Kingdom Seeds
Mark 4:1-20
Introduction
- Pray for Rod: doing well, needs to rest and recover from fusion surgery
- Jesus is demonstrated in this book as a “servant”
-- He is the ultimate servant; giving Himself clearly for all who will receive
-- Key verse: Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- Jesus is the ultimate example of servitude and something we must learn
-- If we are to truly experience Christ’s life, we must be willing to live like Him
- Today we see Jesus teaching again in the form of a critical parable
-- His method is straight forward; prayerfully we will not miss the application
- Read Mark 4:1-20
∆ Point 1 – Kingdom Seeds (1-9)
- Parables, parables, parables!
-- These are short stories meant to convey a message; in this case very imp msg
-- Jesus sets the stage for all other parables by again discussing the Kingdom
-- Mark 1:15, “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
- In traditional format, teachers would sit when they teach
-- This was to allow them to be able to teach comfortably, period
-- There is no great wisdom in this, but what is taught is the focus
-- Thought: Sometimes moving around gets distracting …
- A parable is a truth that provides additional information for us
-- Jesus often teaches in parables, short stories, to emphasize God’s truth
- v3 is a command: “Listen” It sets the stage for the remaining parables
-- Jesus is being very clear and direct in His teaching for all who hear to learn
-- Parables allow us to consider: “Where do I fit into this?”
-- Or, even more to the matter: “What do I need to change in my life?”
- Farming would have been a common career during this time
-- Chances are most than 75% of this crowd would have farmed something
-- Therefore, Jesus’ teaching speaks right to something they identify with
-- Everyone know that sowing seeds by hand means that seed gets scattered
-- On the path, on the rocks, and in the weeds the results are the same (v4-7)
- v8 shows us what happens when good seed lands on good soil
-- The Kingdom of God is represented in the same manner
-- Consider the evangelism that happens today; is the Kingdom not increasing?
-- Consider discipleship happening (here right now); are lives not being changed?
-- APP: Jesus’ teaching that sowing reaps a plentiful harvest!
- Re-read v9 … where have we heard this before? Revelation 2 and 3!
-- Jesus, using the same words He will use at the end of time, speaks very plainly
-- “You who are listening, pay attention and take note of how God increases …”
- Curious is that every parable could have this phrase, but it doesn’t
-- It is not an accidental omission, but one that sets this one apart from others
-- Jesus is saying, “This is how the Kingdom grows … go and do it!”
-- Think: “How does this apply to me … what kind of soil am I?”
- TRANS: Thankfully, Jesus takes time to further explain this one (IT’S IMP!)
∆ Point 2 – What’s it Mean? (10-20)
- I love this. It shows the simplicity of asking God for help in understanding
-- When the disciples got Him alone … (v10) …
-- Implies that they spent time alone; they literally did life together
-- It wasn’t all about “we hang out at church functions only”
-- APP: If all we know about each other is here we are missing opportunities
- Jesus teaches them that there is more going on here than simple teaching
-- Jesus chooses these men to hear more, and by the way, we get to benefit here
-- APP: It is an opportunity to listen in, to take notes, to be changed by Him
-- We are chosen by God to hear more than the surface teaching of this parable
- v12 Jesus is describing those who just “don’t get it” and may never understand
-- This is directed at the religious, the Pharisees, those who’ve missed God
-- IMP: It applies to those today, 2014, who think they’ve got God “figured out”
- Mark Barbieri writes, “The parables themselves became judgmental, for although the instruction was parabolic the truth had been communicated.”
-- MEANING: Those who heard it, rejected it … even though the truth was taught
- Parables appear to the reader really as spiritual tests; a chance to gauge yourself
-- They hide the truth from those who don’t seek it
-- At the same time, they reveal the truth to those who hunger after it
-- Proverbs 25:2, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.”
- v13 is a slight rebuke, but a challenge from Jesus to the disciples
-- This sheds light on Jesus having to constantly remind them of who He is
-- Also lends weight to time Peter tried to rebuke Jesus’ behavior
-- Turn to and read Mark 8:31-33
- What Jesus is challenging them with is “Who am I and what am I doing?”
-- The word seed is replaced with “word”; referring to one of two things:
-- 1) The literal Word of God (teachings, application, Law, etc.)
-- 2) Fact that Jesus IS the Word of God (John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”)
- Jesus tells them there are only two kinds of soil: productive and nonproductive
-- Either the word (seed) will fall on fertile ground … or it won’t
-- MEANING: Either it will take root in a heart or it will be discarded
-- APP: Either we will hear it and change or we will turn away and disobey
- v15 shows the Word of God having no impact and landing on hard soil
-- This is the hard human heart which will not hear and be affected by it
- v16 shows those who immediately hear it and get all excited
-- But eventually, their faith wanes because He asks too much of them
-- John 6:66, “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.”
-- They are literally a flash in the pan: get excited about church and then trickle
-- Normally comes from asking, “What can Jesus do for me?” - No sacrifice
- v17 amplifies this and often gets twisted with losing your salvation
-- It shows nothing about losing it – but ensuring that you are EXERCISING it
-- Once the storms of life blow, it’s every man for himself …
-- We get focused on us, Jesus takes a backseat, and we are in charge again
- v18 is the typical “throwing seed in the weeds” ministry
-- It normally represents those who have no strong root and life them chokes out
-- It also shows those that have no faith in Jesus taking care of tomorrow
-- Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
- v19 is a further amplification of what happens when we focus on us
-- The distractions of the world take over; and our focus changes
-- We choose (IMP) to lose sight of Jesus and focus on what we can do instead
- And now we come to the part that we want to be like; it is a CHOICE
-- FACT: Crops can produce abundant amounts based on the seed that is sown
-- However, to produce 30, 60, and 100 times the amount is … miraculous!
-- APP: It represents what God can do when He is the one leading
- v20 is what we need to be doing everyday of our lives
-- It is not about what we can get out of Jesus, but what we can offer Him
-- We are too simply (re-read the verse): Hear, Accept, and Produce
∆ Big Ideas
- We are encouraged (those who haven’t fallen away) to act on what we hear
-- We can get discouraged, but not if we aren’t doing anything at all!
-- We’ve got to take this and apply it; remember, the disciples are being told this
-- APP: If we are to get serious about God, this is our calling as well
- Very important for Christians to hear this today:
-- If we are not hearing, it’s because we’ve closed our ears off
-- If we are not accepting, it’s because we’ve chosen our way instead of God’s
-- If we are not producing, it’s because we’ve told God that it isn’t our job
- Pray
