Practical
Living According to the Words of God
Mark 4:1-20
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
15 August, 2010 PM
I.
Introduction
A.
Our series of
studies
for the month of August –
God’s Open
Revelation
1.
It is
the Book you
hold in your hands.
I hope to give you
a new and
fresh appreciation for an eternal Revelation, from God about God
2.
It is the foundation of what we
believe, and it is the basis for everything we do – if it is not in the
Bible, then we don’t do it!
a.
If the foundation is tampered
with, then we are lost (Psalm 11:3)
b.
But if the foundation is rock
solid, then we can build, and strive, and risk everything, all because this
Book, THAT Book you hold in your hands is absolutely, and completely true
from start to finish (Ps 119:16)
3.
It is the only Book that actually
changes lives, and saves souls from a devil’s hell!
B.
But it all depends on our
response to what we hear.
C.
Let’s learn the parable of the
Sower
II.
Background -
The Parable of the Sower, Seed, and Soil (Mark 4:1-13)
A.
There are several gardens in
Scripture - Two of which stand out:
1.
The garden of
Eden (Gen 2,3)
2.
The
B.
There is a THIRD garden in
Scripture… The human heart is here compared to that of a garden. Because the
heart is just like the soils found in a garden.
1.
EXAMPLE of my back garden -
immense amount of effort and time to get things to grow in it
2.
Do you know what the main problem
is with gardens that don’t produce grass and flowers and apples and
vegetables? The SOIL!
C.
The Lord Jesus brings this truth
home to us this morning about our
hearts, in the form of a parable (a comparative lesson where this is
like that). The parable about how we react to the word of God
1.
The Sower - that is the Farmer.
The Sower sows. Natural enough to do
2.
The Seed - What does he sow?
Seeds. That too is natural.
3.
The Soils - Notice. There are
four types of “soil” that the seed lands on:
a.
Wayside Soil
(4:4) – hard, footpath soil - the seed is easily taken away
b.
Stony Soil
(4:5,6) the seed cannot take root and therefore dies under hostile
conditions
c.
Thorny Soil
(4:7) the seed is choked out by thorns
d.
Good Soil
(4:8) the seed produced fruit like it was intended.
4.
Every farmer works hard to have
GOOD soil – so that he can plant, and expect a good crop.
5.
The challenge to all who were
listening - to hear and understand what
Jesus is talking about (4:9). What is it? The Lord is going to
tell us!
D.
The Lord begins to explain:
the seed is the WORD
(4:14; 1 Pet 1:23)! What a powerful statement
1.
These are the words of GOD, not
of men (
2.
Jesus said, Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but not the word of God (Mark 13:31)
3.
People loved to hear the word of
God – not just stories (Mark 2:1,2)
4.
A person finds LIFE when he lives
by God’s word (Matthew 4:4)
5.
The word of God saves and
cleanses and makes whole (
6.
So, God is, all the time,
attempting to plant His word into our hearts
a.
His seed is PERFECT (
b.
But the soil? Well, that is the
problem (Jeremiah 17:9)!
7.
How are YOU responding to the
Book you hold in your hands?
III.
Message - Four
Responses to the Seed/Word of God (Mark 4:15-20)
A.
Wayside Heart
(4:15) is like Unplowed Soil - unprepared to receive the seed – Hard heart -
Rebellious heart
1.
It HEARS the word of God
a.
Most people
have heard about the God of the
Bible - God makes sure of that
b.
People are always asking about
people who have never heard – the problem in in the hearts of those who HAVE
heard!!!
2.
This heart is not ready (hungry)
for God’s word - it has no place for it (
3.
Uninterested
a.
More interested in the X-Factor,
and in the economy, and in Facebook
b.
More interested in fun, and
friends, and holidays and sports
c.
It just couldn’t be bothered with
the Bible
4.
It only misunderstands the word -
confusion - doesn’t fit with how they think things should be!
a.
To this kind of a heart, God is
wrong, God should be doing things differently
b.
This kind of heart always is mad
at God, and blaming God
5.
So, Satan ends up coming along
and snatches away the life-giving word of God so that it cannot have any
effect on you!
a.
EX of hearing the Bible preached,
and having a tug on your heart that it is right, and that you need to follow
it - but you just shrug it off, and before long, the feeling is gone, and
your are back to “normal” - so many
people I meet are like this!
b.
If you ever feel like every time
you try and get into the Bible, and the words just get trampled upon by
life, and you come out empty, it probably is because your heart is
rebellious to what it is hearing! It does not want to surrender to Christ!
6.
That’s not YOU is it? If you are
not born again yet, it is because your heart is HARD towards this Book!
Today you need to check your heart!
B.
The Stony
Heart
(4:16,17) is like hard, shallow soil - not committed to producing any fruit
- Reluctant heart (Matt 8:19,20)
1.
This heart hears the word of God
- gets the seed!
2.
It actually rejoices at it - they
like to hear the word!
3.
But it is not committed to it -
How do you know? Because when affliction (troubles) and persecution comes,
the heart is offended, and gives up!
4.
Many people call themselves
“Christians” and are just like this soil - VERY SHALLOW! No depth of
relationship with God or His word! The problem is not in the seed, it is in
the soil!
a.
The word of God never was allowed
to take root in their lives, so it was easily discarded!
b.
These people come close to
Christ, but pull away when the going gets tough because Jesus and His word
doesn’t matter to them! Only comfort and pleasure matter to them - not
reality and eternity
c.
The stony heart only sees
Biblical Christianity as fanatics, and will only come hear the word preached
every once in a while, or maybe only on Sunday mornings even!
d.
But if they have the sniffles, or
a cough, or stayed up too late Saturday night, or some friend made fun of
them, they just crumble, and you don’t see them on Sunday!!!
5.
To the stony heart, troubles
offend them and upset them, and defeat them!
6.
I hope that is not YOU?
C.
The Thorny
Heart
(4:18,19) is like mixed soil - holding onto the cares of this world, and its
riches, and a lust for things - Reckless heart
1.
This heart also hears the word of
God – listens to what God says about things
2.
Yet, the word is just brought
into a life that is full of other cares and concerns. The Bible to them is
“just more stuff” (EX of just throwing stuff into your closet)
3.
The problem is that the person at
the end of the day can’t choose what is most important in life
a.
They are trying to hold onto as
many ‘gods’ as possible –
b.
They are trying to serve as many
masters as possible (Matt 6:24)
4.
This is a very dangerous and
reckless way to live (EX of juggling hand grenades, with more all along
being added)
a.
Look at how busy you are!
b.
Look at how many cares and
burdens you carry
c.
Have you ever felt like you were
being choked by everything that was going on around you?
d.
That is because you have just
allowed everything to be dumped on you, and you have never prioritised what
is important – EX of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)
5.
If this Book is not your
priority, then everything else will take its place!
D.
The Good Heart
(4:20) is compared to soft, moist soil - Ready heart
1.
This is the kind of heart that
the Lord wants us to have
2.
One that hears the word - like
you are doing this morning!
3.
One that receives it -
like receiving an honoured guest into your home
4.
One that from then on is
committed to obeying every word - letting
it produce real spiritual
fruit in their lives
a.
It is a heart that is willingly
plowed - stones, thorns, weeds are gladly discarded to allow the word room
to work and grow!
b.
It is a heart that is spiritually
empty - waiting to be filled with the good seed
c.
It is a heart that is determined
to BE what the Sower wants - a
new life in Christ! Saved, and Serving Jesus!
5.
A church group may be made up of
all kinds of people with all kinds of hearts
6.
But the family of God is made up
of people who love to HEAR the word of God and love to obey it (Luke
8:19-21).
7.
Don’t claim to be a Christian if
you do not love this Book and live by it!
IV.
Conclusion -
Four Responses to Word of God and How to Change
A.
Rebellious Heart -
Wayside Heart (4:15) is like
Unplowed Soil - unprepared to receive the seed - leads to misunderstandings,
and emptiness!
1.
The way to overcome a HARD Heart
is by repenting of your hard heart! By just allowing the word of God to
first break your heart, and humble you.
2.
Everyone is looking for a good
feeling from the Bible, when God is looking to first make a good heart!
B.
Reluctant Heart -
The Stony Heart (4:16,17) is like
hard, shallow soil - not committed to producing any fruit. These people only
come close to Christ, but pull away when the going gets tough because Jesus
Christ and His word doesn’t matter to them
1.
The way to overcome a STONY Heart
is by allowing the word of God to take root in your life
2.
Commitment to the Bible with time
in it, and committed to obeying it
3.
Endure
4.
Become a fanatic!
5.
That’s how stones are removed and
you are left with a soft heart!
C.
Reckless Heart -
The Thorny Heart (4:18,19) is
like mixed soil - holding onto the cares of this world, and its riches, and
a lust for things all the while trying to follow Christ. This person can’t
choose what is most important in life, and is ultimately choked!
1.
The way to overcome a stony heart
is by allowing God to strip away things you love
2.
It is called weeding, or pruning
3.
It is very unpleasant
4.
But you will be left with a soft
heart that easily receives God’s word, and produces spiritual fruit
D.
Ready Heart -
The Good Heart (4:20) is compared
to soft, moist soil
1.
This is the one the Lord Jesus
wants us to have
2.
One that hears the word - like
you have heard it today!
3.
One that receives it - trusts it
to be true and effective
4.
One that from then on is
committed to it - letting it produce real spiritual fruit in their lives -
protecting it, and nurturing it!
5.
One that produces fruit – that
honours God, and lives as Jesus Christ did, affecting the world around Him
for eternity’s sake!
V.
HOW IS YOUR
HEART?
A.
Is it willingly plowed? Its
stones, thorns, weeds are gladly discarded. The Holy Spirit doing work in
your heart like a plow
B.
Is it waiting to be filled with
the good seed of God’s word?
C.
Is it determined to
BE what the Lord wants/what He
died on the cross for? A new life in Christ! Saved, and Serving Him!