Incredible Invisible

Invisible Incredible

PPT 1 Message Title Incredible Growth, Invisible Increase

Jesus used several illustrations about seeds to teach important truths on how his kingdom works. Today we will look at a parable that teaches His Kingdom has Incredible Growth and Invisible Increase.

I believe this message will really encourage some today, so let's get into it...

PPT 2-3 text

Mark 4:26 And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;

Mark 4:27 and goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts up and grows how, he himself does not know.

Mark 4:28 "The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.

Mark 4:29 "But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

This parable is in the middle of two others, and in all 3 Jesus uses seeds to illustrate principles on how His kingdom works. This chapter reminds me of Luke 15, another 3 parable chapter. In that chapter He speaks of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son. 3 lost things.

In Mark 4 He tells 3 parables

PPT 4

A. the parable of the sower and the seed

B. the parable of the growth of the seed,

C. the parable of the mustard seed.

I am going to be discussing the 2nd parable today, but let me set it in context of the other two.

The lesson of the sower and the seed is that it is not about the seed, but the soil in which the seed is planted.

Jesus explains to His disciples that they have been given this good seed, and when spread around, it will find a variety of soil conditions to fall upon.

Some soil will produce no life. Immediately aborted

Some soil will produce brief life. Heat causes it to fail.

Some soil will produce weak life. Getting caught up in this life cause it to fail

Some soil will produce huge harvests! 30, 60, 100 fold.

That parable was told by Jesus to make them think about the kind of soil they are.

This parable is also found in Luke chapter 8. Luke includes something interesting about this teaching session:

PPT 5 text

Luke 8:8 "Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great." As He said these things, He would call out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (NASB)

In other words He kept saying, "listen listen listen! Think about the soil you are!"

Another reason I think Jesus told this parable, was to teach the disciples the reality of what they would be facing as they sowed the seed of the word of God.

3 out of 4 crops will fail, that is a sobering reality. That is the same as 750 times out of a thousand. Think of how many times the seed will seemingly fail. You are going to whiff far more times than you hit a home run.

Realizing how this may have been settling into His hearers spirits, and right after explaining the meaning of the parable Jesus adds this thought that is also found in the sermon on the mount:

PPT 6 text and pic

Mark 4:21 And He was saying to them, "A lamp is not brought to be put under a peck-measure, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand?

Other versions - "He said." But the word saying is in the imperfect tense = generally represents continual or repeated action in the past. 3 out of 4 seeds will fail, but don't give up because of that, you are the light of the world, sow sow sow. No matter the results!

Some people count v.21 as a separate parable, but I think it is just more commentary on the parable of the sower and the seed.

There are multiple layers of meaning in what He is saying, but I want you to catch this one: Don't be discouraged by lack of results or seeds that fail. Sow, sow, sow. Sow anyway. Keep your witness visible. Let your light shine, even though many seeds fail.

Perhaps He told this parable because some people are very organized and very directed in what they do, and they might think along these lines:

How do I make sure that every soil is like the good soil? How can I limit my sowing so that it is in good soil only? Jesus didn't want us thinking or doing like that. For two reasons He wants everyone to have a chance, and because we can never really now what kind of soil a person is or when a seed might take root.