Faithfulness in Small Things: The Growth of God's Kingdom

Summary

### Summary

Welcome, everyone. Today, we continue our journey through the Gospel of Matthew, focusing on the parables in chapter 13. These parables are stories Jesus used to communicate profound spiritual truths. We began with a story about the Haberdasar Islands off the coast of Scotland, where a massive revival took place in 1949. This revival, which saw 20,000 people come to faith, started with the humble prayers of two elderly women, Peggy and Christine. Their faithfulness in small, seemingly insignificant acts of prayer led to a monumental movement of God.

This story sets the stage for our exploration of the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31-32. Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven as a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, which grows into a large tree where birds come to nest. This parable teaches us that God's kingdom starts small but grows incredibly large, much like the revival on the Haberdasar Islands. The kingdom of heaven is the rule and reign of God advancing on earth, chasing out darkness, and spreading the good news of Jesus.

Jesus uses the mustard seed to illustrate that significant spiritual growth often begins in small, humble ways. This parable challenges our modern, productivity-driven mindset that values big, drastic, and extraordinary actions. Instead, it encourages us to be faithful in the small, ordinary aspects of our lives. Whether it's in our marriages, parenting, workplaces, or neighborhoods, God calls us to be faithful in the little things.

The parable also addresses our impatience. We live in a culture that demands quick results, but spiritual growth is often slow and incremental. Just as a mustard seed takes time to grow into a large tree, our spiritual growth requires patience and faithfulness over the long term.

In conclusion, the kingdom of heaven advances through small, faithful acts. Just as Peggy and Christine's prayers led to a massive revival, our small, faithful actions can contribute to the growth of God's kingdom. Let us reclaim faithfulness in the little things and trust that God will use them to achieve great things.

### Key Takeaways

1. The Power of Small Beginnings: The kingdom of heaven often starts with small, seemingly insignificant actions. Just as the revival on the Haberdasar Islands began with the prayers of two elderly women, our small acts of faithfulness can lead to significant spiritual growth. This teaches us that God values our humble beginnings and uses them for His glory. [06:41]

2. Understanding the Kingdom of Heaven: The kingdom of heaven is the rule and reign of God advancing on earth, chasing out darkness, and spreading the good news of Jesus. This parable helps us understand that God's kingdom grows in ways that may seem small and slow to us but are powerful and transformative in the long run. [08:11]

3. Faithfulness in the Ordinary: We often mistakenly believe that significant spiritual impact requires big, drastic actions. However, Jesus teaches us that the kingdom grows through faithfulness in the small, ordinary aspects of our lives. Whether it's in our marriages, parenting, workplaces, or neighborhoods, God calls us to be faithful in the little things. [22:38]

4. Patience in Spiritual Growth: Spiritual growth is often slow and incremental, much like the growth of a mustard seed into a large tree. In our fast-paced, productivity-driven culture, we need to cultivate patience and trust that God is at work even when we don't see immediate results. [23:58]

5. The Hope of the Gospel: Jesus' death and resurrection, which seemed small and insignificant to many, have brought about our great salvation. This parable reminds us that our faith, which started small, has grown into a living hope that nothing in this life can take away. We have a deep, enduring hope in Jesus Christ. [32:00]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[01:15] - Introduction to the Haberdasar Islands Revival
[02:27] - Duncan Campbell's Evangelistic Campaign
[03:55] - The Start of the Revival
[05:11] - The Role of Peggy and Christine
[06:41] - The Power of Small Beginnings
[08:11] - Understanding the Kingdom of Heaven
[09:32] - The Parable of the Mustard Seed
[10:41] - Addressing Issues with the Parable
[12:22] - The Mustard Seed and Its Growth
[15:17] - The Mustard Seed in First Century Context
[18:06] - The Kingdom as a Great Tree
[19:39] - The Growth of the Kingdom
[21:13] - The Disciples' Perspective
[22:38] - Faithfulness in the Ordinary
[23:58] - Patience in Spiritual Growth
[25:26] - Examples of Small Beginnings
[27:03] - Faithfulness in Relationships
[28:13] - Faithfulness in Parenting and Work
[28:59] - Faithfulness in Neighborhoods and Prayer
[29:50] - The Faithfulness of God
[30:39] - The Significance of Jesus' Death
[32:00] - The Hope of the Gospel

Study Guide

### Bible Reading
- Matthew 13:31-32

### Observation Questions
1. What is the main point of the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31-32?
2. How did the revival on the Haberdasar Islands begin, and what were the results? [02:27]
3. What does the mustard seed represent in Jesus' parable, and how does it relate to the kingdom of heaven? [09:32]

### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Jesus use the mustard seed to describe the kingdom of heaven? What does this tell us about the nature of God's work? [09:32]
2. How does the story of Peggy and Christine's prayers challenge our modern views on productivity and significance? [06:41]
3. What does the parable of the mustard seed teach us about the importance of patience in spiritual growth? [23:58]

### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you saw significant results from a small, faithful action. How did this experience shape your understanding of God's work in your life? [06:41]
2. In what areas of your life do you struggle with impatience, especially regarding spiritual growth? How can you cultivate more patience in these areas? [23:58]
3. How can you be more faithful in the small, ordinary aspects of your life, such as in your marriage, parenting, workplace, or neighborhood? [22:38]
4. Think about a specific small action you can take this week to advance God's kingdom. What will you do, and how will you stay committed to it?
5. How can you incorporate more prayer into your daily routine, following the example of Peggy and Christine? What specific times and places can you set aside for prayer? [06:41]
6. Identify one person in your life who might benefit from your small, faithful actions. How can you support or encourage them this week?
7. How does the hope of the gospel, which started small and grew large, influence your perspective on the challenges you face today? [32:00]

Devotional

Day 1: The Power of Small Beginnings
The kingdom of heaven often starts with small, seemingly insignificant actions. Just as the revival on the Haberdasar Islands began with the prayers of two elderly women, our small acts of faithfulness can lead to significant spiritual growth. This teaches us that God values our humble beginnings and uses them for His glory. [06:41]

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus uses the parable of the mustard seed to illustrate how the kingdom of heaven starts small but grows into something incredibly large and impactful. This parable challenges our modern mindset that often values big, drastic actions over small, faithful ones. The story of Peggy and Christine, two elderly women whose prayers sparked a massive revival, serves as a powerful example of how God can use our small, humble actions to achieve great things. Their faithfulness in prayer, though seemingly insignificant, led to a monumental movement of God, bringing 20,000 people to faith.

This teaches us that we should not underestimate the power of small beginnings. Whether it's a kind word, a small act of service, or a moment of prayer, these small actions can have a significant impact in God's kingdom. We are called to be faithful in the little things, trusting that God will use them for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom.

Zechariah 4:10 (ESV): "For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth."

Reflection: Think of a small, seemingly insignificant action you can take today to show God's love to someone. How can you be faithful in this small act and trust God to use it for His glory?

Day 2: Understanding the Kingdom of Heaven
The kingdom of heaven is the rule and reign of God advancing on earth, chasing out darkness, and spreading the good news of Jesus. This parable helps us understand that God's kingdom grows in ways that may seem small and slow to us but are powerful and transformative in the long run. [08:11]

The kingdom of heaven is not always about grand gestures or immediate, visible results. Jesus' parable of the mustard seed teaches us that the kingdom often grows in small, incremental ways that may not be immediately noticeable. The mustard seed, though the smallest of all seeds, grows into a large tree where birds come to nest. This imagery helps us understand that God's kingdom advances through small, faithful acts that collectively have a powerful and transformative impact.

The kingdom of heaven is about God's rule and reign advancing on earth, pushing back darkness, and spreading the good news of Jesus. This process can be slow and may require patience, but it is always moving forward. We are called to participate in this kingdom work by being faithful in the small, everyday aspects of our lives, trusting that God is at work even when we don't see immediate results.

Luke 13:18-19 (ESV): "He said therefore, 'What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.'"

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle to see God's kingdom advancing? How can you trust that God is at work even in the small, slow, and seemingly insignificant moments?

Day 3: Faithfulness in the Ordinary
We often mistakenly believe that significant spiritual impact requires big, drastic actions. However, Jesus teaches us that the kingdom grows through faithfulness in the small, ordinary aspects of our lives. Whether it's in our marriages, parenting, workplaces, or neighborhoods, God calls us to be faithful in the little things. [22:38]

In our fast-paced, productivity-driven culture, it's easy to believe that only big, dramatic actions can make a significant spiritual impact. However, Jesus' parable of the mustard seed teaches us that the kingdom of heaven grows through faithfulness in the small, ordinary aspects of our lives. This means that our everyday actions, whether in our marriages, parenting, workplaces, or neighborhoods, are opportunities to advance God's kingdom.

Being faithful in the ordinary means showing love, kindness, and integrity in our daily interactions. It means being consistent in prayer, even when it feels mundane. It means serving others in small ways, trusting that these actions contribute to the growth of God's kingdom. By being faithful in the little things, we participate in God's transformative work on earth.

Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV): "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

Reflection: Identify one ordinary aspect of your life where you can be more faithful. How can you show love, kindness, or integrity in this area today?

Day 4: Patience in Spiritual Growth
Spiritual growth is often slow and incremental, much like the growth of a mustard seed into a large tree. In our fast-paced, productivity-driven culture, we need to cultivate patience and trust that God is at work even when we don't see immediate results. [23:58]

Spiritual growth is not always immediate or dramatic. Just as a mustard seed takes time to grow into a large tree, our spiritual growth often requires patience and faithfulness over the long term. In a culture that demands quick results and instant gratification, this can be challenging. However, Jesus' parable of the mustard seed reminds us that true spiritual growth is often slow and incremental.

We need to cultivate patience and trust that God is at work in our lives, even when we don't see immediate results. This means being consistent in our spiritual practices, such as prayer, reading Scripture, and serving others, even when we don't feel like we're making progress. By trusting in God's timing and being faithful in the small things, we can experience true spiritual growth.

James 5:7-8 (ESV): "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."

Reflection: In what areas of your spiritual life do you struggle with impatience? How can you cultivate patience and trust in God's timing for your spiritual growth?

Day 5: The Hope of the Gospel
Jesus' death and resurrection, which seemed small and insignificant to many, have brought about our great salvation. This parable reminds us that our faith, which started small, has grown into a living hope that nothing in this life can take away. We have a deep, enduring hope in Jesus Christ. [32:00]

The parable of the mustard seed not only teaches us about the growth of God's kingdom but also points us to the hope of the gospel. Jesus' death and resurrection, which seemed small and insignificant to many, have brought about our great salvation. This small beginning has grown into a living hope that nothing in this life can take away. Our faith, which may have started small, has the potential to grow into something deeply rooted and enduring.

This parable reminds us that we have a deep, enduring hope in Jesus Christ. No matter what challenges or difficulties we face, we can trust that our faith in Jesus will sustain us. The hope of the gospel is that Jesus' sacrifice has secured our salvation and that we can look forward to eternal life with Him. This hope should inspire us to remain faithful in the small things, knowing that God is at work in our lives.

1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV): "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you."

Reflection: How does the hope of the gospel impact your daily life? In what ways can you remind yourself of this living hope when you face challenges or difficulties?

Quotes

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "The kingdom of heaven is essentially this, the rule and reign of God advancing on earth and chasing out the darkness. The kingdom of heaven is the movement of God where people are submitting to his rule and reign, just like in the Haberdasher Islands. They're submitting to his rule and reign. And they're chasing out darkness. They're spreading the good news of Jesus everywhere." [08:11] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The kingdom of heaven, it starts small and it grows incredibly large. Now for the disciples, this may have actually been a discouraging parable. Now they like the ending. They like the whole part about this empire, the tree. Okay. The birds resting on that. We like that Lord, but you're saying it's going to start off really small. Insignificant, like, like a throw away. And yet it's slowly going to grow into this great thing." [21:13] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Consider God's plan to redeem creation big is achieved through his incarnation as an impoverished human being, to be small. Jesus feeds thousands on a hillside big, with just a few fish and small loaves, small. Christ seeks to make disciples of all nations big, and he starts with a handful of fishermen small. Even Goliath big is defeated by David with a few stones small. We're seeing this the kingdom of heaven, it starts small and it grows large." [25:26] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Nothing can take the hope, the living hope of Jesus Christ away from us. Nothing and his great love for us. And so we have a hope that is deep and it's exactly what he said. It starts small and yet it grows large." [32:40] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "The start of this massive revival in which 90 plus percent of the people on these islands were Jesus followers started with these two ladies right here, getting down on their knees and praying. You would have never expected the great results of this, uh, revival to start in such a small and insignificant way." [06:41] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The kingdom actually grows in the most small and insignificant and ordinary of ways. Let's say it like this. I heard one pastor say, we have hard times seeing the glory of God and the ordinary matters like how we eat, drink, share life with our friends. And I think this is actually an encouragement back to the ordinary things, back to faithfulness and the small and seemingly insignificant things of our life." [22:38] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Faithfulness in the small, ordinary things. Faithfulness in the day-to-day of life. This is where you and I can start. You want to do something significant for God? Well, be faithful in the small, ordinary things. I think about Peggy and Christine, like just faithful with the small stuff. Lord, you're putting a burden on our heart that we would see youth in our church, that we would see revival." [27:03] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "How is the Lord calling you to be more faithful to your spouse? More loving, more sacrificial. How is the Lord drawing you closer to himself by how you treat your spouse? Parents, how are you? How is the Lord calling you to invest in your kid's life, your spouse, whether you're at home, whether you're at work, whether you're in a relationship." [28:13] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "How is the Lord calling you into a deeper prayer life? Peggy and Christine said, Lord, you're putting a burden on us. We have to drop to our knees. Maybe it's as simple and small as that. Scripture. How is the Lord calling you to know him more deeply through the reading of his word? Small stuff. See, if you want to do something great for the Lord, maybe stop dreaming about hosting the next crusade." [28:59] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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