Prelude
What is the future of the church and kingdom? Who is responsible for it? Purpose: Let’s understand the unstoppable growth of both kingdom and church. Plan: Let’s look at some optimistic riddles of the future of both in Mark 4:26-34.
Scatter Seed
Mark 4:26 And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,”
As goes the kingdom so goes the church of God. The kingdom exists wherever God’s reign is accepted. It is not a democracy. We cannot vote God out of office, but we can choose to work with or reject Him and His servants.
We spread the news, the seed of the kingdom. We scatter it on rocky soil, hard ground, thorny ground or good soil. God is happy with indiscriminate spreading of that seed. Importantly, it is sown and not left in the seed bag.
Sleep
Mark 4:27 “and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.”
This parable is only found in Mark. We spread the good news to anyone who will listen. The rest is up to God. Let’s not worry about our church. The seed grows all by itself without human effort, night and day, whether we are asleep or awake. If we have spread the seed, we don’t need gimmicks. We just wait for it to grow and bear fruit.
Yields Crops
Mark 4:28-29 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.
Sometimes we plow old church programs under, like last year’s growth. We scatter seed, then we rest. God makes the seed grow. We water, and participate in the harvest. But, our job is not to worry about kingdom growth. The Greek word for “by itself” means automatically. A watered plant will automatically grow. An unwatered plant will not. Paul said (1 Corinthians 3:6-7) he planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
Sown
Mark 4:30-31 Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? 31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;”
The mustard seed pictures something tiny. Kingdom work is never in vain. Growth is often not seen for a time, but it is promised to be incredible. It has grown from one man, Jesus, to billions today.
The phrase “smallest of all the seeds” is conversational, hyperbolic language, not scientific or statistical. The meaning of the riddle is faith to see the future of even the smallest of kingdom efforts.
Grows Up
Mark 4:32 “but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
Black mustard is a shrub or even considered to be a weed by some. It can grow to 10 feet (3 meters) tall. Though we humans tend to try to control things, that is not how the kingdom works (Matthew 20:25-28). Black mustard still grows everywhere in Israel today. Though we try to make the church grow our way, maybe God has other ideas. What some call weeds, others call valuable herbs with healing or nutritional value.
Parables
Mark 4:33-34 And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. 34 But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
Jesus’ parables are riddles about the kingdom of God. Those who are not ready and willing to hear may not understand. Those comfortable in this world may be tempted to see the kingdom of God as a threat or dismiss it as fantasy. Those who are ready to hear delight in parables, and see them as a teaching story, inviting us to think and explore God’s kingdom.
Postlude
Jesus said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18). The future of the kingdom and church of God is growth. Let’s not worry, but rest in Jesus. No one can stop church and kingdom growth. Let’s rejoice to be a part of it.
New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
