Text: Mark 4:26-29 Title: The Seed and the Soil
And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27 he sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 “The earth produces by itself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 “But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Introduction
This parable about the kingdom of God takes up 4 sentences. It’s a parable which may have taken Jesus about a minute to tell. Think about it Jesus explains how the kingdom of God works in only four sentences and tells it in about one minute.
If the term “Kingdom of God” is a new one for you…The Kingdom of God is God’s rule or God’s purpose coming to pass here on earth.
Here is the outline I want us to use from this parable:
The kingdom of God has
•A Beginning,
•A Middle
•A End.
We are going to look today at this parable about the kingdom of God starting from the end and working back to the beginning
So what can we say about the end of the kingdom of God from this parable?
1.The kingdom of God has a successful end. (v29)
“But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Whenever Jesus uses a farming analogy to explain what the kingdom of God is like - then the kingdom of God is like a farmer who ends up with a successful harvest
And whenever Jesus uses a fishing analogy to explain what the kingdom of God is like –then the kingdom of God is like a fisherman who ends up with a successful catch
In every case the kingdom of God always ends up being successful!
That’s why we are told in Galatians 6:3
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
In Philippians 1:6 we are told
“being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
The phrase “carry it on to completion” means to achieve a goal or accomplish a purpose
Read the end of the Bible: The kingdom of God wins!!
I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day…and not to me only, but to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
The kingdom of God always ends up being successful
Those who hope in the Lord will never be put to shame
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and are called for his purpose
2.Then the Kingdom of God has this middle part. (v27-28)
he sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 “The earth produces by itself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear
So what can we say about the kingdom of God from reading these middle verses?
We can say that the Kingdom of God has this growing middle
But notice where the growth happens in the Kingdom of God
1.Where is the growth happening in verse 27?
he sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.
In verse 27: In the Kingdom of God the seed does the growing
In fact the sower doesn’t know how the seed grows but it does.
And it doesn’t matter if he is sleeping or if he gets up- the seed is always growing
2.Where is the growth happening in verse 28?
28 “The earth produces by itself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear
Niv All by itself the soil produces grain-first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head
In V28 In the Kingdom of God The earth (soil) does the growing
All by itself the soil produces grain
All by itself = automatically
In the kingdom of God it is the seed and the soil that do the growing
The seed can’t grow without the soil and the soil can’t grow without the seed
The seed transforms the soil and the soil transforms the seed
The seed gives life to the soil and the soil gives life to the seed
In the kingdom of God then what is the seed and what is the soil?
The parable of the sower found earlier in Mark 4 tells us what the seed and the soil are
The seed is the Word of God and the soil is a heart that is fully surrendered to God.
Never forget: The seed needs the soil in order to grow and the soil needs the seed in order to grow
The Word of God needs a heart that is fully surrendered to God in order to grow
And a heart that is fully surrendered to God needs the word of God in order to grow
The Word (seed) became flesh (soil) and lived among us
If the Kingdom of God is to grow it needs both seed and soil
God provides the seed and we provide the soil!
If God provides the seed and we provide the soil then the Kingdom of God will automatically grow.
(That’s what it means when it says in verse v27 “he himself does not know how,” and in verse 28 “all by itself”)
The seed only needs the soil in order to grow. It doesn’t need the soil and a hundred other things
It doesn’t need a building, it doesn’t need a celebrity spokesman, it doesn’t need millions of dollars… it only need one thing to grow; SOIL!!
And the Soil only needs one thing to grow: The SEED!
It doesn’t need the seed and a hundred other things to grow!
Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God
The Seed cannot sprout and grow without the soil
And the soil cannot produce first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head without the seed
.
3.The kingdom of God has a beginning
What kind of beginning does the Kingdom of God have?
And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground
The kingdom of God has a conditional beginning
The most powerful word in this first verse of the parable is the word “if”
The Kingdom of God can only begin IF
The kingdom of God can only begin if someone partners with God and sows some seed!
• Someone who says I want to see the kingdom of God come so I am going to begin it by scattering seed on the ground.
• Someone who says I am going to take the seed that God has given me and begin putting it to work
The kingdom of God is as if…
What if Moses mother had not put him in a basket and left him along the bank of the Nile?
What if David had not gone to check on his brothers who were away fighting the Philistines?
What if Esther had not stood up against Haman for her people the Jews?
The Kingdom of God can only begin if a man or woman cooperates with God
How do you spell the word “beginning” IF
Mark begins his gospel with these words
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in the Prophets:
Behold I will send my Messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.” (Mark 1:1-3)
What If John the Baptist didn’t scatter the seed?
Then there would be no beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Notice what word starts this verse on revival
If my people who are called by my Name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14
If the Kingdom of God is to grow- someone has to scatter the seed on the ground.
Notice how many people Jesus says it takes to see the kingdom of God begin to grow?
One! It only takes one person to scatter the seed on the ground in order to see the kingdom of God start growing.
Exodus 3:9-10
“And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.
Objections
I don’t have a lot to give? You only need 2 things to see the kingdom of God grow and become successful in Ireland
You need the seed and you need the soil.
God provides the seed will you provide the soil?
