Dear Christian friends:

During His life on earth Jesus often preached about the "Kingdom of heaven." Sometimes He called it the "Kingdom of God." Other times He called it the "Church." In the Lord's Prayer Jesus teaches us to pray, "Thy Kingdom come." This Sunday and for several Sundays in the future we shall study several texts in which Jesus tells us about His wonderful Kingdom.

Today He impresses upon us that His Kingdom is powerful. We often feel that the Church is weak and become discouraged. We need to be reminded by Jesus' words here that His Kingdom is very powerful. This will encourage us and give us hope and courage.

So today let us attend to our text and see

Like a mustard seed that grows and becomes the largest of all garden herbs. In our text Jesus compares His Kingdom with a tiny mustard seed. (Read verses 31-32)

31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying,
The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed,
which a man took, and sowed in his field:
32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is
grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree,
so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches
thereof.

Jesus says the mustard seed is "the smallest of all seeds." So His Kingdom when it began was very small and appeared very weak. It began the first Christmas at Bethlehem when Jesus was born of Mary and laid in a manger. One small, weak, helpless baby. Thirty years later He began preaching Jesus had only twelve disciples and a few other believers. After He died and arose and when He ascended into heaven He had about five hundred believers. Ten days later on the First Pentecost 3,000 people were baptized. A few months after that we read in Acts that there were 5,000 Christians. About that time God called Paul and sent him to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Paul made three great trips through the Roman Empire preaching Jesus crucified and arisen, and by that the Holy Spirit established many congregations throughout the Roman Empire as far as Spain.

By the year 313 A.D. when Constantine was Emperor the Christians were the chief religion in the Empire. Missionaries had brought the faith to France, England, Germany and Norway. Constantine himself became a Christian and helped the Christian Church to grow in many ways. He did not tax Church property. Built many beautiful churches.

Although the Roman Empire collapsed the Kingdom of Christ continued and grew and spread until today it is established all over the world with more than one billion members.

Like Jesus said, "The tiny mustard seed has grown and become the largest of all garden plants, it becomes a tree, big enough for the birds to come and nest in its branches." Birds build their nests in the mustard tree. They also eat the seeds that grow on it.

So the Church has become a strong shelter for many people. It gives food and comfort for their souls.

Jesus in our text also compares His Kingdom to yeast. (Read verse 33)

33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven
is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three
measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

You woman who bake bread and make rolls know how strong yeast is and that it quickly spreads through the dough changing it from sweet to sour.

Here Jesus says His Kingdom is like yeast. Where He establishes His Church people are changed from bad to good. If we study history, we see that it is very true. Before the Roman Empire became Christians they had many bad habits and ways of living. Marriage and family life was very bad. If they didn't want to have children they left their babies out in the cold to die of exposure. A father could kill his children and the government did nothing about it. Women were not honored and respected. Slavery was very common. Even their play was evil as you have seen in some movies about the "Gladiators", sword fighters.

As more and more people became Christians these evil habits and ways were given up. The teachings of Jesus are very strong, like yeast, His Word changes mens hearts, ideas and habits. Even those who do not believe in Him as Savior from sin, are influenced and improved by the good ideas and ways of many Christians. Without the Christian Church no U.S.A.: also the deaf would have little.

Jesus' Kingdom is very powerful. Don't feel discouraged. Don't think His Church is small and weak. Thank God that He has called you to be a member of His wonderful kingdom. Continue to support His Kingdom work. Tell others of its power and influence.

Today we are worried about communism. Forty years ago less than 2,000,000 people were under communism. Today more than 1 billion people are under Communist rule.

The best way to fight communism is to support Jesus' Church. Be a good church member here at home and support world wide missions. In Viet Nam we are trying to fight communism with guns and bombs and many of our young men have died, more than 20,000 and we have spent about 200 billion dollars for supporting that war by income taxes. And you see that's not a good way to fight communism. Better way is Jesus' way. Don't send soldiers; send missionaries to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. Do kind and good works for the poor nations. Win their hearts and minds to faith in God. Then they will not accept communism.

One day communism will fail as all earthly powers of the past have failed. But Jesus' Kingdom will never fail. It is kept, supported and defended by His Word and Spirit. Be happy and thank God that He has called you to be a member of His wonderful kingdom.

Amen.