Title: Faith of a Mustard Seed
Contents
A life of faith is a life of faith. Faith is a key component of faith. It goes without saying that the Bible also emphasizes faith.
"The righteous will live by faith. Without faith it is impossible to please him. Nothing is impossible for him who believes. The substance of faith hoped for and the evidence of things not seen."
As important as this is, we often realize that our faith is weak, both in ourselves and sometimes in others. So say. “It’s because you don’t have faith.” To others: “Have faith.” “Your faith is weakening, I’m the problem!”
Even though it is our weak faith, the faith like a mustard seed in the text provides comfort and strength.
In verse 5 of today's text, the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith. First part of the text: If you cause one of the little ones to stumble, it would be better for you to have a millstone around your neck and to be thrown into the sea. Forgive your brother even seven times.
Hearing those words, the disciples: “To Soja Harada! Forgive seven times? I can't believe that..."
So, Jesus asks, “Give me more faith. Jesus, who received the request, said, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed” (verse 6), the sycamore tree would also be uprooted, carried away, and planted in the sea.”
What is “faith the size of a mustard seed”? A mustard seed is about the same size as a mustard seed if you make dots on the paper with a ballpoint pen.
So, is this little faith speaking of the Lord? Or are you talking about a very invisible faith? Does it mean the sour taste? But anyway, Jesus is not laughing at the disciples. It is a message of consolation that you can do it with a little faith like a mustard seed. We want to receive grace together through the meaning of faith that the mustard seed gives. First, the faith of a grain of mustard seed,
1. It is a small but living faith.
A deer that died on the roadside, everyone turned away and passed by. What if that deer was alive and standing in front of your house? What difference? There is a difference between living and dead.
The faith of a single mustard seed is small in ourselves, but the environment is also difficult.
We must have a living faith, not a dead faith, and a living faith, not a formal faith. So what is living faith?
I believe, but it's not that I depend only on myself and not on God. Even though it's small and lacking, at least admitting that the Lord is alive and living by relying on Jesus is living faith!
If you are living with Jesus and relying on Jesus, you will continue to grow even though others may not see much now, and someday your life will become abundant. So, more important than big or small faith is living faith.
The correct Bible verse is found in John 15. “I am the vine, and you are the branches,” and he bears much fruit when he is in me and my words are in them.
A grain of mustard seed ourselves - but if we have a living faith with the Lord, we will continue to grow and amazing things await.
2. The faith of a single mustard seed is a small but abundant faith.
A story I saw while eating at a Chinese restaurant, four people came to the Chinese restaurant and ordered it. - Two Jajangmyeon and two Udon noodles - The person taking the order speaks to the kitchen. Wow! After a while, two udon and two jajang came out. This time 7 people came to order. I ordered 3 udon noodles and 4 jajangmyeon. The person taking the order shouts toward the kitchen. “Wow, whoa, whoa, whoa! ” Later, 3 bowls of udon and 4 bowls of jajang came out exactly.
This time, 20 people came and ordered each. Jjajangmyeon, udon noodles, jjambong, sweet and sour pork, 20 people each order. So I was very curious. How are you going to order so many orders? But surprisingly, the order ends with five letters! How to order? “(turning to the kitchen and saying) “Did you hear that too?”
When Jesus spoke of the seed, the seed is the word. In order for the seed to bear fruit 100 times, the soil is important. The heart of Okto is “to hear the word by faith”. When you hear the word with faith and obey it, you will be enriched with the 100-fold fruit you have prepared. And “faith comes from hearing the word of Christ,” says Romans 10:17.
“Good soil, good soil = those who hear the word with an honest and good heart, keep it, and bear fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15).
We are like a mustard seed. And sometimes we face the insignificant present. However, if you listen to the Word and obey it, then God's fruits, miracles, and abundance are prepared.
Mustard Seed Faith! This is a living faith. Guys, don't look at whether you are small or large. Another mustard seed! Although it is not very good now, if you obey the Word, you will receive abundant blessings and fruits in the future.
Mix the obedience of the Word into your life and bear fruit 100 times!
3. The faith of a mustard seed is a small but useful faith.
The beliefs used are the beliefs that apply and the beliefs that use them. Jesus is the subject of our faith. Faith is believing in Jesus, salvation comes from Jesus, grace comes from Jesus, and power comes from Jesus. But Jesus wants us to use our faith.
A mustard seed is said to be small. The mustard seed is small, so what about the others? relatively large. Compared to the small seeds, the birds they try to swallow are big, and the storms that blow when they grow up are big. When there is a flood, it floats away all too easily. How hard is it to grow in a drought without rain?
That mustard seed looks like us! So weak! Then, in the words of a mustard seed, the Lord is speaking of the mustard seed that overcomes all great and difficult problems. A mustard seed and its growth that wins even if it is small! So the growth of mustard seeds that make big trees and nest birds! Jesus is looking at this mustard tree from the mustard seed. Jesus wants us to grow if we overcome any environment, great environment, complex environment, or difficult environment. This is the mustard seed faith. Look at the text, verse 6.
“…they said to this sycamore tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would have obeyed you” (verse 6).
Gentlemen, even if it is possible to be pulled out, is it really possible to transplant and plant by yourself? And what a daunting task to plant in the sea. Ladies and gentlemen, there is something we need to realize in these words. do you know what
Mulberry trees are uprooted, mulberry trees are blown away, and mulberry trees are planted in the sea. God is doing what happened before me! It means to believe that there is nothing that God cannot do out of the things that are set before us!
No matter how hard your job is! , no matter how difficult your plans are!, your plans to evangelize, to love and serve people! No matter how difficult it is, God who pulls mulberry trees, moves mulberry trees, and plants mulberry trees in the sea can do your work. “It is said that even large trees are uprooted, blown away and planted by faith! You should be able to say, “I can do this.”
Folks, we often say that words, our language, are powers, but where does the power of words come from? Does that mean I'm screaming? Can I only think positively? no! I must put the assurance of my faith in my words.
God works when my words come out of conviction, my words come out of faith, proclaim to problems like mulberry trees, and challenge obstacles like mulberry trees.
I want our Bensalem members to have the faith of a mustard seed. This is called “faith to be used”. When you wake up in the morning and start your day, when a couple starts their day's work, when someone comes to you and tells you that you're having a hard time, you should use your faith. “God will work. If we pray and wait, it will surely work.” “Let's pray. God will help you with this.”
There will be times when someone will say “I don’t know” or “I can’t”. I hope you can confess your faith then. “Of course we can't, so we depend on God. God can do it.- I can do everything through Jesus who gives me strength.
4. The faith of a mustard seed is small, but it is the faith that lives for the Lord.
A woman was walking in the park when she saw an old man sitting on a bench smoking a cigarette. Grandpa was sick and tired. The woman said to the old man, "Grandpa, you seem very ill. Are you okay?" I asked. "OK." “But do you smoke a lot?” "I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day and drink three bottles of Jinro soju. I eat a lot of greasy food, and I don't exercise at all." "It's amazing, what's the secret to living so long even with that?" "Well, I haven't lived that long." "What is your age this year?" "I'm thirty-six."
Q) Is Bensalem Church a small church?
A mustard seed is small. We are also a small church. Even though I am small now, when I live for the Lord, serve the Lord, and the Lord live for the church, I, like a mustard seed, become a valuable and precious mustard tree to God, not a small mustard seed. This is the parable of the unprofitable servant, connected to the mustard seed in the text.
“Do you reward your servant for doing as he was commanded? In the same way, when you have done all that was commanded you, say, “We are unprofitable servants, we have only done what we were supposed to” (verses 9-10).
This useless expression is not really a bad word, but it is still a servant to be humbled to serve. I worked hard plowing the fields, I worked hard all day, tending the sheep, so it was very hard, I was tired and I was hungry, but I have to be a servant even during the owner's meal time.
This is the mustard seed faith that we must seek when doing the Lord's work. Instead of becoming a tree and forgetting the past by saying when I was a mustard seed, we must have the attitude of a humble servant who still lives for the Lord with the humility of a mustard seed.
In verse 10, the servant still serves his master “after he has done everything.” Even if you are done now, even if you have worked very hard until now, even if you have done enough of the Lord’s work so far, even if you say “you have done enough”, you are still willing to serve the Lord and serve people, a true little mustard seed servant I hope you can fulfill your mission.
One day the rabbi asked his disciples. "How can you discern the hour of dawn, when the night ends and the morning begins?" One of the disciples said. "Isn't it the time of dawn when you can distinguish a dog from a sheep from a distance?" "no." Then the other disciple said, "Isn't it time to tell the fig tree from the grapevine?" The rabbi shook his head. The disciples eventually asked the rabbi, "Teacher, tell us your answer." To this the rabbi said: “When there is enough light that you can look into the faces of others and know whether you are your brothers or sisters, that is the hour of dawn. Until then it is night, and darkness is still with us. will be."
I hope that you will be able to be grateful for the fact that you have given a life to serve people and live.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are just a small mustard seed. But being small is not a problem. Although it is small, you should live a living life of faith with Jesus. Then it becomes an amazing mustard seed. Although small, obey the Word completely. Then it becomes a precious mustard seed. Although it seems small and powerless, have faith that is used in the world and become a faith that grows rapidly. So, beautifully, wonderfully, for the work of the Lord! I hope that I can live a fulfilling life of dedication and service.