Evangelism Is Organic Work

8.31.25 [Mark 4:26-32] River of Life (12th Sunday after Pentecost)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who purchased and won us to be his very own people. Amen. 

They say great salespeople are born, not made. They say some people just have a natural knack for convincing others to agree to terms, to sign on the dotted line, and closing a deal. They say that there are people out there who can pick up a pen and sell it to strangers. Do you believe that? 

Maybe you do; maybe you don’t. But I bet you do have some beliefs about salespeople. I bet if I had you write down three or four words that described a salesperson, they wouldn’t all be complementary. You might come up with words like pushy, manipulative, or dishonest. You might say that salespeople tend to be slick or clever. That they talk too fast and only hear what they want to hear. You might say that they’re full of themselves and only interested in hitting their sales goals and filling their pockets. Do you believe that about salespeople? 

Maybe you do; maybe you don’t. If you don’t, it’s probably for one of two reasons. Either you were in sales or you love someone who is or was in sales. What we see on TV and what we experience on the showroom floor rarely leaves us with a good impression of sales. 

Now why does what you think about salespeople and sales matter on a Sunday morning? Don’t worry, I don’t have anything to sell you. But we tend to think of evangelism as a kind of spiritual sales. We think some people are just born for it, and the rest of us are not. We think that you have to be clever, a little pushy, and someone who’s really extroverted and loves to talk to complete strangers.

And that’s why this text from Mark 4 is so good for us all to consider this morning. Jesus gives us two somewhat similar pictures of what  the kingdom of God is like. Neither of them is in the marketplace.

First, Jesus tells us that the kingdom of God is like a man scattering seed on the ground. The moment that seed is covered in dirt, it is out of view, but it is not out of commission. Mk. 4:28 All by itself, the seed sprouts and grows—even when the farmer cannot explain how or why. Yet, it does work. The seed bursts forth from the ground and grows slowly but surely, and produces grain at the proper time. When that time comes, the farmer knows what to do. It’s time for the harvest. 

In the second parable, there’s no farmer in the frame. Mk. 4:31 The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of seeds on earth. But it doesn’t stay that way. Mk. 4:32 When it is planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all the garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade. 

Whenever Jesus speaks in parables, we have to proceed with caution. We can easily lose the forest for the trees. So let’s stand back and look at both of these parables together. Great teachers utilize the great power of repetition. So what is Jesus repeating? 

He’s repeatedly talking about seeds. The first is a kernel of wheat. The second is a mustard seed. In the first parable, he makes the point that the power is not in the planter, but in what is planted. In the second parable, he makes the point that the power is greater than what we can see with our own eyes and what we might initially think is possible. 

This parable has many applications to the life of the Christian. For one, it’s never about us and our skills. Secondly, looks can be very misleading. Both of these truths apply to our redemption and our sanctification. But these truths also apply to the task of evangelism—of sharing the Gospel with those who do not know Jesus as their Savior. 

Yet so often we fixate on our lack of gifts and our lack of results. We see people who speak powerfully and think that’s the only way. We see places where many are flocking and think that’s the only way. Of course, God uses talented people and works through thoughtful programs. But the power isn’t in their talents or their techniques. The power is in the Word. That is the seed that sprouts all by itself. That is the seed that, when planted, grows and becomes spectacular. 

But too often, we treat the Gospel like it’s an engagement ring. We are searching for the perfect person, looking for the perfect words, and waiting for the perfect time. We’re worried that we’re going to mess it up. We’re worried that we’re not going to have answers to all their doubts and questions. We’re worried that by simply bringing the topic up, we might ruin the whole relationship. We’re worried because we’ve forgotten what we have. Rom. 1:16 The Gospel is the power of God for salvation. The Gospel is how God leads people from darkness into his wonderful light, from death into life, from guilt and shame and fear into joy and hope and love. It is through the Gospel that God works big changes, even when they seem small at first. 

And that’s the second hang-up we have. We don’t always see the fruits of our labor right away. We ask someone if we can pray for them and they blow us off. We invite them go to church with us and they tell us they’re busy. We speak about the confidence we have in the face of frightening things like guilt and shame and death and they quickly change the subject. We witness the Gospel and we don’t see much. 

But remember what Jesus is teaching us through these parables. Evangelism isn’t about our skills; it’s about the seed. And the seed may not look impressive, but so much spiritual growth happens beneath the surface. God does a lot with a few words. God does a lot when it looks like “not a lot” is happening. 

We see that in Jesus’ ministry. There are plenty of examples, but for today, I want to give you two little ones to chew on. 

The first is a little guy in Jericho. His name was Zacchaeus. He wasn’t just small in stature, but his neighbors didn’t think much of him. He was a chief tax collector and public enemy number one. But Jesus reached out to him. He saw him up in the sycamore tree and invited himself over for dinner. Lk. 19:5 I must stay at your house today. This wasn’t done at random. Jesus knew this man was lost in the sin of greed. Lk. 19:10 The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. And in just a few words, salvation came to the house of Zacchaeus. 

The second is a woman who was trying to hide in her own village. She had been married a handful of times and she was living with a man who wasn’t her husband. Because of her guilt and shame, she tried to avoid her neighbors. But Jesus found her drawing water at the well in the heat of the day. When he sat down with her, he asked her for a drink and then he offered her living water—eternal life. Jesus went on to tell her about God and his plan of salvation. Jesus explained that he was the Messiah she had been waiting for. Jesus made a point of moving into this woman’s world to call her to repentance. 

Neither of these conversations seems like much on surface. But God does incredible things through his powerful Word. You can do it, too.  

Preaching the Gospel is quite simple. Do you know who Jesus is? Do you know why he came? He is the Son of God who came to take away our sins. This isn’t something you discovered. This is something God has revealed to you. He has placed this powerful seed in your hands. So where are you going to plant it? Pray for the opportunities. 

Scatter it in the neighborhoods around us! Plant small Gospel seeds in the hearts and minds of your friends and family. And trust God. 

Trust God to open doors and open hearts. Trust God to sharpen your mind and change the minds of those who are living in unrepentant sin. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell that person who is buried under a mountain of guilt and shame that Jesus died for their sins and that mountain will be thrown into the heart of the sea. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will initiate conversations with complete strangers. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you are connected to Christ and not a single one of his words will return to him empty. Nothing that seems impossible to you will be impossible for you, if it God’s will for your life. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will scatter the seeds generously and trust God to grow his church and advance his kingdom as he sees fit. 

Our role in his kingdom is not salesperson. Our mission is not to pop the question and propose marriage to complete strangers. Though they have a few things in common, our task is far easier! Like salespeople, we have to be persistent and talk to people. Like proposing to someone, this conversation can change the course of our lives. But there’s no pressure. No sales quotas. No fear of being rejected. Only joy! 

John the Baptist gives us great insight into what we are called to be and do. John describes himself as the groom’s friend. That’s our role in this world. 

Imagine you had a friend who had been dragged through the mud by a number of disappointing suitors. Her heart had been broken and she didn’t think she could trust or love anyone ever again. Now imagine you also knew the perfect guy for her. He was humble and talented, thoughtful and loving. Would you just sit on your hands as you watched her strike out again and again? Of course not! You’d introduce her to Mr. Right as soon as you could. 

You know Mr. Right for everyone you meet. He is Mr. Righteous. The humble Son of Man, the holy Son of God. He is perfect for imperfect people. And we get to introduce our friends and family to the One who is love. What a privilege! What a joy! What an honor!

And for complete strangers, Isaiah has a completely different analogy. He invites us into the marketplace and calls us to the counter. But this is no sales pitch: Is. 55:1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. That’s not sales. That’s salvation. And that’s what we’re sharing when we share the good news of Jesus! Amen.