The Seed & the Soil

Introduction/tension

There’s a distinction that I hope to make today about the type of belief we need in following Jesus. I feel for people living in 2026, belief has been a commodity. There’s been a few years where our belief systems have been challenged. I feel people once believed that the institutions in our world held our best interest and we could for the most part trust that decisions would be made to ensure the best for us all.

Many things have eroded any trust we once had. The point of this message isn’t to rehash all of that, but rather to help us to understand what it means to believe in Jesus. Unfortunately one of the institutions that has helped to erode trust is the church. Perhaps a specific local church, maybe this one, but also the church at large. And as a result, sadly, people have stopped believing or belief has been challenged.

A need we all have

Thankfully, very recently, studies are showing that belief in God, people searching for answers from God, has seen a significant increase. I think this has to do with people deeply desiring to have something solid. An eternal security. Something they can believe in that is lasting and ancient. People seem to be looking beyond the trappings of this world and even some of the failures of the church and look beyond to Jesus and the ancient truth he represents.

Gallup’s latest data, from 2024-2025, show 42% of young men saying religion is very important to them, up sharply from 28% in 2022-2023.

There is a deep hunger today for authentic truth. But here's the question we have to answer: What kind of belief are we actually looking for?

Is it just liking Jesus from a distance? Is it treating Him like a self-help guru? Or is it a faith that actually transforms how we live?

In Mark chapter 3 and 4, massive crowds of disillusioned people flooded out to the wilderness to find Jesus. They were searching for answers, too. But Jesus immediately forces them—and forces us—to confront a crucial distinction between being interested in Him and truly believing in Him. Today, Mark asks us five searching questions: Do you believe Jesus enough to follow Him?

"Lord help us to be humble enough to hear your word and help us to respond to you in joy as we apply your word to our lives.”

What God Says: Biblical Truth

Because we’re dealing with quite a long text today, you may remain seated but let us honor God’s word today.

Mark 3:7–4:34 CSB

Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and a large crowd followed from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. Then he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. Since he had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” And he would strongly warn them not to make him known. Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, to send them out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons. He appointed the Twelve: To Simon, he gave the name Peter; and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, he gave the name “Boanerges” (that is, “Sons of Thunder”); Andrew; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat. When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.” The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.” So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.” He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Again he began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them, “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.” Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.” When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables so that they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven.” Then he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables? The sower sows the word. Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away. Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.” He also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and more will be added to you. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” “The kingdom of God is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head. As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.” And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.” He was speaking the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand. He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples.

1. Do you believe Jesus enough to draw near to Him? (3:7–12)

Notice how the crowds flocked to Jesus. But what did they want? A Lord to follow? Or someone to grant their wishes. Now mind you, perhaps they were disillusioned with what they were experiencing. The religion of their day was corrupt. The government was overbearing. Perhaps they were flocking to Jesus looking for something real, someone who could really help. Bu there’s a difference in intellectual belief and the belief we see Jesus calling people to in Mark’s gospel. This new type of belief is pisteuo and it means trust, allegiance, and surrender. That’s what Jesus is calling people to. To trust fully in him.

Where are you today? Do you want Jesus to give you all the things you want from the world but can’t get? Or do you come to him to get what only he can give. We want to draw near to him, but not like these crowds. We want to draw near to Jesus to experience his presence.

2. Do you believe Jesus enough to devote your life to Him? (3:13–35)

In this next section, we have a series of things that help us to see the type of belief that leads to devotion to Jesus. The twelve are appointed. And even in their devotion we see the contrast of Judas’ eventual betrayal, showing us that our devotion isn’t a one-time commitment, it’s got to be a lifetime of devotion.

We also see the scribes getting further away from belief. They look at something good Jesus was doing, driving out demons but they attributed it to satan. Jesus confronts their logic and shows them that their unbelief is actually blasphemy and blasphemy against the work of the Holy Spirit is unable to be forgiven. It was their blatant disdain for Jesus and the work God was doing through him that condemned them. Don’t miss that Jesus shows us that people will be forgiven of all kinds of other sins, the difference is belief in him.

Lastly Jesus utters an important phrase regarding this who are his true followers. Those who do the will of God. John 6:29

John 6:29 CSB

Jesus replied, “This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.”

Doing the will of God is believing Jesus!

3. Do you believe Jesus enough to cultivate a receptive heart? (4:1–20)

Next Jesus uses a parable to teach about the seed and the soil. He also explains it to his disciples. The seed is the word of God, the gospel message. The soil represents different types of soil. And while there are soils that are rocky, without root, etc, There is a good soil. The good soil is the believing soil. The good soil is the soil that is receptive. Jesus said, let anyone who has ears listen. Our prayer should be. Lord give me listening ears and a receptive heart. Help me to have the good soil to receive your word. And I think that’s a prayer you can pray no matter how long you’ve been a christian. Lord, help me to believe.

4. Do you believe Jesus enough to truly hear His Word? (4:21–25)

Mark 4:21–25 CSB

He also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and more will be added to you. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Jesus reiterates to his disciples what he said to everyone, having ears to hear is what is necessary. Acting upon what we hear determines how we grow in the Lord. Are you listening today? Is it leading you to believe more?

5. Do you believe Jesus enough to trust His kingdom’s growth? (4:26–34)

Jesus likens believing in him to two more types of seed. The first is scattered seed that produces fruit. Id your belief producing fruit? Spiritual fruit? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control? Is it producing kingdom fruit? are more people coming to believe in Christ because you are helping to spread the seed?

The second seed is a mustard seed. It’s tiny, but turns into a great tree. Is your faith, your belief, growing? Can people see it?

Closing & Invitation

If you don’t yet believe today, you can!

John 3:16–18 CSB

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.