Alright, please take with me your copy of God's Word and turn to the Gospel of Mark chapter 4.
I'm thankful for the people who are helping me with that. The bakers have the boys right now and I appreciate my parents kicking in to help with that a bit.
But I'm feeling a little scatterbrained this morning. I was doing really well leading up to today, studying, kind of finishing my preparations yesterday.
And then I fed our youngest, who's very allergic to peanut butter, peanut butter on accident yesterday, which caused vomiting and other joys yesterday evening.
So, I just feel a little out of it today. So, join me and let's pray and let's see if we can get focused today on the text before us.
Father, we do thank You this morning for the blessing of getting to come together and opening Your Word.
And we so often treat it with neglect. We so often don't appreciate it for what it is, and that is Your Word to us.
It has meant things for the church throughout history, but it means something for us now today, and it means something for every person in this room.
Wherever they may be right now, it's a salve. It's a solution. It's an authority.
And I pray, Father, that we will treat it as such.
I pray, Father, that You will empower my speaking by Your Word, and that You'll empower all of our hearing, all of our application by Your Spirit,
that we might be more like Your Son this day.
He is worthy of all praise and all honor.
He is magnificent to behold.
And as such, Father, I pray that our lives give Him that proper praise.
Help us this morning, Lord, and we pray this in Christ's name.
Amen.
So we're going to read together and deal with Mark chapter 4, verses 21 through 34.
So please join me as I read this to you.
And He said to them,
Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed and not a stand?
For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest, nor is anything secret except to come to light.
If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.
And He said to them,
Pay attention to what you hear.
With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.
For to the one who has, more will be given.
And from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
And He said,
The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.
He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows.
He knows not how.
The earth produces by itself first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
But when the grain is ripe, it once He puts in the sickle because the harvest has come.
And He said,
With what can we compare to the kingdom of God?
Or what parable shall we use for it?
It is like a grain of mustard seed,
which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth.
Yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants
and puts out large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.
With many such parables, He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.
He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to His own disciples,
He explained everything.
Now we have before us this morning four sayings,
most of them being parables,
one of them more of a proverbial explanation.
And you can see those as each of them kind of begin with,
the, and He said to them, or and He said.
If you have a red letter edition as I do,
those black, and He said to them, and He said, kind of stand out to me.
And you see there's these four separate sayings.
Again, being as they are primarily parables,
remember that a parable is a lesser truth laid alongside a greater truth
to help us understand that truth.
We get the word parallel, our same English word for that,
from the root in the Greek here, para,
to lay alongside.
And so we have this pause in the Gospel of Mark with this teaching.
And it's not often that this happens.
Mark moves pretty quickly.
It's kind of the action gospel, so to speak.
And he pauses here to express some of Jesus' teaching,
and then again in chapter 13.
And so it's good for us to really stop and ponder
and really take a look at what's going on here.
And so you may ask then,
why are we going to deal with all four of these sayings on the same Sunday?
And I've got to tell you this week,
I didn't start out intending to deal with them all.
I was really just going to speak about the very first one,
verses 21 through 23.
But they are tied together thematically.
They are tied together thematically.
Now to kind of help us see that theme,
we have to remember where the Gospel of Mark began.
And I just want you to draw your attention to chapter 1, verses 14 and 15,
where Mark records,
Now after John was arrested,
Jesus came into Galilee,
proclaiming the Gospel of God,
the good news of God,
and saying,
the time is fulfilled,
and the Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent and believe in the Gospel.
Now we need to get this understanding right.
What is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God?
What was it that Jesus was coming and preaching?
Because I fear that we are overly reductionist
when we speak of what the Gospel is.
When most of us talk of the Gospel,
we are speaking of the redemption of souls.
This is the only thing we are referring to when we talk about the Gospel.
This message that we were sinners,
dead in sin.
That Jesus came and made a way
by the propitiation of His life.
That He died for us.
That He was raised.
He's seated at the right hand of the Father.
And that when we will place faith in Him,
we will have eternal life.
And the Gospel certainly is this.
In fact, it is this at its very core.
If you remove any of those things,
it ceases to be the Gospel.
It is no longer good news.
But it's not just that.
It's that in its essence.
It's that in its core.
But it is not just that.
Recall in Revelation 21, verse 5,
when we see the new earth,
the new heaven being established,
Jesus says,
Behold, I am making all things new.
And this is what I mean by this.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,
this good news of the coming Kingdom,
is the good news of God re-establishing order
as it should be.
Re-establishing the world
as it was meant to be.
Which at its core includes
our ability to live in relation with Him.
Our ability to worship Him
with everything that we do.
This is the main part of this Gospel message.
But it includes other things.
And that is,
how is it that we now live
in light of that reality?
The redemption of our souls.
What happens now?
How then shall we live?
And it must look different
because we are now citizens
of a greater kingdom.
Not of this world,
but of a heavenly world.
And God is bringing to pass
this process of making all things new.
I was speaking with Ash about this yesterday.
And I gave the analogy,
it's very poor really,
but I talked about an M&M.
And an M&M in its core is chocolate.
Without that,
it ceases to be an M&M.
It would be a really weird,
empty candy shell.
But an M&M also has a candy shell.
At its core,
the Gospel message
is the redemption of souls.
The candy coating,
the extra thing,
that thing that has effect then,
is the redemption of other things
in our world as well.
We live in a fallen place.
Sin has affected so much.
The ability of our bodies to heal.
It affects relationships.
It affects how it is that we relate to the world.
Work in your yard a little bit.
That's sin.
Pulling weeds is a result of sin.
The work that was given to Adam in the garden
became labor after the fall.
These things were all destroyed by sin.
And now,
Christ is working to make these things new.
All of this simply to say to you
that those of us who are redeemed
must look different.
And we must make a difference in this world.
And here's how we see these four sayings,
parables,
tied together.
And that is,
the theme of these
is that we ought to receive
the knowledge of the covenant kingdom of God
and impart the same to others.
We must do this with our words,
first and foremost,
but we also must be doing this
with our actions.
Now,
fascinatingly,
these are pulled together here,
these four sayings together,
but they're scattered
in the synoptic gospels,
in Matthew and Luke,
all throughout the gospels.
They're all throughout it.
And at first,
as I was studying,
I thought,
well,
how interesting that Mark,
led by the Spirit,
pulled them together
and showed them to us here.
But I believe that Jesus
spoke them in this order.
Mark does a pretty good job
of telling us
where it is that he's at.
We know that he has been
by the Sea of Galilee,
that he has drawn out into a boat
and he has taught this parable
of the sower.
We see that in verse 10,
he was alone later
explaining things.
And then in verse 35,
they decide to get back
into the boat
and go across.
So I think he's still
in this mode of teaching.
He's on the side
of the Sea of Galilee.
He's teaching these things
and he's recording them
all together
as they were taught.
As any good teacher does,
he gets a good parable in mind
and he uses it
in multiple occasions
at multiple times.
I'm sure that Jesus
didn't one time
speak of these things,
but he continued to teach
what the kingdom of God
would look like
as he traveled
and as he spoke
to different audiences.
And so,
not only did the Spirit
move Mark
to record them
in this way together,
but I believe that Jesus
spoke them in this way
as well.
And so therefore,
we ought to pay careful attention
to this theme
that we ought to receive
the knowledge
of the coming kingdom of God
and impart
the same to others.
And so,
with each parable,
I want to show you
four things.
First,
the revelation
of the kingdom of growth,
or the kingdom growth.
Secondly,
the response
of kingdom growth.
Thirdly,
the mystery
of kingdom growth.
And fourthly,
the magnitude
of kingdom growth.
So firstly,
the revelation
of kingdom growth.
Verses 21-23,
and he said to them,
is a lamp brought in
to be put under a basket
or under a bed
and not a stand?
For nothing is hidden
except to be made manifest,
nor is anything secret
except to come to light.
If anyone has ears to hear,
let him hear.
And the key here to seeing,
what is it that Jesus
is communicating to us?
What is this light
that he is speaking of,
this lamp?
And that is himself.
Verse 22,
he says,
nothing is hidden
except to be made manifest,
nor is anything secret
except to come to light.
And this is the stage
in history
that that is happening.
Right?
They had messianic prophecy
up to this point.
Now the Messiah
is standing before them.
Something that was hidden
has now been made manifest.
Something that was secret
has now come to light.
John 8-12,
Jesus says,
I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me
will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.
Luke records this same thing
parable in Luke 11-33,
but just before that,
in verse 32,
we see this record,
the men of Nineveh
will rise up at the judgment
with this generation
and condemn it.
For they repented
at the preaching of Jonah,
and behold,
something greater than Jonah
is here.
The revelation of God to man.
He is the way of repentance.
Jonah preached to Nineveh
that they should repent
and turn back to God.
Jesus is now
that greater Jonah.
John 14-6,
Jesus says,
I am the way
and the truth
and the life.
No one comes to the Father
except through me.
And this is why
verse 23 says,
if anyone has ears to hear,
let him hear.
And all he's saying is,
if you have had your mind
open to the realities
of the gospel,
hear the realities
of the gospel.
Don't just take it in,
but take it into your heart.
Let it have effect
in who you are.
In Numbers chapter 21,
we see Israel
in the wilderness
and they have complained
to Moses
of their situation.
They are desiring
to go back to captivity
where things were
a little bit easier for them.
And God sends
as a punishment to them
what are called
fiery serpents.
Serpents that were
biting them
and they were dying
as a result of this.
We see in verse 6,
it says,
Then the Lord sent
fiery serpents
among the people
and they bit the people
so that many people
of Israel died.
And the people
came to Moses
and said,
listen to this repentance,
they came to Moses
and said,
We have sinned
for we have spoken
against the Lord
and against you.
Pray to the Lord
that He take away
the serpents from us.
We see this picture
of repentance.
So Moses prayed
for the people.
In verse 8,
And the Lord said
to Moses,
Make a fiery serpent
and set it on a pole
and everyone who is bitten
when he sees it
shall live.
So they make a statue,
an image of a fiery serpent
and they put it on a pole.
So when people are bitten
they come and they look at it
and they live.
So Moses made a bronze serpent
and set it on a pole
and if a serpent bit anyone
he would look at the bronze serpent
and live.
And then we get
such wonderful commentary
about what this was meant
to foreshadow.
So here we have a people
who were stricken
by an affliction
because of their sin
against God.
Because of their sin
against God
they are dying.
And Moses prays on behalf.
He intercedes for them
and God gives them
a way to live.
He gives them a way
to avoid the punishment
of this bite
and to live.
John chapter 3
beginning in verse 14.
And as Moses lifted up
the serpent in the wilderness
so must the Son of Man
be lifted up
that whoever believes in Him
may have eternal life.
for God so loved the world
that He gave His only Son
that whoever believes in Him
should not perish
but have eternal life.
I hope that verse 16
was very familiar to you.
Did you know that this was
the story that's being spoken of
that precedes that?
Just as Moses lifted up
the servant
so the Son of Man
was lifted on a cross
and He was crucified.
So that whoever believes
in that redemptive work
that He accomplished
on the cross
can have eternal life
and can avoid
the punishment
that our sin brought.
So Jesus is the light.
As Mark is recording it here
He is the lamp
that is meant to be
lifted up.
But how do we do that?
How do we do that
in our world?
The very same parable
is recorded in the Sermon
on the Mount
in Matthew chapter 5
and Jesus teaches it
a little bit differently
beginning in verse 14.
He says,
You are the light
of the world.
You.
Speaking to the believers there
You are the light
of the world.
A city set on a hill
cannot be hidden.
Nor do people light a lamp
and put it under a basket
but on a stand
and it gives light
to all in the house.
In the same way
let your light shine
before others
so that they may see
your good works
and give glory
to your Father
who is in heaven.
So Jesus is the light
and we are the light.
How is it that we are the light?
Because we have Christ.
Because Christ lives in us.
Because the gospel
has done a work
in our hearts
and it has made us new.
But don't miss
that therefore
we should look
like Christ.
The way we put the lamp
on the stand
is that we live
as He has called us
to live.
We live set apart
from this world.
We look different
from this world.
And you must ask yourself
that question
do I look different
from this world?
And I'm not talking
about exterior trappings.
That is not what I mean.
We shouldn't dress
in some strange garb
make clothing
out of burlap
or something like that
so that we look different
from the world
in that way.
We shouldn't set ourselves
apart from the world.
We shouldn't become monastic.
Many things,
good things
were accomplished
through monastic movements
but by and large
these people
removed themselves
from the sake of holiness
from the world
and therefore
weren't light at all.
They were a city
in a valley.
They were a lamp
that was covered up.
They were,
in our analogy here,
a lamp that was stuck
underneath the bed.
We're meant to live
in this world
and to function
in this world
so that we can exalt
Christ in this world.
So that we can be
light in this place.
The vision statement
of Christ's family church
is that we exist
to glorify God
by experiencing,
proclaiming,
and displaying
the supremacy
of Jesus Christ
in all things
to all peoples.
I hope that you've
memorized that.
I hope that every time
I mention it now
you go,
oh yeah,
oh I know that thing.
Right?
There it is.
Can you remember it?
We ought to first
be experiencing this
to be a reality
in our lives.
Right?
If Christ is not supreme,
if Christ doesn't reign
over all things
in your life,
that should be true of you.
You should yield
things to Christ.
You should desire
that Christ be
more precious
than anything
that this world
has to offer
because He is.
You should stop
trading lesser pleasure
for that greater pleasure.
The great pleasure
of knowing
Jesus Christ
as Lord.
We should experience
this to be true
in our lives.
And I think
that too often
we don't.
Far too often
we worship
the things of this world.
Far too often
we are led astray
by the sundry items
of this world.
Right?
We don't behold
Jesus' face
and have everything else
in this world
just grow dim.
Right?
But this world
has such
a shininess
to it
for us.
We love
to hold it
and we love
to look it over
and call it
our precious.
Jesus
is precious.
This world
is not.
Tolkien interjection
there.
On accident.
Right?
Now catch
that we are also
meant to proclaim
the truth
of this reality.
Right?
Our religion
is a religion
of words.
Now hear me carefully.
Don't...
God works
a change in our heart
where we worship
in spirit
and truth
but we worship
in truth.
Right?
We have been given
the gospel message
in words
and I praise God
for it.
We are unique
in this way
that it is okay
that the Bible
is translated
into our language
that we can translate
it into other languages
that we can propagate
it all around
the world.
Right?
If you are a Muslim
it is not okay
for the Koran
to be translated
into English.
Right?
It is not considered
the Word of God.
Right?
These translations
are precious to us.
These words come
and they bring
life.
Now if anybody
ever asks you
what translation
I preach from
just tell them
the original.
Just say that
because some people
get really
into their translations
and somehow
think they are inspired.
They are not
the original inspired.
Right?
The Greek
that we would read here
is the inspired
Word of God
and this is
that translation
that comes to us
we must proclaim.
This is how people
hear the gospel
and believe in it.
We must proclaim it
far and wide.
But we also must
display it.
Matthew chapter 5
verse 16
in the same way
let your light
shine before others
so that they
may see what?
Not your proclamation.
That's not what
he says here.
That they may see
your good works
and give glory
to your Father
who is in heaven.
We must display
this reality.
If it's true to us
that Jesus Christ
is supreme
to all things
in the world
and we're saying
that
probably Christians
get that more
right than anything
but we're not
displaying it.
What good is it
for anybody?
If you go around
telling somebody
that they should
believe in something
that it will
change their life
and your life
looks like theirs
what good is it?
It is pointless.
It's not good news
at all.
It's just news.
We've got to ask
ourselves
is our world
a better place
because of our church?
Is our world
better
because Christ Family
Church
exists?
Is your world
better?
The spheres
that you run in
are you
making change
where you are?
And here's where
this idea
of redeeming souls
and redeeming
other things
as well
comes into play
that the kingdom
of God
is about
reestablishing
God's order
the way things
are meant to be
which hear me
clearly
is primarily
about souls
primarily
about that
but it also means
that you will be
the best
possible employee
you can possibly be
because God
has redeemed
your soul
he has also
redeemed
your work ethic
that your employer
will say
I think that the gospel
that Nathan preaches
is insanity
but man am I glad
he's around
he is a good
employee
I never have to ask him
to do anything twice
when he gets done
with a project
he comes and asks
for another project
I never catch him
sitting down
he makes me
more money
I am glad
he is here
we should be the best
possible
employees
you should be
the best
possible
students
you don't have
to agree
with everything
your professors
teach you
in fact
I would strongly
encourage you
not to agree
with everything
that your professors
teach you
but as you
disagree with them
in the class
they should be
thankful
that you were
a student
in their class
Nathan doesn't
agree with
anything I say
I was a sociology
major
so I very often
didn't agree
with the very
liberal agendas
that are weaved
throughout that
degree program
Nathan doesn't
agree with
anything that I
say
man does he
disagree graciously
and boy does he
pour his heart
into the reading
and into the writing
and boy does he
engage in conversation
he's a good
student and I'm
glad he's in my
class
do people say
this of us
I disagree with
him I think
he's crazy
but I'm glad
he's around
are your
neighbors
glad that you're
their neighbors
I'm thinking
about all this
felt a conviction
that I need to
take better care
of my yard
I should care
about the state
of my yard
because I should
care about the
property value
of my neighbors
I should want
the hedges to
be trimmed
and the grass
edged and do
all that kind
of thing
to the glory
of God
so that they
know that I
care about
them
those crazy
Christians always
having Bible
studies over at
their house
and clogging up
our street with
cars on Wednesday
night
but they sure
are good to
the neighborhood
are you
renters
are you good
tenants
are you taking
care of the
property that's been
given to you
you pay your
rent late all
the time
there are very
real and very
practical ways
that we should be
putting light
on a stand
don't limit it
just to a sphere
don't say that I
am a student
I am an employee
I play a sport
and then I'm a
Christian
Christianity is
the defining thing
about you if you've
been found in
Christ
and therefore it
should permeate
every aspect
of your living
this is the way
we can be
radically
different
from our
Christian culture
and I don't
want to be
different from
our Christian
culture
I want our
Christian culture
to live to
this standard
like I hope
they all look
like that
but we certainly
don't need to
look like those
who don't
experience
proclaim or
display the
supremacy of
Jesus Christ
we do the
very opposite
of that
we look like
everyone
else
there's a
very practical
aspect of
this parable
is a lamp
brought in to
be put under
a basket
or under a
bed and not
a stand
no
of course
not
that is
crazy
you are
the light
of Christ
shine
2 Corinthians
chapter 4
verse 6
and then
verse 13
Paul writes
for God
who said
let light
shine out
of darkness
has shown
in our
hearts
to give
the light
of the
knowledge
of the
glory
of God
in the
face
of Jesus
Christ
since we
have the
same
spirit
of faith
according
to what
has been
written
I
believed
and so
I
spoke
we
also
believe
and so
we
also
speak
so
there's
the
connection
for you
very
beautifully
laid out
by Paul
for us
that
God
who said
light
shine
out of
darkness
he is
the one
that
has shown
Christ
in our
hearts
and so
we
believed
we
speak
this
should
have
some
real
effect
remember
that
we're
coming
off
the
parable
of the
sower
Jesus
I believe
if we
are really
analyzing this
as the
sower
but we've
also been
given the
task
of sowing
right
and it's
going to
look this
way
putting light
on a
stand
sowing
the seed
we
ought to
respond
the
response
of
kingdom
growth
verse 24
and he
said to
them
pay
attention
to
what
you
hear
with
the
measure
you
use
it
will
be
measured
to
you
and still
more
will be
added
to
you
for
the
one
who
has
more
will
be
given
and from
the
one
who
has
not
even
what
he
has
will
be
taken
away
now
notice
in
verse
24
he
says
pay
attention
to
what
you
hear
in
verse
23
he
said
if
anyone
has
ears
to
hear
let
him
hear
in
verse
33
and
34
he
says
with
many
such
parables
he
spoke
to
the
word
to
them
meaning
the
crowd
as
they
were
able
to
hear
it
he
did
not
speak
to
them
without
a
parable
but
privately
to
his
own
disciples
he
explained
everything
so
the idea
here
behind
hearing
is not
!
simply
hearing
but
hearing
and
acting
it's
hearing
that
has
an
effect
it's
hearing
and
believing
so
we
need
to
respond
and
there
should
be
a
response
to
this
kingdom
growth
Romans
10
17
says
faith
comes
from
hearing
and
hearing
through
the
word
of
Christ
Ephesians
1
13
in
him
you
also
when
you
heard
the
word
of
truth
the
gospel
of
your
salvation
and
believed
in
him
were
sealed
with
the
promised
Holy
Spirit
there
must
be
a
hearing
and
a
response
and
that
is
what
Jesus
is
talking
about
when
he
talks
about
with
the
measure
you
use
it
will
be
measured
to
you
insert
into
this
faith
with
the
measure
of
faith
you
use
it
will
be
measured
to
you
and
still
more
will
be
added
to
you
for
the
one
who
has
more
will
be
given
and
from
the
one
!
who
has
not
who
and
if
we
want
to
see
the
gospel
message
have
root
in
our
hearts
and
exercise
faith
in
us
we
also
must
exercise
that
faith
in
growth
Proverbs
13
4
says
the soul
of the
sluggard
craves
and gets
nothing
while the
soul
of the
diligent
is
richly
supplied
the soul
of the
sluggard
those
who
are
lazy
in
their
faith
those
who
live
as if
faith
does
not
matter
crave
!
the
diligent
those
who
pursue
Christ
in
faith
are
richly
supplied
J.C.
Ryle
in a
commentary
on this
text
said
do we
wish
to
grow
in
grace
do
we
desire
to
have
a
stronger
faith
brighter
hope
and
clearer
knowledge
beyond
doubt
we
do
if
we
are
true
Christians
then
let
us
live
fully
up
to
our
light
and
improve
every
opportunity
so
we
have
this
picture
here
in
the
parables
of
the
revelation
and
the
response
of
kingdom
growth
then
in
verse
26
we
see
the
mystery
of
kingdom
growth
the
mystery
and
he
said
the
kingdom
of
God
is
if
a
man
should
scatter
seed
on
the
ground
he
sleeps
and
rises
night
and
day
and
the
seed
sprouts
and
grows
he
knows
not
how
the
earth
produces
by
itself
first
the
blade
then
the
ear
then
the
full
grain
in
the
ear
but
when
only
mark
records
this
parable
and
the
point
of it
is
that
there
is
much
beyond
man's
comprehension
and
control
in the
expanse
of the
kingdom
of
God
there's
much
beyond
man's
comprehension
and
control
in
expanse
of the
kingdom
of
God
the
seed
must
be
sown
we
must
propagate
the
truth
we
must
put
the
lamp
on
a
stand
right
but
there's
much
beyond
that
we
will
not
understand
now at
this
point
let me
give
you
a
little
bit
of
a
warning
as
you
study
parables
to
not
over
analyze
them
right
you
can
dissect
this
into
little
tiny
pieces
and
miss
the
point
altogether
you
could
do
this
by
saying
wait
who
is
who
is
the
man
who
is
it
that
he's
talking
about
here
is
the
man
us
is
the
man
us
we
scatter
seed
and
we
don't
know
how
we
sleep
and
rise
we
don't
know
what's
happening
right
we
could
say
that
but
we
also
see
that
the
man
then
puts
in
the
sickle
he
reaps
a
harvest
so
wait
a
second
do
we
reap
a
harvest
is
it
us
that
reaps
the
harvest
when
there's
maturity
what
is
he
talking
about
in
this
regard
or
how
about
the
symbolism
of
rising
night
and
day
you
could
overthink
that
as
well
the
key
to
all
of
this
though
is
to
see
that
he
knows
not
how
he
knows
not
how
1st
corinthians
3
5
and
9
there
was
debate
in
the
corinthian
church
about
whom
followed
who
in
verse
5
Paul
writes
what
then
is
apollos
what
is
paul
servants
through
whom
you
believed
as
the
lord
assigned
to
each
i
planted
!
apollos
watered
but
god
gave
the
growth
so
neither
he
knew
plants
nor
he
knew
waters
as
anything
but
only
god
who
gives
the
growth
he
who
plants
and
he
who
waters
are
one
and
each
will
receive
his
wages
according
to
his
labor
for
we
are
god's
fellow
workers
you
are
god's
field
god's
building
so
the
point
of the
parable
here
is
simply
that
we
should
sow
we
should
sow
and
we
should
trust
that
god
will
bring
about
the
coming
of
his
kingdom
now
certainly
i will
say to
you
that
it's
a bit
important
i think
to
understand
verse
29
but
when
the
grain
is
ripe
at once
he
puts
in
the
sickle
because
the
harvest
has
come
and
i
believe
that
he's
referring
here
to
final
judgment
the
final
in
gathering
so
as
he
speaks
of
the
grain
being
ripe
he's
speaking
of
the
church
when
the
church
has
been
completed
when
the
number
are
finally
added
this
harvest
will
finally
come
and
i
believe
that
because
this
language
he
uses
kind
of
harkens
back
to
Joel
chapter
3
verse
11
through
16
Joel
writes
through
the
inspiration
hasten
and come
all you
surrounding
nations
and gather
yourselves
there
bring down
your warriors
oh lord
let the
nations
stir
themselves
up
and come
up to
the
valley
of
jehoshaphat
who was
the
fourth
king
of
judah
and
it
means
jehovah
has
judged
for
there
i
will
sit
to
judge
all
the
surrounding
nations
put
in
the
sickle
for
the
harvest
is
ripe
go
in
tread
for
the
wine
press
is
full
the
lord
is
a
refuge
to
his
people
a
stronghold
to
the
people
of
Israel
so
we
know
that
there
is
a
coming
judgment
and
as
we
scatter
seed
as
we
sow
it
and
we
don't
know
how
it
is
exactly
that
God
is
going
to
work
in
people's
hearts
and
bring
about
growth
in
the
church
we
can
take
comfort
in
the
fact
that
plants
are
planted
and
nobody
knows
how
they
grow
and
how
they
come
up
but
they
do
we
have
a
little
more
understanding
than they
would have
have
had
at
this
time
about
how
seeds
actually
function
they
didn't
know
they
got
seed
into
the
ground
and
by
some
miracle
it
came
up
and
it
grew
and
yielded
a
crop
and
it
was
harvested
and
that's
what
we're
meant
to
understand
here
that
as
we
put
our
lamp
on
a
stand
as
we
find
ourselves
working
to
increase
our
faith
that
God
himself
will
bring
growth
as
this
judgment
is
finally
coming
God
will
bring
growth
in
perfection
the
church
will
be
completed
the
way
it's
meant
to
be
complete
and
then
the
harvest
!
will
come
I
hope
that
all
of
you
are
laborers
in
the
gospel
and
that
you
desire
to
see
Christ
return
you
can
take
heart
that
the
work
will
be
finished
we
can
know
that
we
need
to
keep
on
working
because
he's
yet
to
come
back
the
harvest
is
yet
to
come
therefore
the
work
is
yet
to
be
finished
!
It's
hard
to
understand
how
it is
that
God
works
redemption
in
men's
souls
it's
difficult
to
understand
this
is
the
way
the
spirit
functions
it
blows
where
it
will
like
the
wind
but
yet
it
is
our
task
to
sow
it
is
our
task
to
scatter
seed
it
is
our
task
to
propagate
put
the
lamp
on
the
stand
right
here's
the
laying
of
stories
to
help
us
understand
a
greater
truth
right
and
as
we
do
this
we
can
also
take
heart
in
the
magnitude
of
kingdom
growth
so
that
was
the
mystery
of
kingdom
growth
how
about
the
magnitude
of
kingdom
growth
verse
30
he said
with
what
can
we
compare
the
kingdom
of
God
or
what
parable
shall
we
use
for
it
is
like
a
grain
of
mustard
seed
which
when
sown
branches
that
the
birds
of
the
air
can
make
nests
in
its
shade
now
what
he
is
saying
here
of
the
mustard
would
have
been
incredibly
understood
by them
it's
likely
the
black
mustard
which
has
just
a
minuscule
seed
those
of you
who
cook
go home
and
get
your
mustard
seed
out
they
are
tiny
little
flecks
smaller
than
grass
seed
mustard
seed
is
don't
go to
the
grocery
store
and
take
the
caps
off
things
but
see
if
you
can
find
a
clear
bottle
and
see
how
tiny
mustard
seed
is
it's
really
little
it's
certainly
the
smallest
seeds
of
all
the
earth
but
this
plant
which
was
used
for
oil
and
a
condiment
they
used
mustard
back
then
as well
apparently
could
reach
heights
of
nine
feet
so
in
a
garden
this
would
have
been
a
massive
plant
and
what
he's
saying
here
is
not
the
largest
plant
it's
the
largest
plant
in
the
garden
that
you
would
have
had
at
your
home
it's
a
huge
plant
that
would
have
produced
these
seeds
and
what
he's
doing
here
is
he's
contrasting
something
with
an
insignificant
beginning
but
with
an
impressive
final
size
that's
what
he's
doing
for
us
with
an
insignificant
beginning
and
an
impressive
final
size
we
see
that
to
be
the
case
of
Jesus
life
as
he's
going
around
and
teaching
we
see
thousands
gathered
but
yet
so
few
believe
we
see
such
a
small
number
finally
once
he's
crucified
and
they
don't
know
what
to
do
we
see
such
a
small
number
of
devoted
followers
that
are
still
with
him
it
seems
so
small
and
so
insignificant
but
he's
telling
us
of the
great
significance
that
will
one
day
be
true
and
if
you
find
in
your
life
now
that
the
little
things
you're
doing
seem
so
insignificant
the
little
seed
that
you're
sowing
along
the
way
you
can
take
heart
that
the
kingdom
of
God
will
have
an
impressive
final
size
all
the
things
he
has
said
to
us
so
far
praise
God
for
this
parable
that's
only
recorded
in
mark
of
the
seed
growing
and
how
it
is
that
it
grows
!
It
is
the
work
of
God
that
this
happens
and
we
can
take
heart
in
knowing
that
he
will
also
bring
to
pass
his
kingdom
and
it
will
be
impressive
as
unimpressive
as it
seems
at some
time
it
will
be
impressive
I
think
rightly
he's
drawing
from
some
imagery
that
can
be
found
in
Ezekiel
chapter
17
as
well
as
chapter
31
which
is
the
imagery
of
a
cedar
a
great
cedar
tree
in
the
cedar
tree
of
the
United
States
or
any
other
nation
in
this
world
that
we
see
as
profitable
and
does
well
that
those
that
have
gathered
underneath
it
and
to
receive
its
benefit
there
will
be
a
much
greater
benefit
there
will
be
a
much
greater
in
gathering
and
here
he
says
this
mustard
plant
is
large
enough
that
the
birds
of
the
air
can
make
nests
in
its
shade
that
they
will
be
comforted
in
this
setting
so
the
kingdom
of
God
will
have
a
great
magnitude
and I
experience
this
to be
true
of
myself
that
people
want to
be
a part
of
something
that's
larger
than
themselves
beloved
guess
what
if you
are a
Christian
you are
part of
something
that is
so much
bigger
than you
can
even
fathom
coming
here
to
Christ
family
church
may
not
seem
like
a
big
deal
it's
not
to be
totally
honest
it's
really
not
right
the
number
here
right
we're
not
wrapped
up
in
this
rapture
look
at
what
God
is
doing
in
this
place
this
is
incredible
right
but he
is
doing
a
work
and
he
wants
to
use
the
faithful
to
accomplish
it
he
wants
to
use
little
churches
!
like
ours
to
receive
the
truth
of
God
and
to
see
other
people
receive
the
truth
of
God
this
is
the
great
high
calling
of
those
who
are
found
in
Christ
this
is
the
point
of
the
gospel's
mark
mark's
gospel
right
the point
I've said
to you
from the
beginning
is that
this
is
a
rhetorical
commentary
rhetoric
these
days
is
an
argument
with
no
meaning
it
wasn't
then
right
he
is
intentionally
laying
out
for
us
an
argument
that
would
cause
us
to
believe
that
Jesus
is
the
Christ
we
saw
that
at
the
end
of
chapter
three
this
setting
where
we
see
people
accusing
him
of
being
a
lunatic
a
liar
and
some
who
called
him
Lord
he's
convincing
us
to
call
Jesus
Lord
and
then
to
live
like
that's
true
to
call
him
Lord
and
then
follow
him
to
be
a
disciple
that
makes
disciples
this
looks
like
many
of
us
grew
up
in
churches
and
we
had
what
this
looks
like
the
way
we
should
live
in
this
world
reduced
way
down
reduced
maybe
to
just
handing
out
a
track
or
heaven
forbid
laying
it
on
the
back
of
a
urinal
reduced
to
this
simple
little
message
and
that
is
the
core
and
it
is
beautiful
but
there
is
a
bigger
message
!
of
the
coming
of
the
kingdom
of
God
there
is
a
bigger
message
that
this
world
is
winding
down
it
is
being
destroyed
it
is
being
destroyed
by
sin
but
the
kingdom
of
God
is
winding
up
things
are
getting
good
for
the
people
of
God
his
church
is
expanding
we
are
being
perfected
day
by
day
and
someday
fully
and
finally
and
I
urge
it
to
come
Jesus
is
going
to
come
back
and
re-establish
he's
going
to
say
behold
I
make
all
things
new
and
we
live
in
that
reality
we
live
in
that
realm
and
we
need
to
start
acting
like
we
live
in
that
reality
we
need
to
start
showing
this
world
that
there
is
a
better
way
and
it
is
the
way
of
God
that
they
might
find
that
in
Christ
let's
pray
together