Today we continue our series entitled, “Heaven on Earth,” by teaching on God’s Kingdom. In the last message I drove home the fact that the seed of God’s Word is always working. Today’s message will flow in the same vein.
We have been looking at different parables where Jesus taught about the Kingdom in ways we can understand. Let’s look at one Jesus shared in Mark 4.
Jesus said:
“God’s kingdom is like a man who plants seed in the ground. The seed begins to grow. It grows night and day. It doesn’t matter whether the man is sleeping or awake, the seed still grows. He doesn’t know how it happens. Without any help the ground produces grain. First the plant grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head. When the grain is ready, the man cuts it. This is the harvest time.” (Mark 4:26-29 ERV)
Let’s take a look at what is going on the parable. There is a man who owns land. The man has access to seed. The man then plants the seed into his soil. Once the seed is in the ground, the seed and the soil go to work. It does not matter that the man cannot see the seed. The seed is working. It does not matter if the man does not understand how seeds grow. The seed is still working. It does not matter if the man is awake or asleep, working or resting. The seed is still working. Before the long the man will see something break forth through the soil. It starts off small. But if he is patient, he will see the plant grow. What started as a small seed grows into sprout, then a stalk, then a head, and then grain grows into the head. If you can follow this story, then you can get a picture of what the Kingdom of God is like.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. In the parable of the man who plants seed in the ground, you are the man, God’s Word is the seed, and your heart is the soil. Like the man in the parable, your part is to plant the seed (God’s Word) into the soil (your heart). Once you do, God does the rest. God sees to it that the seed of His Word begins to grow within the soil of your heart. Day and night. Night and day. Whether are are awake or asleep, working or resting, the seed of God’s Word is working in your heart. It starts off small, but before long it grows into a sprout, then a stalk, then a head, and then a head full of grain. When it reaches the final stage, it is harvest time. This is the picture Jesus gave us concerning the Kingdom. The reality of God’s Kingdom starts off small in our hearts, where no one can see it. But over the process of time it grows and expands until it produces a harvest everyone can see!
2. The message of the Kingdom is contained within the Word of God. Once the Word of God gets down in your heart, it begins to work. You start to see yourself as a Kingdom citizen on this planet. The reality of the Kingdom grows and grows inside of you, where no one can see it, until it produces a full harvest. When the harvest is manifested, the change that was produced IN you can be clearly seen THROUGH you. What was hidden within is exposed without and everyone who comes in contact with you gets to come in contact with Jesus. This is the goal. This is how we represent and demonstrate heaven on the earth. This is how God can be seen IN and THROUGH us. But it all starts with a seed. It all starts with simply getting the Word of God down in our hearts.
3. You may be reading message after message about the Kingdom and how it is God’s will for us to experience days of heaven on earth, and you may think, “Okay Rick, that sounds good. I hear what you are saying. But it is not working for me. How do I get started?” The answer is in the parable we are looking at today. The harvest did not come until the man took the seed and planted down into the soil. His part was to sow the seed. God’s part was to make the soil (your heart) and the seed (His Word) produce a harvest. If you never sow God’s Word down in your heart, you are not giving God anything to work with. And I don’t mean just going to church. You can go to church without ever getting God’s Word down in your heart. I did that for years growing up. You must make an intentional effort to get God’s Word down in your heart daily. You must meditate and medicate on God’s Word day and night. If you do, God will see to it that His Word produces. It will produce change IN you and fruit FROM you.
4. I know people in today’s society don’t like to hear about patience or process, but both are required for true and sustained growth as a child of God. The man in the parable took seed and planted it down inside of the soil. The man then had to wait. He had no control over the process. God Himself, who is the Lord of the Harvest, saw to it that the soil and seed did their part. At first, when the soil and seed were initiating the process, nothing could be seen above ground. But while the process was invisible to the human eye, the process was still working. Even while the man was sleeping, the soil and the seed were working. Then later a sprout appeared. This is when the natural eye could notice the progress. But the change was still small. Later the sprout grew into a stalk. Later the stalk produced a head. By this time people get excited about the progress they are making. But God is not in the business of just blessing YOU. He wants to bless the world THROUGH you. So then later, when the process is complete, the head is full of grain. It is harvest time. At this point the fruit of the process can spill over outside of you, so it can BE A BLESSING to others. This is the picture Jesus gives us of the Kingdom. The change starts within us. It starts so small to where we cannot even notice it. But before long, we are in a position TO BE a blessing to others. That’s the goal. To get there we must have patience and we must trust the process.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your Kingdom. The reality of Your Kingdom is contained within the seed of Your Word. I plant the seed of Your Word down within the soil of my heart daily. I meditate and medicate on Your Word day and night. I do my part. You do Yours. You are the Lord of the Harvest. You see to it that Your Word produces in my heart. It starts off small. So small I don’t even notice it. But before long it grows big. So big that everyone I come in contact with notices it. Your Word produces change IN ME and fruit FROM ME. This is how You change the world THROUGH me! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
