Join Pastor Jack and delve into the fascinating world of biblical parables, specifically the parable of the mustard seed. Despite its modest beginnings, a mustard seed can grow into something far greater than its initial form, symbolizing the incredible transformation that faith can inspire. Through vibrant illustrations and real-life accounts, discover how these timeless stories still resonate deeply in our lives today.
From very little beginnings of being insignificant and small and unaffected, the church has grown. Even today, we’re all around the world in the most backward or dangerous or most developed or the dark jungles of South America, the gospel is going.
SPEAKER 01 :
This is Real Life. Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. I’m David Jay, thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God’s Word, the Bible. What if the greatest battles in life aren’t fought with swords and armies but with the struggles of the heart? What if the most defining moments of leadership come not from triumph, but from pain, betrayal, and humility? How do we handle being misunderstood or wronged? And how do we navigate the deep waters of authority, submission, and forgiveness? In A Tale of Three Kings, Jean Edwards takes us inside the lives of King Saul, King David, and Absalom, illustrating the powerful lessons learned from their brokenness and their failures. Through these kings, we discover that true leadership often comes through humility, suffering, and trusting God’s sovereignty, even in the most difficult seasons. This book will challenge you to reflect on your own heart, leadership, and your walk with God. A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards. It’s available for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.com slash real radio. That’s jackhibbs.com slash real radio. On today’s edition of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack continues his series now called The Parables of Jesus with his message titled Parable of the Mustard Seed. Now, whenever Jesus spoke to the masses, he often spoke in parables. And this parable, it’s pretty well known comparing the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed. Now, parables create a word picture, if you will, and Jesus taught this one by the beautiful shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel to encourage, to challenge, and to expose the condition of our hearts. So today, Pastor Jack teaches us that the mustard seed starts out really small, but it has a long growth process, eventually reaching a size that’s beyond expectation. So when Jesus compares it with biblical truth, he’s telling us that it only takes a little faith to do great things for God. Now with his message called Parable of the Mustard Seed, here’s pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs.
SPEAKER 02 :
So as we look at these parables, they are designed by Jesus to accomplish several things. They are powerful. And you’ve been learning how they are a mode of teaching that God employs Because look, he made the human mind and heart and a parabolic way of teaching or parables is unlike any other. It is genius, it is brilliant, it is designed by God to reach us to the very core of who we are. And you’ve learned by now in our studies that when Jesus throws out a parable, Remember that, and I told you to keep this in mind. Parabolos, or parable, is to cast truth alongside the heart or the mind. Parable, Jesus throws out a parable, so he verbally is casting truth wrapped in a package that has amazing effect. It is a information bomb, right? that lands alongside someone’s head. In a sense, a bomb goes off and someone sees the truth that Jesus is trying to communicate with technicolor brilliance, okay? Boom, the light comes on, I got it. And we would say today it’s being done by an illustrator. You know how that happens. Where it’s painted, the picture. We love pictures, we love paintings. And rightfully so, that a picture, you know, is worth a thousand words. Why? Because it so stimulates the mind. A parable is a construction of words using a common thing around you that everybody knows about. Keep that in mind. Everybody knows about it. And Jesus drops it in such a way that for those hearts who are open, it explodes with greater reality. To hearts that are closed against Jesus or hearts that aren’t open to have him in their lives, that very same bomb that goes off, instead of illuminating them, it winds up, as it were, having them be set in their opposition to God. A parable is an extremely powerful tool. And we’re gonna come to one of those things tonight that is awesome. Every parable, write this down in your notes if you care to, every parable given by God is to have multiple meanings. To unlock or to seal up. It is given to encourage and to challenge. It is given to help you and to others who are closed to condemn them. It illuminates those that want to see more light and it brings darkness upon those who don’t care to know. It has a positive and it has a negative, all based upon where your heart is. That’s why it’s vital in this series that we pay very close attention to what he’s saying. The parable of the mustard seed. Matthew 13, look at verse 31 and 32. Very short teaching, very powerful parable. Another parable he put forth to them, saying, the kingdom of heaven is like… A mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. Verse 32, which indeed is the least of all the seeds, but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and nest there. in its branches. Note takers, mark this down. This account is also recorded in Mark’s gospel, chapter four, verse 30, and Luke chapter 13, verse 18. Three places, here in Matthew as well, three places it’s given. Why? Because God is making a statement that we better get this. This is a big deal. And these parables are repeated in other places in the gospel. But this extremely powerful thing that he’s delivering, this one, like all others, has a warning and it has an encouragement. I want you to keep that in your mind. A little bit of background would be good for us regarding this. This series of teachings… of these parables Jesus gave in the north of Israel. How many of you have been to Israel? Raise your hand. That’s a good crowd. We’ll be there again soon. And why don’t you guys put the first picture up on the screen. It’s great for you to know this. Now, this is the Galilee region. And you can see the Golan Heights. That’s across the Galilee over there. Jordan and Syria on the other side of those hills. But does that look a little familiar right now? Those of you who live in Chino Hills or… You’re Belinda. If you drive down the 15 freeway right now and you go by Lake Elsinore… This time of the year looks exactly the same. Truly it does. It’s amazing. It’s very beautiful. And these parabolic teachings Jesus gave at the Sea of Galilee. Most scholars believe it was probably near or at a place called Tabka. Now, you may not have heard of the place Tabka unless you’ve been to Israel, but it’s the place where Jesus, do you remember after the resurrection, the disciples were in a boat and Peter saw Jesus cooking fish on the shore and he jumped out of the boat and swam to Jesus? That’s the location of Tabka. I think we have another slide here to look at. Look at the gorgeous, don’t you, I love that. Now, again, those of you who have been with us, that kind of a steep slope, cliff near the edge, and then there’s green back there. Tiberias is back there. That’s where your hotel is at. And it’s just gorgeous. I have to tell you, on the right side, do you see where those palm trees are at right there? There is an awesome Arab restaurant right there. It’s really a great place. I’ve eaten there several times. Lisa and I have been. Usually when we tuck the team into bed or get them at their hotel right here, Lisa and I have to go to this spot once a year. And it is an awesome place. And everybody in there has got turbans or hijabs or burkas on. And then there’s two Americans there with tennis shoes and t-shirts on. That would be Lisa and I. And they just have the most amazing food. Why is it amazing? Because everything on the table, everything on the plates is all from this region. This is an amazing part of the world, church. That water level that you’re seeing right there is 700 feet below sea level. The Sea of Galilee is 700 feet below sea level. And the amazing thing about it is it’s almost always warm there. And it’s in a volcanic region. The great Transjordan Rift is what causes the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea and that area of the Red Sea down by Eilat to be what it is. There’s a massive earthquake fault and it has volcanic characteristics to it so the soil is extremely fertile. That’s why Israel today is the fruit and vegetable basket of Europe and much of the world in that region of the world for Russia and other areas. There’s no other place like it on earth except the Central California Valley. It’s really remarkable. It’s absolutely amazing. And when you go there, in fact, I wrote some things down. I kind of know these by heart, but I don’t want to miss any. And I’m not even hitting on all of them. You’ll get in your car, you’ll be in the tour with us and you’ll drive around and you will see the largest collection of bananas you’ve ever seen in your life. More than I’ve seen in Hawaii. Bananas in Israel. Papayas, oranges, lemons, limes, pecans, avocados, almonds, figs, guava, just nonstop. Why? Because things grow there because of the climate and because of the soil. They just explode there. Why am I telling you all this? Because the next two photos do not give us the parable of justice. Look at these two next photos of what we here in California would call dill. You’ve seen this. In fact, very soon you’re gonna see this growing all over our hills. Mustard seed. It’s interesting. Listen to this. When the Bible here says that, and Jesus is saying there’s no smaller seed than the mustard seed, those of you who know botany would stand up and say, wait a minute, Jesus is wrong. I think, isn’t the orchid seed one of the smallest, if not the smallest seed? That’s true. Oh, Jesus, there’s a mistake in the Bible. Hold on. The mustard seed, God is so good, and Jesus being God, he made the mustard seed. He knows what he’s talking about. The mustard seed is the smallest seed of all those in the herb family. He knows his stuff. He didn’t use orchid, he used mustard seed. Why is that? Because the mustard seed in Israel is unlike any other mustard seed in the entire world. Don’t compare mustard seed or mustard seed plant that we grow here to what they grow there. The Jewish Mishnah, historians, past and present, Botanists today make mention of the mustard seed shrub that grows in Israel in parts of the eastern side of the Mediterranean that they grow somewhere between nine and 12 feet high. Some have been as high as 16 feet high, whereby some historians have ridden, it says in their writings, horses. Men on horseback have ridden underneath mustard seed shrubs. They’re not trees, right? but shrubs, but they look like or they take on the appearance of a tree. That blows our minds. We don’t understand that. But we need to keep that in mind. What Jesus is speaking about is so specifically accurate. to the land and to the very parable that he’s gonna be teaching us about tonight because it is so, so vitally important. He is gonna be talking about the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God. Remember that, it’s interchangeable. What is the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God? It is the body of believers in the context of the New Testament, the church. the kingdom of heaven. In fact, Jesus said, the kingdom of heaven is what is within you. That is, faith stems or grows or begins within you. That’s where the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven originates.
SPEAKER 01 :
You’re listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. You know, to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series, just go to jackhibbs.com. That’s jackhibbs.com. And for now, let’s get back to our teaching. Once again, here’s Pastor Jack.
SPEAKER 02 :
And so as I mentioned, this amazing, incredible, tree-looking shrub. I want you to just keep that in your mind now as we get into this. Jesus’ teaching is in technicolor regarding tremendous truth. I want to give you two verses before we get into the study tonight. It’s very important. In Luke chapter eight, verse 18, Jesus said, therefore, take heed how you hear. Okay? Lisa will say to me, are you listening? And I said, oh yeah, that’s a terrifying question. Are you listening? Jesus says, take heed how you hear. So think of that. How are you hearing? How are you hearing? And then, again, he says in Mark 4, 24, then Jesus said to them, take heed what you hear. So be careful what you hear and be careful how you hear it. Be careful what you allow into your heart and into your ears and into your mind. Boy, do we need this counsel today in our words? And be careful how you hear it. The how speaks about what we would say today, spin. What you’re listening to, there’s a spin to it. The world will say something to you and then try to get it into you. And they’ll dress it up, they’ll tantalize it, they’ll say things like, in fact, if you notice, every year, just before Christmas, it all starts in October, heavily in November and December, about how rotten your car is and how much you need to buy a new one. Have you noticed that? All these amazing commercials about you need to trade your car in and you’re all discontented now. You’re all bummed about your car. What are they doing? They’re taking something and they’re spinning it to try to make it a treat to you, to take it. And when Jesus says be careful what and how you hear, he’s describing the effect of a parable laid alongside your heart. Be careful or pay attention what you hear and how you hear it. What you take in and how you process it. This is vitally important. So point number one, mark this down if you would. It is this, the mustard seed parable. First thing we learn right here, number one, is small beginnings. Obviously, Jesus is speaking about small beginnings, and how does that apply to us in our lives? When he says that, another parable he put forth to them, Matthew 13, 31, the kingdom of heaven is like, so here’s a similitude, a type. This is what the church is gonna be like today. for the next 2,000 years, it’s gonna be like a mustard seed. And if you just stopped at that comma, that’s not very encouraging. He’s talking to the disciples, and right then they would’ve went like this. They honestly, watch me. He would’ve been speaking to them and they would’ve went, what? That’s it? Actually, they would’ve gone, that’s it? Oy vey. That’s not very encouraging, but he’s not done. The kingdom of heaven, the work of God. Imagine, the work of God in you is like a mustard seed. Oh, what a letdown that is. The smallest little thing, the smallest thing. Yeah. which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds or herbs, the seeds of herbs. Jesus here uses what is called this hyperbolic teaching, technicolor teaching, but it’s taking something that’s very common to them, and he’s gonna go somewhere with it and blow it up in front of them, but it’s gonna be a great application. By the way, we use that today, the same kind of teaching, things like this. This book weighs a ton. You see kids walking, oh man, that book weighs a ton. Or the mosquitoes are a size of birds there. Well, they’re not really. And it’s not even considered a lie, what you just said. It is like a hyperbolic presentation. Oh man, the sun was scorching us. Well, it wasn’t really. But you see what I’m saying? So now they’re listening, it’s like, oh my goodness, a mustard seed. He’s got their attention, but for them right now, it is like, really? That’s not… That’s not that good of a deal so far, but you’ve got our attention. He’s going to be stressing to them what the kingdom of God is like in its beginnings. Small, but he’s not going to leave it there. It’s amazing to think, when you think about it, that the very nature of the church has been that of growth. So Jesus in his very putting forth of it is saying, hey, the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, the church age is like this. It starts out like a mustard seed. Can’t start any smaller than that. And he looked around. Can you imagine looking around? There’s 12 guys standing there. Isn’t it amazing? Tonight you’re sitting there as a Christian because 12 guys were paying attention. Isn’t that wild? How did you get saved? Where did you get saved? When did that happen? Listen, it’s all because the Holy Spirit started a work in Jerusalem and in Israel 2,000 years ago. Isn’t that wild? I mean, yeah, think about that for a while. It’s awesome to think, isn’t Jesus’ words coming true even as we sit here? Have you shared Christ with anybody? Have you ever prayed to have someone accept Jesus? Mustard seed growing. It’s absolutely awesome. To the point now where you think about it, from very little beginnings of being insignificant and small and unaffected, the church has grown. Even today, we’re all around the world in the most backward or dangerous or most developed or the dark jungles of South America, the gospel is going. It’s absolutely awesome. No wonder why Jesus said in Matthew 16, 18, on this rock, I will build my church. I love that. I will build my church and the gates of hell will not, will not, will not prevail against it. Jesus said that. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. That’s very encouraging. In Matthew 17, 20, while we’re picking on this mustard seed concept, though this verse doesn’t exactly play into the parable for sure, but Matthew 17, 20, you all know this. You probably thought about it tonight. Jesus said, I say unto you, if you have the faith of a mustard seed, right, you can say to this or that, be moved or be cast into the sea. What is he saying? That within you, Christian, faith begins and the smallest amount of faith, and I like this, listen everybody, the smallest amount of faith, when it starts, please hear me, when it starts, it refuses to stay at that level of flame. Faith refuses to stay a spark. It may start as a spark, but faith, as it begins to consume, like any good fire does, the fuel around it, it demands more. That’s why those of you who have stepped out terrified, I understand that, knees shaking or, you know, your hands are shaking, your nerves are shaking, but you step out and you follow Jesus and you do that thing or you go that way or you whatever it is, but you take that step of faith and you’re terrified on the outside, but you know, I got to do this. And the moment you do that and you see God come in and take care of the situation or bear you up, or God uses you in that moment, you made yourself open, God uses you, and there’s an amazing thing, I’m sorry for this word I’m about to use because I can’t think of any other, but as soon as you get that rush, you have to have that fix more. You’re using drug terminology. I know I am. What the world is using drugs to try to achieve that Christian can have for free, and it never fades. He just winds up saying, come on, you want more of that? You want more of that? Okay, then you know what? Then go pray for that guy right there. You want more of that? You want more of me? Okay, then get up and tell that person about me. It is absolutely awesome. It’s terrifying. You get dry mouth, your nerves are shaking and you step out and I don’t know about you, but the more dry mouth you have and the more you’re shaking, the more you ought to expect God to be very big in that moment.
SPEAKER 01 :
Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs, here on Real Life Radio with his message called Parable of the Mustard Seed. Thanks for joining us today. You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack’s new series called The Parables of Jesus. It’s a series that highlights the teachings of Jesus while he was here on this earth. And we’ll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.
SPEAKER 02 :
Everyone, it’s almost impossible to keep up with what’s going on in the world today. I think we’ve all come to that realization. My goodness, just the news regarding Israel and Israel’s neighborhood. We’re looking at what’s going on in North Korea. We’re seeing what’s happening in China and other parts of the world. It’s just overwhelming. But I want to encourage all of you. Be in the Word of God now and more systematically than ever before. In fact, as we are in this season of maybe the first quarter or second quarter of the year, I want to encourage you to join me actually at 5 a.m. Pacific Time. 5 a.m. Pacific Time. And whatever time zone you’re in, you can join me at my Facebook page live for five minutes as we are praying together with people all around the world. And you can leave your prayer request right there. You can leave it in the comment section and people will be praying for you. So listen, with all that’s taking place in the world, you don’t have to walk through this alone. There’ll be others with you to pray with you and love on you. But friends, more than ever, If you draw near to Jesus and practice the presence of God more and more, it means you’re going to have to turn some things off and minimize the distractions. You will see some pretty miraculous things start to happen in your life. So I encourage you to do that very thing. So listen, 5 a.m., you can do it. West Coast time, 5 a.m. For those of you who are in Cape Town, South Africa, it’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon. And listen, we’d love to have you. And even if you can’t be with us live, you can always view it, pray with us, and leave your prayer request there at the comment section.
SPEAKER 01 :
The Lift Daily Prayer. That’s every day on Pastor Jack’s Facebook page. That’s at 5 a.m. Pacific time, so don’t miss it. Make it a habit if you would. Come get prayed for and join Pastor Jack in the Word. That’s the Lift Daily Prayer every day this year on Pastor Jack’s Facebook page. Be sure to join us. You’ll enjoy it. This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you, our listeners. Visit us at jackhibbs.com. That’s jackhibbs.com. Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in His Word. We’ll see you next time here on Real Life Radio.
