Pictures of Kingdom Growth

Sermon 60 in Series

Luke 13:18-21

[18] He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? [19] It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

[20] And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? [21] It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.  How is our time in Luke helping you piece together the glory of Christ? What does it look like to be a lifelong student of Christ’s person and work?
2.  What is the kingdom of God? How does Luke present it as an already-and-not-yet reality?3.  Why is it important that we not lose sight of the kingdom’s presence now as we anticipate its future coming? How does Romans 14:17 guide our thinking?
4.  In what ways does the kingdom have a humble beginning? How is this conveyed by the grain of mustard seed and the leaven?
5.  How can the smallness of the kingdom now cause us to grow discouraged or to think our labor is in vain (1 Cor. 15:58)? How are we tempted to add to it in worldly and artificial ways?
6.  How do both parables point forward to the consummation of the kingdom? In what ways can it be characterized as truly glorious?

References: Matthew 13:24-43 (corporate reading); Luke 1:32-33; 2 Samuel 7:12-13; Daniel 7:13-14; Luke 4:43; 9:2; 10:9; 11:20-22; 17:21; 11:2; 9:27; 13:29; Colossians 2:14-15; Romans 14:17; 1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9; Mark 4:32; Luke 2:32; Ezekiel 17:22-24; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Isaiah 2:1-4; Daniel 2:35, 44.