The Parable of the Sower part 2
The Book of Mark
Mark 4:1-20
I. Introduction.
A. As we discussed last week a parable is a true to life story used to illustrate a biblical truth.
B. The parables in Mark 4 illustrate different aspects of the Kingdom of God.
1. The Kingdom of God includes both a future aspect and a present aspect.
2. These parables concern themselves with the present aspect of God’s Kingdom.
C. God’s Kingdom isn’t for every one vs.11.
1. There are those who say that God doesn’t exist and set out to prove it.
2. There are those who believe that God, being a loving God, cannot allow anyone to suffer in Hell.
3. Others believe that just simply believing that God exists will give them entrance to His Kingdom.
4. The parable of the sower dispels all of those myths.
D. This parable addresses the first necessary element of being part of the Kingdom of God.
1. It gives us the requirement and result of becoming a part of God’s family.
II.The Parable of the sower.
A. General overview of the parable.
1. Listen – vs.3 pay attention” He further amplified the importance of what He was saying in vs.9.
a) This isn’t just a story to entertain or to pluck at your emotional strings.
b) He is conveying important and vital truth that has eternal implications.
c) Biblical truth doesn’t come through osmosis.
(1) It takes effort.
(2) It takes attentiveness.
(3) Acts 17:10 in talking about the Berean people Luke writes Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
2. The sower went out to sow.
a) This was a common scene in that area.
b) People would have an instant understanding of what He was saying.
c) The identity of the sower is not given.
(1) By implication it is God / Christ.
(2) It can also refer to anyone who is sharing the Word of God.
3. The seed fell on various types of soil.
a) You get the picture of a farmer broadcasting seed as he walked along.
b) They didn’t have the precision machines we have today.
c) The soils are all representative of the heart of men.
4. 4 kinds of soil.
a) The wayside –
(1) A path or road.
(2) Hard compact soil.
b) Stony ground vs.5-6.
(1) Little soil lots of rocks
(2) Nothing deep.
c) Among thorns.
(1) Weeds
(2) No room to grow; weeds grow up quickly and choke out slower growing plants.
d) Good fertile ground vs.8
5. The result.
a) The first – completely unresponsive carried away and eaten.
b) The second – short lived excitement but no lasting life.
c) The third – strangled before it could yield fruit.
d) The fourth – brought forth super abundantly.
(1) Most consider a 7 fold yield to be a good crop.
(2) This produced 30 to 100 times.
B. Interpretation 4:13-20
1. The seed is the word of God.
a) It isn’t the sower that is important it is what he sows – if he fails to sow nothing will happen at all.
b) The word brings salvation Ro.10:17 faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
c) The only way one can enter into the Kingdom of God is by hearing and responding to the word of God.
2. The soil represents those who receive the word – different people.
a) Wayside
(1) Something that by reason of use has been hardened until it will not yield.
(2) Illustration – a walking path in a yard or woods.
(3) The people Jesus is referencing here have had their hearts hardened to the word.
(a) Someone in this condition doesn’t necessarily have to be in gross sin.
(b) There are some very religious people who fall into this category – Pharisees
(i) Ezek.33:12ff.
(ii) Romans 2.
(4) Birds = Satan
(a) His purpose Lk.8:12 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
(b) How tragic to be found in that state – unable to respond to God’s word.
b) The second category of people is represented by the stony ground.
(1) These are the shallow religionists. 4:16.
(2) They are different than the first because they hear the word with gladness.
(a) They are excited by religious things.
(b) They like to discuss the bible etc.
(c) Yet there is no substance to their elation.
(3) When the heat turns on they are unable to stand because the word had no root in them.
(a) The normal trials and troubles we all face is not what are in view here.
(b) This refers to trials that come because of one’s faith – persecutions for being a Christian.
c) The third is a difficult group.
(1) Those who hear the word and have some result from exposure to it but other things choke out the impact and they have no substance.
(2) They are so wrapped up in the things of the world that they do not respond to the word.
(a) It could be wealth.
(b) Politics
(c) Family
(3) These last two groups are the kinds of people the book of Hebrews was written to.
(a) Those who liked to hear about God but never fully trust His word for salvation.
(b) When things get difficult they quickly abandon their religious trappings.
(4) The key to understanding this kind of person is vs.19.
(a) Luke 8:14 says he bears no fruit to maturity.
(b) This is not a backslidden Christian.
d) The good ground.
(1) Fertile soil that readily receives the seed.
(2) The key difference is the acceptance of the seed to the bearing of fruit.
(3) The others got the seed but it never really took.
(4) The good ground will produce.
(5) It all has to do with the receptiveness of the soil which allows the seed to germinate and take root which results in a yield.
(6) The person who truly accepts Christ as his Lord and savior will show some sign of that by the change that takes place in his life James 2:14.
III. Conclusion;
A. A parable tells a story that illustrates biblical truth.
B. In the case of the parable of the Soils the truth is if you are to be a part of God’s kingdom you must be receptive to the seed sown and the proof is the produce yielded.
C. Jesus gives examples of 4 kinds of soils only one of which will yield true fruit.
D. Which soil represents your heart?
