And
he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison
shall we compare it?
It
is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less
than all the seeds that be in the earth:
But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. (Mark 4:30-32)
I am not a framer. I have lived in cities and towns my whole life. I currently live in a small (but growing) town. Even in this small town, I live within the city limits. I don’t know a lot about farming or growing things. Maybe this makes me all the more awed by what comes from a tiny seed.
To a city boy who hardly knows how to properly get his hands dirty, to look at a field of crops (what are those things?) and know that they came from a tiny seed is miraculous. The few times that I have attempted to grow something, I have marveled at the phenomenon of growth. A kernel so small you can hide it, or several of them, in the palm of your hand can produce amazing things.
In Mark four, Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a grain of a seed, not even a full seed. He reminds His listeners that when they plant that grain of seed, it grows into a great tree. That tree is so great that the birds of the air come and sit in the treetop.
The lesson is simple. In spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, too many Christians feel that their offering isn’t sufficient to produce anything. What they fail to remember (or realize in the first place) is that God is the Producer, not us. They also fail to remember that God uses small things to produce great things.
This is the power of grace. Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” God takes you and I, people who were born into the world in sin and completely unable to reach out and touch God. He saves us because we can’t save ourselves. Then he begins to work His will in and through us.
I take comfort in the fact that God used a murderer to lead His people out of Egypt (Exodus 2:11, 12; 3:10). I’m glad He used a specialist in divination to bless His people, even after the man had disobeyed God (Numbers 22:7; 23:8; 22:13, 22). It is encouraging that He used a donkey to warn Balaam and cause him to repent (22:23-34). I like to read about how God used Saul, a rebellious king, to prophesy (1 Samuel 19:18-24). He used a boy, the least in his father’s house, and raised him up to be the king of His people Israel (1 Samuel 16:11-13). He used unschooled fishermen to be the leaders of an international organization (Mark 4:18-22). He took the early church’s greatest enemy and made him it’s greatest apostle (Philippians 3:4-9). If God can do all of this, then surely He can use the meager vessel I bring to Him!
People all-too-often feel that they can’t win anyone to Christ. The fact is, technically speaking, no one can be won to Christ. They have to be born in Christ. We have talked about winning people to Christ as if it is an achievement for which we must strive. In actuality, all we can do is plant the seed. We don’t have to win people. All we have to do is tell people about Jesus! Jesus does the saving if any saving is done.
But we allow our feelings of self-pity to keep us from moving out and witnessing to the lost. We feel our knowledge of scripture is too limited, or our faith is too weak, or our ability to speak is poor. The fact is all of this is true if we are left to win people to Christ. But we aren’t left, we are accompanied. Jesus told His disciples, even as He was about to ascend out of their presence in His Body, “…I am with you alway(s)…” (Matthew 28:20). He is with us to enable us to tell others about Him.
“But I don’t know where to begin!” You simply begin with what you know. A witness (Acts 1:8) tells what he or she knows. A few years ago I witnessed an accident. When the police officer arrived, I gave him my version of what happened. He began to question me about some points he didn’t understand, and all I could say was, “I don’t know.” He wanted me to tell him something I did not know myself, but all I could really tell him was what I actually saw with my own eyes. Now obviously, the more experience you have with Jesus, the more you have to tell, but the point is, all you have to tell is what you know. You can tell how God saved you and how He changed your life. This is what you are supposed to do. You are a witness of God’s Power to change lives.
If your knowledge is small, God can take that seed and cause it to be the beginning of something beyond your imagination. He can use you to speak the Word someone needs to hear. That person may go on to repent and tell others of their experience. The word gets around, and maybe unknown to you, people are being touched because of that one word. I wish that Christian churches in America would come to understand the power of each member’s personal witness! So many lives could be touched and changed. It all starts with you telling your story.
Does your seed seem insignificant? Over the years we have heard what we term great testimonies by people who have been saved from dramatic situations and truly awful lifestyles. Their testimonies are great, but I fear that many of us have begun to feel that since we never took drugs, ran with a gang, spent time in prison, or were otherwise rebellious we do not really have a good testimony. I have news for you. If you were lost, you were going to hell just like the drug lords and the murderers. When God saved you, He placed you within His kingdom. That is something to talk about.
A few years ago I worked at a psychiatric treatment center for adolescents. My first four years were spent overseeing the patients as they went through the program. One day I was offered a job as a counselor. This would be a different department. It was more pay. The work was more in line with my education. Did I tell anyone? You better believe it! Though it wasn’t actually a promotion, it was better all around for me. I wanted to share the news with friends and family. This is what happens when we are converted. We are transformed from creatures of death into children of God. We have moved from the darkness to God’s marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). We should tell someone!
You have a witness. Souls are dying all around you. Don’t let satan fool you into believing you have nothing to say. You’ve been brought from the slave quarters to the Master’s Dining Room. You have been allowed to sit at His feet and listen as he tells you of all His wonders. But don’t forget, you are allowed to bring others with you. To get them there, just tell them what you know. They will be amazed as they hear how God changed your life. Why? Because they want a change, too!
3/04
4/04