How many of you come from a family of farmers?How many of you have, or know somebody who has a "green thumb"?
Jesus taught in parables. He often used examples or metaphors from everyday life in order to communicate a spiritual point. In this story, he uses one of the most common occupations of the day to illustrate his point: farming!
Mark 4:1-9Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."This farmer has seed to spare! He is slinging it everywhere!We have the benefit of hearing Jesus explain this parable:
Mark 4:10-20When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!' " Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."What does the seed represent? The Word of God!What does the farmer represent?
What do the four types of soil represent? Human hearts, or different responses to hearing the Word. As with all of Jesus' teachings, its ultimately about the heart! Tonight we will focus on the four types of hearts described by Jesus in this parable.
I. The Path (vs 4 & 15)What is a path like? (hard soil)
How does it get that way? (trampled on, trodden)
How well do things grow on a path? Why?
So, Jesus is describing a person with a hard heart!
What does a person with a hard heart look like?
When they hear the Word, they say "Nice, but I don't care."How does a person's heart get that way?
Heb 3:13-15"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. As has just been said: 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.'"Sin can harden your heart to God's Word!
What is the fate of a person that hardens their heart?
II. The Rocky Soil (vs 5-6 & 16-17)What happens to these seeds?
How do things look at first? When can you tell that something is wrong? (When trouble or persecutions come.) These are symptoms of the real problem: No root! This person has not committed their whole heart to God, because they are more worried about their "image" when troubles or persecutions come than they are about receiving God's Word! If their friends can change their minds, then they are more important that God!
How does all of this relate to us?
Jer 17:7-8"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."How do we get deep roots?
What kinds of things ruin this heart? Be specific.
What is the fate of people with hearts like this?
III. Thorny Ground (vs 7 & 18-19)Is there anything wrong with the soil itself? No!
What is the problem?
How does a plant get choked by other weeds? Slowly.
- Drains its nutrients
- Blocks its sunlight
This person accepts the word gladly, but what happens?
Worldly thinking slowly recaptures this persons heart!
Rev 2:1-5"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."What are the worries of this life? Name some.
How can wealth be deceitful?
What about the other things?
This doesn't happen all at once, so how can you tell?
By the fruit! Whether its good, bad, or doesn't exist.What is the fate of people with hearts like this?
IV. Good Soil. (vs 8 & 29)What happens here? It produces a crop!
Gal 5:22-23"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."(Fruits of the Spirit)
John 15:1-12"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."(Emphasis on REMAINING in JESUS)Each of us in this room fits into one of these four categories! Ask yourself: Which of the hearts described by Jesus most closely matches my own?
If it's not the fourth one (good soil), then how do I get there? You choose which one it will be!
Close with prayer.