A. Once there was a man who was having serious heart trouble, so he went to the doctor to see what his options were.
1. His doctor recommended that he have a heart transplant.
2. The patient asked if there were any hearts immediately available and told the doctor that he could pay whatever amount was necessary.
3. The doctor replied, “Well, there are three hearts that are available for you to choose from.”
a. “The first is from an 18-year old kid, non-smoker, very athletic, he was a swimmer who hit his head on the diving board and died. The price is $100,000.”
b. “The second heart is from a marathon runner, 24 years old, in great condition, but he was hit by a bus and died. The price is $150,000.”
c. “The third heart is from a heavy drinker, smoker and meat lover. The price is $500,000.”
4. The patient asked, “Hey, why is that heart so expensive since it sounds like the man did not have a very healthy lifestyle?”
a. The doctor replied, “The price is so high because it's never been used, it’s from a lawyer.”
5. We don’t have any lawyers in the congregation, so I can poke fun at them. Right?
B. But let me ask you a question: Does your heart get used very much?
1. What is the condition of your heart?
2. The heart that I am asking you about today is not your physical heart, but your spiritual heart.
3. Somewhere within each of us is a spiritual heart that is the center of our beings.
a. Our spiritual heart controls our wills and desires, our motives and actions.
b. It is the most important and vital part of ourselves.
c. Someone has said, “When God measures a person, He puts the tape around their heart, not around their head.”
4. Unfortunately, just as the physical heart can suffer from disease, so can the spiritual heart, and spiritual heart disease is more serious and deadly than physical heart disease.
5. I can’t emphasize enough how important our spiritual hearts are.
6. Proverbs 4:23 says: Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.”
C. Today, as we move into Mark chapter 4, we enter into one of the only two chapters of Mark that focus on Jesus’ teachings – chapters 4 and 13.
1. Last week in chapter 3, we saw that some people around Jesus had some heart problems.
2. Jesus’ on family had concerns and doubts about Jesus, and the religious leaders had decided that Jesus’ power had come from the devil himself.
3. I believe that Jesus taught this parable and then explained it to His disciples because so much of what their mission would entail had to do with sowing the Word of God and trying to deal with people’s different kinds of hearts.
D. Mark 4 begins: 1 Again he began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. 2 He taught them many things in parables…(Mk. 4:1-2a)
1. We notice that Jesus was again teaching a large crowd by the sea, and to protect Himself and to aid with the projection of His voice Jesus got into a boat and pushed out a little from the shore and sat down and taught from the boat.
2. And His teaching consisted mainly of parables.
3. A parable is a story about a real-life situation from which a spiritual truth can be drawn.
a. The word “parable” literally means “to throw alongside.” (parallel)
b. It is a comparison, an illustration, or an analogy.
c. In a parable, something abstract concerning spiritual things is thrown beside something concrete concerning earthly things so that we can understand the spiritual.
d. Parables are not allegories which require every detail be interpreted.
e. Rather parables teach a primary principle and its applications.
4. We will touch on why Jesus taught in parables when we get to verses 10-12 in a few minutes.
E. Mark recorded Jesus’ parable: 3 “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.” 9 Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.” (Mk. 4:3-9)
1. Did you notice that Jesus bookended the parable with the command to listen?
a. The kind of listening that Jesus commanded goes well beyond hearing with the ear, or something going in one ear and out the other.
b. Real hearing of Jesus’ teachings goes all the way into our hearts and brings about conviction and transformation.
2. Jesus’ parable drew upon an agricultural image that everyone listening that day was familiar with – they all could identify with a man with a bag of seed, walking through his field, rhythmically casting the seed.
3. As he spreads his seed, some falls on the pathway and the birds eat it up, other seed lands on rocky ground where the seed quickly sprouts, but then wilts because the soil is shallow, other seed falls among the thorns where the seed grows but is choked out and can’t produce any fruit, and the final seed falls on the good soil and produces a large harvest.
4. Whoever has ears, let them hear and contemplate the meaning.
5. Jesus longed for His hearers to understand and be changed by His teachings, but He knew that no everyone would hear, understand, and take it to heart.
6. If you had been in the audience that day, and had never heard this parable or heard the explanation, what might you have thought about it?
a. You might have thought: “Nice story. True to life. But I wonder what His point is.”
7. Did Jesus’ disciples get the meaning of it? Mark tells us that they did not.
F. Mark wrote: 10 When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. 11 He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables 12 so that “they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven.” 13 Then he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables? (Mk. 4:10-13)
1. So, Jesus spoke in parables for two reasons: first, to reveal kingdom truths, and second, to conceal kingdom truths.
a. The only people that Jesus wanted to understand kingdom truths were those who really wanted to know and understand, and who were willing to put in the effort to search and contemplate.
b. J. B. Phillips explained it this way: ‘In a sense the Gospel of God is an open secret, but in another sense it remains a mystery. To those who are shallow or lazy or proud in mind the great truth of the Christian faith remain obscure and even nonsensical.”
c. Understanding the secrets of the kingdom has to do with a person’s openness – those with hard hearts and closed ears and eyes will not understand and will not obey.
d. The explanation of why Jesus spoke in parables is abbreviated here in Mark, but it is explained more fully in Matthew 13.
e. The quote that Jesus used is from Isaiah 6:9-10, where Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be speaking to people who were like a brick wall of resistance due to prejudices and misconceptions, and Jesus’ parables would not make sense to them.
2. Jesus asked His disciples: “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables?” (vs. 13)
a. The parable of the sower has been considered “the father of all parables,” and it sets the stage for properly interpreting the other parables of Jesus.
b. We don’t have Jesus’ explanation of many of His parables, but this one is the parable He gave the most extensive explanation of.
c. And as we will see, even though this parable has been called the “Parable of the Sower” it could more properly be called the “Parable of the Soils,” because it is not so much about the sower as it is about the types of soils on which the seed falls.
d. Let’s examine Jesus’ explanation of the parable.
G. Jesus explained: 14 The sower sows the word. 15 Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. (Mk. 4:14-15)
1. So, what is the seed? The seed is the Word of God.
2. And who is the sower? The sower is anyone who teaches or preaches God’s word.
3. The four types of soils that the word falls on represent the kinds of hearts that people have.
4. Since all of us have a heart that God’s word is working on, we all are represented in this story, and as our lives continue, our hearts may go through different phases and conditions, therefore, we need to constantly monitor the condition of our hearts.
H. The first kind of soil is the “Trampled Soil” which represents people with a “Hard Heart.”
1. The farmer’s fields in Jesus’ day were often long, narrow, winding strips of land divided by paths which became as hard as bricks from being walked on.
2. The soil may have been good soil, but it has been hardened by constant trampling.
3. The seeds that fell on these paths just bounced on the hard surface and sat there until the birds came and ate the seeds.
4. When the Word of God is sown to a person with a hard heart, it just sits there on the surface and doesn’t penetrate or move them at all.
5. What is it that makes a person’s heart so hard? There can be a number of causes.
a. Sin in general causes a dullness or hardness of heart, and the more a person sins, the harder their heart becomes – that’s the only way to deal with a guilty conscience.
b. Self-satisfaction and pride can cause a hardness of heart when a person thinks they don’t need God or think they know more than God.
c. Also, bad religion that is ritualistic or rooted in tradition or abusive can lead to hard hearts.
6. This is the most hopeless of all the heart conditions that Jesus described because the Word of God is not allowed to penetrate and make a difference, and the person is oblivious to the fact that they are spiritually dead.
7. This ground needs to be broken up and God may use the plow of pain and suffering to try to open a person’s heart, but even that doesn’t work for many a person with a hardened heart.
a. Hardships can lead a person to God, or they can drive them further away; depending on the person’s heart.
8. Let’s pray that we won’t harden our hearts toward God and let’s pray for those who have a hardened heart that they will soften their hearts to God.
I. The second kind of soil is the “Rocky Soil” which represents people with a “Shallow Heart.”
1. Jesus said: 16 “And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. 17 But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.” (Mk. 4:16-17)
2. In this illustration, the ground was not rocky because it was full of stones, but because there was a layer of rock underneath the thin layer of soil.
a. In much of the land of Galilee there is a thin layer of soil only an inch or two thick that covers a shelf of limestone rock.
b. When the seed fell on that kind of soil, it germinated and grew quickly, but then withered and died in the sun’s heat, because the shallow soil held little moisture and nourishment.
3. The person with a shallow heart hears the word and receives it gladly, but never puts down deep roots in faith, discipleship and relationships in God’s family.
4. Jesus said that when distress or persecution come because of the Word, they immediately fall away.
5. Some people debate whether this person was actually a Christian or not, but Jesus indicates that the Word actually took root and began to grow, but then withered and died.
a. The important thing for us is to make sure that we don’t have that kind of heart.
6. One thing that will help us not have a shallow heart is to be sure we understand God’s promises and principles as we make a decision to follow Jesus.
a. We must understand the denial of self and the picking up of the cross that is involved in discipleship.
b. We must understand that Jesus said we would be hated and persecuted because people hated and persecuted Him first.
c. The promise of God for disciples of Jesus isn’t rose gardens and health and wealth.
d. Rather, He has promised us abundant life and eternal life that includes joy and peace, strength and endurance.
7. In Colossians 2:6-7, Paul reminded the Colossian Christians: So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.
a. We must continue with Jesus and remain in Jesus and abide with Jesus – like the branch must remain attached to the vine to stay alive and healthy.
b. We must be rooted and built up in Christ, and continue to feed ourselves on the Word of God, and exercise our spiritual muscles through spiritual disciplines like worship, fellowship, service, prayer, and Bible reading and study.
c. We need the staying power that comes from putting down deep roots into Christ and His church.
8. If we continue with a shallow heart, then we will likely wither and fall away from Christ.
J. The third kind of soil is the “Thorny Soil” which represents people with a “Crowded Heart.”
1. Jesus said: 18 “Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mk. 4:18-19)
2. Farmers in Jesus’ day and in our day, clear the land of thorns and weeds before planting.
a. The thorns and weeds may be burned or scrapped off before planting, but their roots remain intact and they sprout and grow quickly along with the good seed.
b. The thorns and weeds compete with the good seed for water and nourishment and keep it from producing fruit.
3. Jesus explained that the thorns represent the worries of life, the deceitfulness of money, and the desires for other things.
a. Few things are more hostile to the things of God than the love of riches and the pursuit of the pleasures of the world – that’s why Jesus said it would be hard for the rich to be saved.
b. James reminds us that friendship with the world is hatred toward God. (James 4:4)
4. This is a picture of a believer who has a divided heart and a crowded life; they have mixed loyalties which strangle the spiritual life out of them.
a. The Word of God has taken root and grown, but then their fruitfulness is hindered and limited.
b. The person doesn’t spiritually die or completely fall away, but they are not growing and are not contributing to the growth and effectiveness of the church.
5. There are so many things in our world and our lives that can choke out the Word.
a. How sad it is that we often fill our lives with so many things that aren’t necessarily bad or evil, but they divert our time and attention away from spiritual things.
b. There are so many things to watch on TV or on our phones, there are so many activities and events to participate in, and there are so many hobbies to enjoy, and before we know it these things have taken over our lives and choked out spiritual things.
6. Like good gardeners, we need to regularly examine our hearts and lives and do some weeding.
a. Part of the weeding process includes being reminded of our priority of seeking first the kingdom of God.
b. We must ask ourselves if we are being a good soldier of God or if we are getting all wrapped up in civilian affairs.
c. Are we spending too much time on entertainment and not enough time on spiritual education?
d. Are we too focused on selfishness and not focused enough on service?
e. Are we trying to serve God and money?
f. Is our heart too divided, too infested, and too crowded?
K. The fourth and last kind of soil is the “Good Soil” which represents the “Healthy Heart.”
1. Jesus said: “And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.” (Mk. 4:20)
2. The good soil is the opposite of the three kinds of bad soils – it is soft, rather than hard; it is deep, rather than shallow; and it is free of weeds, rather than crowded out by them.
3. The good soil produces an incredible crop – a hundred times what was planted.
4. Jesus explained that those with a healthy heart do three things:
a. First, they hear the Word – they take the time to listen and study God’s Word.
b. Second, they welcome the Word – they accept the Word and believe it.
c. Third, they obey the Word and put it into practice – this leads to producing fruit.
5. Don’t you want to be the good soil with a healthy heart that produces a great harvest? I do!
6. To be sure we continue to have a healthy heart, we must continually remove any rocks that keep us from putting down deep roots, and we must regularly remove any weeds that are choking out our spiritual life.
L. Let’s conclude today’s sermon with some action steps to put what God’s Word says into practice.
1. First of all, be a sower of the Word of God.
a. Jesus implied that the seed can’t get to the soils without a sower, and that is true.
b. There can’t be preaching without a preacher, and there can’t be teaching without a teacher.
c. All of us can plant the seed of God’s Word in the lives of people around us.
d. But as important as the sower is, it is not more important that the seed.
2. Second, trust in the power of God’s Word.
a. It is not the preacher or the teacher who make the disciple or make the disciple grow, rather it is God’s work through God’s Word that makes the difference.
b. Paul reminded us if this truth when he wrote: So, then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (1 Cor. 3:7)
c. And keep in mind what the Hebrew writer wrote: For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword… (Heb. 4:12)
d. God’s Word has the power to convict and correct and produce fruit.
e. This takes a lot of the pressure off the sower…the power is in the seed.
f. But, as powerful as the seed is, it is the condition of the heart that determines the outcome.
3. Third, cultivate the right kind of heart.
a. God has given each of us ownership of our own hearts and so we are the only ones who can make our hearts open and soft, or deep and undivided.
b. Nobody else can do it for us and even God won’t force us to change our hearts.
c. Each of us has to prepare the soil of our heart.
d. Each of us has to listen to the Word and welcome it into our lives.
e. Each of us has to constantly put the Word of God into practice.
4. Finally, examine your heart.
a. Where do you find yourself in the parable today? What is the present condition of your heart?
b. Are you the “Trampled Soil” which represents people with a “Hard Heart” – if you are, then I hope and pray that you will open your heart to God today.
c. Are you the “Rocky Soil” which represents people with a “Shallow Heart” – if you are, then I pray that you will break up that hard layer of rock and allow the roots of Christ to go down deep – this is going to require faith and effort in practicing the spiritual disciplines.
d. Are you the “Thorny Soil” which represents people with a “Crowded Heart” – if you are, then I pray that you will do the hard work of weeding out the worldly things that are choking your spiritual life.
e. Are you the “Good Soil” which represents people with a “Healthy Heart” – if you are, then I pray you will continue to work hard to remain good soil by keeping out the rocks and weeds that make a person unfruitful.
M. Our God made us and loves us and wants the best for us, so we can trust that His seed will grow in us as we cooperate with God and as we abide in God.
1. And this results in God’s glory and our goodness and blessing.
2. You gotta have heart! Let’s be sure it is a good heart!
Resources:
• Truth for Today Commentary: Mark 1-8 and 9-16, Martel Pace, Resources Communications.
• You’ve Got to Have Heart, Sermon by David Owens
• Parable of the Soils, Sermon by Nate Shinn
