Matthew 13: 33
The Kingdom of God is like Leaven

Leaven is often used in the Bible as a symbol of evil, but not here.  And it was not negative in its use in ancient times, either.  In ancient times (and in modern times in case of Dr. Smith, who last Sunday put on a demonstration of bread-making and left me the leavened loaves to bake later in the week)  -- in ancient times leaven -- what Darwin calls a starter, a previously leavened amount of flour -- was added to flour and kneaded over and over again into the flour.  And it gives the flour a completely different quality than just plain flour or flour mixed with any other kind of ordinary liquid.  Flour that is leavened and ready for baking is totally changed from the moist flour that was started out with.

Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like this; the church is like this; Christianity is like this; Spiritual reality is like this.  What is the connection?  It is the mysterious, unseen, yet very powerful way in which the effect and the truth of Christianity, is spread.

I. IT IS TRUE IN A SOCIETAL SENSE.

1. Wherever a theologically and spiritually high-quality Christianity has been present, there has been a wonderful leavening effect on the general society.  This certainly has been the case in America until the last half century when there has been a rapid deterioration of the Christianity.  Morally, and even in the area of economic prosperity and in stability of society, the larger society has benefited from the presence of Christianity and Christian people.  Contrast that with iron-curtain countries.  And in Europe and England look at those countries where the religion of the reformation was widely held and see a contrast with an empty Protestantism that is in existence today.

2. God's people, their faith and the quality of their theology are like leaven is to the flour, leaven which influences society around them and does this influencing not by forced conversions or by legislation, but in a subtle and inconspicuous presence just as leaven effects bread when it is thoroughly kneaded and while it is baking.  As was discussed in the Wednesday night discussion this past week, a part of the way in which this works is the godly example of Christian people and then the larger society seeing the benefit of their example and imitating them to some degree or another.  Often Christians have also been instrumental in setting up institutions and standards that have influenced the prevailing culture.  One can make an argument that two of the major contributions to Western civilization and culture was the Christian message and example, even when it was a less-than-pure form of Christianity.

Did you vote in the last election?  This was a small way to be leaven here and now.  Are you leaven in society in the way you accomplish your job?  Americans have better jobs than ever in history but they are more dissatisfied with them than they have ever been.  Do you do your work "as unto the Lord?"  If you do, you will be leaven, a leaven of stability in society. 

Those of you who have families, is your marriage and your relationship to your children and the way you rear them likely to be leavening in this society?  We, of course, are imperfect in our abilities and our success.  But are you doing a credible job of child-rearing and marriage-tending that is likely to be leaven in our society?   If not, ask God to give you grace in this matter.  Ask God to show us ways in which we might be leaven.  There are probably a great many.

II. BUT IT IS ALSO TRUE IN THE PERSONAL SENSE.

1. I mean to say that when a person comes to know the Lord, the Holy Spirit is given to him and the Spirit begins a work in that person's heart and life, a work of leavening, of sanctifying that person's vocabulary, and his mindset and his external behavior -- of his religious ideas and of his habitual vices.  The Gospel standards slowly or rapidly begin to spread through his behavior like leaven spreads through flour with which it is mixed.  The normal Christian life is like the kneading of the quantity of dough in which the leaven gradually permeates the whole. 

2. We do not believe that a Christian can become sinless in this life but we ought to be able to see a progress in grace starting with a lessening of notorious sins and moving to a gradual sanctification -- not just an abstention from sin but a growing love for God and his truth and his kingdom.  Many years ago a plain woman was quoted as saying as her testimony in church:

I know I ain't what I oughta be; And I ain't what I's gunna be; 
But THANK GOD, I ain't what I usta be!

3. The Holy Spirit uses for this increasing leavening of the Christian life his presence in that life.  We call it the "indwelling of the Spirit"; and then, as a continuing working in our lives, "being filled with the Spirit" and "walking in the Spirit."

He also uses certain instruments in this leavening of the whole life of the individual.  Most regularly these instruments are the "means of grace":  the Word of God (either read, memorized, heard, preached, or taught), the sacraments and, I think, the community of God's people gathered together ("the communion of the saints" -- presumably what  the Apostles' Creed, originally intended to affirm).

We ought to be able to see such improvements as a Christian moving from a mere obligatory attendance at worship and study and community to a position of growing love for the fellowship of the Lord's church.  We ought to see lives demonstrating discipline, service, growing, sanctification.

III. AND, THEN, THIS PARABLE IS TRUE ALSO IN THE COMMUNAL SENSE.

1. This is often missed in our individualistic culture.  We tend to see the Christian as directly related to God and that relationship as being the solitary Christian relationship of the individual.

2. But the N.T. sees the effect of the community on the individual as a main instrument of God's working in the life of the individual.  How badly this has been eroded over time. And how badly it is needed in Christian lives.  I don't just speak about the way that the community effects you -- how you are leavened -- but how you effect the community.

3. God's intention was that this person and that person and that person and that person would surround the individual with a behavioral and spiritual example that would be not only an encouragement and sometimes a rebuke, but would be a pattern for the individual to mold his Christian life after.

And this has an exhortation message to you as an individual -- having to do with why we are here in this church.  Be leaven to the rest of us; and as a part of that leavening ministry, be active; let us know you.  This is not a secret society!  It's not like Alcoholics Anonymous, where they use only first names so that the person can remain anonymous.  It is intended to be a close fellowship of God's people serving as leavening in each others' lives and in the larger society in which God has placed them.  This is why we have discussions and dinners and repeated breaks and time for reports of God's working in your life.  They're your chance to have a leavening influence on the rest of us.

Will you help us be leaven in this society that is around us?  Will you act as leaven in our individual lives? 

The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven which was 
hidden in three measures of flour till all was leavened.