The Leaven, Part 2

Don't you anticipate the coming of the Lord sure you do don't didn't you wake up this morning thinking that this could be the day you did didn't you and didn't you go to bed last night and thinking jolly man I can't believe we didn't come today well maybe you'll come tomorrow don't you don't you or is the fact that we are so uh uh let's see was it we're so earthly minded we're no heavenly good that could very well be we're to be people who look and long and love the Lord's appearing that's what that's what we anticipate.

That's what we want more than anything else in the world. And so we should be anticipating the coming of our king to take us home, to be with him forever and ever. The disciples had an anticipation about them. The disciples had expectations. They really sought the answer. And so Christ would begin to explain it to them. Help them to understand that, yes, the kingdom is going to come exactly as has been prophesied throughout the Old Testament. But before it does, There's going to be a period of time.

It's called a mystery. Something that the Old Testament of prophets didn't see. So they didn't write about it. But I'm going to tell you about it today. And so Christ in Matthew 13 would give them the kingdom parables. To talk to them about the dynamics of this mystery age, where Christ is still the king, he's still on the throne, except it's not a literal reign upon the earth. That's going to happen. Right now it's that spiritual reign in the life of those who have, given their life to him. And that's our Lord Jesus Christ as he begins to explain to his people, his disciples in Matthew chapter 13.

We talked about the mustard seed last week with the kingdom of heaven. It was like that little mustard seed and planted in the ground, but grew to this huge, huge tree to illustrate the fact that the kingdom of God is going to be tremendously huge. Bigger than you can ever imagine. It will start small, but become huge. It talks about the external growth of the kingdom. And then right on the heels of that, he gives another parable, the one we're going to talk about tonight, the parable of the leaven.

Very important. Because this deals with the internal aspect of the kingdom. You see, you can be real big, but not have a very good impact. The issue with the parable of the leaven is that it too starts small, but it permeates the entire globe and has an internal effect. And that's the parable of the level. And that's the parable the leaven. It's only one verse. Let me read it to you.

Matthew 13. Verse number 33. He spoke another parable to them. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of meal until it was all leaven. This is the message of hope. Several things I want you to see. The interpretation. What are the lessons that we can learn from this? Two of them, basically. Number one, the size of its influence, and number two, the source of the leaven's influence.

Very important to understand that the power of the kingdom is great. Absolutely phenomenal. It's like a tiny bit of leaven that influences a great mass of dough. The fact that the kingdom starts small is not a bad thing, it's really a good thing, because it helps you understand the power of the gospel. Helps you understand the power of God to work in a world that doesn't believe, in him. The measure of meal is like the world and the kingdom of heaven is like leaven. That's important to understand.

It will eventually influence the entire world by being placed here, first of all by the baby born in Bethlehem and then actually permeating the entire world so that one day the whole world is under the authority of the king of kings and Lord of Lords.

Now, I need to tell you that that there's much confusion about this parable, probably more so about this one verse, this one parable, than all the other parables in Matthew 13, believe it or not. People get off on these high-flutant ideas about who the woman is. Some people say, well, the woman's the church. Some people think the woman's the Holy Spirit. I don't know where they get that from, but that's what they think. Some people get off on the idea concerning the identity of the three measures of meal.

They're all significant. One writer said they are the father, son, and Holy Spirit. I don't know why. Another one said, well, they represent body, soul, and spirit. Well, that's ridiculous. Another one thought that they represented the Jews, the Greeks, and the Samaritans. The parable is not the three measures about the three measures of meal. The parable is not about the woman. The parable is about the leaven. That's important to understand. But people get off on these ideas about what all this means.

And then you've got another problem because people say, well, the parable is about the leaven, but the leaven is representative of evil. Why? Because in every place in the Bible, outside of Matthew 13, Levin is representative of evil. So they're going to say, well, Levin must represent evil. Well, that's ridiculous, because that's not what Christ is talking about. He says, the kingdom of heaven is like Levin. Does that mean the kingdom of heaven is like evil? I mean, it doesn't take a five-bid of cap to figure that out, right?

I mean, some of these guys who write these books, I don't know where they get their education. I don't know why people even buy them, but they do. The bottom line is, the kingdom of heaven is like leaven. That means there's something about the kingdom of heaven, there's something about leaven that we can begin to understand about what God is saying to his men about the permeating effect of the gospel as it relates to the world. You see, follow the flow of thought. He's already spoken about the people who are going to reject the gospel.

He's already spoken about the evil coexisting with the Christians throughout the kingdom age. And then he goes off and talks about the mustard seed and its effect and how it's going to grow. the kingdom of God is like this bunch of seed it's going to start real small but it's going to grow huge and the birds of the air can nest in it people's lives will be will be set apart will be sanctified because of Christianity in the world and now it goes back and talks about the fact that this this kingdom is like leaven which the flow of thought would tell you that that's a good thing not a bad thing this is a positive influence not a negative influence because that's what the gospel is it is a positive influence in the world that is against God.

Just because every other time the word leaven is used and it speaks of evil doesn't mean that this time it has to speak of evil. Because the Bible is very clear about the kingdom of heaven being like the leaven. The example people use is found in Luke 121 where it says that Jesus said, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. It'd be going to say in Galatians chapter 5, verse number 9, a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough, speaking of the legalistic system. And then it says over in 1st Corinthians 5 verse number 6, know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, speaking of a man who's living in immorality and is involved in the church at Corinth.

And that permeating influence of that individual in the church. So people would say, well, because leaven is speaking of in a negative term, that must mean that leaven is negative and speaking of evil, imagine 13. but it's not. It's not at all. Back to Luke 12-1, when Christ said beware of the love of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. He was not making leaven represent the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. He was making it represent the influence of the Pharisees hypocrisy. When you speak of leaven, you speak of influence.

When you speak of leaven, you speak of its permeating ability. Okay? Levin is neutral. How it's used in the text determines how you interpret it. Okay. And that's what Christ is speaking of. in Matthew chapter 13. So important. The disciples had just heard about the permeating, penetrating influence of evil in the kingdom age. And Christ comes right on the heels of that and says, listen, let me tell you something.

The kingdom of heaven is like leaven. Sure evil's going to grow. Sure, the wickedness of man is going to grow. But the kingdom of heaven, it's like, it's like leaven. It's going to start small. But the ultimate effect is that it will touch the entire globe, so much so that one day the entire world will be exactly as God wants it to be. Because he'll be in control. He'll rule from the throne of David exactly as he said he would. The influence of Christianity is great. Take for instance in the Bible, 1st Kings 1817, when Ahab met Elijah.

And what did he say? You are the one who troubles Israel. You're the one. You're the guy. You're the man, Elijah. You're just a troubler of Israel. Why? Because of this permeating influence in that nation. We know the story over in Acts 17, verse number six about the disciples. These, it says, are the ones that have turned the world upside down and now have come here also. Those in Thessalonica said, hey, we know who Paul and saw. These guys are the ones that come and have turned the world upside down.

On the contrary, they've turned the world right side up. That's what they're doing. By fact that they love the Lord Jesus Christ and are committed to. His word. And many people forget about that. One man said it this way. From a start of about 120 disciples banded together in Jerusalem, millions of people across the face of the earth have been influenced by Christianity. Social advances, legal systems, welfare, education, art, music, and many other things reflect the influence of Christianity. Most of the benevolent societies that help the poor and aid those that are downtrodden and depressed come out of the spirit of Christ in the hearts of his people who are leavened in the world.

Notice how people are treated in the countries of the world that have never been touched by Christianity.

The world has been leavened and influenced dramatically. The disciples would receive encouragement. The disciples would receive hope based on their understanding of the kingdom of God being like leaven. You're going to bubble, you're going to foment, you're going to permeate, you're going to affect the entire world. Number two, the source of its influence.

God planted the leaven inside the world. God came to earth. The miracle of the incarnation is a great miracle. A fabulous. To do that, he would allow himself, the creator would allow himself to be created in order to impact the lives of many people. So much so that that little baby in Bethlehem will someday dominate the entire world. Christ. Christ, we as Christians, are the extension of Christ in the world. Why? Because he has given us his spirit. That's why the mystery is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

You see, the disciples we're going to soon find this out on the eve of the crucifixion. When Christ says, if I go away, I'll send to you another comforter, another of the same kind, one who would indwell you, one who would take up a residence in you.

Why? Because that is the leaven that's going to be implanted in you. And that leaven is going to be such a power. influence in your life that as you go out now you too will become a powerful influence in the life of the world that's why paul said in glacians 2 verse number 20 the life i live i live by the faith of the son of god who loved me he gave himself for me it is not i who lives but christ living in me christ lives in me in matth 24 in the olive it discourse christ is talking to us men about the end of the age he says listen When I come again, my second coming, I want to know something that everybody in the entire world will hear the gospel.

Everybody will. How are they going to do that? Simply this. Revelation chapter 14, verse number six. And I saw another angel flying in mid heaven having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people. He said it with a loud voice, fear God, give him glory, because the hour of a world. His judgment has come and worship him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and springs of waters. One day, everybody on the face of the globe is going to hear the gospel.

We have somewhere between 60 and 70,000 missionaries in the world today. Around the world, preaching the gospel. During the tribulation, you're going to have 144,000 converted Jews preaching the gospel. Now, if you know a converted Jew, there is nobody more passionate about the gospel than a converted Jew. So you have 144,000 Jewish evangelists who will come to Christ because they'll hear the gospel because of two witnesses as Revelation 11 gives them to us. And those 144,000 will be marked out by God, 12,000 from every tribe.

And then you're going to have this angel flying around him in heaven preaching the eternal gospel. Fear God and worship only Him. Can you imagine the scene? I mean, this angel is going to be in heaven flying around. telling people they got to repent they got to get right with God because the judgment has come time for his appearing is here they got to repent they got to get right with God so in crisis of Matthew 24 it's come today when everybody's going to hear the gospel everybody and then the end will come I'm not coming back until everybody on the globe has heard that I in the savior of the world in by the way their own language everybody will hear that can't say that today because there are many people who have never heard the gospel but the sign of the end of the the age, that's going to happen.

A worldwide declaration, meaning that what happened at the incarnation some 2,000 years ago began a series of events that would infect the entire world. So that one day when the king returns, the entire world will be affected by the king who rules from a throne in Jerusalem. Which leads me to the next point, the implications. Let me give you three them briefly.

First of all, the statistics. I'm not a big guy on statistics because they don't mean much to me, but I thought I'd give you some anyway just to humor those who want to know a little bit about him. It is true that everybody who names the name of Christ is not necessarily a Christian. We all know that. And there are a lot of people who name the name of Christ. And we must understand that there are many inroads to the gospel. You see, it's important to realize that Satan has a strategy. This is why Satan closes off countries to the gospel.

Because he knows that once the gospel gets in, the permeating effect of the leaven, the gospel, in that country. So we know that there had been certain windows of time where countries have been opened up for the gospel. And once it gets in there, hundreds, thousands of people receive the gospel because they hear for the very first time.

It's estimated somewhere between 25 and 50 million Christians meet in a half million different houses in red China. That's a lot of people. That's a big influence that the gospel has had in that country. People tell us that they're, and they estimate that 63,000 people embrace Christianity every day. 63,000. Now, whether they're true born-again believers or not, I don't know. Only the Lord knows that. But they tell us that 1,600 new churches are started every week. It's amazing, amazing. Those statistics tell us about the influence of the gospel around.

the world. Now, whether those people are truly converted or not, I don't know, but there has been an impact in their lives to some degree. The second thing I want you to see are some specifics.

What do we know for certain? We know for certain that in spite of the weeds and the birds that snatch a seed and the scorching sun that beats down upon some of the plants that sprout up quickly, there is some good soil. We know that for sure. And those of you who are here tonight and have given your life to Christ, you're part of that good soil. You know what it means to give you life to Christ and to follow him and to obey him and live for him. In spite of the fact that Satan has done all he can to overthrow the world with tears, we know that there are still wheat growing in the face of evil opposition.

The mustard seed grows and the leaven has its influence. We know that for sure because Jesus said it and we believe in the truth of the gospel. We also believe that Christ said, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Ultimately, Christianity will win. That's the good news. Jesus will reign, evil will be destroyed, wicked men will be sent to eternal hell and the kingdom will come in its eternal fullness just like Jesus said. One more thing I want to share with you.

It's significant. It's significant. This is important. Why? Because what began with Christ is blooming in and through your life. The impact, the influence that you can have, you need to understand. Because I'm afraid that most of us just don't get it. We don't get it. If God can use one missionary to China, one man, Hudson Taylor, and 500,000 converts come about as a result of that, that tells us about the influence of the gospel through the life of one man. George Whitfield, revolutionized the entire American culture because of a stand for Jesus Christ.

John and Charles Wesley, who through the power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit, overturned all of Great Britain. Just two men. D.L. Moody, one man, completely uneducated, unsophisticated, uncultured, literally turned two continents upside down with the gospel, one man. That's amazing. And all those are illustrations of the power of God and the influence of the Levin, which is the gospel of Christ and the people who have Christ in them and how it affects the world. We must realize that the significance of this parable as to our opportunity evangelistically, we realize that we have the opportunity to impact a family.

One person in one family can be used to change the entire family. One person in one business can change the entire business. One committed junior high student. In one junior high school can change the entire outlook of that school. Just one. And we forget about that. We think, I can't make a difference. I can't. What can I say? What can I do? I know good. I got nothing to say. Let me tell you something.

If Jesus Christ is in you, you've got a whole bunch of things to say. Just stand for God, live for God, honor God, and preach the gospel of God and watch God work. God's not asking you to do anything great. God's asking you to let him work through you, and he'll do something great. That's what God wants to do. That's important. Having said that, having to understand the significance of this in terms of our opportunity evangelistically, we must understand the significance of this in terms of our responsibility spiritually.

And for that, I want to take you back to 1 Corinthians chapter 5 because this is important for all of us. Satan's going to do all he can to get you to think that you're in nothing and you can't do anything. And if you're sitting here today saying, you know, I've tried the witness in my family, it just doesn't work. Satan's got you right where he wants you. Or you're sitting here today saying, you know, I try to be strong for Christ in my school or try to be strong for Christ in my workplace. It doesn't work.

Satan has you right where he wants you because God says, wait a minute, wait a minute, I'm in control.

I'm in charge here. Let me use you. And if you let me use you, man, I tell you, you won't believe what will happen in the place that I've called you.

See, because God put you in that school, God put you in that family, God put you in that business, God put you in that church, God put you in that neighborhood. God put you in that arena for one reason and one reason In terms of our responsibility spiritually is this, listen, if you have sin in your life, understand this. One little leavens the whole level. One sin. One sin is going to deter your ability to impact your environment. Just one. You've got to realize that. As God wants to use you as leaven to impact the world, he wants to remind you as he did those in Corinth.

He said these words, first Corinthians 5, verse number 6. He says this, do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump just as you are, in fact, unleavened. For Christ, our Passover, our deliverer also has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leavened of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. And Paul says, in summation these words, listen, you can't bring your old life those things from the old bread into the new bread.

You can't bring your past life into your Christian life. Because if you do, guess what's going to happen? It's going to hinder your Christian life. One little leaven of malice. One little leaven of wickedness is going to destroy your testimony. It's going to ruin your opportunity to be a testimony for God to influence and to impact a group of people, a community of individuals, a school with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And so we need to realize that we have responsibility spiritually to examine our lives, to see if there's anything there that would keep us from being what God wants us to be.

And say, God, if there's any sin, if it's an attitude, if it's an act, if it's a bitter spirit, Lord, if there's anything in my life that's hindering my testimony from making an impact, Lord, I want you to deal with me. Deal with me. Show it to me that I may get rid of it, that I might live for the glory and honor of God. And then on the outside of that, it goes even further that says this, because the context of 1 Corinthians 5 speaks about the man in the immorality. Do you know that if you're here tonight and you're living in sin, you're the leaven that destroys the testament.

of Christ's community church in this community. Did you know? One sinner, Eccleseastern 1918, destroys much good. Just one. Just one. We serve a holy God who's committed to purity, who's committed to righteousness, and he expects his people to be pure and holy. Be holy as I am holy, he says. And if you know somebody living in sin, you have responsibility spiritually to them, don't you? To go to them, to your brother, and to confront them on a sin, and to help them understand the responsibility before God and the responsibility before the church of God, to honor God.

You have responsibility to do that. Why? Because you don't want to sit back and allow that leaven to permeate the entire body of Christ and affect the testimony. That's what happened in Corinth. This guy was living in an immorality and they were boasting about it. They were prideful about it. They didn't do anything about it. Hey, he's living in immorality. Hey, what's the big deal? Who cares? Everybody's doing it. It's all right. You're waiting this. You can't do that. You've got to deal with a guy.

I'm going to deal with him because you're not and you better start dealing with people because if you don't, your whole church is going to be affected by it. Now I know that's not a very popular message today, and people like to hear that, but that's the truth. You need to realize what the word of the Lord says. And therefore, realize that our responsibility spiritually, first of all, is inward with our own lives.

And saying, Lord, if there's any wicked way in me, deal with me. And then to make sure that there is not another brother or sister in Christ who desires to live in sin and fall away from God and leave that go, let it go unchecked. We can't do that. The highest, listen, the highest, highest hallmark of love for your brother is to confront them on their sin. The highest hallmark of love is that because you are concerned about their spiritual welfare. You're concerned about their relationship to Christ and you're concerned about the church of Jesus Christ.

That's so important to understand. Let's pray. Thank you.