The Seed, the Sower, and the Soil
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Thoughts on the Parables:
The Parables begin AFTER Jesus encounters opposition.
Why? (v. 9-11)
30 So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
1. He did not come to lead a revolution against Rome.
2. He came to correct the current Jewish expectations on the nature of God’s Kingdom.
There is a major issue with informational knowledge in the modern church. That’s why so many youth fall away in college. They have not experienced God in a participatory or experiential way.
They have some ideas about God, but they don’t have the full picture. So when they get tempted or hear some skeptic, they’re like, I never thought of that. The pastor couldn’t answer that (perhaps, pastor’s aren’t experts in everything. But neither are skeptics). But these youths might be surprised if they knew what the Bible really says rather than what they expect.
Just think about the fact that most Jews thought Jesus would come as something like a Roman General. We 2000 years later, go pish posh. How could they be so stupid?
But they studied their Bible and went to church. perhaps there are some of you who think you got it, but you need to ask, “What did He really mean, not just what did He say?”
3. Parables allowed Him to teach without direct conflict with rulers and authority.
7 On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
4. It kept the wicked powers from understanding His plan to defeat death and the Devil.
Mark 4:1–20 (NASB95)
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. 2 And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 3 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 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. 7 “Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 “Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 10 As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12 so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.” 13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14 “The sower sows the word. 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. 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. 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. 20 “And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
A. The main parts of this parable.
The Sower = Anyone sharing the Word of God.
The Seed = The Word of God. Note that it in by it being spiritual in nature has the power of God with it.
The Soil = The heart of the hearer. Note that the ground itself is not the problem. It is how the ground has been cultivated.
3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns. 4 O people of Judah and Jerusalem, surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the Lord, or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire because of all your sins.
God has provided all you or anyone else needs to know Him. The Word of God is the work of the Holy Spirit. Hearing the Word of God IS the encounter with God. If you are someone who has been following God, you will see it for what it is. If you are someone humbly seeking God and a relationship with Him, you will hear it. God is not going around arbitrarily blinding people and making them deaf.
Jesus’ ministry was the exact opposite of that. He would heal people and offer relationship with God. But just because He offered it didn’t mean they all did. Remember there were 10 Lepers but only one returned.
B. What the Soil represents: (v. 14-20)
1. Hard soil- Type of person who will not receive or that resists considering the message.
Insert Rabbit Duck Illusion here.
Its the same pen and paper but all about perspective. Are you a duck or rabbit person? Do you look from left to right first or right to left?
Same with a proud hearted person. They think they know it all. They believe they can argue their goodness and God’s wicked demand that there be a penalty for sin. They will flip the message around because they don’t see their need.
How many of you know skeptics you’ve witnessed the gospel? I’ve been around people who like me come to a point of hearing the gospel and understanding the concept but not having the right perspective.
How could a loving God send a good person to hell? That was my sticking point. It assumes a couple of truths. There is a God and He is loving. But it assumes a few false things, that anyone is good enough compared to God’s holiness. Everyone is born with a broken nature that will not focus on God and thus will sin and be guilty. While God is loving, love does not negate justice and holiness.
So you will hear lost people scoff at God. Yeah look at that holy God who killed His Son on the cross. Yeah that’s not very loving or good is it? What they don’t see is the grace, the sacrifice, the humility, and pain God went through on the cross so He could satisfy the need for justice. Thus He can redeem others. They don’t see how cold, prideful, and unappreciative they are. They hear, but don’t hear...
1 Corinthians 1:18 (NLT)
18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.
2. Rocky-Shallow soil- those who walk away when they experience suffering or social pressure.
You’ve seen those people who are fine as long as they are in a church environment. It works for them. Their family and friends all think Jesus is just all right.
But man they get to the point where their friends don’t invite the backyard pool party at the cool girl’s McMansion. They got the live band with the frontman body surfing. But they will be boozing and fooling around so they don’t invite the goody two shoes.
That kids starts feeling the pain of not being part of the in crowd NOW.
Or you have that job offer with some questionable ethics and commitments. You think about the money but it takes you away from that listening to AWANA kid who chews her gum while reciting verses then when she waits for you to check it off, she pops a big bubble and you your hair sticking together.
Yeah, you start going, is church really that important? I can be a Christian all on my own.
See you can start out looking like your going to grow, but it’s that slow fade as you don’t root yourself in Christ.
See the Parables address that question we all ask. Jesus presents the UPSIDE DOWN reality. We delay gratification on this earth to have total SATISFACTION when the King finally comes.
This soil becomes apparent when you come to the question we all ask at some point: “WHY GOD?”
If you come out understanding that God is just and loving. There will be a day of reckoning for all evil. There will be a reward far beyond what you can imagine or think, then you’ll go deeper.
but if you get offended or think God didn’t reward me, this ain’t worth it. You’ll skeedattle.
3. Thorny Soil- These are the materialistic type people. They put other loves before God.
36 “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
The Good soil is the heart that humble receives the Word of God and Grows in Grace and knowledge. It seeks out opportunities to participate in God’s Kingdom work until He returns.
Questions to discuss today:
How well do you enjoy the Word as of late?
103 How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
How often do you sow (share) the word?
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.
How fruitful has your work been overall and as of late?
One day a lady criticized D. L. Moody for his methods of evangelism in attempting to win people to the Lord. Moody's reply was "I agree with you. I don't like the way I do it either. Tell me, how do you do it?" The lady replied, "I don't do it." Moody retorted, "Then I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it."
A lame method is better than no method at all when explaining the gospel. Why? Because even a clunky or cheesy method that clearly explains the gospel is better than keeping your mouth shut! The gospel is "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" according to Romans 1:16. So when someone unleashes the explosive force of this message it has impact. Whether its through a cube, a book, a tract, a story, a Gospel of John or a video, the Gospel message has power and effect.
People ask me all the time "What is the best method for sharing the gospel?" My answer is always the same. Don't focus on using a method yet. Focus on the mastering the message first.
If you master the gospel message then you can attach the right method at the right time to the right audience. If you don't master the message then your method will be robotic and rote rather than relational and real.