Harvest 2014

“SEEDS” Talks

1. How do seeds grow? All by themselves.

Mark 4 . 26 He also said, ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces corn – first the stalk, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 As soon as the corn is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.’

There is life in seeds. They are living things, that contain all they need to get a new plant started. All you need to do to see a seed germinate – make a new plant – is put it somewhere warmish and moist. Damp soil usually works well. That's all. There is life in the seeds, that knows just what to do. All by itself, it makes a root come out; then a green shoot that grows into a leaf....

What might help the seeds to grow? Water? A little? Warmth? A little. Keeping the birds off? And later on, training, pruning. What might stop seeds from growing? Stamping on them. Breaking the leaves off. Pulling them up to see how they are doing! Washing them away with too much water!

Jesus says Gods' Kingdom – “what it's like when God is given a chance to be in charge” – is like seeds planted in the soil. God's Kingdom is a living thing. All by itself it knows what to do: it can start new life; it can grow; it can lead to all sorts of good things. We don't make it grow although we can stop it growing, and we can help it to grow well. So I want us to learn how to plant good seeds for god's kingdom, so that we can see God's Kingdom growing in our lives. We can see what it's like when God is allowed to be in charge.

2. Seeds become something much bigger than themselves that blesses others.

Mark 4 . 30 Again he said, ‘What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.’

You plant tiny mustard seeds – like these – and you get a bush that is big enough for the birds to make nests in. Seeds usually grow into something bigger and better. You plant little brown seeds and get beautiful flowers. You plant tasteless little white seeds and get tomatoes and lettuce. You plant hard little bullets an get soft, sweet, juicy peas!

Jesus says the Kingdom of God – “what it's like when God is given a chance to be in charge” – is like that mustard seed: it seems so tiny and stupid ad useless. A wee black dot. But what it grows into is bigger and better than the seed. It is something that can be a blessing, can be enjoyed, can help lots of people. In God's kingdom, great big, wonderful blessings can come from tiny little starts.

3. Seeds reproduce themselves. They are predictable.

Luke 6. 43 ‘No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognised by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn-bushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Look at these seeds: do you know what kind of fruit or plants these seeds came from? Apples. Oranges. Grapes (maybe!) Coriander (try a bit!). Tomatoes. Once you identify the seed or the fruit, you absolutely know what kind of plant produced that seed. No questions. No oranges from apple trees. Seeds are predictable.

Jesus said that applies to God's Kingdom – “what it's like when God is given a chance to be in charge” – in our lives. IF we are letting God be in charge, Kingdom seeds will be growing in our lives, and we will grow good fruit – lives that make other people happy; lives that share things out in god;s world; lives that make Gods; world a better place. Your life and mine is either a “God's in charge” tree, or its' a “you’re in charge” tree. We know which is which, not by looking to see if people are singing the songs at Church or whether they read their Bible; we know which is which by whether they are a kind, good, honest person or not. What kind of tree are you?

4. How can I plant good seeds?

Luke 17. 5 The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’

6 He replied, ‘If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it will obey you.
We connect with God's Kingdom – with “what it's like when God is given a chance to be in charge” – by faith! That means we put our trust totally in Jesus and in what he says; in his love and what eh has done for us.
How much faith do you need to have? How much faith do you need to have to become a new person, a “God's in charge” tree? How much faith do you need to pray and see god answer? Jesus said faith as small as a mustard seed. A tiny dot. Just a little. It doesn't need to be huge. As long as it's there.
And if we trust him, then , really everything in our lives belongs to him. Faith leads to total commitment. There are not areas where he isn't allowed. Jesus told a tiny wee story like this: (Matthew 13:44 ) ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”

© Gilmour Lilly October  2014