May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade." With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. (Mark 4:26-34)

In the gathered congregation there is a danger of being too externally oriented. When budgets balance and workers volunteer most of us are happy. Based on what appears to be a smoothly sailing ship we would tend to evaluate that church as healthy. But we always need to be reminded that while there are external evidences that can be seen when a group of believers gathers, what we're really all about is a spiritual kingdom not an external one. The kingdom we must be most concerned about is not the one of bills and budgets and meetings, but the one beneath the surface inside of hearts.

In a similar way, if I evaluate my own being, personally, I can't just look at the things I say and do on the outside. I too, am most concerned about the kingdom of God within me. The measure of the kingdom of God within me is not determined by money or status or success or family. But neither is it determined by the things I do or say or by how I feel. The kingdom of God within me, personally, is Jesus ruling in my heart. I know he's there ruling because he has promised that in baptism, most importantly he linked me to himself so that my sin and death are traded for his holiness and life. In Jesus, God sees me as absolutely innocent and pure. But in baptism Jesus also came to stay in my heart and to rule there.

The frustrating thing for me is that I can't see him ruling in my heart. In fact, what I can see in my life I often don't like. I see my weakness, I see my frailty, I see my sins. These 2 parables encourage us about the certainty of Christ ruling in the Holy Christian Church, worldwide. But today, I'd like to narrow the focus to the believer who is bothered by his or her own sins, frustrated that he doesn't seem to be progressing in living for Jesus, having a hard time leaving some of those same old sins behind. The individual encouragement of these parables is: My Ruler IS ruling in Me. It doesn't always look like it. But HE IS. He's planting Gospel seed in me and growing it. He's increasing his influence over my sin-sick heart.

1. He's Planting Gospel Seed In Me and Growing It

We're people who are accustomed to building and doing and seeing results. But when it comes to Christ's kingdom rule in us we must BELIEVE that God continually rules and builds with his powerful Gospel: (READ 26-29)

Notice the independent power of the seed in this picture. The person can't do anything to help it along. This seed is the Gospel. It is powerful beyond description, although the Bible does describe it. It's like two edged sword that penetrates our very soul. It's like life-giving rain that always accomplishes something. It's like a seed that grows although we do not know how. Just as with the planted seed, something IS always happening. Christ IS accomplishing his rule in hearts through its power.

We've often applied the point of this parable EVANGELICALLY - "The Gospel is powerful...let's get out there and plant the seed!" Today let's consider the point of this parable PERSONALLY, especially for the believer who is unsatisfied with his success at avoiding sin and living for Jesus. This parable tells ME that Jesus is planting mighty Gospel seed IN ME and growing it. I'm sinfully looking too much at my outward self, or trusting my feelings too much when I distrust the power of God's Word in me and discount Christ's rule in me. The same Jesus who traded places with me on the cross and substituted his holy life for mine in the record book of God, he isn't leaving me as an orphan now. He is sending the Holy Spirit who is working through the Gospel...even in ME. I am not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes...even ME. You and I believe, don't we ...that we have been born again not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God? You and I can do what James exhorts: "humbly accept the word planted in you which can save you."(1:21)

If the word is planted in me then it IS at work in me. Then my Ruler IS ruling in me even if I seem to sense so much private evidence to the contrary. "Lord, teach me to love your sacred word! I do believe that every single time I hear every single passage...you are using it in my heart. Big chapters or little verses...thorough study or momentary recall....Lord I love nothing better than your rule in my heart through your Spirit and your Word!"

We are so caught up in what is visible. We often compare ourselves to the people we see around us. We see what they are wearing, that affects what we wear, we see what they are driving, that affects what we drive, we see what they are doing...that affects what we do (for better or for worse). Modeling ourselves after good examples is OK, but comparing is dangerous. For instance, sometimes a devout believer sees the sanctified life of another and gets depressed. They see how spiritually minded that person seems to be, how consecrated and godly is all they say and do. The danger is the observing person uses that comparison to criticize and get down on themselves. Look away from comparisons and at these parables. Here Jesus shows us what is really going on in the heart he rules...even in my heart. Not only does he plant and grow the Gospel in me...He increases his rule over my sin-sick heart.

2. He's Increasing His Rule over My sin-sick heart

But it doesn't look like it! I know myself too well and it just doesn't look like it. We want big beginnings and grand openings. We crave a high level of sustained success. We love completed projects where everything is settled and in its place. But My Ruler's rule in my heart is a matter of a small start and invisible increases. Some of you were baptized as adults. You wonder why you don't seem to have more power over the devil and more spark to serve the Savior the very next day.

But Christ's rule in my heart doesn't immediately overwhelm my sinfulness as if there is no longer be any struggle against it. That frustrating struggle with sin doesn't mean that Jesus isn't ruling in my heart. It means that he is. (read 30-32)

In this parable the seed isn't the Gospel, as it was in the previous. In this parable Christ's rule in hearts itself is compared to a tiny seed that grows remarkably. Christ's rule in hearts may not start gigantic, but that's where it ends. A .5 pencil lead diameter seed isn't huge but the 8 - 10 ft. mustard tree that comes from it is gigantic.

We have often applied this parable HISTORICALLY, and how appropriate that is. A birth in Bethlehem was an unpromising beginning. But Jesus would extend his resurrection-guaranteed triumph over sin to many hearts at Pentecost. From there, along with the Gospel, his kingdom would extend to a worldwide church of believers. Christ's rule has increased in the hearts of many in the overall body of believers. But again, today let's be comforted PERSONALLY. The invisible but very real growth of Christ's kingdom in the church is also true of his rule IN ME. Christ's rule in my heart doesn't always appear to me to be increasing. The more I read my Bible, the more I become conscious of how sinful I really am. But the fact is, along with that awareness, Christ is more and more taking over inside of me as he leads me through repentance and repeatedly announces his forgiveness of my sins.

My Ruler IS ruling in me. Paul says - God "makes us alive" in Christ. He promises "If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!"(2Cor.5:17) He says: "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."(Gal.2:20) The struggle with our sinful nature will continue until we die. But the constant relief and strength for the struggle is Jesus...the ruler who gives us his victory and daily strength.

If I am weary. If I just don't think I'm progressing, then I can be encouraged by a parable like this one. The parable of the mustard seed doesn't teach that we will always SEE amazing growth in Christ's rule in our hearts. It does teach that there will BE growth of Christ's rule over our hearts. You and I can be content to believe that through His Word he will be more and more staking claims to what was sin's territory in our hearts. He has declared us to be God's holy people already. But more and more he is making us what he has already declared us to be. Today we sense the mustard seed version of ourselves. In heaven we will get to see the mustard tree version of ourselves, when sin is gone completely and Christ's rule saturates our entire bodies, minds and hearts. ...in the meantime....I love the Gospel - it's how he rules AND I believe, against many sinful slip-ups that say otherwise, that Jesus is increasing his influence over my sin-sick heart. MY Ruler IS Ruling In Me.