Parable of the Sower

—Mark 4:1–34

 
 
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“A farmer sowing seed”

Mark 4: The Sower

  1. “Hear! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed,
  2. some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
  3. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.
  4. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.
  5. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
  6. And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
  1. Part of the problem is that most of you already know the explanation
  2. Part of the problem is that they thought they already knew everthing
    • Jesus was going to free them from the Romans and bring them prosperity
    • So which bit of the parable is about Romans, Jesus?
    • Which bit is about us getting rich?
  3. Part of it is that they already had a story of the sower that was slightly different (more in a moment)

Mark 4 —Jesus explains

  1. And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
  2. The sower sows the word.
  3. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.
  4. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy.
  5. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

Mark 4 —Jesus explains cont’d

  1. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word,
  2. but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
  3. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

2. The Old Testament Sower

  1. Part of it is that they already had a story of the sower that was slightly different:

Jeremiah 24 —Return from Exile

  1. Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans.
  2. I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not uproot them.
  3. I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.

Jeremiah 31

  1. Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah…
  2. …as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD.
  3. “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah
  4. …I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Isaiah & Colossians 1

  1. “the word of the truth, the gospel, 6which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world, it is bearing fruit and growing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth… be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
  2. …so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

3. The Embarrassing Quote from Isaiah

Mark 4:1–34

1–2 about parables Intro: “he was teaching them many things in parables”
3–9 parable The Sower and the four kinds of soil
10–12 about parables “their ears are deaf” Isaiah 6:10–11
13–20 parable The Sower—explained
21–25 about parables “Pay attention to what you hear...”
26–32 parable Two more Sowers
33–34 about parables Conclusion: “He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.”

Quote from Isaiah 6 —Embarrassing?

  1. And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
  2. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,
  3. so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.”

Isaiah 6

  1. He said, “Go and tell these people:
    ‘Listen continually, but don’t understand!
    Look continually, but don’t perceive!’
  2. Make the hearts of these people calloused;
    make their ears deaf and their eyes blind!
    Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
    their hearts might understand and they might repent and be healed.”
  3. I replied, “How long, sovereign master?” He said,
    “Until cities are in ruins and unpopulated,
    and houses are uninhabited,
    and the land is ruined and devastated,
  4. and the LORD has sent the people off to a distant place…

Don’t look at this screen!

Isaiah 44

  1. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.
  2. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams.

4. Message

NewLife Church

NewLife Church

New Life

Mark 4 —Jesus explains

  1. And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
  2. The sower sows the word.
  3. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.
  4. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy.
  5. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

Mark 4 —Jesus explains cont’d

  1. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word,
  2. but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
  3. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

Summary

Joh 12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Joh 12:25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Joh 12:26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.