016-Mark 4:1-20

Introduction

Same message different responses.Song LyricsHorse in the 1700 name Potoooooooo- Pot-8-o’s.today we see the same thing. Police- One word two very different responses.Black Live Matter- One word a myriad of responses.Christian- The Gospel– Today we will look a a parable.Jesus talks about the soils and those who hear the message.Those who heard the Gospel but how different will people respond to it.Verses 4-8 note the kind of soils the seed lands on. The path (v. 4)Rocky ground (vs. 5-6)Among thorns (v. 7)Good and productive soil (v. 8)Those 4 soils represent 4 people.The DeceivedThe ShallowThe DistractedThe Fruitful

Bible Verse

Mark 4:1–20 CSB

1 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. 2 He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them, 3 “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.” 9 Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.” 10 When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. 11 He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables 12 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.” 13 Then he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. 16 And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. 17 But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away. 18 Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 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. 20 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.”

1. What are Parables?

Explanation

Illustration

Jesus told stories to convey the truthParables, from the Greek word parabole; to cast alongside something elseUsed 48 times in the New TestamentThe parables of Jesus were memorable stories intended to provoke Kingdom’s learning and living.Cast something that is known along with something that is unknownJesus spoke often in parables(1/3 of the teachings); the ancient Rabbis also taught 1/3 of the time in parablesJesus’ teaching required the hearers to possess spiritual openness and mental diligence.open and available to hear from God.Diligence to continue learning. AHA. moments form a passage you have read long before.Don’t feel bad if you miss things sometimes.

Mark 4:3–9 CSB

3 “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.” 9 Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”

Look at verse 10

Mark 4:10 CSB

10 When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables.

The disciples don’t get it sometimes either.Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.Not everyone listen the same way. I can preach on giving some will love it other hate it.preach on love people around you that are different.that’s one reason Jesus taught in parables so that some would get it right away some would need more.Let’s look really quick at the point of this parable.

2. The Point of This Parable

Application

4 different categories.This passage is usually explained as the 4 responses that people will have for the Gospel.When you throw out Gospel seeds those are the 4 soils that the seed will fall on.Yes, that is true but there is also a truth for the believers here. When you as a Christian read this passage your eyes and ears should be quick to try to understand what soil you are.BTW the type of soil you are can change over time. Just as your heart can change overtime as well.

1. The Deceived

Mark 4:15 CSB

15 Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them.

The seed on the path represents a deceived person whom Satan continually hinders.The path here is the path of the world. The closer you are to the path of this world the easier it is fro Satan to deceive you.You come to church, but there is so much unrepentant sin in your life that before you get to the parking lot you forgot everything that was being said.There is so much bitterness and anger towards someone else that you cannot even focus on the preaching of the word.A person who is close-minded and hard-hearted struggles to accept biblical truth.Feel like you are speaking different languages.

2. The Shallow

Mark 4:16–17 CSB

16 And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. 17 But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.

The seed on the rocky ground represents a shallow person who fails to establish roots with which to grow.This is the believer that wants Joel Osten theology. They want to hear the word, they get all excited. But they quickly lose their joy if hardship comes.

James 1:2–4 CSB

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

The shallow ground person is perfectly happy staying on the shallow. They want to come to church and leave happy but they don’t want to grow.A person who doesn’t establish roots will be unable to withstand hard seasons as a believer.

3. The Distracted

Mark 4:18–19 CSB

18 Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 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.

The seed among the thorns represents a distracted person who gets caught up by the world.Has legitimate growth but the weeds are choking the growth.What are the usual distractionsworries of this age.- they are worried about what’s going on around them that they cannot focus on their continued growthdeceitfulness of wealth- they see what the people around them have and they want that as well.desires for other things- everything else in case you missed it.The result is unfruitfulness- It’s not like you are not a Christian but you are unable to reproduce other Christians.The reason that you are not being fruitful is not that you don’t have deep roots but because you have too many things in the way.The world and the Word can’t both possess your affections at the same time.

4. The Fruitful

Mark 4:20 CSB

20 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.”

The seed among the good soil represents a fruitful person who hears, accepts, and shares the Word.Other people are benefiting from your faith.The good soil doesn’t just listen well and accepts the teaching but it also teaches others.The health of your devotion can be determined by the fruit of your ministry.

Conclusion

Which description best summarizes your spiritual life over the last 6 months?

DeceivedShallowDistractedFruitful