WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.879 If you're just a guest with us, we're in a year 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:06.980 of supernatural expansion of the kingdom of heaven 00:00:06.980 --> 00:00:10.500 on the earth. And part of that is Operation Andrew, 00:00:10.679 --> 00:00:13.660 in which we're asking everyone who attends the 00:00:13.660 --> 00:00:15.820 gathering and even those that don't but want 00:00:15.820 --> 00:00:19.379 to jump in to come up with the list. We challenge 00:00:19.379 --> 00:00:21.539 everyone with the list of 10 people that are 00:00:21.539 --> 00:00:24.460 unsaved in your life. If you don't have 10 people, 00:00:24.600 --> 00:00:27.660 then just start with what you have. It's not 00:00:27.660 --> 00:00:31.800 too late. Begin to pray for them. I mean, newsflash, 00:00:31.800 --> 00:00:33.960 if you're tired of this, we're not going to stop 00:00:33.960 --> 00:00:36.679 praying until they're all saved. So you better 00:00:36.679 --> 00:00:42.079 just, you know. But I know you don't have to 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:44.380 make a magnet, but, you know, it's a good visual 00:00:44.380 --> 00:00:47.479 for us, a good reminder. You know, keep things 00:00:47.479 --> 00:00:49.439 on our heart. You ought to have a list on your 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:53.060 mirror, in your car, on your phone. for the people 00:00:53.060 --> 00:00:55.799 we've been praying for. We have moved past just 00:00:55.799 --> 00:00:58.600 the prayer portion, and if you haven't, I would 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:01.159 encourage you to go to each member on your list 00:01:01.159 --> 00:01:04.040 and say, hey, I've been praying for you. Is there 00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:07.719 anything specific I can pray for you about? We've 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:09.599 kind of moved. We're supposed to have already 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:11.459 done that, but if you missed the boat on that, 00:01:11.620 --> 00:01:14.980 it's okay. Jesus hasn't come back yet, so it's 00:01:14.980 --> 00:01:17.819 not too late. So just reach out to them, say, 00:01:17.900 --> 00:01:19.780 the Lord put you on my heart. Is there anything 00:01:19.780 --> 00:01:22.480 specific I can pray for? Write down those specific 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:25.379 prayer requests and start now praying for those 00:01:25.379 --> 00:01:28.519 specific requests. And we're going to just believe 00:01:28.519 --> 00:01:31.379 that God's going to answer those and open a door 00:01:31.379 --> 00:01:34.980 for us to share the love of God, the gospel of 00:01:34.980 --> 00:01:37.939 Jesus Christ for them to be saved. All right. 00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:42.459 Also part of spiritual, supernatural expansion 00:01:42.459 --> 00:01:46.120 of the kingdom of heaven. We've been in the holidays 00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:47.719 for the last couple weeks, so I just want to 00:01:47.719 --> 00:01:49.459 bring you back to your remembrance. We're challenging 00:01:49.459 --> 00:01:52.280 every person that attends the gathering to either 00:01:52.280 --> 00:01:56.000 go on a mission trip or send someone financially 00:01:56.000 --> 00:01:59.200 on a mission trip or support a mission trip in 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:03.299 some way. Alright? So we're seeing the kingdom 00:02:03.299 --> 00:02:10.280 expanded. I mean, we're seeing... We built a 00:02:10.280 --> 00:02:14.310 church in India two years ago. 2025, we built 00:02:14.310 --> 00:02:18.629 a Bible college in Pakistan. We got Nathan, Gary, 00:02:19.090 --> 00:02:23.069 Brad, Bronson, Tiffany. I mean, and we got people 00:02:23.069 --> 00:02:25.669 going all over the world sharing the gospel. 00:02:26.150 --> 00:02:30.129 And there's plenty of opportunities to go on 00:02:30.129 --> 00:02:32.229 a mission trip. I don't think we've even gone 00:02:32.229 --> 00:02:34.189 on our first one this year. We have seven or 00:02:34.189 --> 00:02:37.490 eight planned. So you can go on our website. 00:02:38.060 --> 00:02:41.060 click on the Supernatural Expansion page. It'll 00:02:41.060 --> 00:02:46.719 list all the trips. And Pastor Tiffany has so 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:50.819 kindly volunteered to head up that, so if you 00:02:50.819 --> 00:02:52.699 have any questions, she can get you answers. 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:57.199 But don't give up on kingdom expansion. The kingdom 00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:00.740 is expanding. You want to be a part of it because 00:03:00.740 --> 00:03:03.969 our King is worthy. Amen? Alright, we're going 00:03:03.969 --> 00:03:06.650 to return back to Matthew chapter 13. Anybody 00:03:06.650 --> 00:03:10.270 like the Bible? Anybody like the Bible? I love 00:03:10.270 --> 00:03:13.129 the Bible. Matthew chapter 13, we've been looking 00:03:13.129 --> 00:03:17.729 at the parables about the kingdom. If we're going 00:03:17.729 --> 00:03:22.110 to set ourselves about the business of expanding 00:03:22.110 --> 00:03:25.189 our king's kingdom on the earth as it is in heaven, 00:03:25.330 --> 00:03:30.250 he did teach us to pray that way. then what better, 00:03:30.270 --> 00:03:32.729 in my mind, what better way than to go to Jesus' 00:03:32.909 --> 00:03:35.909 words when he's teaching his disciples about 00:03:35.909 --> 00:03:39.849 the kingdom. So we've looked at the parable of 00:03:39.849 --> 00:03:41.949 the sower, we've looked at the parable of the 00:03:41.949 --> 00:03:45.210 weeds and the wheat, and today we're going to 00:03:45.210 --> 00:03:48.789 be looking at Matthew chapter 13, verses 31 and 00:03:48.789 --> 00:03:54.629 32. Brief passage, full of power. Chapter 13, 00:03:54.750 --> 00:03:58.569 verse 31, 32. Do you mind following along? as 00:03:58.569 --> 00:04:03.430 I read. He told them, he being Jesus, them being 00:04:03.430 --> 00:04:06.370 the disciples, he told them another parable. 00:04:06.629 --> 00:04:10.270 The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, 00:04:10.449 --> 00:04:14.710 which a man took and planted in his field. Though 00:04:14.710 --> 00:04:18.129 it is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when 00:04:18.129 --> 00:04:21.350 it grows, it is the largest of garden plants 00:04:21.350 --> 00:04:25.610 and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air 00:04:25.610 --> 00:04:30.209 come. and perch in its branches. Alright, let's 00:04:30.209 --> 00:04:34.089 pray together. Father, we submit ourselves to 00:04:34.089 --> 00:04:37.850 Your Word. Holy Spirit, our Teacher, guide us 00:04:37.850 --> 00:04:41.189 into all truth, teach us all things. Like Pastor 00:04:41.189 --> 00:04:44.610 Braston said, we don't want the words of a sermon, 00:04:44.689 --> 00:04:48.449 but we want a demonstration of Your power through 00:04:48.449 --> 00:04:52.470 this passage. And we surrender our lives to you 00:04:52.470 --> 00:04:55.209 and ask that you radically and permanently change 00:04:55.209 --> 00:04:58.649 us right now through your word. In Jesus' name, 00:04:58.730 --> 00:05:02.610 do you agree? Let's say amen. All right. So today 00:05:02.610 --> 00:05:04.670 we're just looking at lessons about supernatural 00:05:04.670 --> 00:05:07.370 kingdom expansion from the parable of the mustard 00:05:07.370 --> 00:05:11.370 seed. Pretty simple. Lessons about this expansion 00:05:11.370 --> 00:05:16.629 from the mustard seed parable. All right. Let's 00:05:16.629 --> 00:05:20.560 jump right into it. Number one. Some truths out 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:24.899 of this brief passage. Number one lesson. The 00:05:24.899 --> 00:05:28.759 kingdom of God was created to expand exponentially. 00:05:29.259 --> 00:05:33.300 Why would we settle for anything less in our 00:05:33.300 --> 00:05:38.259 lives? The kingdom of God was created to expand 00:05:38.259 --> 00:05:43.459 exponentially. Why would we settle for anything 00:05:43.459 --> 00:05:47.560 less in our lives? Let's read again verse 32. 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:52.480 Jesus said, though it is the smallest of your 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:57.439 seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of 00:05:57.439 --> 00:06:01.519 garden plants and becomes a tree so that the 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:04.639 birds of the air come and perch in its branches. 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:07.240 Some of you virgins say, come and make a nest 00:06:07.240 --> 00:06:11.100 in its branches. All right, now think about this. 00:06:13.180 --> 00:06:16.040 I know for some of you, you've been... reading 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:19.019 these parables for longer than some of us have 00:06:19.019 --> 00:06:25.220 been alive, okay? Don't become so familiar that 00:06:25.220 --> 00:06:31.300 you let the power pass you by. In Mark and Luke, 00:06:31.459 --> 00:06:34.720 you know, Jesus, this parable of the mustard 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:37.740 seeds in the three synoptic gospels, they call 00:06:37.740 --> 00:06:40.339 Matthew, Mark, and Luke the synoptic gospels, 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:46.120 meaning they're the same synopsis of what Jesus 00:06:46.120 --> 00:06:48.519 has done in teaching, and then the Gospel of 00:06:48.519 --> 00:06:50.540 John's written in a different format. It's more 00:06:50.540 --> 00:06:53.939 relational than detail -driven. So the three, 00:06:54.060 --> 00:06:56.319 Matthew, Mark, and Luke, all have this parable. 00:06:56.740 --> 00:06:59.899 What's different in Mark and Luke, and it's not 00:06:59.899 --> 00:07:02.480 like a huge deal, but I mean, it's just their 00:07:02.480 --> 00:07:05.819 perspective on, when Jesus is teaching this parable, 00:07:05.860 --> 00:07:07.879 he starts out the parable like this. He says, 00:07:08.060 --> 00:07:14.399 what can I compare the kingdom of God to? What 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:21.040 is it like? So Jesus is, he's a man and God. 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:25.319 He's operating as a man filled with the Spirit 00:07:25.319 --> 00:07:30.180 in relationship with God. God has sent him to 00:07:30.180 --> 00:07:32.360 establish the kingdom of heaven on the earth. 00:07:32.439 --> 00:07:35.420 That was his first sermon. That was the forerunner. 00:07:35.480 --> 00:07:37.800 John the Baptist said about him, and it was his 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:40.360 first sermon, repent, change the way you think 00:07:40.360 --> 00:07:43.040 because the kingdom is at hand. And Jesus is 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:48.720 saying, How am I going to relate what's in my 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:51.639 heart and in my mind about the kingdom of heaven? 00:07:51.720 --> 00:07:57.800 Think about that. Jesus, the Word in flesh, saying, 00:07:57.879 --> 00:08:01.500 God, here, you've given me these disciples. You've 00:08:01.500 --> 00:08:04.990 put this kingdom. these thoughts, these understandings 00:08:04.990 --> 00:08:07.149 in my heart and my mind. So he asked the question, 00:08:07.290 --> 00:08:10.009 what is the kingdom of heaven like? What can 00:08:10.009 --> 00:08:13.350 I compare it to? How can I relate it to these 00:08:13.350 --> 00:08:18.149 people? He's like this. Yes, the kingdom of heaven 00:08:18.149 --> 00:08:22.910 is like the tiniest mustard seed. I got a mustard 00:08:22.910 --> 00:08:27.970 seed in my pocket. Can you see it? I don't have 00:08:27.970 --> 00:08:31.720 one. I'm just kidding. I had a whole bunch. It's 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:35.399 on the counter in the kitchen. I had fully intentions 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:37.159 of bringing them. But it wouldn't matter. You 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:40.139 can trust me because it's that small, right? 00:08:40.899 --> 00:08:43.500 This is the tiniest seed, but when you plant 00:08:43.500 --> 00:08:47.379 it, it says when a man takes it and plants it 00:08:47.379 --> 00:08:52.559 in the field, it grows to be the largest of the 00:08:52.559 --> 00:09:00.899 plants in the garden, even to be a tree. You 00:09:00.899 --> 00:09:06.240 get it? You say, how can I help you to understand 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:10.799 what the kingdom of heaven is like? It's like 00:09:10.799 --> 00:09:14.919 this tiny seed. But if you'll be faithful to 00:09:14.919 --> 00:09:18.600 plant it, it supernaturally and exponentially 00:09:18.600 --> 00:09:23.539 grows to be the biggest. Can I do a Trump impersonation? 00:09:23.659 --> 00:09:31.019 The biggest, the best. That was dumb, sorry. 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:38.100 And I was doing a little research on this. There's, 00:09:38.100 --> 00:09:42.879 you know, there's the mustard plant, okay? The 00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:45.659 mustard plant grows to be about this tall. It's 00:09:45.659 --> 00:09:49.340 an annual, you know, it's like any other annual 00:09:49.340 --> 00:09:52.559 plant. It grows, it dies, it comes back the next 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:58.860 year. It's not that big, okay? That's the mustard 00:09:58.860 --> 00:10:02.919 plant. But in the Middle East, okay, the mustard 00:10:02.919 --> 00:10:05.860 plant, the scientific name is Brassica nigra. 00:10:05.940 --> 00:10:09.240 That's the mustard plant. Two, three, four foot 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:13.919 tall at the max, grows, seeds, dies, does it 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:17.919 again next year, okay, in a cycle. But the tree, 00:10:18.179 --> 00:10:22.379 the mustard tree, the scientific name is Salvadora 00:10:22.379 --> 00:10:25.480 persica. It's only found in the Middle East. 00:10:25.659 --> 00:10:29.389 It's salt resistant. because it can be planted 00:10:29.389 --> 00:10:35.090 by the seas and still grow. It's the roots that 00:10:35.090 --> 00:10:37.610 they use and turn into the toothbrush. In fact, 00:10:37.610 --> 00:10:40.330 it's called the toothbrush plant in the common 00:10:40.330 --> 00:10:45.190 language, all right? But this tree, found in 00:10:45.190 --> 00:10:48.450 the Middle East only, has a gnarly trunk, kind 00:10:48.450 --> 00:10:51.889 of like a wild plum tree, like an asymmetrical 00:10:51.889 --> 00:10:54.929 trunk, and it grows. And I was just doing a little 00:10:54.929 --> 00:10:57.539 research. It says that this tree can grow to 00:10:57.539 --> 00:11:01.940 be 20 or 25 feet tall. What do you think these 00:11:01.940 --> 00:11:04.059 sidewalls are? Are these 20 foot sidewalls, Brad? 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:07.759 Think 20 foot sidewalls? All right, that's 20 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:13.120 feet. That's what the mustard tree can grow to 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:17.179 become. From this tiniest of seed to the mustard 00:11:17.179 --> 00:11:22.779 tree. And what, if you're reading it for what 00:11:22.779 --> 00:11:27.669 it is, Jesus, who's... who's tasked with helping 00:11:27.669 --> 00:11:31.370 the church understand what the kingdom of God 00:11:31.370 --> 00:11:34.690 is like, he's like, guys, I need you to understand 00:11:34.690 --> 00:11:40.029 this thing grows supernaturally. It may start 00:11:40.029 --> 00:11:46.990 small, but it gets huge. God didn't create His 00:11:46.990 --> 00:11:52.610 kingdom to be insignificant or secondary or selective. 00:11:56.809 --> 00:11:59.830 Can I say that again? God didn't create His kingdom 00:11:59.830 --> 00:12:03.909 to be insignificant, secondary, remember it has 00:12:03.909 --> 00:12:06.490 preeminence, seek first His kingdom, or selective. 00:12:08.009 --> 00:12:15.370 He's wanting everyone in His kingdom. The reality 00:12:15.370 --> 00:12:22.529 is, the world needs to see and experience the 00:12:22.529 --> 00:12:25.759 kingdom of heaven on the earth. And we've got 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:31.539 to stop settling for the religion of man. You 00:12:31.539 --> 00:12:34.700 think the kingdom is a church service in these 00:12:34.700 --> 00:12:39.059 walls? If that's the extent of your religious 00:12:39.059 --> 00:12:41.980 experience, you're missing the kingdom of heaven 00:12:41.980 --> 00:12:47.519 on the earth. We've got to stop settling for 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:51.769 what the culture says is Christianity. And we 00:12:51.769 --> 00:12:54.090 have to come back to what Jesus said. He says 00:12:54.090 --> 00:12:56.470 this. He said, man, the kingdom is like this. 00:12:56.490 --> 00:12:58.950 If you'll just take this tiny thing and plant 00:12:58.950 --> 00:13:01.429 it in your life, I will do more than you ever 00:13:01.429 --> 00:13:05.730 dreamed. Isn't that what the Bible says? More 00:13:05.730 --> 00:13:11.549 than we ask or imagine. Yes? More than we ask 00:13:11.549 --> 00:13:16.590 or imagine. And I feel like in many ways in the 00:13:16.590 --> 00:13:19.649 church today, the kingdom of heaven is not being 00:13:19.649 --> 00:13:22.820 established. on the earth because we're dreaming 00:13:22.820 --> 00:13:27.059 too small. We're thinking too small. We're using 00:13:27.059 --> 00:13:31.019 our finite human brains to try to understand, 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:35.960 plan something that's infinite. The kingdom of 00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:50.240 heaven. Are you with me? Yesterday, My oldest 00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:55.139 son's girlfriend's family invited us to a crawfish 00:13:55.139 --> 00:13:59.139 bowl. I've never been to one before. So I was 00:13:59.139 --> 00:14:01.419 pumped, had on my stretchy pants, didn't eat 00:14:01.419 --> 00:14:05.679 all day yesterday. Went to the crawfish bowl. 00:14:07.059 --> 00:14:11.379 There was 13 of us, including my family. 13 people, 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:17.299 okay? Two, four, six, eight, ten. Okay, like 00:14:17.299 --> 00:14:20.379 this many people. All right, so I'm thinking, 00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:25.500 crawfish boil, okay. I mean, I'm thinking, yeah, 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:30.179 let's have some crawfish. We get there, and Ross 00:14:30.179 --> 00:14:35.100 is Adam's girlfriend's dad's name. And so we're 00:14:35.100 --> 00:14:36.559 hanging out, and he's like, hey, let me show 00:14:36.559 --> 00:14:39.639 you how this works. And he has like a jet engine 00:14:39.639 --> 00:14:41.940 and the biggest pot you've ever seen in your 00:14:41.940 --> 00:14:45.139 life. And he's like, actually, we can't fit it 00:14:45.139 --> 00:14:47.610 all in this. And I'm thinking, what? It's like, 00:14:47.629 --> 00:14:49.549 yeah, we have to do two batches. I'm thinking, 00:14:49.629 --> 00:14:53.669 there's 13 people here. What are we? And so he 00:14:53.669 --> 00:14:56.450 gets the water boiling. So got the boil going. 00:14:56.629 --> 00:14:59.909 Then he adds spices and more spices and more 00:14:59.909 --> 00:15:02.250 spices that you got to really watch out for the 00:15:02.250 --> 00:15:05.549 mushrooms. They soak up all the spices, the corn 00:15:05.549 --> 00:15:06.950 on the cob too. And I'm thinking, all right, 00:15:07.009 --> 00:15:10.389 all these spices. And then go in the potatoes. 00:15:11.809 --> 00:15:17.559 And then the corn. And the okra. and the mushrooms 00:15:17.559 --> 00:15:27.039 and then he crawfish okay he opens up a cooler 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:30.379 and i'm talking like the big daddy cooler it's 00:15:30.379 --> 00:15:33.360 full of crawfish i'm like who's gonna eat this 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:37.419 there's 13 people here and he's like oh that's 00:15:37.419 --> 00:15:40.100 not all and he brings a muck bucket full of crawfish 00:15:40.100 --> 00:15:44.159 he's like oh yeah and i went i got shrimp i got 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:47.940 clams or Not clams. I got correct. I got oyster 00:15:47.940 --> 00:15:53.360 mussels and shrimp and Cajun sausage. He puts 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:56.480 all that in this boiling pot. We have this huge 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:59.779 table with the plastic. And he's just dumping 00:15:59.779 --> 00:16:02.779 this turn after turn. And I'm just looking around 00:16:02.779 --> 00:16:09.779 like, is there another army coming? Because I 00:16:09.779 --> 00:16:13.740 had never peeled crawfish. It's a labor of love 00:16:13.740 --> 00:16:16.000 to get that much meat out of a crawfish tail. 00:16:16.340 --> 00:16:21.279 And so we all just sat around, you know, gorging 00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:25.259 ourselves, and there was so much left over. And 00:16:25.259 --> 00:16:28.919 I tell you that story just because here's what 00:16:28.919 --> 00:16:31.799 I want us to do. I want us to start thinking 00:16:31.799 --> 00:16:36.000 bigger about the kingdom. Jesus said, what can 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:38.220 I teach you that the kingdom is like? It's like 00:16:38.220 --> 00:16:41.320 this tiny seed that grows to be the biggest plant. 00:17:04.579 --> 00:17:13.039 Lord, this kingdom, so big, so powerful, has 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:20.829 been entrusted to people like us. I'm thinking 00:17:20.829 --> 00:17:24.630 there could be a better plan than that. But that's 00:17:24.630 --> 00:17:35.029 the plan he went with. An infinite kingdom freely 00:17:35.029 --> 00:17:40.609 given to the men and women of God for the whole 00:17:40.609 --> 00:17:44.470 world to experience. Like we talked about on 00:17:44.470 --> 00:17:49.390 Palm Sunday. What are you doing? With the things 00:17:49.390 --> 00:17:55.630 God has put in your hands. To see this infinite 00:17:55.630 --> 00:18:05.750 kingdom being released on the earth. Could we 00:18:05.750 --> 00:18:10.809 just stop right there. And let's just let the 00:18:10.809 --> 00:18:17.029 Lord deal with us on this. Because I have a feeling. 00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:22.160 that if we begin to think about the kingdom like 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:26.359 Jesus thinks about the kingdom, we're going to 00:18:26.359 --> 00:18:30.819 have a lot more expectation, a lot more ridiculous 00:18:30.819 --> 00:18:37.980 faith about how crazy big God wants to blow the 00:18:37.980 --> 00:18:41.420 kingdom up in our lives. So let's just take a 00:18:41.420 --> 00:18:49.900 moment. If you, like me, have settled... For 00:18:49.900 --> 00:18:52.740 a small and powerless kingdom of heaven on the 00:18:52.740 --> 00:18:58.599 earth. Would you just repent? Just tell God I'm 00:18:58.599 --> 00:19:00.579 sorry. I want to think like you think regarding 00:19:00.579 --> 00:19:27.700 the kingdom. God, I'm asking for myself and my 00:19:27.700 --> 00:19:33.740 friends, would you give us bigger dreams? I'm 00:19:33.740 --> 00:19:37.460 asking if you would take off the limitations 00:19:37.460 --> 00:19:48.700 of our minds to begin to see the way you see. 00:19:50.279 --> 00:19:53.900 Father, I pray. That You began dropping into 00:19:53.900 --> 00:19:58.619 our hearts things that we never thought of before. 00:19:59.220 --> 00:20:02.420 Things that we never thought possible. Things 00:20:02.420 --> 00:20:05.420 that were more creative than our brains can create. 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:11.799 So that Your kingdom can be rightfully established 00:20:11.799 --> 00:20:22.720 on this earth. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. The 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:27.380 mustard seed. Number two, in order to produce 00:20:27.380 --> 00:20:31.019 fruit, the seed of the kingdom must be taken 00:20:31.019 --> 00:20:35.700 a hold of and planted in our life with intentionality 00:20:35.700 --> 00:20:40.339 and continual care. In order to produce fruit, 00:20:40.460 --> 00:20:44.119 this seed of the kingdom must be taken a hold 00:20:44.119 --> 00:20:48.740 of and planted in our life with intentionality 00:20:48.740 --> 00:20:51.900 and continual care. Let's read verse 31 again. 00:20:52.380 --> 00:20:56.380 He told them another parable. The kingdom of 00:20:56.380 --> 00:21:01.240 heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man, what? 00:21:02.119 --> 00:21:09.220 Which a man took and planted in his field. Which 00:21:09.220 --> 00:21:12.039 a man took, the word took in the Greek there, 00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:16.319 lambano, means to grasp with the hand, to take 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:21.579 hold of. You can't plant what you don't have 00:21:21.579 --> 00:21:26.779 in your little hands. Right? If the seed stays 00:21:26.779 --> 00:21:29.160 in that little shelf that Diller's feeding seed, 00:21:29.380 --> 00:21:35.299 it's not producing any fruit. It has to go into 00:21:35.299 --> 00:21:37.180 the ground, but before it can go into the ground, 00:21:37.299 --> 00:21:40.759 a man and a woman have to acknowledge the value 00:21:40.759 --> 00:21:43.920 of the kingdom and expend whatever is necessary 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:47.859 to take hold of the kingdom. Does that make sense? 00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:51.680 Why do you think Jesus had to talk about the 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:54.819 kingdom so much? Theologians say that the kingdom 00:21:54.819 --> 00:21:57.259 is the number one subject that Jesus taught about. 00:21:57.480 --> 00:22:00.359 Why do you think he had to do that? Because we 00:22:00.359 --> 00:22:04.599 had to get through these thick skulls that the 00:22:04.599 --> 00:22:09.019 kingdom of heaven, 2 ,000 years later, is not 00:22:09.019 --> 00:22:21.809 about a religion. I can have a packet of seeds 00:22:21.809 --> 00:22:25.809 in my pocket. And I can carry it all day, every 00:22:25.809 --> 00:22:28.730 day. Put my grubby little hands on it and rub 00:22:28.730 --> 00:22:30.950 those seeds. Like, oh, the seeds of the kingdom. 00:22:31.690 --> 00:22:34.549 Oh, the kingdom's so big. The kingdom's so powerful. 00:22:34.769 --> 00:22:39.430 But as long as it remains a theology, a concept, 00:22:39.470 --> 00:22:42.769 a religious construct, it produces no fruit. 00:22:44.769 --> 00:22:48.049 A man has to take a hold of it. A woman has to 00:22:48.049 --> 00:22:50.410 take hold of it. They have to value it enough 00:22:50.410 --> 00:22:54.349 to grab it and say, for me, this is the kingdom 00:22:54.349 --> 00:22:57.569 and it is now. It is for my life. It is the purpose 00:22:57.569 --> 00:23:01.450 of who I am. And I will plant it into the soil 00:23:01.450 --> 00:23:05.109 of my life because I value it. Because it has 00:23:05.109 --> 00:23:12.369 preeminence. Does that make sense? It doesn't 00:23:12.369 --> 00:23:18.630 produce fruit as a religious concept. It has 00:23:18.630 --> 00:23:21.769 to be taken a hold of and then planted into our 00:23:21.769 --> 00:23:26.509 lives. That's why Jesus was continually teaching 00:23:26.509 --> 00:23:36.109 about the kingdom. The kingdom is a real spiritual 00:23:36.109 --> 00:23:42.730 realm in which to dwell and that needs to be 00:23:42.730 --> 00:23:48.240 expanded. One, to honor our King. And two, because 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:52.680 we love the world and they need it. It has to 00:23:52.680 --> 00:23:57.279 be grasped. Let's talk about planting a seed. 00:23:57.460 --> 00:23:59.680 That's what it says. It says, the kingdom of 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:01.880 heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took. 00:24:03.259 --> 00:24:05.380 Do we just need to pause right there? Let's just 00:24:05.380 --> 00:24:07.660 pause right there and deal with the passage. 00:24:09.150 --> 00:24:13.609 Jesus said you have to seek first. The kingdom 00:24:13.609 --> 00:24:16.049 of God and His righteousness has to be the primary 00:24:16.049 --> 00:24:21.049 effort of your life. And some of you have allowed 00:24:21.049 --> 00:24:26.150 the kingdom to remain on the shelf. And today 00:24:26.150 --> 00:24:29.049 is your day to take hold of it and say, no, it 00:24:29.049 --> 00:24:32.690 will be the preeminence of my life. Some of you 00:24:32.690 --> 00:24:39.139 are really dealing with purposelessness. and 00:24:39.139 --> 00:24:42.680 insignificance. And it's not because God doesn't 00:24:42.680 --> 00:24:44.380 love you. It's not because you're not important. 00:24:44.500 --> 00:24:47.000 It's not because you're extremely gifted. But 00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:49.119 it's because you have not taken a hold of the 00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:52.940 kingdom of heaven. You're still operating in 00:24:52.940 --> 00:24:56.599 an earthly realm and wanting to tack Christ's 00:24:56.599 --> 00:25:02.059 name on it and call it Christianity. So, Lord, 00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:07.400 if anybody... including my own heart. You know 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:12.180 I've already repented on this, Lord. But if there's 00:25:12.180 --> 00:25:15.799 anyone here that has not taken a hold of your 00:25:15.799 --> 00:25:18.220 kingdom as the primary purpose of their life 00:25:18.220 --> 00:25:21.980 on this earth, would you grip our hearts right 00:25:21.980 --> 00:25:27.319 now? Begin to change the way we think. Open our 00:25:27.319 --> 00:25:30.720 understanding to know this is the reason we're 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:37.579 alive. You're worthy of that, Jesus. Amen? Alright, 00:25:37.640 --> 00:25:40.079 and then planting a seed. It says that man has 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:44.079 to take that seed and has to plant it. Planting 00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:48.660 a seed requires a few things. Number one, soft, 00:25:48.740 --> 00:25:52.440 broken, weed -free soil. Right? If you're going 00:25:52.440 --> 00:25:55.500 to plant a seed and you want it to produce a 00:25:55.500 --> 00:25:58.519 harvest, you're going to have to go in there 00:25:58.519 --> 00:26:02.609 and break up the hard soil. Make sure it's soft. 00:26:02.789 --> 00:26:05.690 Make sure it's fertilized. Make sure it's watered. 00:26:08.170 --> 00:26:12.910 And that's the kind of soil that produces fruit. 00:26:15.009 --> 00:26:18.329 Jill, she's in childcare today. She's a great 00:26:18.329 --> 00:26:20.809 gardener. She really is. She can make anything 00:26:20.809 --> 00:26:24.609 grow. It's pretty impressive. And years ago, 00:26:24.670 --> 00:26:28.019 she said to me, Jesse, I want a canoe. but I 00:26:28.019 --> 00:26:30.079 don't want a canoe for the river. I want a canoe, 00:26:30.220 --> 00:26:32.960 and I want to plant stuff in it, all right? So 00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:35.119 we went down to Rochelle's, and they had some 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:39.140 canoes that were past their ability to take someone 00:26:39.140 --> 00:26:43.160 down the river. Bought one, hauled it home, put 00:26:43.160 --> 00:26:44.960 a fence around it so everything wouldn't eat 00:26:44.960 --> 00:26:47.319 it, and she planted stuff, and that was years 00:26:47.319 --> 00:26:51.400 ago. And then, you know, life happens. And so 00:26:51.400 --> 00:26:53.599 for several years, she hasn't planted anything 00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:56.220 in the canoe. And this year, she's like, you 00:26:56.220 --> 00:26:59.099 know what? I'm going to plant the canoe. And 00:26:59.099 --> 00:27:02.980 she, I mean, you can ask her about it. She literally 00:27:02.980 --> 00:27:07.180 spent two, two and a half days reworking that 00:27:07.180 --> 00:27:10.119 small canoe. Because you know what happens in 00:27:10.119 --> 00:27:11.839 two or three years, you don't plant anything 00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:15.480 in Texas. Like every weed in the world takes 00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:18.660 over. And that, you know, that thing just becomes 00:27:18.660 --> 00:27:23.390 like it's just a yard, you know. And so she had 00:27:23.390 --> 00:27:25.750 to dig all that out. And then she went down to 00:27:25.750 --> 00:27:30.109 Clear Fort Materials and got some organic sand 00:27:30.109 --> 00:27:33.170 with lava rock, I don't know, all that stuff 00:27:33.170 --> 00:27:35.410 in the back of the truck. And then she and I 00:27:35.410 --> 00:27:38.869 shoveled it out. We had to prepare the soil. 00:27:39.490 --> 00:27:42.869 And see, Christians think like, oh, look, here's 00:27:42.869 --> 00:27:45.609 the seed of the kingdom. And there's no honor 00:27:45.609 --> 00:27:47.950 and respect towards it. And they're like, man, 00:27:47.970 --> 00:27:50.269 I'll just throw this wherever I want. You throw 00:27:50.269 --> 00:27:52.250 any seed wherever you want. You know how much 00:27:52.250 --> 00:27:56.609 fruit you're going to get? Well, maybe by the 00:27:56.609 --> 00:27:59.089 miracle of God's mercy, something might come 00:27:59.089 --> 00:28:02.089 up later. But it's not going to be productive 00:28:02.089 --> 00:28:05.309 as if you honor that seed for what it is and 00:28:05.309 --> 00:28:08.069 you take time and effort to prepare the soil. 00:28:08.789 --> 00:28:11.609 And many Christians want a fruitful life and 00:28:11.609 --> 00:28:15.529 they have no honor for the seed. Does that make 00:28:15.529 --> 00:28:18.829 sense? I've lived that. I'm like, yeah, God. 00:28:18.990 --> 00:28:21.730 I want to produce fruit. I want the kingdom production 00:28:21.730 --> 00:28:24.789 in my life. But when it comes to prepping the 00:28:24.789 --> 00:28:28.650 soil, I'd rather take a nap. I'd rather watch 00:28:28.650 --> 00:28:34.529 my favorite show. Yeah? And it's a lack of honor 00:28:34.529 --> 00:28:40.170 for the seed. I'm just telling you. And so, don't 00:28:40.170 --> 00:28:43.029 be frustrated by that. Instead, let that become 00:28:43.029 --> 00:28:47.210 an invitation to you that this seed, what's contained 00:28:47.210 --> 00:28:50.410 in it, is worthy of the preparation of the soil. 00:28:51.589 --> 00:28:55.349 And let the Holy Spirit begin to work the hard 00:28:55.349 --> 00:28:58.869 places of your heart. Does that make sense? Softening 00:28:58.869 --> 00:29:03.930 up the soil. And then once you get the soil ready, 00:29:04.069 --> 00:29:07.670 there has to be a moment of intentional planting. 00:29:07.809 --> 00:29:11.549 How dumb would it be To spend two and a half 00:29:11.549 --> 00:29:15.029 days preparing the soil and keep the seed in 00:29:15.029 --> 00:29:21.390 your pocket. It's dumb. It's ignorant. And here, 00:29:21.470 --> 00:29:23.230 I know we've talked about this. I want to challenge 00:29:23.230 --> 00:29:27.430 you. Take a hold of the seed and plant it. It's 00:29:27.430 --> 00:29:31.670 actually a moment of action in your life. And 00:29:31.670 --> 00:29:35.720 where you purposefully say, Father. Today, I'm 00:29:35.720 --> 00:29:38.059 surrendering the soul of my life to the kingdom 00:29:38.059 --> 00:29:40.900 of heaven. I'm taking a hold of this seed you 00:29:40.900 --> 00:29:44.039 have given me. What does the scripture say? The 00:29:44.039 --> 00:29:47.740 kingdom of heaven is a matter of power, not of 00:29:47.740 --> 00:29:50.240 talk. It says the kingdom of heaven is not a 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:52.480 matter of eating and drinking in the natural, 00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:56.559 but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy 00:29:56.559 --> 00:30:00.660 Spirit. It says the kingdom is unshakable. The 00:30:00.660 --> 00:30:03.220 scripture says, Jesus says, and when you go and 00:30:03.220 --> 00:30:05.640 you heal the sick and you cast out demons, then 00:30:05.640 --> 00:30:09.779 you'll know the kingdom has come. And there takes 00:30:09.779 --> 00:30:13.140 a moment in a Christian's life in which you stop 00:30:13.140 --> 00:30:16.259 becoming a Christian by name and you take hold 00:30:16.259 --> 00:30:18.779 of this kingdom and say, this is the purpose 00:30:18.779 --> 00:30:25.829 of my life. Today I plan it. I don't know what 00:30:25.829 --> 00:30:28.009 I've been doing with my life as a Christian. 00:30:28.130 --> 00:30:30.869 I've been pursuing lots of other kingdoms. But 00:30:30.869 --> 00:30:35.349 today I'm making the choice. I receive the planting 00:30:35.349 --> 00:30:38.730 of the kingdom of heaven in the soul of my life. 00:30:38.809 --> 00:30:41.809 And my life from this point forward will be about 00:30:41.809 --> 00:30:48.109 producing its fruit. At some point you have to 00:30:48.109 --> 00:30:52.430 stop talking about it and just do it. Right? 00:30:57.230 --> 00:31:00.450 And then the last thing on planting a seed requires 00:31:00.450 --> 00:31:05.650 continual weeding, pruning, protecting the plant. 00:31:07.890 --> 00:31:11.369 I told you about, you know, setting free the 00:31:11.369 --> 00:31:14.109 blackberry bushes, you know, the back of my property 00:31:14.109 --> 00:31:17.490 from the grapevine. And I've been working on 00:31:17.490 --> 00:31:21.710 it, you know, quite a bit lately. But I found 00:31:21.710 --> 00:31:24.269 out that there's another kind of vine living 00:31:24.269 --> 00:31:30.329 in there. And the leaves look a lot like a blackberry 00:31:30.329 --> 00:31:33.190 bush's leaves. They're just a little shinier. 00:31:34.789 --> 00:31:37.269 Yeah, so I'm recovering from some poison ivy 00:31:37.269 --> 00:31:40.769 that I got into clearing out the blackberry bushes 00:31:40.769 --> 00:31:45.049 from the grapevines. I'll live. I know you were 00:31:45.049 --> 00:31:47.309 really sad about it. I felt that in your laughter. 00:31:48.289 --> 00:31:56.579 It makes me feel very cared for. But in Texas, 00:31:56.640 --> 00:32:00.240 if you have anything that produces a fruit, either 00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:03.279 you embrace some kind of pesticides or you live 00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:07.420 with the plant 24 -7 to be doing this. Because 00:32:07.420 --> 00:32:10.500 everything wants to eat the fruit. Everything 00:32:10.500 --> 00:32:14.980 in Texas wants to kill your fruit. It's true. 00:32:17.299 --> 00:32:25.579 And in the same way that we honor these... These 00:32:25.579 --> 00:32:29.359 trees that we plant and we water and we love 00:32:29.359 --> 00:32:33.859 the fruit of. In the same way, for kingdom production, 00:32:34.259 --> 00:32:37.019 there has to be a continual care. Does that make 00:32:37.019 --> 00:32:40.880 sense? There has to be a continual pulling up 00:32:40.880 --> 00:32:45.420 weeds. I don't know about you, but just because 00:32:45.420 --> 00:32:51.180 I surrender my life to the kingdom, there's still 00:32:51.180 --> 00:32:54.420 lots of stuff trying to grow in there. Constantly. 00:32:55.660 --> 00:32:58.500 What did Jesus say? The parable's like, the kingdom's 00:32:58.500 --> 00:33:02.299 like weeds and wheat. And the devil goes in there 00:33:02.299 --> 00:33:04.859 planting the weeds while you're trying to grow 00:33:04.859 --> 00:33:08.779 the wheat. Right? And so there's a continual 00:33:08.779 --> 00:33:12.599 process in our own lives of just weeding out 00:33:12.599 --> 00:33:15.940 what is not productive for the kingdom, protecting 00:33:15.940 --> 00:33:21.299 the fruit from pests. And that's what demons 00:33:21.299 --> 00:33:31.240 are. Defeated little pests. Yes? And so you have 00:33:31.240 --> 00:33:36.200 to be committed to some continual care. You know 00:33:36.200 --> 00:33:39.660 how to do that? Living a repentant lifestyle. 00:33:41.099 --> 00:33:45.380 As a lifestyle. I love when we come together 00:33:45.380 --> 00:33:49.099 on Sunday morning and we repent together. That 00:33:49.099 --> 00:33:54.930 is so valuable. But you know what's more valuable 00:33:54.930 --> 00:33:58.549 than that? Repentance as a lifestyle. I don't 00:33:58.549 --> 00:34:02.950 know if you know this, but it's meant to be a 00:34:02.950 --> 00:34:06.440 lifestyle as we continually... continually live 00:34:06.440 --> 00:34:09.380 with God. We're continually letting his thoughts 00:34:09.380 --> 00:34:11.400 invade our thoughts and say, no, I want to think 00:34:11.400 --> 00:34:14.079 like you think, God. I repent for the way I see 00:34:14.079 --> 00:34:16.559 that. I repent for the way I've let that produce 00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:19.320 a lie in my life. I repent for the way that that 00:34:19.320 --> 00:34:22.179 fruit is not matching your kingdom fruit. And 00:34:22.179 --> 00:34:25.579 it's a constant lifestyle of repentance. And 00:34:25.579 --> 00:34:29.480 that's how we continually care to be productive 00:34:29.480 --> 00:34:32.539 for the kingdom. Does that make sense? And one 00:34:32.539 --> 00:34:36.900 of the In my experience as a pastor, one of the 00:34:36.900 --> 00:34:40.599 most devastating pests to kingdom fruitfulness 00:34:40.599 --> 00:34:45.400 is offense, lack of forgiveness, bitterness. 00:34:46.300 --> 00:34:50.159 The Bible says, be careful, leaders. Leaders 00:34:50.159 --> 00:34:52.500 of the church, be careful that the root of bitterness 00:34:52.500 --> 00:34:55.380 doesn't grow up because it will defile many. 00:34:57.840 --> 00:35:01.139 And one thing the Holy Spirit specifically pointed 00:35:01.139 --> 00:35:05.010 out, to me to share with you today is you have 00:35:05.010 --> 00:35:10.769 to protect the vine from bitterness, offense, 00:35:11.050 --> 00:35:17.210 and unforgiveness. It will not only rot your 00:35:17.210 --> 00:35:20.469 own fruit, it will take over the people sitting 00:35:20.469 --> 00:35:24.869 next to you. That's what the Bible says. You 00:35:24.869 --> 00:35:27.630 say, man, what I do in my life is about my business. 00:35:27.889 --> 00:35:32.429 Not if you believe the Bible. Because what you're 00:35:32.429 --> 00:35:34.610 allowing in your life actually has great impact 00:35:34.610 --> 00:35:45.690 on the body of Christ as a whole. Yeah? So, let's 00:35:45.690 --> 00:35:48.050 pause right here, and then we'll close with number 00:35:48.050 --> 00:35:51.550 three, which I think will be brief. But before 00:35:51.550 --> 00:36:00.639 we move there, let's commit. To living a life 00:36:00.639 --> 00:36:04.179 in which the Holy Spirit has permission at every 00:36:04.179 --> 00:36:10.880 moment to weed our lives. Yes? So would you just 00:36:10.880 --> 00:36:15.300 deal with the Lord about that? If you're struggling 00:36:15.300 --> 00:36:22.139 with unforgiveness, bitterness, an offended spirit, 00:36:22.460 --> 00:36:26.820 would you just receive forgiveness? Give that 00:36:26.820 --> 00:36:35.329 to the Lord. Jesus, you said when any two agree 00:36:35.329 --> 00:36:37.389 on anything in my name, I'll do it for them. 00:36:37.469 --> 00:36:40.710 I just pray for the hearts that are beginning 00:36:40.710 --> 00:36:44.650 to rot due to bitterness and offense and unforgiveness. 00:36:44.829 --> 00:36:48.730 I know that feeling. I just pray for their hearts, 00:36:48.829 --> 00:36:52.329 Lord, that they would listen to the whisper of 00:36:52.329 --> 00:36:56.309 your voice, would open their hands, would put 00:36:56.309 --> 00:36:58.889 those offenses on your shoulder, Jesus, and not 00:36:58.889 --> 00:37:01.769 carry those judgments anymore. I pray that you 00:37:01.769 --> 00:37:05.860 would set them free. So that our church can be 00:37:05.860 --> 00:37:10.400 healthy for your kingdom. Amen. Alright, last 00:37:10.400 --> 00:37:15.159 thing. You okay? Number three, the whole purpose 00:37:15.159 --> 00:37:17.480 of the kingdom is that we mature to the point 00:37:17.480 --> 00:37:20.380 that others can find a home in the salvation 00:37:20.380 --> 00:37:25.860 and freedom of our God. When we read the second 00:37:25.860 --> 00:37:29.500 part of verse 30, or just 32, it's brief. Though 00:37:29.500 --> 00:37:31.900 it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when 00:37:31.900 --> 00:37:34.079 it grows, it is the largest of garden plants 00:37:34.079 --> 00:37:37.980 and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air 00:37:37.980 --> 00:37:41.760 come and perch in the branches or nest in the 00:37:41.760 --> 00:37:46.139 branches. I just did this, you know, for some 00:37:46.139 --> 00:37:49.860 of us like, you know, words in the original meanings, 00:37:49.940 --> 00:37:54.659 but that word for perch or nest is a Greek word, 00:37:54.739 --> 00:38:00.820 kataskanao, and it means... to fix one's abode 00:38:00.820 --> 00:38:07.079 to dwell. And Jesus said, hey guys, listen, the 00:38:07.079 --> 00:38:09.199 kingdom of heaven is like this. It's like this 00:38:09.199 --> 00:38:13.179 tiny seed that's so filled with power and potential. 00:38:13.760 --> 00:38:16.500 And if you'll take a hold of it, and you'll plant 00:38:16.500 --> 00:38:19.940 it in the soul of your life, it will grow to 00:38:19.940 --> 00:38:24.139 be so big and mature that others will be able 00:38:24.139 --> 00:38:30.210 to come into it and find their home. Yes, the 00:38:30.210 --> 00:38:33.590 kingdom is good for you. Anybody love being in 00:38:33.590 --> 00:38:36.389 the kingdom? It's righteousness. It's peace. 00:38:36.429 --> 00:38:39.130 It's joy in the Holy Spirit. It's unshakable. 00:38:39.230 --> 00:38:42.869 It's healing. It's freedom. I love being in the 00:38:42.869 --> 00:38:46.070 kingdom. But the kingdom wasn't made just for 00:38:46.070 --> 00:38:53.789 us. It's a home. And don't you know that this 00:38:53.789 --> 00:38:57.940 world is so desperately looking? for a place 00:38:57.940 --> 00:39:03.800 to call home. I mean, it is so blaringly obvious 00:39:03.800 --> 00:39:07.699 as you walk with them, talk with them, struggle 00:39:07.699 --> 00:39:10.860 with them, they're looking for a place of safety, 00:39:10.980 --> 00:39:13.840 of identity, a place where they can be themselves 00:39:13.840 --> 00:39:17.019 and be real and be accepted. And they can't get 00:39:17.019 --> 00:39:20.059 that in the world. But they can get it in Him. 00:39:22.039 --> 00:39:26.570 They can get it in Him. And so we have this responsibility 00:39:26.570 --> 00:39:30.269 to seek first the kingdom, not for our own good, 00:39:30.329 --> 00:39:32.789 even though we will reap great benefits of it, 00:39:32.849 --> 00:39:36.710 but we have to dig deep roots, work the soil, 00:39:36.809 --> 00:39:40.150 and mature to the point that now everyone in 00:39:40.150 --> 00:39:42.949 our sphere of influence can come to our lives 00:39:42.949 --> 00:39:46.670 to find the kingdom. And they begin to taste 00:39:46.670 --> 00:39:48.989 the fruit. Do you know what I'm talking about? 00:39:49.570 --> 00:39:52.030 At first, it's from a distance. They'll pluck 00:39:52.030 --> 00:39:54.630 a fruit of the kingdom from your life. usually 00:39:54.630 --> 00:39:56.989 when you're in your worst days and they see the 00:39:56.989 --> 00:39:59.409 kingdom produced, they'll pluck that and they'll 00:39:59.409 --> 00:40:01.489 taste it. Oh man, that was good. But then the 00:40:01.489 --> 00:40:03.929 world will snatch them away. And the next time 00:40:03.929 --> 00:40:06.630 they're a little closer, they'll pluck that fruit 00:40:06.630 --> 00:40:08.769 from your life, they'll taste it. Oh man, that's 00:40:08.769 --> 00:40:12.389 good. But eventually they begin to realize they 00:40:12.389 --> 00:40:16.070 can't find that anywhere else. And they get closer 00:40:16.070 --> 00:40:18.869 and closer. And before you know it, they're making 00:40:18.869 --> 00:40:22.150 their abode in the kingdom of God that's evident 00:40:22.150 --> 00:40:26.289 in your life. And they're getting saved. And 00:40:26.289 --> 00:40:28.570 they're getting set free. And they're getting 00:40:28.570 --> 00:40:30.550 delivered. And they're walking in righteousness. 00:40:31.050 --> 00:40:33.489 And they're clothed in white. And then guess 00:40:33.489 --> 00:40:36.090 what? They have an entire sphere of influence 00:40:36.090 --> 00:40:38.449 that starts going, wow, that fruit looks good. 00:40:40.849 --> 00:40:43.429 And that's how the kingdom of heaven is expanded. 00:40:44.389 --> 00:40:48.570 And you think the church is going to do it? The 00:40:48.570 --> 00:40:52.929 church is you, bro. You're waiting for your church 00:40:52.929 --> 00:40:55.630 to expand the kingdom for you? You're missing 00:40:55.630 --> 00:41:01.289 it. You're plan A and there's no plan B. It's 00:41:01.289 --> 00:41:03.409 not your pastor's job. It's not your house church 00:41:03.409 --> 00:41:06.590 pastor's job to advance the kingdom in your sphere 00:41:06.590 --> 00:41:09.909 of influence. There's people in your life that 00:41:09.909 --> 00:41:25.760 will only get fruit from you. Yep. The six of 00:41:25.760 --> 00:41:28.820 us tunnels, there are six of us, right? Six of 00:41:28.820 --> 00:41:33.539 us tunnels and a weenie dog. Lived in our 31 00:41:33.539 --> 00:41:36.980 -foot Winnebago for 18 months. Jill can tell 00:41:36.980 --> 00:41:41.039 you the days and hours while we were building 00:41:41.039 --> 00:41:47.199 our metal house in Mineral Wells. Six of us and 00:41:47.199 --> 00:41:49.179 a weenie dog. No, we didn't have the weenie dog 00:41:49.179 --> 00:41:53.800 then. Never mind, just six of us. So, my two 00:41:53.800 --> 00:41:58.159 daughters, Their room was the king over cab bed. 00:41:58.380 --> 00:42:01.519 That was their room. Then my two sons had the 00:42:01.519 --> 00:42:04.360 mini bunk beds, two by six foot. That was their 00:42:04.360 --> 00:42:06.039 room with their little curtain they could pull 00:42:06.039 --> 00:42:11.840 over. I'm going to be by myself. We have one 00:42:11.840 --> 00:42:14.119 -sixth of a bathroom, if that's what you call 00:42:14.119 --> 00:42:17.119 that thing. That shower that you might as well 00:42:17.119 --> 00:42:22.940 just spit on yourself. And people will come over 00:42:22.940 --> 00:42:25.570 to our house and they're like, oh man, we love 00:42:25.570 --> 00:42:28.329 your house. Why isn't it finished? Like there's 00:42:28.329 --> 00:42:32.530 no inside ceiling. It's just foam up there. Baseboard's 00:42:32.530 --> 00:42:35.789 missing. Things unpainted. I'll tell you why 00:42:35.789 --> 00:42:38.409 it's unfinished. We could not get out of that 00:42:38.409 --> 00:42:42.769 Winnebago fast enough. When that house was livable, 00:42:42.829 --> 00:42:46.289 it's go time. Let's get in there. Just like last 00:42:46.289 --> 00:42:48.909 month, I finished out the guest bathroom. Like 00:42:48.909 --> 00:42:50.889 we've lived there five years now. That happened 00:42:50.889 --> 00:42:57.900 during COVID. I'm telling you, people are tired 00:42:57.900 --> 00:43:02.019 of living in a place where there's no rest. There's 00:43:02.019 --> 00:43:05.119 no foundation. Everything's always shifting and 00:43:05.119 --> 00:43:07.159 moving. You ever lived in a motorhome with five 00:43:07.159 --> 00:43:11.119 other people? Thing never stops moving. I don't 00:43:11.119 --> 00:43:13.940 care how good your stabilizers are. In the middle 00:43:13.940 --> 00:43:15.400 of the night, somebody gets up, goes to the bathroom. 00:43:17.199 --> 00:43:24.500 That's how you live. And the world is looking 00:43:24.500 --> 00:43:31.699 for a permanent home. And don't you know that 00:43:31.699 --> 00:43:38.840 our Father wants to be it? And His plan to bring 00:43:38.840 --> 00:43:44.340 the kingdom of heaven to the earth is us. It's 00:43:44.340 --> 00:43:47.340 us. If He was going to do it another way, it'd 00:43:47.340 --> 00:43:56.019 be done. He didn't, and He's not. The next time 00:43:56.019 --> 00:43:58.179 He brings the kingdom, it's too late for everybody. 00:44:00.260 --> 00:44:05.300 It's us. It's now. It's our responsibility. And 00:44:05.300 --> 00:44:11.300 it's fun. It's exciting. Does that make sense? 00:44:12.420 --> 00:44:15.159 They need to witness it. They need to find it 00:44:15.159 --> 00:44:18.420 in us. An unshakable kingdom of righteousness, 00:44:18.619 --> 00:44:22.199 peace, and joy where they find healing, deliverance, 00:44:22.239 --> 00:44:26.539 and purpose. So here's... Your closing encouragement. 00:44:29.260 --> 00:44:31.500 Take a hold of the kingdom, plant it in your 00:44:31.500 --> 00:44:37.199 life, and give it away. Give it away. Let it 00:44:37.199 --> 00:44:40.139 mature in you. Let it be the primary purpose 00:44:40.139 --> 00:44:42.400 of your life because there are so many people 00:44:42.400 --> 00:44:44.400 in your sphere of influence that want to taste 00:44:44.400 --> 00:44:48.239 it. And even if they don't know they want it, 00:44:48.260 --> 00:44:52.530 they want it. Right? Alright, could we stand 00:44:52.530 --> 00:44:55.170 up together? Could we just close with this commitment 00:44:55.170 --> 00:45:00.670 that we want to receive what Jesus said about 00:45:00.670 --> 00:45:07.429 the seed of the mustard. So Jesus, we commit 00:45:07.429 --> 00:45:11.590 ourselves to take a hold of the seed, to plant 00:45:11.590 --> 00:45:16.469 it, to weed it, to live the repentant lifestyle. 00:45:18.000 --> 00:45:21.119 And Father, we surrender ourselves that we would 00:45:21.119 --> 00:45:25.400 become the trees filled with your life, your 00:45:25.400 --> 00:45:29.059 protection, your kingdom, so that others can 00:45:29.059 --> 00:45:30.940 make their home in it. I pray for my friends 00:45:30.940 --> 00:45:34.519 this week and myself that we would not miss one 00:45:34.519 --> 00:45:37.500 opportunity to release your kingdom. Help us 00:45:37.500 --> 00:45:41.119 to see it. Help us to have the boldness of your 00:45:41.119 --> 00:45:44.719 Holy Spirit and the courage to do it in the moment. 00:45:45.099 --> 00:45:48.420 And may your kingdom be released in us. for your 00:45:48.420 --> 00:45:52.280 glory and their good. In Jesus' name we pray. 00:45:52.619 --> 00:45:53.079 Amen.