Title Mustard Seed and Leaven/2004.6.13
content koji
Matthew 13:31-33, Galatians 6:8-9
In this way, you will see that the ministry of the gospel starts small at first, but eventually bears great fruit. The Lord compared this to leaven.
The gospel speaks of sowing life.
A mustard seed is a small kernel, and yeast is a small kernel. Yeast is the size of a large millet, but it is a mass of bacteria that are almost invisible to the naked eye. A mustard seed is a small seed the size of a millet.
The reason why Jesus used mustard seeds or leaven in this parable of the kingdom of heaven is not because it is small, but because it is small but has life in it. The power of faith lies in the life of the soul, not in its outward appearance. No matter how splendid your appearance, if your soul is dead, you are nothing. Conversely, no matter how humble the outward appearance is, a soul that has life creates a wonderful work.
Looking at what God is doing, there is something in common. When writing a character, you always used it as the basis of this belief. Choosing David and having him defeat Goliath also tells how God works. The fact that Gideon's three hundred soldiers defeated the 100,000 Midianites is also a word that makes us understand how God works. God does not work by appearances or numbers, but by faith. That is the message of God who speaks quietly.
Samuel went to Jesse's house to choose a new king for Israel. The brothers come before him. The first came out. He was tall, and he looked like he deserved to be a king. So Samuel rejoiced in himself and said,
'Here is the one whom the Lord anoints.'
But God speaks.
"Do not look at his appearance or height. What I see is not like man's; man looks at outward appearance
I, the LORD, look at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
So David, a shepherd who was young and still short in stature, was anointed with oil. Why did God love, bless, and choose this young David? Although it is small, you have seen the life in it. You have seen the faith in it.
People who care about their looks tend to be shy about their looks. Those who set out appearances tend to be afraid of appearances. Therefore, a person with such an attitude of life cannot carry out the great work of God. That's why God said he doesn't look at the outward appearance, he looks at the heart.
Dear saints, I hope you will hold on to your faith even when your body is weak, your environment is difficult, and your conditions are insufficient. God is a God who sees the heart. A small mustard seed creates a history of life. Even the smallest amount of leaven shows the power of change.
Do you have any outstanding looks? I hope that you will have faith that works for God more greatly while giving thanks. The essence of the Lord's words is not that they are small, but that they are speaking of life.
Life always causes a history of change.
Leaven alone can never show its power. It is to go into the mud and make the history of life, and to show the power in the dough.
Last evening, 12 graduates of Wesley Seminary, founded by Korean missionaries in Indonesia, visited our church. We attended the youth worship service and sang praises together. It was so beautiful to see them having a meal after the service and having a conversation with the youth of our church. You can see what kind of history life makes in this way. Life always creates another life.
Like Fiji, missions in Indonesia were weak at first. However, as you continue to plant life with sweat, you will see that many fruits are bearing fruit. Yesterday, I heard missionary Seongho Eo's words that someone donated 1,000 pyeong of land for the seminary, which is very good land next to a golf course worth 1 billion won. I don't know who this person is, but he made a very wise choice. Because it is planting life.
During the 10th anniversary worship service at Fiji, the village chief named Timodi, who donated the land, greeted me. I couldn't understand what this man was saying, but seeing as he continued to speak with tears in his eyes, it was probably because he was moved by the emotion that such a great history had happened in 10 years in a land full of trees.
I want our young people to be heads, not tails. Because we want to become influential people who can change the world. Being an influential person doesn't just mean wanting to be in a high position. To be a person who impresses the world. It means to become a person who can change where you are, like leaven. It is said to be people who sow life. We want all the young people of our church to live such a beautiful life.
Life always creates another life.
God sends believers who live like this into the world. If you know the life force within yourself and roll around with your knowledge, your talents, your brain, and your interests, your life force will dry up and eventually the life force itself will die.
But just as it is said, "...a grain of wheat falls to the ground... and when it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24). is going to be Life is what causes the history of another life.
Truly, truly, I say to you
Whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life and will not come into judgment.
passed from death to life. John 5:24
What does this mean? Those who believe in Jesus believe in Jesus Christ, who is the true life, and have become those who have life in Him.
Dear saints who have life, I hope you will become people who sow life. So, I hope you will become people of life who bear the fruits of life.
The life we live is all about planting something. Please take a look. What am I planting in my life? What are you planting? What are you trying to reap? What will you reap?
He who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh
Whoever sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap a harvest, if we are not weary. Galatians 6:8-9
Even though all the people in the world seem to be shouting, they are all wounded souls and lonely souls. All are poor souls who wander because they do not know the way of life. A believer must open the eyes of his soul and learn to see this. Therefore, believers must enter into it, sow life, and live a life of sharing life. The truth is, people who have real life have no choice but to become like that by themselves. Because life always begets life.
A small amount of yeast enters the dough and changes, so it spreads throughout the mass and rises the dough. The faith to possess the kingdom of heaven becomes a channel of grace that enriches the world and surroundings.
Wherever you are, do not forget that you have the power of life within you. Be the sowers of life. Be partakers of sowing life. Do not sow for things that perish, but become saints who sow life and reap life.
He said that the kingdom of heaven is the same and it is like leaven. It is the word that God works through the saints who have life. I pray in the name of the Lord that these words will be a light for your week.
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