Sermon Synopsis 5.17.26

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker III

Scripture:

The Gospel of Matthew 13:31–32 (NKJV)

31 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,
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 in its branches.”

Prayer:

“Father, open up our hearts as we are about to receive Your Word, and let this Word speak to us, that our faith will be strengthened and our lives will be changed forever. And we give You glory and praise that it’s already done. In Jesus’ name, amen.

I.               INTRODUCTION

• One of the greatest frustrations in life is waiting on something that you really believe should have happened by now. Have you ever been there when you said, ‘God, hold up. It seems like by now this should have occurred in my life?’
• That makes it interesting because we live in a culture where things happen with such speed. We order food and it’s delivered to our homes. We order groceries and they’re on our doorstep. We can send a text globally and it happens instantly. But life does not move as quickly as technology.
• It is important to know that there are moments in our lives when we have to recognize that process is how God brings promise to pass.
• Process is something many people struggle with because we like to go around it. We’d rather try to figure out a way to negotiate it, but process is necessary. That’s where our maturity occurs. Process is where our character is developed. Process is necessary because God will not take you somewhere your character cannot keep you.”

II.               WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW IS PART OF GOD’S STRATEGY

A.    The place God planted you has purpose.

1. “When we talk about process, I really want you to understand the necessity of this because Jesus gives an extraordinary parable. It is a parable of simplicity, but it has incredible revelation tied to it.
2. Jesus says, ‘Check it out. There is a man who has a seed.’ And it’s not just any kind of seed — it is a mustard seed. The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds. In the scripture, the man puts the seed in the field, and when he puts it in the field, he sows it intentionally.
3. That mustard seed, though it is the least of all seeds, when it grows to its full potential, it is greater than all the herbs. It becomes a tree.
4. That tree, at the beginning, is small. It is often overlooked. It is often minimized. Nobody pays attention to it, but when God gets to doing what God does with it, it grows and it cannot be denied.
5. See yourself the same way. Like a mustard seed, God places potential in you that is yet to be realized.
6. What you will discover is that where you are right now is a part of God’s strategy. You’re not here by accident. This is all divinely orchestrated by God.
7. Understand something: the parable is saying that the seed is never planted accidentally. The seed is placed in the ground intentionally by someone who understands the environment necessary for that seed to grow.
8. Jesus says the mustard seed was taken and sown in a field, which meant that someone deliberately positioned it there. And that same principle applies in your life and my life because where you are today may not look impressive, but it may be exactly where God wants you to grow.”

B.    Fighting your placement slows your growth.

1. “Many people assume their progress only happens in places that feel good, in places that are exciting. But understand something: often God puts us in places that may be a little discomforting to us in order to develop us in environments that stretch us and challenge us.
2. The seed in the parable begins its journey in the soil and not the spotlight.
3. Everybody wants the spotlight. Everybody wants it to happen right now. But God says, ‘No, no, no. I need you to understand something. You’ve got to go through the soil.’
4. Because remember this: your current position may not be about exposure right now. Your current position is about preparation.”

a.     It stretches you.

1. “God will never put you in a place that is always convenient or always comfortable. God is in the business of stretching you to get more out of you.
2. Please understand this: it’s about stretching your capacity. God is saying, ‘I’m not trying to destroy you. I’m trying to develop you.’”

b.    It shapes you.

1. “But it’s also about shaping you. It’s about building something in you that otherwise would never be built. This is where character and consistency are birthed.
2. It’s not just about where you are going. It’s about who you are becoming.”

III.               REAL GROWTH REQUIRES SUBMITTING TO GOD’S PROCESS

A.    Much of your development happens where no one can see it.

1. “Much of your development happens when no one can see it.
2. Before the mustard seed produces branches, before the birds can even nest in it, the roots are developed in private.
3. Before there is public fruit, there is private formation.”

• It produces depth.
• “The seed, when it is sown, produces depth because what God has to do is allow the seed to produce depth before anything emerges above ground.
• The real work happens beneath ground.
• The root system is being developed, and it takes time because the One who sowed the seed — the Creator — knows the potential that’s in the seed.”

• It produces discipline.
• “Discipline is necessary for where you are going. While God is developing the seed, He is also disciplining the seed.
• The seed has to continue to thrive even in environments that are not always conducive to growth. It must push through anyhow.”

• It produces durability.
• “Durability is the reason you do not break when storms come.
• The tree can stand because the root system was developed in the seed season.
• There are people watching me right now who can testify:
  ‘The reason I’m still standing is because my roots got deep in God.’”

B.    Resisting the process only delays maturity.

1. “When you resist the process, you delay your maturity.
2. So many people run from where God is trying to develop them. The moment things get difficult, they leave.
3. But what feels slow is actually strategic.
4. God is not trying to destroy you. He is trying to develop you.”

IV.               THE PROCESS ALWAYS LEADS TO A SEASON OF IMPACT

A.    Mature growth creates space for others to thrive.

1. “The mustard seed eventually becomes a tree large enough for the birds to nest in its branches.
2. That means the growth of the tree benefits more than the tree itself.
3. God develops us so that our lives can serve other people.
4. Mature growth creates space for other people to heal, grow, learn, and breathe.”

B.    Fruit is the evidence that the process worked.

1. “The tree stands tall. The birds gather in the branches. What started small no longer looks insignificant because the fruit speaks for itself.
2. So don’t confuse isolation with abandonment. Don’t think because God planted you that God buried you.
3. Don’t judge by what is visible, because just because it is not showing does not mean it is not growing.
4. If you trust God and believe God, whatever God started in your life, He will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”