I did know Brother Mark's emphasis that was gonna be in the songs. I didn't realize, I don't think I'd, I don't always remember every verse, every line of every verse. I don't think I realized how much they would go with this message today. We could almost just read Joy to the world, and pray and go home, because it's pretty much the message. Joy to the world, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing. Joy to the world, the Savior reigns. No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make his blessings flow. Far as the curse is found. The curse is found all over the world. Flow all over the world. We'll be in Mark chapter four. Generally, when we think about the coming of the Lord, we kind of, in our minds, we think of the coming of the Lord, Him being here on earth, Him being here when He was born. But He was here. fully man and fully God when he was an embryo, when he was in Mary's womb. He was fully here. Not manifested in the fullness of when he would be a baby or then in even fuller when he'd be a man in ministry. Mark 4, 30 through 32. And he said, where unto shall we liken the kingdom of God, or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth. But when it is sown, it groweth up and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches, so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it." Lord, I do pray that you would bless and bless your people. In Christ's name, amen. There is a motif in scripture that tells us about the ways of God, how he does things. God's way is to begin something and then to expand it over time. And with that beginning, all of what will be expanded is there in that beginning, in fullness, but then it is manifested greater. Because a day is as 1,000 years and 1,000 years is a day, God speaks of the beginning of something as though it was complete in its fullness. God speaks of things as if they are already done in time because he is sovereign, and if he decrees it, then it is good as done. in the world he has created for us, which includes a succession of events or time, you know, it's part of our world. These things that are as good as done to God are played out in growth from a small beginning of his purpose to whatever purpose that may to its final maturity. The whole tree is contained in the mustard seed. And even though we may have the fullness of the tree now in seed form, the manifestation of what was in the seed is still to come. But the tree's fully there. But not manifested everything that's in that seed. All of the plan for that tree is in that seed. All the genetic material. Everything of that plan is going to expand. But it's all there in the form of a seed. This is what is meant whenever you hear the phrase, already but not yet. We may already have a small piece of what God intends to expand. It's not really a piece though. He sees it as the fullness of it. But the full expansion of whatever he intends has not matured yet. Now, I'm going to, we're gonna deal with that more and expand upon that quite a bit more in the second service. This motif, this idea, this teaching, this theology. We're gonna deal with that. I'll show you the scriptural basis for it in the second service. Jesus is said to have been slain before the foundation of the world. So, the cross existed already before the foundation of the world and not yet, and yet not made manifest. Not yet made manifest. The kingdom of God expands in its manifestation into our world and in time. And many times those expansions are spoken of in terms as being the beginning Of the kingdom, but it doesn't mean that god just began ruling and expressing his sovereignty No, god and his kingdom are from generation to generation everlasting and always sovereign When jesus said the kingdom of god is at hand Meaning that the kingdom of god is soon to arrive He doesn't mean that it is starting up. He means that it is expanding into our world a little more the seed is growing and expanding into our world. The kingdom of God is expanding numerically in the hearts of people as we sing. As God saves people over time, it expands geographically, and it expands ethnically as it goes from Jew, the Jew first, and also to the Greek. It expands from Jew to Gentile. It expands. God already rules over all kingdoms of the earth because as the rivers of water he turns the hearts of kings whichever way he wishes. You can read that in Proverbs 21. So he already rules. He rules in the hearts of kings, we read in Proverbs. At some point God will expand his kingdom even more and more into our world like a growing tree. And sometime, at some point, in a way, that unites all kingdoms under one king and unites church and state. But that expansion of the kingdom of God is reserved for Christ alone, in person alone. Many men have tried to set up little religious kingdoms on this earth, trying to unite church and state, but they have all failed and have resulted in the deaths and persecution of many Christians. You know, men could not even make a theocracy work in the Old Testament. It won't work unless we have a perfect king. You would think we would have figured that out by now. We're not gonna have super duper Christians that are gonna be able to do that only what Christ can do, okay? Some of you know what I'm alluding to, but I'm not gonna chase that rabbit right now. But I will say this. If you are wondering, let me give a disclaimer that I'm not using this principle of growing the kingdom, growth of the kingdom in the same way as the post-millennialists would. I'm not using it that way. But there is a truth here. But let's establish scripturally that God's kingdom is eternal and omnipotent. The book of Daniel has a strong message for the kingdoms of men. The message is that God is still ruling in his kingdom over all kingdoms. God used the Babylonian kingdom to punish Israel, but God wants Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar to know that God has not left his throne and given it to Nebuchadnezzar. God tells of numerous kingdoms he will crush and eventually will set up his king to rule over all, ever expanding his kingdom into our world. Now, God does give man authority over his creation. We see this even in the garden. Because man is created in the image of God. God wants man to express who he is. And God gives kingdoms. It began in the garden when Adam was placed to rule over the creation. And God sets up rulers and establishes secular kingdoms. And God tells us clearly that he establishes borders. In Acts 17, 26, it says, and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation. And it's the borders. You know, Paul left the position he held that was a union of church and state. If he believed in a union of church and state, then he either would have kept his position or run for office after the Lord saved him. Paul didn't run for office and neither did any of the other apostles. Now, I wanna say a Christian can run for office, certainly, absolutely, and in many cases should. be involved. That isn't my point. My point is that the apostles had believed, if the apostles had believed in a union of church and state, it's funny they never attempted it themselves or taught it. So, let's follow their example. We can be good citizens and the church can't be told to violate what God commands us. But joining the church and state into one does not have a biblical example and it has always ended in getting believers burnt at the stake by the political religious folk. Or religious political folk. However you want to join those. God is still sovereign over the kingdoms of man. He's still in control. My point is this, he's still in control of those kingdoms, even if we're not. Things are not out of control and we need to grab the wheel from God. God uses us, yes, to influence the world. We're to be salt and light. And we're to influence the kingdoms he decrees. but were to be salt and light, not a sword. Peter did try it, but Jesus told him no. God has it handled already, and his kingdom already rules over all kings of the earth. Ruling the kings of the earth is God's job, and not the church's. Consider how God asserts himself in the book of Daniel. He humbles Nebuchadnezzar and when his time of humbling is over, Nebuchadnezzar says this after he's been humbled. And this is the lesson that God was wanting to teach Nebuchadnezzar. In Daniel chapter four, Daniel 4, 34 and 35 says, And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or say unto him, What doest thou? Although even Christians can get in that mode of what doest thou? God, what are you doing? I would do this a lot differently. Well, we're not in charge. But he is, that's the point. And that's what Nebuchadnezzar had to learn. Early in the same chapter, Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom is described. And ironically, it makes us believers think about our kingdom and its expansion. Because look at the wording, it's interesting how it's worded. Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astounded for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation thereof trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, my lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and interpretation thereof to thine enemies. The tree that thou sawest, which grew and was strong, whose height reached out of the heaven and the sight thereof to all the earth, whose leaves were fair and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation. So don't worry, God's kingdom rules over all, and will expand more and more into our world. Now again, I would disagree with the post-millennial concept of this. But still, there will be expansion. Our kingdom is described in a similar way to Nebuchadnezzar, but our kingdom is eternal. Chiefly because our king is eternal. Our kingdom will expand and never die, because kings die. Because they're just men. Mark 4, 32, and when it is sown, it groweth up and become greater than all herbs and shooteth out great branches so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. And as we read, it's from generation to generation. This is what Nebuchadnezzar had to learn. Now we are used by God to sow in water. We are used. We are to be used in his kingdom. and to accomplish his purposes, to do what he has commanded us to do and not say, I have a better way. It's not getting accomplished fast enough. Just do what you're supposed to do. I'll do the expanding. That's God's message to us. And we see this come out in so many different ways. You see how God gives certain commands to the church, what the church is supposed to be doing, and the church says, you know, I think a better way to make this thing grow, and add it in there. A better way to make this grow, I'll just add all this other stuff. And, you know, there's some things that there's nothing wrong with, you know, specifically. But our attitude can't be, this is what I'm going to use instead of what God has commanded me to do. So we're used by God to sow and water, but God is the one who determines the growth. So we go back to Mark 4, only go a few verses prior to our text in Mark 4. And look at verses 26 and 27, it says, and he said, so is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep. He casts seed into the ground and he sleeps. and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow up, he knoweth not how." So, we sow the Word, we water the Word, and we go to bed. And sometimes it's night after night after night. And then it's growing. Now, how did that happen? And you know what usually we say? I did something. I did it. No. It's better to say I know not how. Well, I guess it's better to say I know how the Lord did it. I don't know how he did it. Maybe that's what we can say, I don't know how. I don't know how he did it, but he did it. I did my, what I'm supposed to be doing. And he grew it. We don't cause the kingdom to grow any more than we cause the seed to grow. Psalm 127, 1 and 2 says, Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows, for so he giveth his beloved sleep. I mean, it's the same thing. Take a nap. You've done what you're supposed to be doing. So, down through history, We see God's kingdom expanding into our world. God moved upon Abraham's heart. God empowered the Israelites to win battles and to take the promised land. God the son started small with 12 ordinary men and expanded the kingdom. The ministry of the Holy Spirit expanded at Pentecost. The gospel has gone around the world and someday the king of kings will return, expanding the kingdom into this world in a way we have not known before. But again, the baby in the manger was no less of a king and no less sovereign. It was fully here already. but not yet in his fullness. He taught in the temple and revealed himself. But even though the kingdom expanded in fulfillment of promises and the decrees of God and expanded geographically and ethnically, it never actually grew in power. Because God is all powerful. And every one of those, everything in this world, all these kingdoms are still under his sovereign control from generation to generation. Even before Paul took the gospel to the Gentiles, Jesus expanded the kingdom into the lives of Roman centurions, as we saw in Sunday school. God sending his son in the world is the greatest expansion of God's kingdom the world has ever seen. And he's coming back. He's coming back. You know, we usually read Luke 2 during this time of year and rejoice in the birth of Christ. We speak of the wise men and angels rejoicing and worshiping, but this beginning started smaller with the conception and the announcement to one Jewish virgin that a king was coming first to her. This great expansion of the kingdom into our world began as a small embryo, then as a small baby, then as a man, then as a small group of 12. But let's go to Luke chapter one. Luke one, 30 through 33 says, and the angel said unto her, fear not Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the son of the highest. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father, David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom, there shall be no end. Our faith comes by hearing the word of God, and it tells us that God's kingdom has ruled, is ruling, and will rule, and that the manifestation of it will grow, whether it is in the hearts of men and unseen by the world, or Jesus returning to earth, nothing will stop God's kingdom, because this kingdom is a powerful kingdom, a joyous kingdom, a loving kingdom, and an eternal kingdom. This kingdom will be proclaimed, even if God uses the lost to do it. I want you to think about this one. God's sovereignty even over the lost. Do you remember when the evil high priest Caiaphas prophesied that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and that the whole nation perish not? Caiaphas didn't even realize that he was proclaiming the gospel. An evil man proclaiming the gospel. Now, he didn't mean it that way. But God did. Proclaiming... Do you see the... The irony of this, proclaiming the gospel when he's condemning Christ. It isn't the same, not exactly the same, but this reminds me of how the lost world proclaims the name of Jesus during this time of year. They don't even realize that they are preaching the gospel in the songs that they sing. Or when they speak of the birth of Christ. I wish they'd listen to Joy to the World. I wish they'd hear what they're singing. Some do. We get to sing it too. And I don't think they have the reverence they should have for the king in the manger, but we know. We rejoice in the growth of the kingdom because it is our kingdom. You know, sometimes we worry about the future. What are all these kingdoms doing? Jesus wants us to know that nothing will stop the growth of God's kingdom. In Luke chapter 12, starting in verse 27, it says, Consider the lilies how they grow. They toil not, they spend not, and yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothed the grass which is today in the field and tomorrow is cast in the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, neither be of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your father knoweth that you have need of these things. But rather, seek ye the kingdom of God, and all those things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. We live in view of eternity because eternity is ours. This understanding emboldens us. Not that we can build a kingdom, that's God's job, but we can be his instruments. We proclaim the gospel because we know nothing can stop God's king. We send missionaries because we know God's will is the expansion of the kingdom. We pray for expansion because we know it is God's will. We pray, we send. We desire the gospel to go forth. We desire for it to expand into the hearts of men as we sang. So just because we are small doesn't mean that God doesn't have great plans for us. No, we're not kingdom builders, that isn't our job, that's God's, but we are servants of the kingdom and used by God how he commands to expand his kingdom. We don't need to put the responsibility upon ourselves to make anything happen. Take a nap. Sometimes sleeping, maybe even sleeping in a boat while it's being tossed about is an expression of faith. that God has got this under control. He's got it. We don't need to put this huge responsibility on ourselves to make something happen. It's our responsibility to be faithful. Jesus came and spake unto them saying all power is given unto me in heaven and earth Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever. I've commanded you and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the earth Great of the world So we're told to teach we aren't told that we must take it to into their hearts We can't expand the kingdom into the hearts of men. We don't say, I got a better way, I'm going to use emotional tactics, or I'm going to use psychology, or I'm going to use all of these things, and I'm gonna do it. No, God's the one that can take his kingdom into the hearts of men. We sow, we water, and we rest. And even sometimes when the Lord does do a work, what's our expression? Wow, I'm amazed. It grew in the hearts of men. There were people saved. Oh yeah, he said he would do that. we can be assured that the tree of the kingdom is growing. You know, it may look like it has shriveled in our country, that the gospel is not as powerful, but God is still in control. The tree isn't dead. You know, winter comes, leaves fall, but the tree's not dead. The sap is drained back into the roots and the roots grow. The king in that manger is alive and well, and he will return. When he returns, he will not only expand the kingdom into this world, but he will do some weeding as well. In Matthew 13, it says, another pair will put he forth unto them, saying, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. This is what the kingdom of heaven is like. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? Why does it have tares? And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servant said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, No, nay. lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. In the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, gather you together first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." So it's not our job to weed out all the tares out of the world either. Another argument against trying to join church and state. Our job is to preach the gospel. And God's got everything under control. And the kingdom will grow by God's power. We've seen God save some. We've seen him work in hearts. We want to see it more. That's why we pray that God would save some. That's why we pray that God would work in the hearts of those who don't know Him, our young people who don't know Him, not profess faith. And God does work. Don't be a terror. There's no future in it. Nothing's gonna stop a Sovereign God. You need to come to Him. You need to ask for forgiveness if you don't know Him. And He'll lovingly receive you, forgive you of your sins. You trust in the cross. It's not of your good works. You trust in the cross. to pay for your sins. You trust in the cross, in Jesus' holy life to be the holy life that's given to you, that becomes yours. You look to Him, not to yourself. And He'll save you.