Mark 4:1-41

Big Idea:

Be a part of God’s harvest .

Intro:

Good morning Church Online. Thanks for joining us.

Earlier this week, my son sent me a text saying, “It’s not B-sian. It’s A-sian.” Before moving any further, I probably need to explain a couple things...

I’m half asian. Many of you know this. Many of you can tell just by looking at my face. Or you could guess by my last name - Lim. I’m half Mexican, but I’m also Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino.

On Monday, my son got a C+ on his test. And his text was his way of saying, “I know dad. I’m supposed to get better grades. I’m A-sian.”

In case you were wondering, it is true that the Asian culture puts a high expectation on good grades.

[Sometimes too much. Sometimes it creates, “Emotional damage.”]

I always got good grades. I always had the top grade in my math class. I mean… I took AP Calculus 2 in high school. But I got to be honest… after 10th grade, I stopped paying attention in class. But each year, I advanced into a higher math without progressing in my learning. Some of that was natural ability, but most of it was a solid understanding of math. I had built a good FOUNDATION that helped me figure things out.

Building upon a solid foundation can make a huge difference…

Today, as we continue in the Book of Mark, Jesus is going to teach something foundational. And I believe, if we will listen, it will make a huge impact our lives, families, and community. Let’s started reading today’s passage...

Mark 4:1–9 ESV

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.”

Let me stop here for a second… there are a few things I want us to notice that’ll help us better understand - what will be - Jesus’s main point:

Notice Jesus was always teaching. He emphasized instruction as part of the coming Kingdom. This is because sin has messed up our thinking.

You may notice that we teach the Bible here at TRC. We don’t just share funny and inspiration stories, but give instruction based on God’s truth. We do that because Jesus did that… and we’re followers of Jesus.

Jesus taught using parables. Parables are a form of teaching that use familiar concepts, in a story, to help people learn important Kingdom principles. But parables also have the potential to intentionally create confusion… more on that in a bit.

Notice, when the sower spreads seed, the seed falls on FOUR different kinds of ground. And each type affected the impact of the seed.

Verse 10...

Mark 4:10–20 ESV

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.”

Lots here. Let’s start with “the elephant in the room.” Did Jesus really tell the disciples He was teaching in parables because He DIDN’T want some to understand?

YES HE DID.

That sounds kinda mean. And it doesn’t sound consistent with Jesus says in other places, like...

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

If God loves the entire world, and Jesus was sent to call people into the Kingdom, then, why would He want people NOT to understand?

Think about something Jesus said earlier...

Mark 2:17 ESV

And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

In this passage, Jesus compares two groups: The righteous and sinners.

By biblical definition, righteous means “right with God.”

And sinner means “separated” or “wrong with God.”

Yet, strangely, in this statement, Jesus puts the positive on the sinner and negative on the righteous. This is because many times people think they are “right with God” when they are not. And this “self-righteousness” actually CLOSES them off (if you will, gives them a hard heart) towards God.

On the other hand, the sinner - one who is broken by sin -desperately cries out to God and is OPEN to salvation!

And remember, apart from Christ, we are all sinners deserving of God’s wrath.

Romans 3:23 ESV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

We all should be humble, honest about our sin, and hungry for salvation...

...But many aren’t... They are think they’re good. They say, “Me and the big Man upstairs are homies. He knows my heart.” Or, “I’m a good person. My good works outweigh my bad!” …as if that’s how it works (it’s NOT).

And what Jesus tells us here in Mark 4 is that parables help us see which group we belong to...

When you hear His parables and respond with faith and obedience, the Kingdom of God is open to you.

However, when you hear His parables and think, “That doesn’t apply to me… or .... what the heck is He talking about?” There’s a problem! It’s revealing the condition of your heart.

Now I got to mention this, because otherwise, a bunch of true followers of Jesus gonna be worried. I don’t mean that when you put your faith in Jesus, you automatically understand everything in the Bible. We all know that’s not true.

Let’s be honest… sometimes the Bible is super confusing! I mean… it should be. They were written thousands of years ago, in a different language, to different cultures. Plus, you need the Holy Spirit to illuminate it for you.

The gospel is simple, but it takes hard work and the power of God to understand the Bible. I have a Master’s degree in Theology and I still get confused.

What I am saying is that our reception and response to God’s word reveals the condition of our heart. And the condition of our heart is FOUNDATIONAL to our participation in the Kingdom of God.

Isn’t that what Jesus explained in the parable of the soils?

He said sometimes God’s word is preached, people hear it, but the devil snatches it away. It’s like seed falling on concrete. It has no impact. And sometimes our heart is like concrete. We hear God’s word and it instantly bounces off and is taken away. Parables can show us this reality about ourselves.

Sometimes, we hear God’s word and think, “Wow. That was a great sermon. I think I’ll start following Jesus.” But then something happens that causes us to say, “Never mind.” God’s word never takes root. Why? Because our heart is too hard. We initially responded well but the ground is still too hard. A parable can show this.

In a similar way, sometimes we like what Jesus has to say, and want to change how we live, but… we like the temporary pleasures of this world more. Whether we verbalize it or not, we say, “God, I like you. But I love this more.” That’s still a hard heart.

But sometimes… a miracle happens. God’s word hits soft soil and a life is radically transformed. And faith and obedience follows. And there’s fruit - there’s good works sourced from a good heart. And a parable reveals this too.

And so, why does Jesus teach in parables? Because He’s not just instructing, but also showing people the condition of our heart, SO THAT... they can respond appropriately. And the hope is...

If our heart is hard, we will realize this (maybe thru a parable) and repent. We will cry out to Jesus to save us.

I’ve always thought this was the main point of this parable… And usually, I’d go on to make an application that we need to consider the condition of our heart.

How do we respond to the teaching of God’s word?

Do we reject or receive it?

What does that say about our heart?

I may also throw in the fact that Jesus seems to teach the reality that many will reject the gospel. I mean… 3 out of 4 soils were unreceptive. And Jesus said elsewhere, “Wide is the path to destruction and many find it. But narrow is the path to life and few find it.” (Matt 7:13-14)

...but after studying this week, I think I’d be wrong...

Not that these principles aren’t important or found in this passage - they are! They are truly honest questions we should ask in response to this parable… but it’s not the main point.

I believe the main point is this… point number 1 is...

1) There will be a harvest (vv. 1-25).

The emphasis of this parable isn’t on people’s rejection, but the coming of the Kingdom of God! The salvation of many people! The harvest!

Yes, there will be rejection. But Jesus wanted us to know something more important… I am coming to save! I am coming to make things right. I am bringing a Kingdom that cannot be stopped! And I will accomplish my purposes...

Isaiah 55:10–11 ESV

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Sure, 3 out of 4 soils were hard and rejected the seed (and that seems significant), but what is TRULY significant is the soil that produced the harvest. It produced a harvest thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times what had been planted! (as the NLT put it).

And the parable doesn’t say seed was equally distributed among the four soils. The sower simply scattered it in his field. And some just happened to fall on hard ground.

But let’s just pretend... the seed was equally distributed. Even IF only 25% fell on good soil… the multiplication of the HARVEST more than makes up for it! And this should give us confidence in the power of the gospel - the seed!

Romans 1:16 ESV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

It should greatly encourage our currently small church plant. Yes, we live in an area that seems to be hard ground. So what! Jesus is here. And His Word is being preached. You know what that means? IT MEANS THE HARVEST IS COMING! His Kingdom is coming to Glastonbury and New England. And the gates of hell will not prevail! (Matt 16:18)

I believe that’s the point of the next parable...

Mark 4:21–25 ESV

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.” 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. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

I’m running out of time and still have lots to cover, so I’ll get to the point… Jesus is the lamp. And His light WILL shine. It WILL accomplish its purpose. The harvest WILL come!

And here’s what I want to ask again: How do we respond to God’s word? Only this time, don’t filter that thru lens of rejection, but thru the perspective of the HARVEST.

God has come to save the world.

He wants people to be fruitful.

He wants a harvest!

But do WE BELIEVE this will happen? Our answer to this question matters because it impacts our participation in the Kingdom. It’ll change how - or if - we live for Jesus!

However, let me share a few more things we need to understand about the Kingdom that’ll help us believe FOR the harvest...

Mark 4:26–34 ESV

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.” 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.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

Point number 2… we need to know that...

2) The harvest will grow (vv. 26-34).

This is FOUNDATIONAL to properly understanding the coming harvest. IT WILL GROW! That being said, there’s a process to harvest-growth that Jesus clarifies in this passage. And if we miss this, we’ll make wrong interpretations about the harvest (or lack thereof)...

3 things for us...

a) Understand that harvest-growth is dependent on God. Though our efforts matter (because God partners with us), God is the one who ultimately gives growth. Therefore, when the harvest doesn’t seem to be growing, we must remember that God is STILL at work. He’s responsible for growth. We simply sow seeds. If we do our part, we can trust Him with the rest! Don’t let the lack of visible growth discourage your Kingdom participation.

b) Understand that a healthy harvest is a progression. Progressions take time and include steps of growth. I know we all want to see the Kingdom of God (in our lives, church, or community) blow up! And sometimes God does that. Radical growth can happen! But usually, it takes time for healthy things to grow.

For your personal growth, know there will be a progression. Discipleship is a direction, not a destination. You’re not perfect, but you are being perfected. Sanctification - or the process of becoming more like Jesus - is a lifelong journey.

In church growth, there’s a progression too. We started invisible (no team or church existed -but the Holy Spirit was here). Then, it was a sprout (just a small team). Now, it’s growing and producing fruit (look around). Soon… there will be a harvest. How do I know?

c) Because Jesus said the harvest will come and the growth will be significant. Like a mustard seed - that starts off small - it’ll soon explode in growth and declare, “The Kingdom of God is here!”

Do you believe this?

That’s a question the disciples had to answer...

Mark 4:35–41 ESV

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?”

Point number 3...

3) Do you trust the Lord of the harvest? (vv.35- 41)

What’s your answer?

Mark 4 teaches the FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH that THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS COMING! The harvest is coming. Jesus promises this! NOTHING CAN STOP THIS. But the question is... do you believe it and will you be a part of it? Or will you be hardhearted and reject it?

Response:

As we close, if you find (after honest examination) that you are not currently responding to God’s word, I have good news… you can change your response.

God’s given you the power to do that. God wants you to do that. He wants you to be part of His harvest! And He’s made a way for you to change your heart. And that WAY IS JESUS. That’s why Jesus died on a cross. To pay for your sin and make a way for you to be saved! Therefore, turn from your sin and ask Jesus to forgive and save you!

For the rest of us - those of us who already belong to the harvest - remember Jesus’s word...

Mark 4:25 ESV

For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

My encouragement is to keep receiving God’s word by faith. And be ready for Him to give you more. And expect more fruit! Expect a harvest in your life! Don’t grow cold or content! Expand the Kingdom! There’s more work to do, more harvest to reap!

Keep sowing seed in the fields God put you in. Pray... and look for opportunities to share Jesus with people in your life.

Additionally, maybe it’s time to change your outlook on your community because Jesus (the Lord of the harvest) is here. Instead of focusing on the rejection of the gospel in your community, believe God for the harvest! Believe He has you - a follower of Jesus, a worker of the harvest - in certain fields for a reason! That reason being to spread the Kingdom of God! Be patient and faithful. I believe you’ll see a harvest!

I believe God is bringing a great harvest to Glastonbury and to New England. Let’s pray God will allow us to see the fullness of it in our day...

Father we want to see your harvest. We want to be a part of it. We want to see our loved ones be a part of it. We believe it’s coming! Holy Spirit, move upon our lives and in our community to soften our hearts, that we’d receive your word and see the Kingdom of God come. May the name of Jesus be lifted high! And may many call upon His name for salvation - including us, if that needs to happen today - in Jesus name, amen!

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