GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM

And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. (Mk. 4:26-34).

Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ! (2 Cor. 1:2)

Dear fellow Christians, when only I come to Dnieper in Kyiv, I am always astonished at might and scenic beauty of this wonderful river. It is wide. Multimillion cities are located on its banks. Its water nourishes Tavrian and Crimean prairies. In fact, its beauty and might that are described so well by Hohol and Shevchenko, provide rest both for our eyes and bodies, especially in summer. This is what we have here, in Ukraine. But some place, far away from here, in Russia, on the hills of Valdai, one can jump across this same river. Only slowly coming down, closer to Kyiv, Dnieper begins to gain its power and its beauty. As this our river, the Kingdom of God begins with small things but on the Last Day it will be mighty. The Kingdom of God will be like seeds that overgrows its original size in millions of times.

Our Lord Jesus Christ tells us this truth about His Kingdom. Often we as Christ's disciples may ask similar questions. How does the Kingdom of God look like? How does it develop? How can we become and remain citizens of this Kingdom? The Lord Himself provides us with answers. The Lord says that His Kingdom begins with very small things. The Lord says it is as if a man who casts seeds into the ground.

The Lord explains in the other place of the Bible that His Word is the seed. In the other yet place, in the book of Isaiah (55:10-11), God says of that seed, "As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

The Lord says that this seed becomes a good and bountiful harvest. The Word of God brings the harvest always because it creates our saving faith. As it is written in the letter to Romans (10:17), "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." This Word declares about our falling away from God. This Word proclaims that all we are born in sins. This Word also tells us about the horrible result of sin and about its wages. This Word declares that because of sin all people are doomed to both physical and eternal death.

But this same Word also declares us the very good news that those who believe in God will not die eternally. The Word tells that the perfect and holy Son of God became man to take all our sins on Himself and to die for them on the cross of Calvary. This Word declares that Jesus Christ "loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father" (Rev. 1:5, 6). This Word declares that the on the third day risen Lord Jesus Christ will come soon in His glory to take us into His Heavenly Kingdom. He will do it so that we live with Him forever.

And this same Word is very active. Jesus says, "And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how." This is how the Word of God works. It is written about its effectiveness in the letter to Hebrews (4:12), "the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." What a great comfort this is for us! We share the Word of God with our family and it grows. It does so despite of us. We do not how this planted Word grows. The Lord knows about this. We just share this Word, this wonderful seed of the Law and Gospel with our neighbors, with our colleagues. And the Word of God is active. God makes it grow.

The letter of Paul to the young congregation in Corinth writes so well about this, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase" (1 Cor. 3:6, 7). The Lord by His Spirit that works through the Word of Christ turns an unbelieving sinner into a pious man of God. The Lord through His Baptism gives birth to a new man. God's seed, the Word of God brings god harvest of which our Savior says, "For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear."

The Holy Spirit teaches of this conversion through Apostle Paul, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9-11). God has born us by His Word as it is written, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (James 1:17, 18).

And the Lord says that His Word, His holy and true body and blood that we receive in His holy Name, continue to work in us. The Lord does this work so "that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:14, 15). He does it without any rest so that we all be gathered into His Kingdom to live forever in joy as good wheat is harvested into barns. As Dnieper becomes greater with every mile of its flow to the south, so the Lord wants us to be filled with sanctity of His Word and overflow this sanctity into good works that are our thanksgiving for salvation and eternal life that we have for free in the name of Jesus.

The Lord says His Kingdom is like a mustard seed that is sown into the ground. A mustard seed is very small. And when it falls into the ground it becomes almost invisible, as Dnieper is invisible some place in Russia, or as Ukrainian Lutheran Church may be invisible if to compare her with big churches in our country. But the Lord continues to speak about the mustard seed. He says, "But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it."

This is how the Kingdom of God grows. The mustard seed may give birth to a 10-feet tall tree. Only little time will pass and even birds will have their shelter there. The Kingdom of God grows in the similar manner. God plants His Word. The Word brings fruit. Soon the whole ground is covered with this fruit. This fruit cannot be well seen in the beginning. It cannot be seen well during persecutions. Sometimes because we cannot see it, we think we are alone, and because we are persecuted we can cry with prophet Elijah, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers" (1 Kings 19:4). The Lord feeds Elijah, the Lord comforts Him and encourages him about the true size of His Kingdom in Israel, "Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him" (1 Kings 19:18).

In the same manner the same Lord comforts us today. The Kingdom of God grows, for it is grown by the Almighty God Himself. In the beginnings of the New Testament Church there was only a small group of citizens of the Kingdom of God from all Israel. The Lord has grown that group to three thousand men just though one sermon. And then He grew it and spread it around the world though His Gospel.

Dear brothers and sisters, mighty and great Dnieper begins with a small stream. A big plant begins with a tiny seed. From the planted Word, from the Gospel, mighty Kingdom of God grows. From what will be shared by you about Christ, from what you will teach in the Sunday School and in the Vacation Bible School the Lord will grow a good fruit. His Kingdom grows and is sustained here on the earth by His Gospel. The Kingdom of grace is grown by the Lord through the Gospel preached and through the Gospel administered in the Sacraments of God. As well as the Kingdom of glory is coming with Jesus, that instead of the crown of thorns will have the crown of glory as He returns to take us to His Kingdom. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. (2 Cor. 13:14).