15 Minutes of Fame or Forever
15 Minutes of Fame or Forever
Matthew 13:31-35
In 1968, plastered on a wall in Stockholm, Sweden, was a quote attributed to famed visual pop artist Andy Warhol, “In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.” At the time, it seemed a quite ridiculous, outlandish statement. In the late 1960s and 70s, it took years of labor to get in the public eye and even those with great talent, only those with a connection or a “lucky” break, would become famous.
Fast forward 50 years, we are now living in Warhol’s future, and everyone has the potential to be famous for 15 minutes. “15 minutes of fame” seems attainable for a teenager with a smartphone and a TikTok account. The right retweet from the right celebrity, and your words or video may be seen by millions of people. “15 minutes of fame.” It is quite striking how many people covet and long for those 15 minutes.
The quest for our “15 minutes” lies in the fallen hearts of all men and women. Fallen humans are glory thieves. We may obsess about ourselves and what others think about us. We may crave and seek attention and adulation from others. Glory thieves tend to be hypersensitive to criticism and feel a strong desire to defend themselves. We may not mind doing good deeds, but only if the world sees it. I mean if it's not online, did it really happen? We live in an age when the desire for “15 minutes” of fame is attainable and sought after. We live in a culture that celebrates glory thieves. Are we glory thieves?
Dr. Louis Cole loved to tell the story of the Lord Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem riding on a donkey surrounded by massive crowds of people waving palm branches and shouting and crying out with loud voices, “Hosanna, hosanna!” Cole would then ask, “Wouldn’t it be something if that donkey thought all that applause was for him?” The fallen human heart wants to be praised. It wants to be seen. It wants its “15 minutes” of fame. But that is not the way of the kingdom of heaven.
May the Lord protect us from our vainglory and open our eyes to live for his glory. I pray we would rejoice and celebrate our seemingly insignificant, unknown obscurity as we give God all the glory. I pray we will not crave our “15 minutes” of fame or wordly adulation or fleeting pleasure but will set our eyes on 15 million years of rejoicing in the glory of the only One who is worthy of it. Let us exchange our glory for the glory of the immortal God who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see, for to him be honor and eternal dominion forever and ever. Amen.
The Mustard Seed
In Matthew 13, Jesus continues teaching the crowd about the kingdom of heaven in parables, so that only those who have ears to hear would understand. Jesus offers two short parables in similes to teach of the kingdom of God but also to encourage the disciples and counterbalance some of the implications of the two previous parables of the soils and the weeds.
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” Matthew 13:31–32
The kingdom of heaven is God’s redemptive reign on the earth. Because we are kingdom citizens, we must learn how to live as citizens of the kingdom.
Again, the crowds would have understood the general principle of the parable. The mustard seed was not the smallest of all seeds, but it was the smallest of all seeds of garden plants. It would have been clearly understood by those in the crowds. In the ancient Near East, it was a common idiom to refer to something small as being “the size of a mustard seed”. The smallest seed sown grew into a large tree–large enough to offer shade and protection to the birds of the air who could make nests in its branches. Trees grow differently in different parts of the world and, in that part of the world, mustard trees grow up to 15-feet tall. Jesus was making a very clear comparison: the smallest seed grew to the biggest tree in the garden.
The disciples seemed to understand its meaning, since they did not ask for any explanation as they did with the parables of the soils and the weeds. The kingdom of heaven, like the mustard seed, will be very small, insignificant, almost imperceptible to the human eye, but it will one day grow into a large number of believers. This is a common biblical theme. God told Israel:
It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all the peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Deuteronomy 7:7-8
The nation of Israel was insignificant in its power, but God gave them victory. The glory did not belong to them but to God. Think of Abraham and Sarah, two seniors past childbearing years, giving birth to the child of promise, or David, the youngest son of Jesse who would help usher Israel into its glory years, or Jesus, sent to save his people from their sins, born in a cattle trough to a poor teenage girl. God loves to bring his glory from insignificant, unexpected places. Paul writes:
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” I Corinthians 1:26-31
When we seriously consider our calling and where the Lord has called us from, we will begin to see the meaning of the parable. God takes small, insignificant people and uses them for his glory.
The imagery of a tree as a blessing to the nations was also a common theme in the scriptures. In Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream in
The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it. Daniel 4:10-12
Later in the chapter, we read Daniel’s interpretation:
The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived—it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. Daniel 4:20-22
God had allowed Nebuchadnezzar to grow and become a blessing to the nations of the earth. Ezekiel shares a similar vision of Assyria becoming a great tree where birds nested in its branches, and beasts gave birth to their young in its shade. (Ezekiel 31:1-10)
The disciples would have been familiar with this imagery. They would have known a mighty tree was a sign of glory. And, in these cases, it was the wicked nation that grew in glory and power. Jesus is telling his disciples that one day the small, imperceptible kingdom of heaven will be like a mighty oak tree that will be a blessing to all the world.
The Leaven
Jesus then shares a parallel story about leaven to double click on his point.
I believe both parables have essentially the same meaning.
He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” Matthew 13:33
The leaven causes the dough to rise. A woman would save a piece of leavened dough and mix it in with new dough so that the leaven or yeast would cause the new dough to rise. The leaven was worked in throughout the flour so that it would affect the entire loaf of bread.
Leaven is often used as an imagery of warning. A few chapters later, in Matthew 16, Jesus will teach the disciples to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees. Let’s hear the conversation with Jesus and his disciples,
When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matthew 16:5-12
Jesus warns them that the teaching of the Pharisees can impact their way of thinking and draws a comparison to his feeding of the multitudes. A small amount can make a great impact.
Leaven is often used in the New Testament in connection with the pervasiveness of evil. Jesus uses it in regard to the Pharisees, and Paul uses it in regard to the evil, sexual immorality in Corinth, “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Paul and Jesus were not saying leaven is bad or evil, but that leaven affects everything. A little leaven affects the whole lump. We often think of it in negative terms, but, in this passage, Jesus applies it to his disciples in positive terms.
Four Encouragements
Jesus began his teaching by sharing the parables of the soils and the weeds. Both of the parables emphasize challenges to the kingdom of heaven. The parable of the soils shows that only 25 percent of the seed sown falls on fertile soil. The parable of the weeds shows the pervasiveness of evil and how the sons of the kingdom will be influenced by the sons of the evil one. These parables could have been discouraging to the disciples, so Jesus offers a counterbalance of encouragement. Jesus is providing an eternal, spiritual perspective on the kingdom of heaven. These two brief parables should provide several encouragements to the church as well.
1 - Be encouraged in your obscurity.
Life in the kingdom of heaven is often a life of obscurity. In the world’s eyes, the church is insignificant, inconspicuous, and unimportant. It seems small and weak compared to the world. The kingdom of heaven will be full of believers who will not have their “15 minutes” of fame but will be steady plodders for God’s glory. And that’s ok. It is ok to live in obscurity. We cannot live for the applause and the adulation of the world. We live for the Lord.
Three times in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says in regard to prayer and fasting, “And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” The Christian life is about living for the praise and pleasure of God, not man. We do not want to live as glory thieves, but we want to do all for the glory of God. Whether we eat or drink, we want to do it all for the glory of God.
I know this should be the goal, but far too often we are discouraged when we are not seen and not known. Far too often, the eyes of our Father, who sees our labors, are not enough. We live in a culture that feeds on celebrity, and the Christian culture is, sadly, no different. We want to be known. We want to be seen. We want to be noticed. The Gentiles seek after these things. We should seek first his kingdom and righteousness. We need to strive to learn the rare jewel of Christian contentment. Paul writes:
“For I learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13
If we have Christ, we should be fine with obscurity. If we have Christ, we are never alone and are always seen. When we start to desire more and more recognition and public affirmation, we start to believe that Jesus Christ is not enough. Jesus lived and died to pay for our sins. He rose from the dead and promised us eternal life. He gave us the Holy Spirit who lives in us as a guarantee of our inheritance. If the King of all kings intimately knows and loves you, what does it matter if you have the praise of men? Or, said another way, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
For the Christian, there is no real obscurity. Your Father sees you. Your Father sees the diapers being changed and floors being mopped. Your Father sees the spreadsheets and the integrity at work. Your Father sees your self-control and hears every one of your prayers. You are never obscure. The world may not know you, but he who is greater than the world does. So rejoice! Do not believe the lies and the promises of the world. Our culture, especially our younger people, crave praise. Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind to test and approve God’s will–his good, pleasing, and perfect will.
2 - Be encouraged in God’s good promise.
The world will get its “15 minutes” of fame. Evil will prosper…for a time. The wicked will win…for a time. They will get their “15 minutes”, and then they will pass away. God has promised that the kingdom of heaven will start small and insignificant but that, one day, God’s people will inherit the earth. One day, as Habakkuk prophesied, “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
Revelation 11:15-18
One day, the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, and he will reign forevermore.
The mustard seed is small now, but it will grow into a mighty tree. The leaven is small and unknown now, but it will cause the loaf to rise. The saints are small and low in number now, but one day they will cover the earth like the waters cover the sea, like the stars fill the sky. Do you believe that? Then be encouraged!
3 - Be encouraged how God wants to influence others through you.
God’s good promises are not only there and then, but they are here and now. The mustard tree grew and provided refuge for the birds of the air. They made their nests in its large, full branches. The leaven was small, but it permeated all of the dough, causing it to rise. God wants to influence the world through his people. He has permeated the world with his people. We are here to be salt and light. We are here to influence and serve others.
When anyone looks at the history of this world, it is impossible to discredit the purifying and powerful influence of the church on the world. Christianity has done more to increase the dignity and honor of women than any other religion in the world combined. Christianity has done more to protect the rights of children than any other religion in the world.
If not for the faithfulness of thousands and thousands of Christians, Roe v. Wade would never have been overturned. How many children’s lives have been spared from the travesty of abortion because of the influence of the church? And we must continue to fight for the lives of the unborn. Roe v. Wade was overturned, but that does not mean the battle is over. In many ways, the fight has become more intense and more local.
This month in South Carolina, the state’s abortion ban was struck down when the Supreme Court of SC ruled that it violated the right of privacy assumed in the state constitution. Those who espouse the culture of death continue to aggressively push their agenda. We must use the power of our Christian witness and work to influence those who want to take life. God has placed us in the world, but he calls us not to be of the world so that we can help influence and win the world. We can change the world one conversation at a time.
The leaven influences the whole lump. The tree blesses the world by providing shelter and refuge in its branches. God wants us to influence the world for good. Beloved, never underestimate the impact of a kind act done in the name of Jesus. God may use your kindness to lead people to Christ, or to give church another chance, or to feel welcomed in the body of Christ.
We want to influence the world to know Christ and his love. Some of you may be hearing this message because of an invite from a friend. We are glad you are here! We want to unashamedly invite you to follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We want to influence you by our love for you and by our love for God, so that you can be saved from your sins.
The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are all glory thieves. The Bible teaches that all have lived for their own glory rather than the glory of God and, because of that, we deserve to be punished. All sin deserves to be punished just as all thieves deserve justice. This is why God sent Jesus Christ. Jesus came to pay the debt for trying to steal God’s glory. He came not to be served or for his own glory but for the glory of the Father. He lived a perfect life and died in the place of all who would turn to him in faith. For after he died, God raised him from the dead, declaring that all glory thieves could be forgiven in Christ. If you repent of your sins and trust that Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead for your justification, you can be forgiven.
This parable is for you. You can be like the birds of the air and find refuge from the world and forgiveness of sins in the branches of the tree of Calvary. Jesus died on a tree, so you could find a home with him. He invites you to live in his shade. Turn to Christ and live!
4 - Be encouraged to persevere in Christ.
Beloved, we know life will be hard in a fallen world. There will be hard soil. There will be people who walk away from Christ because of persecution and pleasure. There will be weeds sown in the field of the world to frustrate the growth of the kingdom. There will be challenges, but God wants to use us. He wants to use our kindness and gentleness, our self-control and love to bless the world. You may not always see the full extent of your impact, but God promises to use your good works to adorn the gospel and shine a light on his mercy. God loves to use small, insignificant people for his glory. God loves to use seemingly small, insignificant acts to adorn and radiate his gospel. As John MacArthur notes,
When the kingdom of heaven is faithfully reflected in the lives of believers, its influence in the world is both pervasive and positive. The life of Christ within believers is spiritual and moral leavening in the world. A Christian does not have to be a national leader, a famous entertainer, or a sports figure to influence the world for his Lord. It is the power of God’s kingdom within a believer that makes his witness effective, and that is the influence on the world that Christians should seek to have.
Jesus wanted to encourage his disciples to believe in the future promise of God, knowing their labors were not in vain.
Beloved, God wants to use you. He has given you gifts to serve the body and gifts to influence those in the world. Listen, do not let the world discourage you in serving Christ. Do not let the lack of recognition discourage you from serving Christ. Your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you and use you. God’s kingdom will grow. God will build his church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
We cannot judge our success or our happiness by our circumstances. We should not live for the fleeting praises of our “15 minutes” when an eternal weight of glory awaits us. The smallest of seeds became a mighty tree and blessed all the birds of the air. In the smallest town of Bethlehem, the King of kings was born. The insignificant town of Nazareth would be the hometown of the Lord of lords. The cruel tool of a Roman cross would be the place of glory. Do not judge things as you see them now, but by what they will be when our Lord returns. God will keep his promises. He will build his church. Do not live for the “15 minutes” the world gets. Live for the forever God offers in Christ. For, one day, the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord, and we will reign with him forever and ever, eating the fruit of the Tree of Life.