Divine Growth

Mark 4:26-34

This morning, we will look at two parables the Lord gives on growth. Both parables use the analogy of a seed. One is used to explain the salvation of an individual while the other explains the growth of Christianity over all the world.  We have two very simple points this morning:

God grows Christians.

God grows the kingdom.

1. God grows Christians (26-29).

The parable of the mustard seed is found in Mathhew, Mark, and Luke. This parable is only found in Mark’s gospel.

It’s unique in that it gives more detail to the good soil in the parable of the soils. We get a peek into the heart that receives the Word of God.

You can watch a seed grow on Youtube. In preparing this sermon I wanted to get a sense of what Jesus was saying. I searched “Watch a seed grow”. It was mesmerizing. It was just like Jesus says here.

“the seed sprouts and grows… first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain” (27-28)

Jesus is telling the disciples how God is going to grow more Christians. He is going to use them to do it. He wants them to know what to expect. There are three things they need to understand as they start their journey of being fishers of men. We need to know these things as well because this is the job of all Christians.

A. We need diligence.

“the seed” is the Word of God (4:14).

We have a responsibility to sow the seed.

1. The world is not going to do it.

2. The natural heart will only bring forth weeds.

“I’m not much of a farmer.” Can you scatter? That’s not hard, is it? Can you grab a handful of seeds and toss them?

If you are saved you know how to tell someone to get saved. All you do is tell them what God said.

You don’t even have to be careful about where you scatter them. Remember the sower?

On the road

On the rocks

Among the thorns

Don’t over think it. You don’t know where a seed might sprout at.

Illust. Old truck (about 67 Chevy). Lost the keys. Had to hotwire it every time we drove it. Marijuana seed that sprouted in the truck of my stepfather.

Spurgeon illust. 1857 Spurgeon preached to 23, 654 people in the Crystal Palace. A couple of days before that he went into the building to test the acoustics to see where the pulpit should be placed. He thought he was alone. He shouted, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.”

In one of the galleries there was a worker. He was startled at the sudden shout but greatly convicted in his soul by the verse. He went home and gave his life to Christ.

Jesus doesn’t need our eloquence.

He doesn’t need our intelligence.

He doesn’t need our craftiness

He wants our diligence.

I have empty garden beds at home. I hope to have some vegetables in a few months. I don’t know if I will or not. If I don’t put some seed in the ground I know I won’t.

B. We need patience.

“He sleeps and rises night and day”

Once the seed is sown it is out of his control.

We must be careful. Man cannot make real flowers, but he can make artificial ones. We must be careful that in our impatience we are not making artificial Christians.

Well- meaning Christians are guilty of this. They are impatient. If we are not careful we may make people think they are converted when they are not.

Raise that hand!

Say this prayer!

Come and get baptized!

I have a free T shirt for you

Give them time!

Time for conviction!

Time to count the cost!

Time to pray!

Your job is to plant not produce.

If you don’t see fruit just keep scattering seed. It may take a sack full for some folks.

You say, “What if they pass away preacher?” You’ve done all you can do. You have planted the seed.

Illust. I had a man in the VA hospital on his death bed tell me “I joined that church to satisfy my wife, but I never got saved.”

Don’t be like that man’s wife. It might make you feel better but it’s false confidence.

Be patient. Trust God.

C. We need assistance.

“he knows not how” The best farmer don’t know how. They know what to do but they don’t know how that seed grows. They can’t explain it.

“the earth produces by itself”

Underground this is happening. This isn’t visible to the naked eye. God does something we can’t see or comprehend.

A little blade

Then an ear

Then the full grain 

I can preach the new birth but I can’t produce it.

I can pray for the new birth but I can’t produce it.

We can sow!

We cannot germinate!

When the Spirit of God entered my life, He did it secretly.

I didn’t see it happen.

I didn’t feel it happen.

I didn’t hear it happen.

It was a miracle of God’s grace.

I look over this congregation like it’s a freshly plowed field. I’m looking for a green blade. Something new, fresh, different. A life that is changing.

The blade- salvation

The ear- sanctification

The full grain- maturity

Salvation is such a mysterious thing that some don’t even know when it happened. That’s ok. You have had so much of the Word scattered on your heart you are not sure exactly which seed sprouted. That’s alright if the blade is there. If new life is there you know it.

Salvation is easy to recognize for some because so little of the Word has been scattered on their heart.

The important thing is you know the Lord has done a work in your life. You love Him. You hunger for Him. You don’t have to understand the when, the why, and the how.

2. God grows the kingdom (30-34). 

A. Jesus illustrates this with a parable (30-32).

A grain of mustard seed. Smallest of garden seeds in Palestine. When it matures it is the biggest of all the garden plants in that area. They could grow 12-15 feet high. Almost like a tree. Large enough to cast a shade and for birds to nest in.

God takes what is small and makes it big.

Our Savior was small. He was a small baby born in a small town.

The disciples were small. They were fishermen, common men. There were only twelve and one was a devil.

Our Bible is small when you compare it to all it has produced.

Illust. Acorn is a pocket-sized forest.

What has this one book produced?

It has produced:

Christians

Churches

Libraries

Ministries

Universities

Hospitals

B. There are necessities we observe connected with divine growth.

Seed, soil, water

We can’t create growth but we can recognize certain conditions precede it.

I want our church to grow.

1. We must witness to people if we want to see God grow this church.

Get over the fear.

Get in another field. Take the gospel where we have not taken it.

Illust. I can’t just talk about how nice it would be to have a garden. I must get out there and do something.

2. We must grow spiritually if we want to see God grow this church. Prayer, the Word, worship, fellowship, repentance.

3. We must labor in the field if we want to see God grow this church. The laborers are few! If we get more people, it shouldn’t mean more work on the few that already labor.

C. God is growing His kingdom.

He is saving people. He will keep saving people until Jesus comes back. The question is, where will He send them when He saves them. I want Him to send some folks here.

Illust. Love this time of year. I pass several fields on the way home. Some of them are plowed up and looking nice right now. They are being prepared to plant. Soon I’ll start seeing little blades, then ears, then full stalks. Those fields will be transformed in a matter of months. It will be beautiful.

People pass by this church every day. We have a few cars in the parking lot. We have a few folks here. We have a few ministries we do. I am looking forward to the day when God transforms this lot into a beautiful and fruitful field for His glory.

I want to be a part of what God is doing in this world.  

The wonderful thing is God allows us to participate in this divine growth.

Are we doing our part?

Am I saved Am I bearing fruit?

Am I scattering seed?

Am I growing in the Lord?

Am I laboring in the field?

Let me close with this reminder:

Christ came the first time as a Sower. He is coming the second time as the Harvester.

For the believer it is a glorious thing! Harvested for heaven!

For the unbeliever it is a terrible thing. Thrown into the fire.