Parable of the Growing Seed
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Intro: Today we see two parables. In both these parables we see similar elements used. We see the Jesus is once again using the illustration of a seed to give us insight into the Kingdom of God.
Text: Mark 4:26-32
Mark 4:26–32 (CSB)
26 “The kingdom of God is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground.
27 He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how.
28 The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head.
29 As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it?
31 It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground.
32 And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”
#1 The Mystery of the Kingdom Mark 4:26-29
#1 The Mystery of the Kingdom Mark 4:26-29
26 “The kingdom of God is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground.
27 He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how.
28 The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head.
29 As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
The man is sowing seed. The picture is of a farmer casting seed by hand into his cultivated field. The man represents those involved in the great commission and the seed the Gospel message.
In these four verses we see a kingdom principle that we often miss or have trouble believing it to be true. Here is the first principle:
The Gospel seed sown on good soil will result in fruit.
The Gospel seed sown on good soil will result in fruit.
I went to google this week and I searched for “ How to Grow Your Church”
The themes that I saw in many top ten ways to grow your church were as follows:
Make growing your organization a priority
Have Big Events
Offer public wifi during the service(I really don’t understand that one)
Expand your facilities
Improve the multimedia and worship experience
Mass marketing
Better online presence.
Start a second morning service
As I look at all these things, which none of them are necessary bad in themselves. I see many churches today putting much of their energy into building a bigger organization apart from the simple gospel proclamation by the membership of the local church.
When I look at this parable I see this awesome mystery and truth. If we spread the gospel everywhere and often the seed will land in the good soil, sprout, and produce fruit on its own.
How many you believe that if we spread the gospel everywhere and often, we would see more people come to Christ?
How often we fail to believe this mystery. How often do we believe that the key to gospel success is some slick presentation tool, event, or eloquent message. What if proclamation is enough? I submit to you this morning that we have trusted far too long in methods and church growth experts. If we learn anything from this parable combined with the other seed parables is this:
Sow the seed often and everywhere. Much of what you put out there will fall on unresponsive hearts but some of it will land. Maybe part of the reason we are not seeing people come to faith is simply because we are not spreading the seed often and everywhere.
In this we get to witness the power not of the sower but of the gospel message on someone who is ready and willing to receive it. It’s that simple. Share and scatter as often as possible and you will see God at work.
Do we really believe that the power of the gospel is in the message itself ? Or do we think that we need the gospel + some skill or fancy script.
At the end of this parable, we see again this imagery of the sickle and the harvest. This is used once again as a picture of judgement. When the harvest is finally come to its completion, Jesus will return. The wicked(those that have rejected Christ’s sacrifice and substitutionary atonement will be thrown into eternal judgement. Those that have turned to Christ and are covered by his righteousness will go onto reward. So we see that there is an urgency to turn to Christ. Time can and will run out. There will come a day when it is too late.
Trans: Just like in the last parable we see the usage of the seed
#2 The Miracle of the Kingdom Mark 4:30-32
#2 The Miracle of the Kingdom Mark 4:30-32
Mark 4:30–32 (CSB)
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it?
31 It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground.
32 And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”
In this parable we see the image of how the Kingdom of God starts and grows.
It started with something as insignificant as a baby being born. all over the world, no doubt, babies were being born at the exact same time as Christ’s birth. From an outsiders perspective there was nothing significant about a baby being born to a blue collar couple. Yet we know that this baby was the savior and was the tiny seed that marked the beginning of the Kingdom of God. From this it grew into a plant where people from all nations could come and find rest under it’s branches.
The size of the seed has nothing to do with its ability to have an impact.
The size of the seed has nothing to do with its ability to have an impact.
Now look around the room. How often do we as a small church sometime feel paralyzed by a fear that we are not enough to have a great impact.
Being a small church is neither a vice nor a virtue. It is just what we are.
The size of the seed has nothing to do with its ability to have a great impact. The Kingdom of God on this earth began by what seems to most an insignificant beginning but over the centuries has grown into an unimaginable size.
Did you know that sometime Pastors feel paralyzed by the size of the church? Did you know that sometimes the church members get discouraged by the size of the church? Why? because we believe the lie that until we are bigger we cannot have a great impact on the world around us?
Let me tell you a little secret. Starting Awana was a huge step of faith for my wife and I. You see I too had fallen for the lie that we need to be bigger before we can really do things that will have an impact. Now every week 17-18 kids are memorizing scripture and heaering about the greatness of God.
You see the problem is when we believe the lie, we live in this state of paralysis we focus on what we can’t do instead of what we can. The more we focus on what can’t be done the more that we ensure that we will always have very little impact.
What if we allowed this parable to become our reference point for what God can and wants to do through us. What if from today on, we began to look at our part in the kingdom of God not by what we are not, but by what we are?
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Can we proclaim the praises of the one who has called us out of darkness into the light to those that are still in darkness?
Absolutely
15 Then he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
Can we as individuals and as the church proclaim the gospel message to all people?
Who was Jesus talking to in this verse? His small group of disciples.....
Was Jesus talking to a congregation of 1000+ believers who could broadcast to 10 other campuses of the same size? No.
When Jesus spoke these words to reach the entire world with the good news, he was preaching to who?
A small group of disciples.
So let me ask you again.....What about being small keeps us from being able to fulfill our mission as believers? What about being a small group of followers of Christ is keeping us from having a great impact?
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it?
31 It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground.
32 And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”
Abosulutely nothing....
Church family this coming year, I want us to really begin to press into our community. I want to continually remind us that there is nothing that can stop us from having a great impact.
If we will continue to sow the seed of the gospel everywhere and often.
Will you join in the mission?
Will you join in the mission?