What Jesus says about Salvation

Mark 4:1-20

How to be a Christian in todays culture:

The call of the Christian life is a call to be set apart from our old self and the things of this world and set apart to Jesus Christ. It sounds easy on paper, but to live separately from the culture of the world today is difficult. The distractions ‘and deceit of the enemy and of this world are not new (Ecclesiastes 1:9 “That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.” ), they are just more in your face, accepted, and accessible.

What any person needs to know, especially those who are professed Christians, in your age group, is how they are supposed to live in a culture full of wickedness and evil, compromise and confusion.

And truthfully, the pressures, wickedness, and evil of this world can be overwhelming if you pay attention and focus on them—spinning your wheels trying to deal with them wears you out and can bring it’s own burden. Yet, in the middle of the gospels is a quote by Jesus, that if we have the faith to trust what He sees, will help us navigate these pressures/lies/evils.

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.””

Placing your life in the hands of Jesus—focusing on Him and the things of Jesus; minds, thoughts, and actions which persistently dwell on those things, will help you to navigate, deal with, and overcome the pressures, wickedness, and evil around you.

Listen to what Paul says in Colossians 3:1-4 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

What’s needed from you, from me, squares solely around the only spiritual necessity needed for salvation and sanctification—-faith; a faith

That saves, and a

Faith that has feet

Over the next two days, we will look at the faith of three individuals and the faith they exhibited in the oppressive and corrupt world they lived in—and hopefully see how we can take their examples and apply them to ourselves…

Daniel—Having a constant faith which does not compromise

Caleb---Having a consistent faith, which is from a different spirit

Bartimaeus—Having a determined faith, which comes in knowing our deepest need.

But before we get into these account however, it’s necessary that we make sure each of you (us) has the right foundation before we study these people from the Scripture:

For that I am asking you to turn to Mark 4:1-20

The Parable of the Sower

What God is after in you, is what we are after today and tomorrow—to see hearts surrendered to trust Jesus and hearts surrendered to follow Jesus. To see hearts full of darkness and sin, come alive. To see each of you pursue Jesus and as Paul says (Galatians 5:1) “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

All of this begins with having hearts surrendered to God—hearts that been born again and are saved. This is the message of the Gospel. The struggle is, there is confusion in the world, in homes, and even in some churches—about what salvation really is.

Jesus, in the Parable of the Sower—shows His disciples (who were living very much under Pharisitical teaching of Jesus + something, or that rules, works, and religion allow you to know God)—and us just what salvation revolves around: a person’s heart; and what is required, the right soil

Mark 4:1-20 (Setting and Set-Up

As we get started, let me cover a few thing

Sower--Jesus the Word incarnate, who was born into this world (planted), to give life to this world.

A messenger of God (Preacher, Pastor); anyone who shares the Word, testifies and witnesses of Christ.

Soil--Hearts

Seed--God’s Word Sowing/Planting

I. (v.1-2) Setting and Set-up

Jesus-new teaching method

By the lake, in a boat-

Again we see a huge, large crowd (very great in Greek); we see this a lot during His earthly ministry.

A whole nation was full of expectation and amazement. Jesus was making phenomenal claims about who He was, the Messiah and He was backing it up with demonstrations of miracles and healings, not to mention teaching that was radically different from anything or anyone they had ever heard.

People who were flocking to Jesus wanted a man on an earthly throne, who would overthrow an oppressive enemy (Romans). They wanted physical freedom and missed the message the Jesus brought, spiritual freedom.

Parable:

placing a thing by the side of something else for the purpose of comparing

An earthly event pointing out a heavenly truth.

Comparison between the earth and heaven

New method of teaching for Jesus

He knew the kind of people He was preaching to people who’s hearts had no desire:

Of real repentance

For a changed life

For an honest commitment

For a genuine faith

For a willingness to sacrifice

For consistent obedience

(You and me)—It’s not so different today—even for your generation—as high schoolers.

“The Word,” speaks to the same type of people today.

There are those who toss the word behind their backs, rejecting the message of Jesus b/c it interferes with you how you want to live:

Living in sin

Living in pride

Living your way and God’s

Psalm 50:17 “Seeing you hate instruction And cast My words behind you?”

Others reject and push-back from the message of Jesus b/c of enduring brokenness and pain

Still others become OFFENDED by the Gospel.

The more I get older and the more I grow up, the more I come to the understanding, the main root of rejection and hard hearts towards Jesus and His Word,, is people don’t want to deal with, grapple with, contend with, the accountability of sin.

What’s the point? Despite Jesus knowing this then and despite the truth Jesus knows these hearts exist today---His compassion not to see ANY of who He created to be in bondage to sin, compelled Him to come and offer Himself as the means of reconciliation and salvation

III. (v.3-9)-A simple story—profound meaning—which deals with genuine salvation

Mark 4:3-9 ““Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!””

Not understood by most, yet

Dealt with a topic most all people would have been familiar with

Farming and sowing seed (planting)

III. (v.10-12) The response (2-fold)

The Believer; the heart bent towards Jesus

Hears the message the message of the Gospel with their heart, and is

Willing/receptive to think and meditate on the message, to receive it, and is

Willing to be obedient and responsive to what the Word teaches, what this parable teaches.

The unbeliever: Called, “Those on the outside,”

You hear the parable, but not with spiritual ears, hears only the words.

You are unwilling to receive what is taught.

You are unwilling to change your life, let Christ change your heart

Too comfortable living in works, rules, religion,

Too comfortable living in your sin

You are unwilling to turn and be converted

The cost to be counted is too great.

You shut your minds (pay no attention)

You twist the truth (bend it to fit their circumstances).

You rationalize your behavior-make excuses for your sin

If sitting under the Word of God, if hearing the message of Jesus, the message of redemption and reconciliation, of Christ crucified doesn’t cause your absolute surrender, if the Gospel of Jesus Christ does not change you, it is time to question whether is salvation in you, whether the Gospel message is in you.

You may be able to answer the question, “Who is Jesus,” but if cannot answer the question, “How has He changed you,” it is time to determine the relationship. If your heart is in a place where you can’t wait to leave here, thinking about things outside the walls of this church, and not rested in what God’s Word is telling you, you have a calloused, unwilling heart, a heart that needs Jesus (v.13-20) First two contain no root

IV (v.15) Wayside/Path-calloused heart-

Mark 4:15 “And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.”

(Context & Culture)

Palestine roads were traveled so frequently the surface was hard as concrete, (Think of overused or heavily used hiking trails, dirt paths.).

This was/is the picture of the heart condition upon hearing the Word of God.

(Contrast) THIS IS THE SOIL—this is the heart that will sit week after week, that will listen to the truth about Jesus, but

Have no desire for understanding.

Pay little attention, if any to what is going on.

Deny and never realize the true value of the Word of God.

Think you can get along fine without God and his Word.

You think you can maintain you purity without the Word.

You think you can fix your sinful behavior

You become hard/calloused to the Gospel. Why?

You rebel-b/c of some tragedy or circumstance, they blame God.

The drugs/alcoholism/pornography—all of these addictions are sin, yes, but it’s only the symptom of much deeper issues.

You do not stay awake or alert; pay no attention; the gospel is not important enough to you merit your attention:

Maybe you come to church with your mom or dad; maybe you come to youth group with your friends and enjoy the games, snacks, and the hang-out time--BUT When the preaching starts, when the Word of God begins to be taught and spoken over you, you:

Sink into your chair, distract yourself,

Bury you attention in other thoughts,

Bury your attention in your cellphone.

When the preaching starts, and I’ve seen this in people, you can’t sit still b/c you know the Holy Spirit is prompting you, you’re so fidgety b/c you know what’s right, yet your too scared, defiant, or too comfortable in your sin, lifestyle, and stubbornness to move.

Is this you? Is the gospel is an item, a fairy tale, a book full of interesting stories but nothing more, or

Are you operating in the deceit that the Gospel isn’t for you, that the love written in this book can’t be for you, so you turn it aside and turn it off, or is

The gospel is only a part of life, that your view of the Gospel is, “use only as needed.”

Don’t be deceived thinking b/c you go to a Christian school or that you came on this retreat, or that your parents have taken you to church since you can remember—this makes you a Christian

Religious activity does not produce a relationship

What God is after is what we are after—the full surrender of your heart

V. (v.16-17)Stony/Rocky Places-calloused heart (again no root)

Mark 4:16-17 “These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.”

(Context)-Areas of limestone covered with dirt (not with rocks).

Seed falls and rocks holds the water and heat longer;

Seed shoots up immediately, but there are no roots cannot go deep enough to get moisture from the ground, so plants would whither in the heat

(Contrast)-NO COMMITMENT TO THE GOSPEL WHEN RESISTANCE COMES:

People appear converted and “seem” to experience explosive growth, until “heat” comes, trails, hardships come and they fall away and you fall back quickly to old ways of living.

This is not losing salvation—This is NO SALVATION TO BEGIN WITH. He says such people never had salvation, what they experienced a shallow, emotional experience Why? What make this claim? (2 Things):

There is no root in yourself

Your decision was based on the emotional joy of the moment and you choose to ride the emotional joy of the moment and think to yourself this “moment” will sustain you.

You do not follow in right obedience, you fail to understand the Christian walk is a call to die The call to the Christian life is not the call to be saved to a life of luxury and prosperity

Feel good messages of a safe Jesus where you get an emotional high, “raise your hand and repeat after me” prayer life

YOU CANNOT TRUST YOUR EMOTIONS TO MAKE SUCH A DYNAMIC, IMPORTANT, RADICAL LIFE CHANGING DECISION

This whole repeat after me, raise your hand if you professed idea of conversion conversation is baffles me, b/c the majority of the time the person has no idea what it means:

They are acting on adrenaline and emotion, not recognition and repentance

Making a decision to trust Jesus without ever coming grips with your spiritual condition, is not surrender.

The enemy will pressure you with circumstances, with trials/temptations, he’ll use old friends, your past and your old habits against you, to get you to cave. IF THERE EXISTS NO REAL ROOT OF SALVATION YOU WILL NOT STAND A CHANCE

VI (v.18-19) Thorny/crowded heart (takes root, but there is no yield of fruit)

Mark 4:18-19 “Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

(Context)--Soil that has weeds, that eventually choke out the seed.

It’s deceptive ground, b/c it looks good and clean, appearing to be clear of weeds and thorns. But it is not.

Under the surface of the soil is a chain of roots ready to spring up.

The fact that roots are already there mean the thorns will be stronger and grow faster than the good seed and choke the life out of the good seed

(Contrast) Thorns represent those who receive the Word as an addition to their life (this is why this soil/heart possess no salvation)

The gospel is an “add-on”.

It doesn’t replace the world and the things of the world.

If the Word of God is not being given its place in your heart to replace and subdue your flesh, your sinful nature and the things of this world are sure to overwhelm and overcome you of things of this world.

The divided heart wants everything to do with salvation but nothing to do with sanctification.

In other words, you don’t want Christ to have His way with you, you don’t desire the work Christ desires and needs to do, to change you.

This is not a surrendered heart

Hard truth of this soil: There is no true repentance: you are mixing God in to your world, your collections, but still desiring to maintain your world (worldly concerns).

The Word is/was never meant to co-exist w/your sin. You cannot accept the Word when it suits you, then dismiss it when you’re convicted.

In God sending His Son—In Jesus’ willingness and obedience to (1) come to this earth, (2) to be crucified in your place, and (3) in His resurrection—He made a way for each of you to respond to His invitation of salvation. But this invitation is reserved for those who understand and respond to what it Biblically means to surrender.

Luke 9:23-24 “Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”

Romans 10:9-10 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

This is where my heart desires to be. (This was me: Share testimony ) This is a heart that Jesus Christ has given me

The first three soils listed in scripture lack true surrender; while you may claim to love Christ,

VII (v.20) Good Ground-converted heart

Mark 4:20 “But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.””

(Context)-Good Soil produces two things:

Yields fruit and Increases and grows

Three things with “bearing fruit”

Hears the word

Receives the word

Doing and living the word

(WORSHIP TEAM)

Ok Pastor, what does the good soil of my heart look like? How is it I need to approach God’s Word so that Christ can change my heart?

(Contrast)-The response of the Israelites reading of the law in Nehemiah 8 is a tremendous example what good soil is, what a heart ready for change should look like:

Nehemiah 8-

Ezra

People’s Response

(FIRST and FOREMOST)

The disciple’s heart for the gospel is to put it in the center of everything, elevated above everything thing else in their life; Because a heart that places God’s Word above and submits their hearts to the Word are hearts that are:

Attentive: (v.5) Responsive: (v.6)

This is the heart that:

Hears the truth of Christ,

Meditates on the Word,

Is convicted by the Word and

Is willing to respond in obedience

The good heart is a changed heart. And a changed heart is the change Christ enacts b/c you come to see that the wounds caused by your sin, meet the wounds endured by the Savior; at the moment you realize your sin needs the reality of the crucifixion—this is root of heart change.

Do you desire to be made right with the Father? Do you desire to live set apart from the things of this world and set a part to Jesus?

This ONLY happens when you give yourself over to the truth of God’s Word and the work He desires to do in you.

Each of you (us) are personally responsible for how we receive the Word of God. God holds us responsible for the condition of your heart and for how you respond to the Gospel.

What soil are you? Calloused? Rocky? Thorny? Or Good?

The devil may not prevent you from hearing it, however, he will do what he can to make sure it doesn’t take root.

“Where God’s Word is wanted it is never wasted,” (David Jeremiah).