Mark 4 - Does the Truth change your heart
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Introduction
Introduction
Do we go away after we read the Word and put things in place for change?
Are our wires so crossed in our minds that we have formed bad habits?
Some of you, like me, may have lead very different lives, but you have been Born again by the power of the Holy Spirit and Jesus has taken your stone heart and replaced it with a heart of flesh
Have we taken too many steps toward dakness?
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Today in Mark 4 | 3 differences to what we learnt so far. 1. Up to now, Jesus has spoken about Kingdom | Now reaction to teach/preach | 2. Jesus offers explanation | 3rd is teaching is for everyone due to large crowd. | Longest teaching in the whole Mark Gospel |
Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that
“ ‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’ ”
And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
Some Questions;
What is stopping you absorb / reflect
Let’s go through the heart types
Let’s go through the heart types
Heart like rock = Emotional - Happy, when price, don’t want to pay
Jesus Illustration of in the wilderness with Satan
Heart like rock is a dangerous place to be. Satan offered jesus whole kingdom, no cost. This is what Satan does...
But Jesus Chose Us, jesus chose pain, top provide our salvation, beaten up, murder, cross.
When satan tempts with money…false power..etc tec you can first remember what jesus was offered - What lives in you - then get equipped.
But…Must Absorb.
Thorns - money…independence etc. Thorns are those things that we are not repenting from. What do thorns do, hurt yourself and everyone around you - That’s why we want to change people.
True Believers bear spiritual fruit | different gifts produce same spirit |
Does the Truth change your heart? Do you go deep…get rid of thorns…Does Jesus take your heart of stone.
Illustration about hearing - Sky Diving - Rollercoaster story. (Make it sound like an adult roller coaster)
Big Theme is HEAR
Big Theme is HEAR
“HEAR” is mentioned 426 times - There is something that God really wants us to know. Must Listen and Act | Houses on Sand | Why didn’t thye obey? Was not planted in their heart.
And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.
Verse 24 tells us how important hearing is | The amount we invest in him, is the amount he will invest in use
Can’t use disobedient vessel
can’t use thorned vessel that is effectign everyone else around - Build Culture, not Cancer
But he can use a willing heart - a heart that wants real change.
When hearts ready to receieve my gosh God will work, look at what is happening here at this Church.
No Shortcut to a relationship with God. I will not be casual about things of eternity.
And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Lamp - Context | Oil, wick, can’t dim | bed here = couch | These verses represent first special instructions to the disciples
Teaching here is simple - If you have insight, you must pass on. We are the lights of the world. Instruction to rreflect holiness
This is wedged between two scriptures
This is wedged between two scriptures
Wedged between 2 chapters that talk about seed.
Seeds underground are hidden | Can’t see the seed but you can see the fruit | You can see what it can grow into | Thats why i’m passionate about peoples purpose |
Being with Jesus is only effective for the kingdom if you allow the seed that is planted in your heart to grow into a Godly purpose!!!
Are you letting truth change, reflect? be the church?
God has some awesome promises if you do.
A Seed is like a habit though - you might have to re-wire some old habits of the flesh that want to creep in. Thomas spoke about roof off. off old habits. otherwise we get use to these bad sinful habits, then we build mega churches without Jesus
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
“Still more will be added to you”
What more is he talking about? Material? or relationship ? understanding of the peace we can have through trials, eternity, how koinonia can lead to relationships.
And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Kingdom grown by God | One Plants, One Waters, God Grows | Lord of the harvest, we are workers grabbign a plow | Our role? Faithful Servent
And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
We get to the wonderful conclusion of the chapter, this whole time these people are like “Who is this guy” | This shows “This is God” | The Channel was known to be windy | Jesus is saying Faith over Fear | Who is Jesus? Will you trust him?
MArk is saying Faith is more than Iintellect but real trust and you can only have a real trust in Jesus if you know him, and you can only know him through his word.