Sermon Outline Oct 19, 2008 Morning Service

Topic:Mustard Seeds And Leaven Lumps

Text:         Matthew 13:31-33                                    

Introduction

I.        Little things matter to Jesus.

II.       Men usually think of great things as being most important.

III.      Jesus said two things to show the importance of little things in the kingdom.

A.      “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed…”

B.      “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven…”

Text

I.        Mustard Seeds And Leaven Lumps.

A.      The original audience would have understood this example right away.

B.      A tiny mustard seed can grow to 18 feet.

C.      A pinch of fermented dough can feed forty people for several days.

D.      What begins minute ends massive.

II.       A Timely Reminder.

A.      Perhaps the early church needed this reminder.

1.      How did a tiny manger and a bloody cross measure up against centuries of Jewish tradition and Greek philosophy?

2.      How could a movement headed by a carpenter measure up in a religious world dominated by Pharisees, Stoics, and Gnostics?

B.      Perhaps the modern church needs this reminder.

1.      We sometimes fear the smallness of Jesus’ story.

2.      Do terms like “sin” and “salvation” seem outdated?

C.      What has become of those things the church has typically feared?

D.      God does uncommon works through common deeds.

III.      What difference do our little deeds make?

A.      Have you ever wondered if your work makes a difference?

1.      We probably want to make a difference.

2.      We might do more if we thought we could make a difference.

3.      But perhaps we doubt that we can make a difference.

B.      God’s answer seems to be, “Just do something and see what happens.”

1.      Time and again God’s people feel that they are too few, too small, and too insignificant.

2.      They see the work of God as being too much, too great and too overwhelming.

3.      Yet time and again we can find where God accomplished so much more with mustard seeds.

4.      Just begin!

Conclusion

I.        If only every Christian would decide to do as much as this one unknown munitions worker.

A.      You cannot stop all the spiritual struggles and you can’t bring everyone to Christ.

B.      But mustard seeds are about focusing more on what you can do than what you can’t.

II.       God does big things with small deeds (He used a pebble from a creek to topple the world’s mightiest warrior, Goliath).

III.      Small deeds can change the world.