We’re going to be in Mark 4 this morning. Most historians agree that the book of Mark, in a sense, is Simon Peter’s autobiography. Mark wrote his epistles based on his conversations with Peter. So, when you read Mark look at how choppy it is. It’s not like the book of Luke which sacrifices few Words in the way it’s written.
What I want you to keep in mind as we read Mark 4 this morning is that Jesus is teaching a kingdom principle. And the people he’s talking to on the shoreline – a lot of them of are farmers. They will understand the parable of the Seed very quickly.
And when you think about the parable of the Seed, when Jesus describes what happens to the Seed, he’s describing what happens to it in real life. So let’s begin with verse one.
(1) And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
(2) And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
So we see here that what we’re about to read is just one of the things that Jesus taught in this sitting. And notice that it says he “said unto them in his doctrine.” Ladies and gentlemen, what we are about to read is doctrine.
(3) Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
“Hearken” and “Behold” – he’s using two Words to communicate that whatever you are doing you need to stop right now and listen to what I’m about to say. Pay attention.
This the first of three “Seed parables” we’re going to read this morning in this chapter. One of three. Now if Jesus is talking about the Seed in three different parables don’t you think the Seed may important?
Notice also that the sower “went out”. This was a purposeful decision. What is my point? When it comes to sowing the Word, it’s not something we do haphazardly. We do it on purpose. And when you do something on purpose you make time for it. It’s not a passing fancy. You make time because you are doing it for a reason.
(4) And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
When a sower sows he reaches into his bag and flings out the Seed. He’s scattering the Seed. He does not go back and plow the ground until later.
(5) fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
(6) But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
(7) And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
(8) And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
(9) And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
(10) And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
(11) And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
(12) That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
Now how many of you have read this verse and said it seems like Jesus is trying to keeping something from the people that he wants his disciples to know? Is that not what it sounds like? Jesus tells the disciples “I’m speaking to you in parables because I want you to see and I want you to hear.” Is that not what it sounds like?
I have a question for you. If Jesus is purposely teaching something that he does not want someone to understand, does anyone else have a problem with that? Yes, we should have a problem with that!
In the New Testament it says that “I (Jesus) am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” And in Timothy it says God wants all men to be saved and come a knowledge of the truth.
If this is true, then why does it seem like Jesus is teaching people something he doesn’t want them to understand because he doesn’t want them to be converted or their sins forgiven? Does this sound like Jesus? No. Then, what are we seeing here? Let’s go to Matthew 13, which is the same record, for some clarification.
10. And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11. He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
It still sounds like Jesus is saying I want you to know but I don’t want them to know. Let’s keep reading.
12. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Remember back in Mark 4:9 it says “let them who have ears to hear, let them hear”? Let them hear. You have ears, right? So you are either making a decision to hear or not hear.
14. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Do you see this ladies and gentlemen? They are closing their eyes. They are closing their ears to the parable. In other Words they are refusing what Jesus is offering.
16. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Why are their eyes seeing and their ears hearing? It’s because they are letting them see and letting hear.
So when we read these verses in Mark 4, Jesus is not the ones preventing them from seeing. Jesus is not the one preventing them from hearing. They are not seeing and they are not hearing because of the hardness of their hearts.
It’s important that you see this because so many have taken this verse and used it to prove predestination. We have just un-predestined them! Back to Mark 4 and verse 13.
(13) And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
(14) The sower soweth the Word.
(15) And these are they by the way side, where the Word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the Word that was sown in their hearts.
These individuals did not trust the Seed. Let me ask you something and I’m not going to belabor this point: Can Satan come and steal anything that you are holding on to? No sir. No ma’am. We have the responsibility of stopping him.
Right now in this message, I’m sowing the Word. You have a decision to make before you walk out of these doors. He’s trying to steal the Word at this very moment even as it’s coming out of my mouth!
Satan has no power over you ladies and gentlemen. He has nothing over you. It’s the other way around! But if we don’t hold on to the see, if we don’t hold on to the Word of God, then that gives Satan an advantage over us.
Satan can steal the Word when we refuse to hear. Do you see this? What does Jesus say in verse 9? “He that has ears to hear, let him hear.” In other Words, let him hear and let him hold on to it. So if this is the criteria for hearing then what we see here in verse 15 are those who have heard the Word but refused to hold on to it.
Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus is not talking about Joe Blow Sinner. He’s talking about Harriet the Christian! He’s talking about us. We are the ones who are refusing to hold on to the Word. But Bro. Barry how can I be the one refusing to hold on to the Word? I read my Bible. There’s more to sowing the Word than just reading the Bible.
I believe it was it was Nikita Khrushchev, the former Primier of the Soviet Union had read the entire New Testament. But the fact that he had read the New Testament didn’t change him. You have to something with the Word that you read.
(16) And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the Word, immediately receive it with gladness;
(17) And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the Word's sake, immediately they are offended.
Again, these individuals did not trust the Seed. One of our greatest problems as Christians is that we read the Bible but we truly don’t believe what we read. When you don’t believe what you read, when persecution comes and people come against you and disagree with what the Bible says, you are not going to fight for what the Bible says.
The person who has not root in himself has no scriptural foundation. Why? He has ears but is not hearing.
(18) And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the Word,
(19) And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the Word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Again, they did not trust the Seed. They did not trust that the Word would do for them what the Word says it will do. And so the world came in and replaced the Word.
There are many of us in the Body of Christ today where the world has replaced the Word. We don’t know it because we still go to church every Sunday. We give our tithes and offerings. And so we think everything is okay. And it is not.
(20) And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the Word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
These are the people who trusted the Seed! They trusted the Word!
(21) And he said unto them, [Jesus, ladies and gentlemen, is not about to change the subject. You need to understand this. This whole chapter is about one subject – the Seed.] Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
(22) For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was anything kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
(23) If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
Jesus has not changed the subject. He’s still talking about the nature of truth and its inherent ability to shine. Light illuminates. Parables illuminate. The parables speak, they share; the Word has power of its own and grows. Our response, the measure of attention we use, is everything.
When you put a candle under a bush what’s going to happen? It’s going to burn its way through. It’s going to shine through. Jesus is talking about what happens when we continually sow the Word. It’s eventually going to shine through us!
(24) And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
The amount of time, and everything is related to time, that you give to the putting the Word into you, the Bible says it shall be measured back to you. In other Words, the Word is going to pay dividends.
What we see so far in the parables. Those who did not get to verse 20 did not endure. They didn’t endure ladies and gentlemen because the Word wasn’t producing as quickly as they want it to. A Seed has to grow. Sometimes we believe because we simply read the Word or speak the Word the “producing” is going to happen immediately.
Remember that one of the reasons that the Word did not produce was because there was no root in the person. There was nothing that allowed the Word, the Seed, to take root. The more that you spend time in the Word, confessing the Word, worshiping and fasting, you’re starting to build a place in you where the Word can take root and then sprout out of you.
(25) For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
This is not a statement on the character of Jesus. He wants all men to be saved. This is a statement about the nature of truth and the consequences of refusing to listen.
Now the second parable of the Seed.
(26) And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast Seed into the ground;
(27) And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the Seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
(28) For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
What we see hear is that when we sow the Seed, it’s going to produce All we have to do is sow and then take care of it by “seeing” and “hearing”. You understand what I’m saying, right?
Jesus speaks of the Seed having power of its own. The disciples must learn to trust the power of the message they are spreading. The Word has power all its own and will yield results in time.
When we read the first Seed parable, three out of four of the soils did not produce. Jesus is training the disciples to go out and sow the Word and he’s making it very clear that there will be more people, now listen to me ladies and gentlemen, there will be more people who will reject what you are saying than accept what you are saying.
I have a question ladies and gentlemen: who are the people doing the rejecting and who are the people doing the accepting? The Body of Christ! If this first parable is any indication, three out of four Christians are not going to accept the totality of the Gospel. Three out of four!
Jesus is telling his disciples that when you go out and sow the Word, this is how it’s going to play out. Using these numbers, Jesus is saying three out of four are not going to listen to you. They’re not going to hear what you have to say because their ears are going to be closed – on purpose.
Now let me ask you another question. Bro Barry, you have a lot of questions today. Do you think that those three out of four believe that they are not the one? Do you think they believe that they are one of the three? They are failing when it comes to seeing the Word of God manifest in their lives.
(29) But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
Now we’re going to read the third Seed parable.
(30) And he said, whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
(31) It is like a grain of mustard Seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the Seeds that be in the earth:
(32) But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
Now get the image of what Jesus is saying. The sower sows the Word. The kingdom of God is like that Seed which begins to bring forth life in you. And then he says how can we liken the kingdom of heaven? It’s like a mustard seed. Jesus again talks about Seed.
The kingdom of heaven is like the mustard seed. That’s another reason to have confidence, to trust, the Seed. This should be a big encouragement to us. All those hours we spend praying in tongues and confessing the Word and our minds tell us we’re not seeing anything happening – something is happening!
The question is do you have the endurance or are you going to abort the mission? As the Seed grows it pushes out unbelief. And the more it pushes out unbelief the more the Word is going to manifest in your life. But you can’t give up. You have to endure. This is a profound word of encouragement for those of us who are sowing.
Let’s read Isaiah 55:10-12.
(10) For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
(11) So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void...
God says His Word will not return to Him without accomplishing what He sent it forth to accomplish. It will not return without doing what I have designed it to do.
Now the question ladies and gentlemen: do we trust the Seed to do what God says it’s going to do? Do we trust the Word to do what God says it’s going to do? That is always the question because everything in this world says God’s Word cannot be trusted. But whose report are you going to believe?
Are you going to believe what the world says or what you see in God’s Word?
The Christian on stony ground is believing the world.
The Christians on the wayside is believing the world.
The Christian among the thorns is believing the world.
Now let’s wrap this up. We’re talking about trusting the Seed.
? If you are in a financial battle, Psalm 37:25 says “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” You have to Trust the Seed.
It doesn’t matter what it looks like right now, what does the Seed say? “I have lived my life and in my lifetime I have never seen a person who is truly depending on God begging for bread. Never.”
? If you are battling an addiction, whatever it is, Romans 8:2 says “For the law of the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me from free from the law of sin and death.” You have to Trust the Seed. No matter what it looks like. If you’re confessing the Word and it doesn’t appear anything is happening, trust the Seed ladies and gentlemen! God’s Word does not come back void!
? If you are a parent with a wayward child, Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he (or she) is old, he (or she) will not depart from it.” Trust the Seed.
I want to point out something to you. That word “train” means “to dedicate”. It’s used four times in the Old Testament and three of those times it’s translated “dedicate”.
So you parents, you dedicate your child to God and then do what the dedication implies that you will do. You will feed them the Word. You will feed them the Word. You will feed them the Word. Why? God’s Word never returns void. You trust that the Word is going to produce. This is my baby! I love my baby but right now my baby is not loving himself. But this is what the Word of God says.
I really like that word dedicate. What the Bible is saying is that you can’t really train up your child unless you are willing to give your child to God. Remember Hannah, Samuel’s mom? She dedicated him to God. Other than Moses probably the greatest prophet in Israel. When you dedicate your child to God. Praise God, he’ll move heaven and earth to make sure your child is okay.
? If you are battling something in your body, “Psalm 107:20 says “He sent his word [his seed], and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” You have to Trust the Seed. I don’t care what your body is telling you, you have to trust the Seed.
? If you are battling depression or oppression or something that seems to be weighing you down, Psalm 8:2 says “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.”
When Jesus used this verse in Matthew 21:16 instead of saying “thou ordained strength” he said “thou hast perfected praise”.
Ladies and gentlemen, when you’re dealing with the emotions, praise is where it’s at. You need to praise. When you start praising God you’re telling the devil whatever he’s trying to do doesn’t matter. All that matters is you loving on your Heavenly Father. Praise takes care of the emotions.
The title of the message, “Trust the Seed”. As a child of God we can’t live any other way. We must believe that the Seed, the Word, will come to pass in our lives. And we stand on that Word, we stand on that Seed, until we see it come to pass. We don’t accept anything less. Please stand.
