The Faith of a Mustard Seed
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Unfortunately, many who call themselves Christians have very little faith. Some of have professed that all they need is faith the size of a mustard seed. That is NOT
what Jesus meant.
Jesus says in Luke 17:6 and Matthew 17:20 that if you had the faith as of a mustard seed that you could tell a mulberry tree to uproot itself and go plant itself in the
sea and it would do it. If you had faith as a mustard seed you could tell a mountain to move and it would do it. But, most Christians are not moving any mountains or
uprooting any trees. In fact, not only do they not have faith as of a mustard seed, they
don’t have enough faith to move a mustard seed.
Most Christians interpret the Luke 17:6 and Matthew 17: 20 passages about the mustard seed as referring to size; the size of a mustard seed. Because a mustard
seed is very small, they interpret the recently cited passages as saying that if you had faith the size of a mustard seed, or if you just had a little faith, then you could
move mountains.
But notice, the Lord does not specifically say,’ if you had faith the size of a mustard seed.’ What He says is, “if you had faith like or as a mustard seed. In other
words, it is His desire that your faith be like a mustard seed. So what is a mustard seed like? Well, not only is it smaller than all the other seeds in a garden, but
when it is planted, it grows up and becomes a tree that is larger than all the other garden plants; producing large branches for birds to nest in.
Jesus is saying that your faith should be like a mustard seed. That first, you have to sow it. You have to plant or sow your faith. Then, when you do, it will grow and
grow and produce works in you that you never thought possible. Yes, there is much more to the mustard seed than just its size. So much so that Jesus compared
the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed in the book of Mark 4:30-32 and Matthew 13:31-32. Insinuating that the Kingdom of Heaven would begin with a small
group of men, the disciples of Jesus Christ, but will grow and be an influence in the life of many people, spreading out its branches as a refuge to those willing to
accept it.
Faith is no good unless it is sown; unless it is planted. Hebrews 11:6 says, that without faith it is impossible to please God. Unfortunately, there are many who
think they are pleasing God, but are not. Simply because they will not sow their faith.
Yes, each man may be allotted a measure of faith, but you have to sow it. Don’t ask for an increase in faith. Just plant the faith you have. It is obvious that many
Christians are not sowing their faith. If so, there would not be so many broken, hurt, and down-trodden Christians. Faith is the most important piece of armor that
we have to fight against Satan? Ephesians 6:16 says that the shield of faith can extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. (New American Standard). The
King James version says that with the shield of faith you can ward off
all, not some, ALL the fiery darts of the wicked.
That means that if Satan throws cancer your way, guess what,? You hold up your shield of faith. If Satan throws a wayward husband, wife, or child your way, guess
what? You hold up your shield of faith. If the light bill is past due, and you have done all you can to pay it, hold up your shield of faith. If you need to pay off the
mortgage on your church building and the people in your congregation are not giving generously, then guess what? Hold up your shield of faith. Because it can
and will extinguish every fiery dart of the enemy.
Yes, faith is a very powerful tool, yet so few really use it. This is how powerful Hebrews 11:1 says it is: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction
of things not seen.” The King James Version says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” This means that what you hope
for has substance or is a reality because of your faith and faith is the evidence that what you hoped for is a reality.
It was that powerful tool called faith that caused many to be healed. As Jesus healed, He said to those who were healed, your faith has made you well, your faith
has saved you. If we are going to be saved or if we are going to be well, it will be because of our faith.
I say to you, it is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that people will need in these last days. I say to you in the same words of Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ,
“contend earnestly for the faith.” Because just as in the days of Jude, so it will be and so it is in these End-times. Certain persons have crept in unnoticed into our
churches, those who were long beforehand marked out for condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into lustful desires and deny our only
Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Many of them have come preaching false doctrine, exploiting you for their own monetary gain. But, these are just precursors of what
is to come. For Revelation, chapter 13 says that a beast will come who will deceive many because of the great signs and wonders that he does and he will cause
all who dwell in the earth to worship the Antichrist, the one who will proclaim that he is God.
The only way anyone will be able overcome this evil one, this Antichrist, is by faith in Christ Jesus. 1 John 5:4-5 says:
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world, but
he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"
Acts, chapter 6 says that Stephen, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. He was full of faith and power. So much so that he was
performing great signs and wonders; healing many, speaking with much boldness and courage, and bringing many to Christ. And, because of his faith, he
overcame the world.
Romans 10:17 says; “So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.” Today you have heard. For the believer, are you willing to sow your faith and
be able to do all of the things that He has commissioned you to do and more? Galatians 3:11 says that the righteous man shall live by faith. You who proclaim to
be righteous, are you living by faith? For the unbeliever, are you willing to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord Savior and acquire the kind of faith that you need to
overcome the world?
If so, I invite you to bow your head wherever you are and to ask the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart and into your life. 1 John 1:9 says that He is faithful to forgive
you of all your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
If you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ today as a result of reading this message and hearing it with your heart or if you have been renewed in your faith, write or e-
mail us and let us know.
what Jesus meant.
Jesus says in Luke 17:6 and Matthew 17:20 that if you had the faith as of a mustard seed that you could tell a mulberry tree to uproot itself and go plant itself in the
sea and it would do it. If you had faith as a mustard seed you could tell a mountain to move and it would do it. But, most Christians are not moving any mountains or
uprooting any trees. In fact, not only do they not have faith as of a mustard seed, they
don’t have enough faith to move a mustard seed.
Most Christians interpret the Luke 17:6 and Matthew 17: 20 passages about the mustard seed as referring to size; the size of a mustard seed. Because a mustard
seed is very small, they interpret the recently cited passages as saying that if you had faith the size of a mustard seed, or if you just had a little faith, then you could
move mountains.
But notice, the Lord does not specifically say,’ if you had faith the size of a mustard seed.’ What He says is, “if you had faith like or as a mustard seed. In other
words, it is His desire that your faith be like a mustard seed. So what is a mustard seed like? Well, not only is it smaller than all the other seeds in a garden, but
when it is planted, it grows up and becomes a tree that is larger than all the other garden plants; producing large branches for birds to nest in.
Jesus is saying that your faith should be like a mustard seed. That first, you have to sow it. You have to plant or sow your faith. Then, when you do, it will grow and
grow and produce works in you that you never thought possible. Yes, there is much more to the mustard seed than just its size. So much so that Jesus compared
the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed in the book of Mark 4:30-32 and Matthew 13:31-32. Insinuating that the Kingdom of Heaven would begin with a small
group of men, the disciples of Jesus Christ, but will grow and be an influence in the life of many people, spreading out its branches as a refuge to those willing to
accept it.
Faith is no good unless it is sown; unless it is planted. Hebrews 11:6 says, that without faith it is impossible to please God. Unfortunately, there are many who
think they are pleasing God, but are not. Simply because they will not sow their faith.
Yes, each man may be allotted a measure of faith, but you have to sow it. Don’t ask for an increase in faith. Just plant the faith you have. It is obvious that many
Christians are not sowing their faith. If so, there would not be so many broken, hurt, and down-trodden Christians. Faith is the most important piece of armor that
we have to fight against Satan? Ephesians 6:16 says that the shield of faith can extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. (New American Standard). The
King James version says that with the shield of faith you can ward off
all, not some, ALL the fiery darts of the wicked.
That means that if Satan throws cancer your way, guess what,? You hold up your shield of faith. If Satan throws a wayward husband, wife, or child your way, guess
what? You hold up your shield of faith. If the light bill is past due, and you have done all you can to pay it, hold up your shield of faith. If you need to pay off the
mortgage on your church building and the people in your congregation are not giving generously, then guess what? Hold up your shield of faith. Because it can
and will extinguish every fiery dart of the enemy.
Yes, faith is a very powerful tool, yet so few really use it. This is how powerful Hebrews 11:1 says it is: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction
of things not seen.” The King James Version says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” This means that what you hope
for has substance or is a reality because of your faith and faith is the evidence that what you hoped for is a reality.
It was that powerful tool called faith that caused many to be healed. As Jesus healed, He said to those who were healed, your faith has made you well, your faith
has saved you. If we are going to be saved or if we are going to be well, it will be because of our faith.
I say to you, it is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that people will need in these last days. I say to you in the same words of Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ,
“contend earnestly for the faith.” Because just as in the days of Jude, so it will be and so it is in these End-times. Certain persons have crept in unnoticed into our
churches, those who were long beforehand marked out for condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into lustful desires and deny our only
Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Many of them have come preaching false doctrine, exploiting you for their own monetary gain. But, these are just precursors of what
is to come. For Revelation, chapter 13 says that a beast will come who will deceive many because of the great signs and wonders that he does and he will cause
all who dwell in the earth to worship the Antichrist, the one who will proclaim that he is God.
The only way anyone will be able overcome this evil one, this Antichrist, is by faith in Christ Jesus. 1 John 5:4-5 says:
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world, but
he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"
Acts, chapter 6 says that Stephen, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. He was full of faith and power. So much so that he was
performing great signs and wonders; healing many, speaking with much boldness and courage, and bringing many to Christ. And, because of his faith, he
overcame the world.
Romans 10:17 says; “So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.” Today you have heard. For the believer, are you willing to sow your faith and
be able to do all of the things that He has commissioned you to do and more? Galatians 3:11 says that the righteous man shall live by faith. You who proclaim to
be righteous, are you living by faith? For the unbeliever, are you willing to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord Savior and acquire the kind of faith that you need to
overcome the world?
If so, I invite you to bow your head wherever you are and to ask the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart and into your life. 1 John 1:9 says that He is faithful to forgive
you of all your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
If you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ today as a result of reading this message and hearing it with your heart or if you have been renewed in your faith, write or e-
mail us and let us know.
