Title: Being Rooted
Theme:
Text: Mark 4:1 - 13
Introduction
And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. (Mark 4:1) Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: (Mark 4:2)
Jesus often taught in parables. There are over 46 parables that He taught in the gospels alone. This was a great way to help the people understand. They were not necessarily true, sometimes extreme and illogical at other times.
Now in this passage He gives us a strange reason why He teaches parables.
And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,(Mar 4:11) so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.' " [17] (Mar 4:12)
From this surface it sound almost inclusive. As if Jesus is purposely trying to leave people out from understanding the kingdom of God. But we must understand that this is a proverb and is a quote from Isaiah 6:9.
Here God is challenging Isaiah to go out and preach the Words God has given him. Here God is saying do it until they become dull in their ears. They get sick of hearing it and either follow through or reject the message.
In Jesus day He dealt with a lot of religious leaders. They were always challenging Him. On one hand they wanted Him to perform miracles. When He did they said it happened becomes of the demons. They challenged Him on the law, looking for ways to trap Him.
They had no interest in learning or truly listening to what Jesus had to say. They were trying to distract Him from His purpose. Better yet they were also become a distraction to the people He was trying to reach.
Jesus says here He speaks in parables for this very reason. So that those who don’t want to hear will be hardened of heart. They will also not distract from the message for others.
The Lord reminded me that there will always be people around who try to do this. They ask questions but have no interest in hearing the answer. They may be on you job and sometimes in church. So what we must learn to do is 1) don’t answer them, you don’t have to have an answer to every question. 2) be careful what we say because there are those around us who are listening and we don’t want to take away from them. The best thing is to chose our words carefully.
Second thing I want you to notice is this parable is the key to understanding all the parables.
And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? (Mar 4:13)
So in other words if we can grasp what this parable is saying then we can understand all the parables. This is so true. We will see this as we go through it.
"Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. (Mark 4:3)
We begin to understand later that the sower is God. Also we understand that He is sowing His word.
Word
1) Logos word – God has given us His scripture
2) Rhema word – God speaks to our heart
The sower sows the word. (Mar 4:14)
The Wayside – Mark 4:4, 15
And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air [15] came and devoured it. (Mar 4:4)
The first place the seed falls is on the rocky ground. Often times a farmer would scour his field to clean out all the rocks. They do their best but they probably miss a few. The seed here falls by the wayside on rocky ground.
Jesus gives us the interpretation of this in verse 15:
And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. (Mar 4:15)
again the seed is the word, they hear the word and it gets to their hearts but it is hardened and Satan comes and steals the word from them. Before it has a chance to do anything.
Jesus compares them to beaten paths bordering the fertile fields, suggesting the hardening of minds from the constant tramp of life-long habits. A hardened shell of emotional and intellectual defenses will not let the Word of God penetrate through to the point where they consciously change their minds, turn around and go the other way. In other words, their wills are formidably set against repentance. – The Preacher’s Commentary
What hardens a person’s heart?
1) Hurt
2) Pride
3) Unforgiveness
4) Sin
Good News
1) God throws to the wayside
2) God can change the heart
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Never underestimate the work of God in the heart of a person. The Holy Spirit can soften even the hardest of hearts. What we must do is pray that the Lord will continue sow the seed. We must not quit ourselves.
To the Christian
We must also evaluate our own hearts to make sure we are open to receiving God’s word and instruction in our lives. If we are “set in our ways” and not growing then it could be that our hearts have become hardened. I have seen this happen to Christian.
Hebrews 3:13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
G3870 – from Thayer’s
- Original: pa?a?a?e´? - Transliteration: Parakaleo - Phonetic: par-ak-al-eh'-o
- Definition:
1. to call to one's side, call for, summon 2. to address, speak to, (call to, call upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc.
a. to admonish, exhort b. to beg, entreat, beseech
1. to strive to appease by entreaty
c. to console, to encourage and strengthen by consolation, to comfort
1. to receive consolation, be comforted
d. to encourage, strengthen
e. exhorting and comforting and encouraging
f. to instruct, teach
- Origin: from G3844 and G2564 - TDNT entry: 17:53,8
The Stony Ground – Mark 4:5 - 6, 16 - 17
Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 5 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. Mark 4:6)
Explanation of the Stony Ground
These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; (Mark 4:16) and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble. (Mark 4:17)
They heard and received immediately. What was missing was the root.
Parable of the 10 virgins
Matthew 25:1-13 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. (2) Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. (3) Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, (4) but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (5) But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. (6) And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; [138] go out to meet him!' (7) Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. (8) And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' (9) But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' (10) And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. (11) Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' (12) But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' (13) Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour [139] in which the Son of Man is coming.
It wasn’t that they didn’t make preparation for the future. They didn’t make preparation for the present so when the future came they were not ready.
That let things distract them or they became lazy. Removing the stones take work.
Tribulation
- Trials
- Hardships
Persecution
- Testing of our faith
- Carrying our cross
- Being ashamed of the gospel
We must remove the stones
- Stones of distraction
- Stones of hurt
-
Jesus and Lazarus
- Remove the stone
- Remove the grave clothes
Jesus could have just as easy made a grand entrance and moved the stone with the Power of God.
Christians must also remove the stones.
The Thorns Mark 4:7, 18 - 19
And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. (Mark 4:7)
Explanation of the Thorns
Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 18) and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (Mar 4:19)
The growth is there but it is ensnared with weeds.
Weeds of cares – distraction of worldly things, lack of faith
Weeds of riches – distraction of material things
Weeds of desires – distraction of lustful things
Seek you first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 7:
Conclusion – Part 1
Challenge to listen and to not be distracted.
And He said to them, [16] "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
(Mar 4:9)
Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. Mark 4:24) For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." (Mar 4:25)
