GROWING AN ABUNDANT HARVEST
Mark 4:1-20
INTRO: This is the story of the sower and the superabundant harvest.
A. A sower sows
This is a story from everyday life. Its completely normal. Its about a farmer who puts on his long apron and fills it up with seeds. Then he walks over his field, scattering the seed with his hands.
This is typical of the farming practices of the day. First you scattered the seed around, then you plowed it under.
It was normal to throw seed over the entire ground, including the well-worn, compacted footpath along the edge. It would get plowed up later. If you weren’t quick about it, sure enough the birds would come and eat up all the seeds. And that region is legendary for ground that has a thin layer of topsoil with lots of rock underneath (familiar?). You wouldn’t know how rocky it was until you tried to plow it up. When those seeds came up, they wouldn’t survive the first withering heat of summer, because the roots on the new plants would be so shallow. And if there were thorny weed seeds lying fallow under the ground, you couldn’t tell, and you’d put seeds there too. When those plants came up, you’d be disappointed that the weeds choked them out, stealing nutrients and sunshine.
All of this is perfectly normal, part of the routine of farming this land. Then, something unusual happens...
B. A superabundant harvest occurs
Not all the seed fell on hard or difficult ground. Some of the seed fell on good, rich soil. It sprouted and grew, of course. Nothing particularly unusual about that. But look how much it grew! It produced a crop 30, 60, 100 times what was expected. If you are a farmer, that is a crop beyond your wildest dreams! 7,8, or 9 times was considered a great harvest. But this, wow!
Even though much of the seed doesn’t produce, still the harvest is huge!
Imagine putting your money in a CD at the bank and getting 30, 60 or 100 percent interest in a year!
What you’ve just heard is a parable. A story, taken from everyday life, that illustrates a spiritual truth. Something from daily life that is a picture of heavenly life. They come in many forms, such as similes, comparisons, proverbial sayings, etc.
This parable is one told by Jesus. Its recorded in Mark 4:3-9. Jesus told a lot of parables. In fact, parables were Jesus’ main way of teaching. Verse 2 says Jesus taught them many things using parables.
Mark tells us in verse 1 that Jesus told this parable one day while he was teaching a huge crowd down on the beach at the sea of Galilee. In fact, listen to how Mark 4:1-2 describes the size of the crowd. Read Mark 4:1-2. Jewish teachers typically sat down while they taught. Jesus has to get out in a boat off shore in order to have room. I’ve not been there, but my friend Will has. One night while at his house he pulled out his home video which shows how effective a speaking environment this was. The wind coming off the lake and the hill side make it possible for someone to talk in a regular voice and be heard all the way up the hillside.
C. Jesus then says its important to listen to this story
Well, that’s a good story. And apparently its important.
Jesus brackets the story in v. 3 and v. 9 with “listen!”
After he tells the story, in v. 10 his followers ask him about it. Here’s a place where I can really relate to Jesus. I always have people coming up to me and saying “What in the world were you talking about?”
They wanted to know why Jesus used parables, stories, and maybe you do to. Maybe you want to know what this has to do with you. Jesus tells you in v. 11. It has to do with a secret God has for you.
The purpose of parables, even this one is:
To reveal the secret to the faithful. Secret ("mystery") is truth previously hidden, now revealed. What is the secret of the kingdom of God? This rule, kingdom, has come into human experience in the person of Jesus Christ (Cf. 1:15).
This secret was given to those with faith - spiritual understanding and Jesus’ explanations - v. 34, even though they didn’t fully understand.
But parables were also used to conceal the secret from the faithless. Those outside - context is hostility and unbelief - 3:6,20,30
They got "riddles" - his message and mission was hidden.
Maybe you’ve had a math class that was like that.
Blinded by persistent unbelief, unable to see (2 Cor. 4:3-4).
"So that" - with the result, not purpose. Quotes Is. 6:9,10.
God told Isa. to deliver his message, knowing it would be rejected.
This is their judgment for persistent unbelief.
Illus.: So many who write, teach about Jesus in our day come away with strange interpretations. This is why. Parables are spiritual tests, separating those who understand & believe from those who do not. The choice of digging deeper for real meaning or turning a blind eye, deaf ear.
So Jesus tells this story, then says its really important that you listen, because these stories separate those with faith and those without faith. Trans.: So what does this parable mean? If you grew up in church, maybe you’ve heard this a hundred times before. But listen, there may be something you’ve missed...
As I read vv. 13-14, notice what the seed represents A. God is busy planting his word The farmer sows the word. The seed is the word.
The word is Jesus’ word as he proclaims the arrival of the kingdom (1:15). The word, the kingdom of God, breaks in like a seed sown.
The point, result of this planting is a superabundant harvest
The kingdom, the reign of God, is like the planting process. It has an initial phase of planting, sowing, started by Jesus, with the final phase, the harvest, the consummation coming in the future. B. It is in our hearts that God wants to produce this superabundant harvest This kingdom of God, this reign of God, this planting, happens in our hearts. Notice the first words of v. 15: “Some people are like seed...” or “These are the ones...” What follows is a connection of different types of people to different types of soil. The soil are people – you and me. It is in you and me that God wants to produce this superabundant, wild harvest!
In fact, here God promises that his planting will one day result in a great harvest! God wants you to respond and experience growth, and to use you to produce other growth.
Appl: As a church, we believe that God wants to produce a harvest in us. That’s why we named this place Harvest! We believe and expect that God wants to produce an abundant Harvest through us here at the B and G Club. We expect that God wants to see the kingdom grow among your friends, neighbors, acquaintances. We expect that God wants to plant his word and see a Harvest as we get involved in Turkey.
We know God wants to produce a Harvest of supernatural proportions through Youth Life
As you go this summer to work at Kamp, expect that God wants and will accomplish, planting for an abundant harvest. This is the kind of God we have.
He wants to produce a harvest of such proportions in your heart that it will overflow and affect everyone around you. I. GOD WANTS TO PRODUCE A SUPERABUNDANT HARVEST IN YOUR HEART God is already busy planting. He promises that there will be a superabundant harvest in your life.
Trans.: Wait a minute, you say. Dave, that doesn’t match up with what I see in my life. There isn’t much being produced in or around me. My own family doesn’t even seem affected by me. God doesn’t seem to be using me. This harvest, this abundance sounds good, but is it reality? Does it happen? How can I have it in my life? Jesus said there are different kinds of soil – different kinds of responses to the seed. The soil that produced the harvest was the good soil, wasn’t it? It takes good soil to grow a good crop. We must understand our responsibility to be receptive. As we look at the different kinds of soil, the different kinds of responses, we will see 3 that prevent this harvest in our lives, that keep it from happening, that make it hard to grow anything.
Illus.: What is growing (or not growing) in your garden this spring is largely related to the condition of your soil... How do we experience this abundant growth in our lives?
A. Avoid hard-hearted indifference (15) This is the seed that is snatched by the birds.
Some hearts are like the well-worn path - hardened. The Word just sits there on top, easy pickings for the birds (Satan) to just snatch it away.
You’ve been hanging around, hearing about Jesus, listening to your friends, but it just goes in one ear and out the other. Obviously, such hard-heartedness won’t grow anything. Even those of us who are believers can be hard hearted...
B. Avoid shallow profession (16-17) This is the seed that is scorched by the sun.
Being close to surface, it sprouts immediately,
but lack of depth causes it to whither.
Emphasis here is on "hasty" reception. Some of us quickly believe when we hear about heaven, but as soon as following Jesus gets hard: we face ridicule, or have to make hard choices about morality, lifestyle, money, etc. – we aren’t willing to go any farther. We fade. If you want God to produce an abundant harvest in your life, you have to give it all to him, be willing to go the distance. C. Avoid deadly distraction (18-19) This is the seed that is strangled, choked by thorns. They lie beneath the surface and choke and prevent growth.
What are the thorns that kill our relationship with God?
Worries of this life - control, fear of future
Deceitfulness of wealth - false security, satisfaction
Desires for other things - lack of contentment, envy
Many people allow such thorns to choke out their response to God. Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you…
D. Allow productive reception (20) This is the seed that produces abundant harvest! They willingly receive the word, and it grows and produces amazing results.
That’s all it takes – an affirmation of faith, a receptiveness.
When God’s Word is planted in receptive soil, the result is tremendous growth! What is produced?
• God’s rule, his kingdom, resides and grown in our hearts.
• Fruit of the Spirit - Gal. 5:22-23.
• More seed is sown, and other believers sprout!
II. WE MUST BE WILLING TO RECEIVE WHAT GOD WANTS TO GROW IN US It takes good soil to grow an abundant harvest.
Let’s work over the soil of our hearts to make sure its receptive. CONCL: God wants to produce a superabundant harvest in and through you. Will you believe it? Will you receive it? Next week we will talk about how God does this – how he will accomplish this in your life. But today, if you want the harvest, prepare the soil. Maybe you’ve let the soil get hard, or rocky, or weeds and thorns have crept in. Let’s do some spiritual gardening this week.
