Day 138/260: Read Matthew 13

In one of His shortest parables, Jesus reveals a great truth about the influence of the church on the society around her. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

When the church is behaving properly and is faithfully obedient to all the Lord commands, society will benefit. The leavening agent (yeast) is a very small part of cooking, but has an enormous impact on the end product. Likewise, the church may be small, but her influence is powerful in the world.

What happens when the church is silenced, either by force or by choice? The home crumbles. Governing authorities become more and more corrupt. Children are raised with little or no moral compass. Society is worse without the Lord’s church.

Christians must stand up against the evils of this world. The Bible is clear that God’s standards and the world’s standards are not the same. The prophet declared, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).

The church must “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 3) and “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). Influence the world for good.

Memory (Fill in the blanks)

Matthew 12:36. “But I say to you that for every __________ word men may speak, they will give __________ of it in the day of judgment.”

Pray

Pray for wisdom in opposing those thing the Lord opposes.