Sunday June 14 Sermon by Rev.

Scott Bieker
Grace & peace to you.the faithful at St. Paul send their greetings as well. Consider a Honey Locust
Seedling, that I planted this spring, about 2 In. Tall: One day, it will reach 50ft. in ht., and 35 ft. in diameter.
Now consider the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in Mark 4:26-34:
26

And he said, The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises
night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the
blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle,
because the harvest has come. 30 And he said, With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what
parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest
of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and
puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.
There%was%a%church%bulletin%spotted%somewhere%in%Middle%America%that%had%this%announcement:%%%
"Ladies,%don't%forget%the%rummage%sale.%%It's%a%chance%to%get%rid%of%those%things%not%worth%keeping%
around%the%house.%%Bring%you%husbands."%%
It%seems%that%someone%didnt%want%things%around%the%house%that%were%not%productive.%And%in%todays%
Gospel,%Jesus%tells%a%couple%of%parables%about%the%productive%growth%of%the%kingdom%we%should%
perhaps%pay%attention%to.%%
The%parable%of%the%growing%seed%in%v.%26H29%appears%only%in%the%Gospel%of%St.%Mark%
has%a%definite%application%to%us%here%at%%Trinity%Lutheran%Church%in%the%context%of%the%community%in%
which%we%live,%Akron.%%
Jesus%relates%Growth%in%the%kingdom%to%growth%of%a%plant,%or%crop,%or%garden%context%so%that%we%may%
apply%those%principles%to%our%farming%practices%in%the%vineyard%of%the%world.%%
1st,%we%must%define%KINGDOM%OF%GOD%[v.%30]%
Martin%Luther%wrote,%The%kingdom%of%God%is%not%a%geographic%territory,%but%rather,%wherever%and%
whenever%people%are%ruled%by%God%through%faith%in%his%Son,%Jesus%Christ%%
We%can%make%the%mistake%of%thinking%that%Jesus%is%referring%to%a%church%growth%strategy%here,%but%it%
goes%much%deeper%and%more%meaningful%than%that.%%
He%refers%to%the%kingdom%not%confined%by%walls%or%church%pews,%but%by%active%participation%in%the%
community%and%Evangelical%posture%in%the%worship%life%of%the%believers%of%Trinity%Lutheran%Church.%
So%lets%compare%growth%in%the%kingdom%to%growth%in%the%garden:%%
[v.%26H29]%%%
1st%principle:%You%gotta%work%at%it,%but%God%grows%the%garden.%%
We%live%lives%of%righteousness%and%faith,%proclaim%the%Gospel,%become%active%in%the%community,%host%
some%events%here%at%the%church,%attend%events%in%other%venues%with%a%table%or%a%booth%[friends%of%the%

NRA,%Eastern%Colorado%Roundup,%etc.]%start%signing%up%volunteers%and%making%materials%to%pass%out,%
offer%free%refreshments,%whatever!H%%
2nd:%You%gotta%get%yer%hands%dirty.%%
James%Dent,%author%and%commentator,%once%said:"""A"perfect"summer"day"is"when"the"sun"is"
shining,"the"breeze"is"blowing,"the"birds"are"singing,"and"the"lawn"mower"is"broken.""%
%
That%may%be%a%good%recipe%for%relaxation,%but%in%the%kingdom,%is%that%what%were%called%to%do?%To%grow%
a%garden%or%to%grow%the%kingdom,%hard%word%requires%two%things:%dirty%hands%and%perspiration.%%
If%we%are%going%to%evangelize,%we%need%to%accept%people%who%are%not%part%of%the%church%culture,%who%
dont%understand%biblical%principles%or%morals.%%
3rd:%be%less%concerned%about%inviting%people%to%_____________,%and%more%concerned%with%inviting%
people%to%know%Jesus!%%
4th:%sew%seeds%for%longHterm%growth,%not%%immediate%results.%
[v.%31H32]%%
IT%HAS%BEEN%SAID%THAT%CHRISTIANS%ARE%LIKE%POTATOES:%[not%a%corny%joke%about%pew%
potatoes%here,%either!]%%
Some%people%never%seem%motivated%to%participate,%but%are%content%to%watch%others%...%%
They%are%called%"Speck%Tators.%
%
Some%are%always%finding%fault,%criticizing%others%and%really%get%under%your%skin%...%%
They%are%called%"Aggie%Tators."%
%
There%are%those%who%are%always%saying%they%will,%but%somehow,%they%never%get%around%to%doing%%%
We%call%them%"Hezzie%Tators."%%
Evangelism%and%church%growth%cannot%be%a%pastor%thing,%or%a%committee%thing,%or%even%youth%group%
thingHit%has%to%be%embedded%in%the%very%culture%of%the%church!%%
Look%aroundHwhy%would%you%not%want%someone%here%to%share%this?%We%have%so%much%to%offer%the%
community.%Love,%hope,%the%truth%of%Gods%word%in%the%Law%and%Gospel:%the%forgiveness%of%sins%
through%Christ!%%
5%times%in%Lutheran%worship%we%hear%the%promise%of%forgiveness!%The%words%of%Absolution,%the%Lords%
Prayer,%the%Creed,%(How%forgiveness%is%achieved%through)%Gods%Word,%and%somewhere%in%the%
sermonWho%would%not%want%or%need%that?%%
Women know about gardening: they say, "Men are like a fine wine. They all start out
like grapes, and it's our job to stomp on them and keep them in the dark until they
mature into something you'd want to have dinner with."
But%on%the%other%side,%men,%Here%is%a%littleHknown%church%growth%formula:%
Ofttimes,%The%church%grows%through%men!%[Not%always]%but%in%my%experience,%especially%my%own,%I%
have%found%this%to%be%true:%%

When%a%wife%&%mother%comes%to%church,%the%husband/Father%stays%home%
I%have%yet%to%see%a%family%come%to%church%no%matter%how%much%the%kids%like%VBSm%
But%when%a%husband/Father%comes%to%faith,%he%brings%his%whole%family.%%
So%men,%lets%stop%wringing%our%hands%and%crying%in%our%quiche.you%cant%grow%a%crop%if%you%dont%
sew%the%seeds!%%
Mens%community%prayer%breakfast.Mens%Group%prayer/study%suppers..the%limits%are%only%on%our%
lack%of%commitment,%not%our%lack%of%ability!%%
And%for%all%of%us,%as%gardeners%in%the%kingdom,%are%we%really%that%content%with%the%current%cultural%
norms?%TV,%music%and%movies%feature%gratuitous%sex%and%violence.%
If%we%really%want%to%impact%the%kingdom,%we%have%to%think%in%kingdom%terms,%and%not%worldly%terms.%
Accepting%all%people%as%Gods%people,%without%condoning%sinful%behavior.%%
This%denomination%has%stood%against%the%lies%and%deception%of%the%modern%church%culture%which%
refuses%to%stand%on%Gods%word,%and%must%continue%to%do%so,%and%still,%reach%out%with%Gods%love%and%
forgiveness%through%Christ.%%
We%need%to%garden%for%the%long%haulHthats%the%hidden%message%of%v.%30H32.%Any%tree%that%grows%from%
a%seedling%is%very%smallrequires%care,%nurturing,%pruning%for%growth,%etc.%%
One%day%that%little%locust%tree%will%be%50ft.%tall%and%30%ft.%wide.%%
And%so%it%is%with%the%visible%kingdom%on%earth,%which%is%the%church%(catechism)%she%requires%care,%
nurturing,%pruning.%
Care=physical%plant,%worship,%prayerm%
Nurturing=%parish%education,%evangelismm%
Pruning=%adherence%to%Gods%holy%word%[all%of%it,%not%what%is%convenient%or%popular].%
CONCLUSION:%Encouragement%today%to%make%Trinity%Lutheran%Church%an%integral%part%of%the%growth%
of%the%kingdom%of%God%in%this%community%and%the%world,%by:%%
1.% Work%at%it,%but%leave%the%results%to%Godm%
2.% Get%yer%hands%dirty%
3.% Be%less%concerned%about%inviting%people%to%Church,%and%more%concerned%with%inviting%people%to%
know%Jesus!%%
4.% Sew%seeds%for%longHterm%growth,%not%immediate%results.%%
May%the%peace%of%God,%which%transcends%all%understanding,%guard%our%hearts%and%minds%in%Christ%
Jesus:%%Amen.%%