Keith Battle - What God Can Do With A Seed

Matthew chapter 13, verse 31. I’m reading from the New International Version. He told them another parable: «The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.» The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Verse 32: «Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.» The seed becomes a tree. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, or, rather, a seed which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree. The seed became a tree so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches. I want to talk to you from the subject today: What God Can Do with a Seed. This 13th chapter of the book of Matthew is a chapter where God uses several parables to talk about the kingdom of heaven and what the kingdom of heaven is like. In this parable of these two verses, it says it is like a mustard seed that, when it is planted in the ground, goes into obscurity, but when it comes out of its growth process, it can become a tree—a tree that is so effective that birds can build their nests in its branches. I mean, it’s just a seed. I have here a little container of mustard seeds, and some of them just fell out. They’re so small that I have in my hand a seed—a seed. It’s just a seed, a mustard seed, and this seed has the potential, because when it’s in God’s hands and in God’s process, it can become a tree. That’s what God can do: turn a seed into a tree. I hesitated sharing this message because I have shared from this passage before, but I’m just going to pray that it will do more for you this time than maybe the first time you heard it. I’m going to say five things. I don’t know what order they’re going to come up in, but I’m going to give you the five points so you won’t be distracted by writing when I say them. I’m going to talk about the plan, then the plant, then the process, then the potential, and finally the purpose: the plan, the plant, the process, the potential, and the purpose. Somebody say it again: «Speak to me, Lord.» I feel like someone in this service is going to hear exactly what you need to hear. I’m telling you, it’s exact for you. This seed goes through a process. Notice the Bible says that a man planted a seed in a field. The Bible doesn’t say that the seeds accidentally fell on the ground; it says the man planted. That’s intentional. He had a plan for that seed. He was intentional. That’s what I call the plan. Now, now, the seed—the seed is the plan. Whatever your plan is, that’s a seed. God gives you a seed, and it can be called a dream; it can be called a vision. Whatever it is, it’s a seed and it’s a plan. Now, here’s the problem. When God shows you the vision, it looks like that, but when you wake up, this is what you have in your hand. He shows me a tree, but He gave me a seed. He’s saying, «Now take this seed and I’m going to turn it into a tree.» But there is such a wide space, such an obnoxiously huge space, between my reality and my dream that sometimes I look crazy because I’ve got a little seed. But tell somebody next to you, «I’ve got a plan. I’ve got a plan. I know I look crazy, but I’ve got a plan. My seed is my plan. I know I may not be impressive to you yet, but I’ve got a plan. I know I’m still working part-time, but I’ve got a plan. I know I may have to borrow a ride with you today, but I’ve got a plan. I know I might be eating ramen noodles every day and it’s cereal for dinner, but I’ve got a plan. I know I had to sleep on somebody’s couch and sometimes even on the floor, but I’ve got a plan. Don’t despise small beginnings. I’ve got a plan. I might have to work on the weekends and do security on the side, but I—who am I talking to here? —I’ve got a plan. Don’t look down on me right now because I’ve got a plan. I might have to be a shampoo girl at the salon for a while and fold towels while other people are getting the credit, while I’m just taking classes, but I’ve got a plan. You may not understand seeds. You’re going to laugh at me now, but you’re going to laugh with me later. You might shake my hand now, but you’re going to want to shake my hand later. I might be signing up for government assistance now, but I’ll be signing autographs later. You just watch because I’ve got a—who am I talking to? —I’ve got a plan. I don’t plan on being in this place forever. I’ve got a plan.