[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 1st of October, 2017. Observance of Holy Communion followed the message. Look for the video on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
When Jesus walked this earth, the message He tried to teach us was so radical from our normal ways of thinking that He had to come up with a means of getting His point across in a form we could understand. So He used parables a great deal.
A parable is basically a word picture. It uses common, everyday language and familiar events and activities to explain a complex idea. We simply cannot understand all the mysteries of God and His heaven. We can’t even understand why He would love us the way He does! So Jesus painted word pictures for us, and at times even explained those because we can be so dense.
Listen and follow along as I read of one well known parable, contained in verses 1 through 9 and 13 through 20 of chapter 4 of the Apostle Mark’s Gospel account…
A parable is basically a word picture. It uses common, everyday language and familiar events and activities to explain a complex idea. We simply cannot understand all the mysteries of God and His heaven. We can’t even understand why He would love us the way He does! So Jesus painted word pictures for us, and at times even explained those because we can be so dense.
Listen and follow along as I read of one well known parable, contained in verses 1 through 9 and 13 through 20 of chapter 4 of the Apostle Mark’s Gospel account…
1 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. 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:
3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
9 And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 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. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 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. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 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. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
--Mark 4:1-9; 13-20 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, Your thinking and Your ways are so much higher above ours that we cannot grasp all the wonders and mysteries of Your heaven. Forgive us, please Father, those times when we have doubts because we simply don’t comprehend what Jesus tried to tell us. Help us to understand Your message. Speak to us now through Your Holy Spirit directly into our hearts. Give us greater insight into Your will for our lives. Help us be better soil for Your word. In the blessed name of Your Son Jesus we pray. Amen.
Author David Rhodes once said: "Pride is the dandelion of the soul. Its root goes deep; only a little left behind sprouts again. Its seeds lodge in the tiniest encouraging cracks. And it flourishes in good soil: The danger of pride is that it feeds on goodness."
Human pride is another of Satan’s greatest tools. When we are filled with pride, we can more easily be angered, we tend to ignore the needs of others, we focus too much on ourselves and our personal accomplishments rather than giving Gog the glory. Pride digs itself firmly into our very being, to where only a little praise or a small compliment can make it spring forth and blossom once again. Even the best of us, the righteous of us, can fall sway to pride’s power, as it feeds on goodness, flourishing in good soil. But are we good if we still let pride creep into our hearts?
Are we good? We have to be a little careful with that question, with how we talk about being good. Jesus warned us about that, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew in chapter 19 of his Gospel account, verses 16 and 17…
I find it amazing that Jesus did not consider even Himself to be good. No one is good except God. And with God’s goodness as a measuring stick, we certainly fall way down the scale. But there are ways we can be good, in how we live. And we can keep God’s goodness close to our hearts and use it and Him as our model.
In our scripture reading, Jesus tells us that God’s word falling on good soil will bear fruit thirty, sixty, even a hundred-fold. In the Gospel account of the Apostle Luke, chapter 6 verse 43, Jesus also says…
So if we are like a good tree in that good soil, then we will only bear good fruit. But we need to stay good, we need to remain as good soil.
Anyone who has ever planted a garden of any size knows that for soil to become good, it must be prepared first. The ground must be broken, over and over again, until it becomes fine and loose. Nutrients must be added until it becomes rich and fertile, not only at first but also over time as the soil yields harvest after harvest. For soil, even good soil, can lose its vitality. Jesus also warns us about this, a little later on in Mark’s Gospel account, in chapter 9 verse 50, when He says…
What good are we to God if we lose our flavor, our vitality, our fertility as soil? Will His word prosper if it falls on us after we have let ourselves become nothing more that rocky, thorn-filled ground? Will we still be good?
James G. Arcus once wrote in the magazine Moody Monthly…
A Sower one day went forth to sow;
His seed was the word of life,
The field that He sowed was the world of men
Where the briars of sin grow rife.
What seed by the wayside chanced to fall
The birds of the air devoured,
And that which fell in the barren soil
In the heat of the day expired.
'Mid thorns and tares some grew for a time,
Tho' weakened, and warped, and lean,
But harvest time found them withered and dead
For fruitless their growing had been.
But the seed that fell in the fertile soil
Bore fruit, some an hundred fold;
And the heart of the Master sang for joy
As He garnered His sheaves of gold.
In your heart, my friend, the seed is sown;
Oh, what will the harvest be,
A blackened field at the harvest time,
Or the joys of eternity?
Oh, think, dear friend, of the harvest time—
It may be tonight for you—
Will you yield your heart to the Master's call?
The Saviour is speaking to you!
Our Savior is speaking to us. He is calling us to be good soil, to receive God’s word and let it grow and spread. In a moment, He will be calling us to His table to Commune with Him in His broken body and shed blood. The Apostle Paul warns us to be right with God before approaching the table, or we will be as guilty of Jesus’ death as those who pounded the nails into His hands and feet. Take the time of prayer to repent and seek God’s forgiveness.
Are we good? I hope so. We may not be as good as our heavenly Father, or as Jesus, but we can be good soil for God’s word. We can be good harvesters in His fields.
In the blessed name of Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You gave us Your word to instruct us, to help us live a good life. You want us to return to You and live for all eternity in Your presence, so You told us how to live. Help us to remain faithful and true to Your word, please Father. Help us to be good soil so that Your word can grow and spread from us to others. Forgive us, please God, when we let the sins of the world choke out the seedlings of Your word, when we let our busyness block out the sun, Your Son.
Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your great mercy, repenting of our disobedience and sin, and seeking Your forgiveness…
Lord Jesus, You knew that in our sinful state we can never be good as is our Father God. But You also knew we could still lead a good life, and You told us how to do so. Help us, Lord, to be good soil. Help us to bear only good fruit. Help us to not lose our flavor, our vitality for serving You.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
Author David Rhodes once said: "Pride is the dandelion of the soul. Its root goes deep; only a little left behind sprouts again. Its seeds lodge in the tiniest encouraging cracks. And it flourishes in good soil: The danger of pride is that it feeds on goodness."
Human pride is another of Satan’s greatest tools. When we are filled with pride, we can more easily be angered, we tend to ignore the needs of others, we focus too much on ourselves and our personal accomplishments rather than giving Gog the glory. Pride digs itself firmly into our very being, to where only a little praise or a small compliment can make it spring forth and blossom once again. Even the best of us, the righteous of us, can fall sway to pride’s power, as it feeds on goodness, flourishing in good soil. But are we good if we still let pride creep into our hearts?
Are we good? We have to be a little careful with that question, with how we talk about being good. Jesus warned us about that, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew in chapter 19 of his Gospel account, verses 16 and 17…
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
--Matthew 19:16-17 (NKJV)
In our scripture reading, Jesus tells us that God’s word falling on good soil will bear fruit thirty, sixty, even a hundred-fold. In the Gospel account of the Apostle Luke, chapter 6 verse 43, Jesus also says…
43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.”
--Luke 6:43 (NKJV)
Anyone who has ever planted a garden of any size knows that for soil to become good, it must be prepared first. The ground must be broken, over and over again, until it becomes fine and loose. Nutrients must be added until it becomes rich and fertile, not only at first but also over time as the soil yields harvest after harvest. For soil, even good soil, can lose its vitality. Jesus also warns us about this, a little later on in Mark’s Gospel account, in chapter 9 verse 50, when He says…
50 “Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”
--Mark 9:50 (NKJV)
James G. Arcus once wrote in the magazine Moody Monthly…
A Sower one day went forth to sow;
His seed was the word of life,
The field that He sowed was the world of men
Where the briars of sin grow rife.
What seed by the wayside chanced to fall
The birds of the air devoured,
And that which fell in the barren soil
In the heat of the day expired.
'Mid thorns and tares some grew for a time,
Tho' weakened, and warped, and lean,
But harvest time found them withered and dead
For fruitless their growing had been.
But the seed that fell in the fertile soil
Bore fruit, some an hundred fold;
And the heart of the Master sang for joy
As He garnered His sheaves of gold.
In your heart, my friend, the seed is sown;
Oh, what will the harvest be,
A blackened field at the harvest time,
Or the joys of eternity?
Oh, think, dear friend, of the harvest time—
It may be tonight for you—
Will you yield your heart to the Master's call?
The Saviour is speaking to you!
Our Savior is speaking to us. He is calling us to be good soil, to receive God’s word and let it grow and spread. In a moment, He will be calling us to His table to Commune with Him in His broken body and shed blood. The Apostle Paul warns us to be right with God before approaching the table, or we will be as guilty of Jesus’ death as those who pounded the nails into His hands and feet. Take the time of prayer to repent and seek God’s forgiveness.
Are we good? I hope so. We may not be as good as our heavenly Father, or as Jesus, but we can be good soil for God’s word. We can be good harvesters in His fields.
In the blessed name of Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You gave us Your word to instruct us, to help us live a good life. You want us to return to You and live for all eternity in Your presence, so You told us how to live. Help us to remain faithful and true to Your word, please Father. Help us to be good soil so that Your word can grow and spread from us to others. Forgive us, please God, when we let the sins of the world choke out the seedlings of Your word, when we let our busyness block out the sun, Your Son.
Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your great mercy, repenting of our disobedience and sin, and seeking Your forgiveness…
Lord Jesus, You knew that in our sinful state we can never be good as is our Father God. But You also knew we could still lead a good life, and You told us how to do so. Help us, Lord, to be good soil. Help us to bear only good fruit. Help us to not lose our flavor, our vitality for serving You.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
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