Sowing the Seed. Mark 4:1-20
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Sowing the seed.
Sowing the seed.
Intro: This is one of those well known stories in the Bible. One that is so important today. Sowing the seed. The seed, God’s word. It is for us, hearing Gods word preached, taught, through reading and God speaking to us through it. Its what we do with it, that counts.
But it also about us, believers, sowing the seed, telling someone about what Jesus has done for us. Telling them about the saving grace of Jesus. It is our job to sow the seed, what happens after that is not up to us. It is the person who receives decision.
The passion to sow the seed. VS 1-2
The passion to sow the seed. VS 1-2
1 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
1 He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land.
Jesus had just a home were he had been teaching, performing miracles. His family was there, they wanted Him home. Jesus speaks family, a spiritual family.
a. Now he has moved along. Now Sea of Galilee. Large crowd following Him. He gets into a boat (not the first time, not the last) This kept the crowd from trampling Him, His voice would carry from the water.
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2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
2 And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching,
Jesus did a lot of teaching. Why? He had a lot to teach, and there was a lot to learn. Jesus was a great teacher. Some could not understand His teaching, their hearts were hard (see more of that later)
a. Here we see Jesus teaching using a parable.
Parable: G.W means, along side, to throw.
b. In others words, you have a truth you want to illustrate so you throw along side it some comparison, some description that people can understand, it amplifies and illuminates what you are trying to teach.
“An earthly story with a heavenly meaning”
The Sower, the word. VS 3,14
The Sower, the word. VS 3,14
3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
Mark 4:3
3 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow;
14 The sower soweth the word.
4 And He said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent.
14 “The sower sows the word.
I. The Sower in the Parable (3) – Hearken; (listen to this) Behold, there went out a sower to sow. Jesus calls their attention in consideration of one who went forth to sow.
I. The Sower in the Parable (3) – Hearken; (listen to this) Behold, there went out a sower to sow. Jesus calls their attention in consideration of one who went forth to sow.
a. While He offered little detail, there are a couple principles we need to consider regarding the sower. Consider:
A. His Discernment – Jesus simply proclaimed that a sower went forth to sow. This reveals the sower knew if his seed was to germinate and produce a harvest, he would have to sow the seed.
a. This was a principle the people could understand. In order for seed to do any good, and if there is to be any hope of a harvest, the seed has to be sown in the ground.
c. Peanut farmers in South Ga. have plant the seed, if they have any hope of harvesting.
d. His Diligence – While possessing the knowledge necessary to plant the seeds, the sower also knew he had to actively plant the seed. His knowledge of seeds and harvest would have been of little benefit if the seed had not be sown.
d. His Diligence – While possessing the knowledge necessary to plant the seeds, the sower also knew he had to actively plant the seed. His knowledge of seeds and harvest would have been of little benefit if the seed had not be sown.
e. Many understand the principles of sowing and reaping, and yet the majority are unwilling to sow the seed.
f. We possess the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who receive Christ by faith are saved by His grace, forgiven of sin, reconciled to God, placed within the body of Christ, and guaranteed eternal life.
g. Wouldn’t you agree that everyone needs such grace? If they are to have any chance of salvation, the Gospel seed must be sown. It is not enough to know all about grace. One must willing to share Gods garce. It is not enough for us to simply know the way of salvation. We must be willing to do the work and sow the seed if there is to be a harvest.
The soils of the parables
The soils of the parables
The soil when planting seed is very important. Elab
When we sow the seed of God’s word, the soil of that persons heart will determine what happens to the seed. We have no control over that.
The Impermeable Soil.
The Impermeable Soil.
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
Mark 4:
4 as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
15 “These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
1. The first soil Jesus mentioned was that by the way side. This speaks of the areas alongside the fields of harvest where people walked. The soil in those areas would have become hard and packed down, making it impossible for the seeds to permeate the soil.’
1. The first soil Jesus mentioned was that by the way side. This speaks of the areas alongside the fields of harvest where people walked. The soil in those areas would have become hard and packed down, making it impossible for the seeds to permeate the soil.’
a. As it lay on top of the ground, the fowls of the air ate it and there was never a chance for these seeds to produce a harvest.
b. Jesus revealed that Satan likes to come and steal the seed away before it has a chance to take root in the hearts of men.
c. Many hearts today are like the soil found along the way side. It has not been prepared to receive the seed and is quickly stolen away by Satan.
d. This results from many factors. Maybe they are engaged in sin and have no desire for the Lord. Maybe their hearts are hard and cold toward the things of God. Whatever the case, the seed is removed before it has the chance to produce.
The Stony Soil.
The Stony Soil.
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
Mark 4:
5 “Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.
6 “And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
Mark 4:
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
16 “In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;
17 and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.
1. There are some places, when you try to plant a garden, you have likely encountered stones and rocks within the soil. (Cades Cove)
a. In Jerusalem, large areas of limestone lay just beneath the surface of the thin layer of soil. These seeds would germinate in the thin soil, but they had no opportunity to establish deep roots. Once the sun bore down on them, they dried up and withered because they had no depth.
b. Some gladly receive the Word, but there is no depth in their lives. They are not rooted in the faith, and when trials and adversity come, they quickly abandon their faith. These never make a genuine commitment to the Lord and are quickly gone with the first storm or trial.
The Thorny Soil.
The Thorny Soil.
Mark 4:
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
7 “Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
18 “And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,
19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
1. As the seed was planted, on the surface this soil looked good and well prepared to receive the seed. However, along with the good seed, thorns also lay in the soil.
a. As the plants began to grow, the thorns also grew among them, choking them out and hindering their production. These plants likely looked strong, but they yielded no fruit. The thorns and weeds robbed the plant of sunlight, water, and rich nutrients in the soil, slowly choking the life out of the plant. It may resemble the plants around it, but it will never produce fruit.
b. Jesus described these as those who are choked out by the cares of the world and the lure of riches and the flesh. They started out well, but soon fell prey to the environment around them.
c. Their desire for the things of the world that please the flesh led to their demise. This illustrates the great importance to rid our lives of those things that hinder our relationship with Christ.
The Power of the Seed. VS 14
The Power of the Seed. VS 14
14 The sower soweth the word.
14 “The sower sows the word.
The Power – Jesus revealed the sower sowed the Word. The Word of God is the seed pictured in the parable. Paul declares that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
– So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
– For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
a. There is power within the Word of God; it is living and able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. God’s Word has the ability to convict of sin and reveal Christ as the Savior. We don’t possess that power, but we can sow the seed and allow the Spirit to work through the Word.
b. We live in an impatient world. We have grown accustomed to immediate results. Anyone who knows anything about planting and harvesting knows that it takes time for the seed to germinate in the soil, producing a plant, which in time produces fruit.
c. We don’t have the ability to save; the power lies in the Word. In fact, if we do see the harvest, it will be the result of the Spirit’s work over time. We cannot expect to receive an immediate harvest every time we sow the seed, but we must be faithful to sow. Once the seed is planted, it is up to the Lord to give the increase! – I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
b. The Potential VS – And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
c. A tiny seed has the potential to produce a great harvest. Every seed planted won’t necessarily produce such a harvest, but the potential is always there.
d. Jesus declares that some of the seed produced a thirty-fold harvest, some sixty-fold, and others even a hundred-fold. Doing the math, one seed has the potential to produce between a 3,000% yield all the way up to a 10,000% yield. This reveals that one tiny seed has the potential to multiply itself 10,000 times.
e. We know this principle is true in regard to plants, and it is also true in a spiritual sense. Once the Word of God is planted in favorable soil, a prepared heart, it has unlimited potential.
f. Now, we know Jesus declared we can do nothing apart from Him. Never underestimate what the Lord is able to do with one seed being sown in the right place.
Conclusion: Jesus called the people to pay close attention to the words He spoke in the parable. He challenged those who had ears to hear what He had proclaimed. These challenges remain today. We have considered great spiritual truth. Our hearts are pictured in this passage. What type of heart do you have? Is it hard and impermeable; does it lack depth of faith; is it burdened and consumed with worries and the desires of this life; or is it prepared by the Spirit and ready to receive the things of God?