By Pastor John Mateos Ong and Pastora Monique Lopez Ong
SCRIPTURE:
Luke 13: 20-21 says “Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
Matthew 13:33 says “He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
OBSERVATION:
-The Kingdom of God is like leaven.
-You can hide leaven in meals.
-It permeates the whole meal.
Representations:
Woman = Christ
Leaven = gospel
Meal = Church
In the Parable of the Mustard Seed, it describes how the Kingdom of God grows from something small to something big. When talking about the leavened bread, the leaven is something that you put inside you that permeates your whole self.
How will the Kingdom spread?
1. Permeates.. “It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid IN three measures of meal.” Just like the parable of the 4 soils in which the seeds need to be planted, the leaven also needs to seep in. But it is entirely up to us. We can hear only or we can receive it. Because once we accept the gospel, it becomes unstoppable. Sometimes, there are people we bring to church that seem like they are not listening and there is no change. It is not our job to change them.
We have been explaining that we are body, soul and spirit. If we are faithful in our spiritual disciplines (praying, worshipping, bible reading, fellowship), eventually our way of thinking (soul-mind, emotion and will) will change the way we think. While our way of thinking slowly changes, we do not notice that our spirit will be renewed. When God said that “I will out a new spirit in you,” it will actually happen. And when it does, our will will be aligned to God’s will. This now also affects the body in a very good way.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is like leaven (yeast). If you share it with somebody, even a little can grow and go a long way. The gospel is meant to change people from the inside out. The sad thing is, a lot of people miss the gospel because they want more complicated teachings. If you miss out on it, you will not make it. Focus on the gospel first. Make your roots grow deep. Get the kingdom inside you. Have a relationship with Jesus. Otherwise, theological information will just make you proud. Get to know Jesus because through Him, you will receive the Holy Spirit who will reveal to you the messages that you read in the Bible. Eventually, you will become the message. 2 Corinthians 3:2 says “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.” Sometimes, we share the gospel to people, but before we open our mouth, they are already checking if our actions match our words. St Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.” We can preach the gospel without saying anything because through our life, the people around us can be inspired.
2. Unobtrusive. Unnoticeable. “It is like leaven which a woman took and HID in three measures of meals.” You will never know who is “hit” by the good news of God. So keep sharing His love and His gospel, the truth that He died on the cross for our sins, rose again and that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. The Gospel of Christ is like a virus - it’s unobtrusive, unnoticeable. It’s stronger than the corona. With the corona virus, people can be asymptomatic - you will not know if people are infected or not. The same thing happens when you receive Jesus Christ. It may not manifest itself right away but its impact can change and transform not only your life but the lives of everyone around you as well.
3. It affects all. “Til it was ALL leavened.” You will see Jesus at all times, whether you are sleeping, sitting, standing, eating or going out with friends. And the people around you will see this as well. Everyone can be infected and affected by this. And they will feel it and the spreading of the gospel will never be the same. It will never stop until the ends of the earth. Philippians 1:6 says “He who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion.” God started it and you can be assured that it will be completed.
Matthew 24:14 says “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
APPLICATION:
Let the word get inside you so that you will get into the world as a virus of Christ. Let this word be so infectious that you can infect the world with it.