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. And therefore, it is also a complete work. The yeast of the Gospel leavens the whole batch. He brings complete salvation. Not one part of it is left undone. And also, the yeast of the kingship and the rule of Jesus Christ, which begins in the heart of God's child, works then also from inside out. That's why we also pray, Thy kingdom come. It means rule us by Your Word and Spirit in such a way that more and more we submit to You. That's a prayer for ourselves. Sometimes we are involved in great, what we call kingdom works outside there in the world, and that's wonderful. That's the way it ought to be. But it's meaningless, it's useless, apart from the kingdom work that is to take place and is taking place inside of every believer, every child of God. Notice this request, thy kingdom come, is not a request for initial conversion, that conversion the first time, bringing one from death to life. Because one who is not converted to begin with will not pray this prayer. It is a prayer, we might say, for continued conversion, daily conversion. The kingdom work continues in each one of us. It is a prayer that the Holy Spirit would continue to make and mold and shape and form us more and more in the image of Jesus Christ and to be obedient kingdom citizens, not rebels in the kingdom, not those who resist His rule. That's according to our old nature. But instead, that more and more the Holy Spirit would work in us that we would bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. And it's also an influencing work. You see, the more that the believer's soul is penetrated, the more He changes and continues to so that not only is He influenced, but through Him, so is His family. So is every sphere of life. So is the world. Through His people, God influences everything else with His Gospel. The true kingdom citizen, leavened by the Word of God, under the rule of Jesus Christ cannot help but to influence all we come in contact with, even the unbelieving world benefits. Not in a saving way, unless God should so choose, but even the unbelieving world benefits from the influence of the gospel through you and me as kingdom citizens promote truth and honesty and justice in the world. As obedience to Jesus Christ governs the believer's work ethic and relationships and all of our activities and as the believer's love for Jesus Christ flows to the poor and the helpless and the homeless in Jesus' name, even the unbelieving world is influenced by the Gospel through God's people. Kingdom citizens work from a power that has been implanted by the regenerating work and by the continuing sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. And beloved, God uses His church to expand His kingdom. He uses it to point others to the cure that we all need, to that peace that we all need. We live in a day when our society wants cures. It demands cures for diseases. It demands peace with other nations as well. God uses His church to expand His kingdom and to point others to that cure that one and all need, that cure for sin. and to point them to true peace, reconciliation with God, which comes only through the power of the cross of Jesus. Dear people of God, this petition is a prayer that God would continue His work, that He would continue the work of building His kingdom, that He would complete it, that He would continue His work in us, in those whom He has brought to faith in Jesus Christ, that more and more we might love Him and more and more render obedience to Him. That He would continue His work in the church that He has begun, that He would continue to build His church and make her strong and complete, that He would continue His work in this world even as He works to destroy Satan and evil. And that is why it is also a prayer of confidence because one day all of His enemies, those outside of the kingdom, those who reject Him, they will be put away forever. And Christ's kingdom of grace will be over all. His enemies will be put away forever and ever. And the bride of Jesus Christ, those who are brought to faith in Christ Jesus, those whom He brings near will be presented in glory, perfect, without spot, without wrinkle, but instead presented holy, without blemish. Today, the kingdom of Christ looks powerless to the world. Today, the church seems weak and helpless, and to our society, it seems like nothing more than a pest standing in the way of social progress. But one day, the King of glory will come in all of His splendor. His kingdom will be all in all. He will be all to His people. And His bride, the church, will reign with Him forever and ever. Dear believer, be encouraged. because you are part of a kingdom that shall have no end. You serve a king who is already victorious, who loves you, and who will preserve you both now and forevermore. And therefore together let us exalt the Lord our God and serve only Him with joy and with gladness. Amen. Let's pray together. dear heavenly father indeed we pray that thy kingdom come we thank you for that blessed kingdom brought with the coming of our lord jesus christ established then continuing to grow today the kingdom of which you have made us apart by your grace and we pray Lord that you would continue to strengthen us in every way before you we pray that you would continue to add to your church make her strong and complete we pray father that your kingdom would come in us and through us as your people even as you continue to expand your kingdom and may we indeed look forward to the day when we will no longer struggle with sin and temptation and the assaults of Satan when he will be put away and those who follow him forever and ever and our only focus and our only attention and our only glory will be in you perfectly and completely. Oh Lord, what a day that will be. May we crave that day. May we look forward to it and even now prepare us for it by the powerful work of your Holy Spirit for whom we give you thanksgiving and praise. In Jesus' name alone we pray these things. Amen.