Sowing, Growing, And Knowing Series

The Miracles and the Ministry of the Messiah in the Book of Mark

Week 5: ‘Sowing, Growing, and Knowing

Mark 4

Crossroads Community Church

Rev. Ricky A. Rohrig Sr., Founding Pastor

April 12, 2015

I would like to start with a short story:

A man from Minnesota traveled to Key West, Florida on business. His wife was going to fly down the next morning to join him for a few days of vacation. When the man arrived he discovered the hotel had several desktop computers in the lobby for guests to use to surf the net and send emails. He sat down and sent an email to his wife. The only problem was he got one letter wrong in the email address and instead of going to his wife; the email went instead to a pastor’s wife who had recently buried her dearly departed husband. When the widow read the email, her family heard her scream and faint. The email said:

To: My loving wife.

Subject: I’ve arrived.

You’re probably surprised to hear from me, but they have computers here now. I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then!

P.S. It sure is hot down here!

God has a message for you today, and He knows your exact address. He knows where you are; where you’ve been, what you’re going through right now, and where you’re going. God brought you here for a purpose today. He wants to have a personal relationship with you. He brought you here to show you that this isn’t a religion that involves observing rituals and keeping rules and traditions. That it is about a personal relationship that is so transformational that it changes you from the inside out; when you encounter, experience, and embrace Jesus Christ for yourself!

Today I would like to minister from this thought: Sowing, Growing, and Knowing (repeat)

• Talk about preparation, get participation

• Preparing for planting:

Mark 4:2-9 KJV

2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Reason for speaking in parables

Mark 4:10-13 KJV

10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

Let’s look at the word mystery in this passage of scripture, it comes from the Greek word mustērion moos-tay'-ree-on meaning:

• Something that was previously hidden, but now fully revealed. In the NT it always means any doctrine that has not, in former times, been made fully known to men.

o It is found 27 times in the NT

o Is not found once in the OT

12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

• The key word in this passage is converted. Something miraculous happens at the point of conversion, we have a new walk, a new talk, the things we used to do, we do not desire them no more, the places we used to go we don’t have to frequent them no more, and sometimes the people we used to hang with, we have the opportunity to witness the new life we have found in Jesus Christ!

• Look what happens next in this scripture, your sins (plural) should be forgiven

o We have a new life in Christ

o Somebody here can attest to this: I’m not what I oughta be, but I’m better than I use to be, and I’m getting better every day!

13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

• Jesus is saying if you get this one, you will have the ability to understand all the other ones, for in this specific one are the principles of the interpretation of all of them