Mark 4:1–20

Review…

• Mark – the Gospel to the Gentiles – showing Jesus as the servant of all – Mark 10:45
• Mark 1:1-13 – The Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry
• Mark 1:14-45 – Jesus’ minsitry in Galilee
  • The message of Jesus’ ministry… repent and believe in the Gospel
  • The power of Jesus ministry… power over the spiritual / physical / sin
  • Mark 2:1-22 – Challenge of the Scribes and Pharisees…
  • 1^st challenge – You sins are forgiven – the healing of the Paralytic man…
  • 2^nd challenge – Eating with sinners – If you are sick you go to the doctor…
  • 3^rd challenge – Fasting? – Not during a wedding! – Not righteous by our works
  • Mark 2:1-23 – 3:6… Still on the attack – the Sabbath
  • Breaking the Sabbath – the disciples ‘harvested’ corn to eat…
  • Healing on the Sabbath – the man with a lame hand…
  • Mark 4:1-20… The 12
  • Jesus spent all night in prayer – and chose the 12 men who became the Apostles
    • He choose them to send them out (missions) to preach the message of the Gospel
    • They were not the group you would expect – simple/ordinary – but called by God!
  • Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit…
    • After the Sermon on the Mount – Jesus healed a blind and mute man…
    • The Scribes justified that Jesus ‘healed’ by the power of satan – not by the power of God
    • A kingdom divided (civil war) cannot stand – Jesus came to rob the strong man (satan)
    • Every sin can be forgiven – but the sin of knowing who Jesus is – and rejecting Him
  • Parables… vs. 1-2
  • Jesus taught them in Parables…
  • Having just finished His encounters with the religious leaders Jesus goes to the sea
    • Because of the large crowd that gathered he got into a boat and taught them…
    • The reason for the boat is because the water acts as a natural amplifier for sound…
  • He taught in Parables… Simple stories about life used to teach deeper spiritual truths…
    • There are as many as 57 parables of Jesus in the Gospels…
    • 4 parables in Mark 4 – The Sower / Christian light / Growing seed / Mustard seed
    • 1 – the parable of the ‘growing seed’ – is unique to Mark
  • Why Parables… vs. 10-13
  • It has been given unto you…
  • Parables were not meant to make spiritual truths more understandable…
    • They were meant to conceal or hide them!
    • The crowds did not understand the parable of the Seed and Sower
    • For all they knew Jesus was telling them how to be better farmers…
    • They completely missed the spiritual meaning behind the Parable
  • Only to the Disciples understood the real meaning behind the parable…
    • Why – Because Jesus explained it to them!
    • The crowds came to see Jesus – perhaps to see what they could get from Him
    • But the disciples had chosen to follow Jesus…
    • Jesus took the time to explain to those who were willing to listen and follow
  • Why hide the truth from the crowds…
  • Seeing they do not see – hearing they will not hear – nor will they understand…
  • It was not that Jesus was unwilling for the crowds to hear the truth…
  • They did not want to – their hearts were dull – and they closed their eyes and ears!
  • They did not understand because they did not want to take the time to learn!
  • Do we have a hard time understanding the Word of God
  • When we choose to give our lives to Jesus – live for Jesus
  • He opens our eyes so we can see and our ears so we can hear…
  • He takes the time to explain the Word so that we do understand
  • They key to other Parables… vs. 13
  • This first parable Jesus gives is the key to understanding other parables
  • The Bible doesn’t record explanation of every parable – but Jesus does explain this one
  • We can use Jesus explanation of this parable in interpreting other parables…
  • 1^st Parable ~ The seed and the sower… vs. 3-9, 14-20
  • The Seed…
  • The Seed is the Word of God – the seed never changes – It’s Perfect
  • The soil is the hearts of men that the seed (Word of God) falls on (hearing the Gospel)
  • Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
  • Whether the seeds bring forth fruit depends on the soil it falls on…
  • Jesus tell us there are 4 different types of soil…
• 1^st Soil – The Wayside – those who do not believe…
  • The soil / heart is hardened so that it will not believe… because they do not understand…
  • The cross – why Jesus was willing to die for us…
  • Man has a problem… God demands holiness… perfection
    • Most people believe they are ‘good people’ – but by whose standard are they good…
    • By their own… Ultimately its God’s standard that gets us into heaven…
  • God’s standard is perfection – Holiness! – Leviticus 19:1-4
    • What does it mean to be holy – perfect… not even sinning once!
    • Matthew 5:48 – “You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
    • The problem is we are not perfect…
    • Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
    • And the penalty for not being perfect is death…. Romans 6:23
  • We cannot get to heaven by trying to live a good life…
    • We do not meet the standard of God’s perfection – His Law – by trying really hard
    • We cannot follow the 613 commands of God everyday of our life – without misakes
    • Like a yardstick that can measure how tall you are – but not make you taller
    • God gave us rules not so we’d be perfect – but so we’d know we’re sinners
    • Galatians 3:24 – “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
  • Once we understand we are sinners – we see our need for Jesus as a savior!
    • He paid a debt He didn’t owe – cause we owed a debt that we could not pay
    • Salvation comes through faith in the finished work of Jesus – Romans 10:9-10
    • It is a free gift… that means there is nothing we can do to earn it – Ephesians 2:8-9
  • When we don’t think we need Jesus…
    • Wicked one – satan – Snatches away – harpazo – to seize, carry off by force
    • Do we really believe that we are dirty rotten sinners…
    • God does not send good people to hell – there is no one who is good
    • Amazingly God does send dirty rotten sinners to heaven – a gift of grace
    • Does that offend us – are our hearts hardened
    • Or does that bring us great joy – knowing the Love and hope of salvation in Jesus
• 2^nd soil – The Stony Ground – those who believe – but do not endure…
  • Stony Places – the man who receives the Word with gladness… but…
    • Tribulation comes – thlipsis – the winepress (hardships / difficulties / trials)
    • The Gospel is not a message of an easy life – It’s all about perspective
    • II Corinthians 4:17 – “For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever!”
    • What are we looking to… are we looking to this life, or eternal life
    • If our eyes are only on this life – we will not understand the reasons for trials…
  • The purpose of trials and difficulties (3 reasons)…
  1. We need help learning not to trust in ourselves…
     • II Corinthians 1:8-10 – “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead…”
     • So that – we would learn not to trust in ourselves, but instead trust in God
  • 2. Because we find Strength in Weakness…
    • II Corinthians 12:9-10 – “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
    • We often pride ourselves in our strength – what is our strength in comparison to God’s
    • In truth we are weak – but it is in our weakness we find true strength
    • When we realize we are weak we learn to depend on God’s strength
  • 3. When understanding the reason for trials – we have deep roots
    • Colossians 2:7 – “Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.” (NLT)
    • Like a tree that has grown on the weathered windward side of the hill
    • We become unmovable / unshakable / grounded and rooted in Christ
  • What happens if we do not have roots that sink deep into Jesus…
    • Stumbles – skandalizo – to distrust and desert one whom we ought to trust / obey
    • Because the focus in not on the eternal, we do not understand our trials
    • We doubt and distrust Jesus – the one who gave His life that we might have hope
    • “I tried Jesus, and it didn’t work” – how sad…
  • The Thorny Ground – those who believe – but are unfruitful…
  • Those who loves the message of the Gospel – but love the world more…
    • Looking for answers in all the wrong places… choked out by the World
    • Cares – merimna – distractions / anxiety
  • The deceitfulness of riches – the desire for stuff…
    • We like to think the answer to life is money – if we only had more stuff – happiness!
      • Like King Solomon – we think the grass is always greener on the other side…
      • Solomon who tried everything – looking for happiness – Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
      • But Solomon learned instead it was all vanity – like chasing after the wind…
      • Looking for happiness – answers to life in this world – is chasing the wind
      • It’s not about chasing something that’s hard to catch – there’s nothing there to catch!
    • The love of money – desire for stuff – only get us into trouble…
      • I Timothy 6:9-10 – “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
      • Those who desire more money – are missing the greatest riches of all – Jesus
      • They cannot dedicate their life to money and possessions – and to loving Jesus
      • They waste their life on possessions that don’t last – rather than on eternal rewards
    • The solution – be content…
      • Food & clothing – I Timothy 6:8 / Your wages – Luke 3:14 / With what you have
      • Hebrews 13:5 – “Don’t covet; be content with such things as you have.”
      • The richest man in the world – is the one who is content with what he has!
      • We will never be content – not matter how much we have – if we want more
  • If we get caught up in the cares of this world… we become unfruitful
    • Fruitfulness comes from being plugged into Jesus – John 15:4-5
    • When we choose to plug into the world – we become unfruitful
    • In striving to obtain the wind (riches) – we miss the blessed life in Christ!
    • Are you struggling with finances – are you struggling with fruitlessness…
    • Are you anxious about the cares of the world – then abide in one who created it
    • He lacks for nothing – He will take care of your needs – and make your fruitfull!
  • Good Soil – those who believe – and are fruitfull…
  • A man who receives the Word and understands is the good soil…
    • Understand – used 25 times in the NT – “put it together” or “grasp it”
    • Understand ~ that it is all about Jesus ~ that it is about the eternal…
    • The disciples forgot bread – Jesus warned them about the ‘leaven’ of the Pharisees
    • Mark 8:17-18 – “Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? “Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?”
    • Jesus was not concerned about the bread – He took 5 loves and fed 5000
    • He was talking about the spiritual – the disciples did not understand – only the natural
    • The good soil understands they need a savior – they need for Jesus
    • The good soil understands the reason for trials – draws us closer to Jesus
    • The good soil understands that God abundantly takes care of His children
    • The good soil understands that it is not about this life – but the eternal life!
  • We all want to be good soil – so how do we understand – how do we become fruitful
    • Luke 24:45 – “Jesus opened their understanding, they might understand the Bible.”
    • Jesus opened up the minds of the disciples so that they could understand
    • Jesus opened their understanding – because they were walking with Jesus…
    • It is as we are walking with Jesus – fellowship – that He opens our understanding
    • He makes our hearts good soil – so that the Word bears fruit…