you might be sitting here for the first time being in our church for the first time or a church for
the first time. You might have been here for a hundred years like I have, it feels like, and you
might be wondering why do we do this bit of church, the bit that I'm doing, why do we do this preaching
bit of church every week? We know that God speaks through his word, the Bible. In 2 Timothy it says
that all scripture is God-breathed as if God was speaking it to you directly. His words in the Bible,
read and explained, are empowered by his spirit, they are his living voice. And we are commanded
in the Bible too to pass on his word through reading and preaching when we gather together
carefully and wherever we are. We can trace the practice of doing this back from today through
church history, back to the disciples ministry and back to Mark 2 verse 2 where we hear that Jesus
began to preach the message of good news to all. Now I was preparing to preach today, that lineage
struck me because Jesus' example followed faithfully for many, many, many generations.
Through that preaching and proclamation of Jesus' words, that's why I am right here doing the same
today. So this week, like the last and the one before that and the one before that, we're going to hear
God speak in his word. And I'm going to try and help you understand it, apply it, and love it.
So let me pray and ask him to do what he has promised he will do and speak to us. Let's pray.
Amen.
Lord Jesus, open our ears to hear you speak today. May the words of my mouth be filled with messages
from you. Would you speak through your Holy Spirit to me, through me today, so that we may together
hear your words with open ears. For it is a privilege that you, O God, would speak to us. Amen.
So far in Mark, which we've been stepping through the last few weeks of church, we've heard that Jesus
was preaching and healing and proving himself by miracles and defying the conventions of the culture
of his day. He loved people who were outsiders, who didn't fit into the culture of the time,
who were often outcast. And he shunned the insiders, the people who thought that they had
everything together. We haven't seen, though, yet how Jesus preached day to day. It was a big deal
what he was doing. We know that he was preaching. Mark 4 is where we get to hear about it.
So today, I want to do three, take you through three steps. We're going to discover how Jesus
preached and why. Because it's not what you might expect. We're going to try and understand
what his preaching means for him and for his kingdom. And lastly, we're going to look at how
his teaching leads and empowers his followers in his kingdom. But right now, let's discover how
he preached. So get your Bible, go to Mark 4, and if the fan doesn't keep blowing it away,
keep it open in front of you.
Jesus was outside in a boat on the lake. The crowd around him was so large that he had to
get in the water to stay away from them so that they could all hear him rather than being crushed.
So eager were so many to hear him. So he gets into a boat and he says, listen. And then he spoke to
them using parables. A parable is this kind of wisdom story that gives us insight into the real world.
It literally means to put one thing beside another. Like a story beside reality itself.
These are puzzles of wisdom that when interpreted correctly can reform whole worldviews, reshape cultures,
reform ways of living, ways of thinking, all with this little story. But the problem with parables
is that they're like riddles. They're tricky. They're completely unclear without an interpretation.
Like a lock that needs a key.
Jesus explained to his disciples why he used parables in Mark 4 in verse 11. And if you were
listening to the passage, this is the verse that sounds out of place. So have a look. This is why
Jesus used parables. He says,
Everything is said in parables. Everything.
So that they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding.
Otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.
Wait.
Sounds like Jesus was deliberately trying to exclude people.
Is he?
Why does he say this?
Jesus here is quoting from the Old Testament.
From a book in the Old Testament called Isaiah.
Where God calls a bloke called Isaiah to be a prophet.
Using those exact words.
Jesus here is aligning himself as God's messenger.
And perhaps his disciples and the other people gathered around at that moment,
they might have understood that.
But still, that's a strange part of God's calling of Isaiah to pick out.
It's not by accident that Jesus places his preaching alongside what God's people knew
was God's invitation for a man to be God's messenger.
But Jesus quoting Isaiah, he also reveals that Jesus' messages from God as parables,
they're going to demand a special perception and understanding.
And without those, the heroes of the parables will miss forgiveness from God and receive judgment.
See, they're pretty important.
So rather than this being Jesus deliberately excluding people,
he's warning people to pay attention and seek understanding and perception,
or they're going to miss out.
I said before that parables are locked and need a key.
And to understand their meaning and application,
they would need explaining by someone very wise,
or explaining by the person who wrote them.
Who will provide the key for Jesus' parables?
Or more specifically, who might be the key that we're to look to,
to get understanding.
So, right now, put yourself in the crowd around the lake.
How would you make sense of these parables?
Let me first tell you how not to understand these parables.
Do not make yourself the key to their interpretation.
You are not the key to understanding Jesus' preaching.
Their author alone knows their meaning,
and you cannot open a lock without being given a key.
If I stand before one of those vintage old doors with an old lock,
with one of those huge big keyholes,
apart from it being kind of cool and making me think about
all the Lord of the Rings books that I read when I was young,
with all the elaborate ways of opening doors and things to say
and that kind of stuff,
I would be stuck.
I wouldn't know what to do.
The only thing I've got is a hand or a finger or something
to try and jam into that lock to try and get it open.
That's not going to help.
So take care with these parables.
Your finger's not going to open the lock.
You can't do it.
And take care with the word of God too.
See that you never take your culture,
your desires,
your preferences,
and project those onto the word
to make it suit you.
Rather, look to Jesus himself,
to his words,
and to the life that he lived,
to see what these words truly mean
and how to apply them to their life,
your life.
Now,
the best part of this passage,
I think,
is that
people came to Jesus to do exactly that,
straight away.
Look at chapter 4, verse 10.
People came to Jesus to hear him
straight after that first parable.
They were desperate to hear what it meant.
And it's not just Jesus' disciples.
It's not just Jesus going home
with the guys who gave him a lift.
It's just a bunch of people
who really wanted to know what was going on.
And Jesus was willing to explain it to them,
to those who would come close
and hear further.
But vast numbers of people,
a crowd so big
that the guy had to go into the water
to avoid getting crushed,
vast numbers of people
went home after hearing Jesus' parables
without seeking Jesus' insight into them,
and they assumed
that they could comprehend
and apply them without him,
or they were totally irrelevant,
it didn't matter.
Judgment
and a real lack of wisdom.
God is not being people,
heard by people,
who respond like that.
Jesus is seeking people
who when they hear Jesus speak,
yearn for more words from him,
so that many would receive
the salvation that he brings,
and the forgiveness from sins
that he offers.
Jesus knew people needed
his insight.
Which is why he asks
those rhetorical questions
in verse 13.
Look at verse 13 with me.
Don't you understand this parable?
How then will you understand
any parable?
Well, the answer is
by asking you, Jesus,
to explain them
and say more.
Jesus is the one to come to
for the key to understanding
all God's word.
He is the king
of the kingdom of God.
And we come to this passage now
and to our Bibles every day
because of Jesus' willingness
to embody and reveal
that he is the key.
He is the key to the kingdom of God.
Good news.
I'm not going to preach
to you today in parables.
I'm first not clever enough
to write them
because they're so rich
and difficult and amazing.
But I'm going to dive with you
into these that Jesus shared.
There's four of them today.
And we're going to see
what they reveal
about his kingdom.
And then we're going to look
at how he unlocks the parables
for our life and mission.
And we're going to start
with the two short parables,
two of them that begin
with the statement.
The kingdom of God
is like...
See how the design
of the parable works?
Each little story
reveals part of the kingdom
as revealed by the king.
The kingdom of God here
is not about a realm
or a geographical location,
but it's all about
who the ruler is
and how he rules.
See, the king
of the kingdom of God
did not come with an army
or tanks,
no force.
He didn't drive out
the physical enemies
of God's people
like they might have
expected him to do,
but he came with words
of invitation,
grace,
and love.
These parables reveal
the king
of the kingdom of God.
They're breathtaking.
They're disarming.
They're deep.
So let's have a look
at some of them.
First,
the kingdom of God
is like a lamp.
Look at me
at verse 21.
That'll be over the page
if you've got
a church Bible
in front of you.
Verse 21
of chapter 4.
He said to them,
Do you bring in a lamp
to put it under a bowl
or a bed?
Instead,
don't you put it
on its stand?
For whatever is hidden
is meant to be disclosed,
and whatever is concealed
is meant to be brought out
into the open.
If anyone has ears to hear,
let him hear.
The kingdom
is the light
in a dark room.
It's on a stand.
It's up high
where the light
can disperse from.
It's not hidden.
Its light reveals
what lies
in the darkness,
illuminating
the unknown
and providing
the view
for man
to take steps
back to God.
The light
provides insight
and understanding
for the world
that we live in.
Jesus' life
shows us
that he is
this lamp
on a stand.
That people
would see
their way
to God
when they saw
him.
He does not want
mystery
or exclusion,
but invites
and provides
nearness
to God
as people
see him.
as they
see the light.
So second,
let's go
to verse 30
where the
kingdom of God
is like
a seed.
A little
seed
contains
all the
potential
of a huge
tree
in a tiny
grain.
Its power
under control
in the face
of terrible
odds.
God
is
in Mark
4.
Jesus
is just
this
carpenter
standing
in a
boat,
but he
is the
king
of the
most
powerful
kingdom
to ever
take hold
of the
world.
The gospel
has circled
the globe.
It's
crossed barriers
of continents
and language.
It's been
greeted by
young
and old
and clever
people
and foolish
people.
It's even
been embraced
by its
enemies.
This tree
has grown
so much
that it
now connects
us,
connects
you,
to the
word that
he preached
by the
lake that
day,
to this
broke
carpenter
standing in
a boat
2,000
years ago.
He was
just a
seed,
but look
at the
tree.
On first
reading,
these
parables
are like
prophecy.
They're
like
insights
into the
life that
Jesus
would live
out in
the pages
of Mark
to come,
and they
are.
But they're
even more
than that.
Here's how
we know.
Have a look
at verse
33 and
34.
With many
similar
parables,
Jesus spoke
the word
to them,
as much
as they
could
understand.
He didn't
say anything
to them
without using
a parable,
but when
he was alone
with his
own
disciples,
he explained
everything.
Jesus
always
offered an
explanation
for his
parables.
We can
compare
Jesus'
life and
example to
these stories
to see
his kingdom
come.
There's
more.
If we
just heard
these stories
and then
clearly watched
how he
lived,
that's what
we would see
in those
parables,
but there's
more.
The good
news is
that Mark
chose one
parable
that Jesus
preaches
and explains
to help us
see deeper
into all
the other
parables to
come.
Let's jump
back to the
beginning of
Mark 4.
This may
be the
only parable
you know.
This was
my favourite
one growing
up.
I love
the idea
of God
being
gracious
and I
also really
really like
the story
of the
prodigal
son because
I often
felt like
one or
both of
those people
in that
story.
It may
be a
really
well-known
parable that
you can think
of right
away.
I'm not
going to
go deeply
into it.
I'm just
going to
describe it
but I
think that
God might
have something
very very
different to
say to you
than you
think is
actually
written there
because I
can tell you
that growing
up both
prodigal
son and
this one
I had my
own
interpretation
that suited
me.
Let's see
what Jesus
says.
He
describes a
farmer
sowing
seeds.
Four soils
and four
responses to
the seed
as it
is sown.
The story
is very
simple but
Jesus explains
its epic
implications for
us all.
He says
the key
for us
is what
the seed
is and
our response
to it.
So then
later in
verse 13
to 20
we learn
that the
seed is
the word.
It's God's
message preached
and lived
out through
Jesus.
If you
were a
farmer
standing in
that crowd
and you
heard Jesus
describing a
story of a
farmer just
lobbing grain
everywhere with
some of it
going on the
path and
some of it
going on the
rocks and
some of it
going into
bad soil,
you'd think
what a
waste.
That's
actually
what's
going to
grab your
attention if
you're an
agriculturalist.
but
in this
story
it reveals
Jesus'
gracious
strategy
so that
all might
hear the
good news.
He's not
playing
favourites,
he's not
going,
oh those
people will
get it,
I'll go
over here.
He's
preaching it
to everyone.
So as
Jesus
preaches
and so
is the
word,
people
respond to
hearing it
and see
here that
there's this
existing barrier
to accepting
God's word.
It's in
verse 15.
Look at your
Bible and see
if you can see
what it is,
verse 15.
It's Satan
himself.
Jesus is
fully aware
of Satan's
intention to
remove the
word,
undermine the
word and
distract the
soil from
growing the
word and
bearing fruit.
Satan wants
to silence
Jesus'
message.
Within the
parable there's
an implied
boundary of
Satan's ability
to influence
the reception
of the
word,
which is
to say
that he
cannot
silence
the word
everywhere.
It is
always good
to hear
that Satan's
work against
us has
limits.
But it's
certainly
something to
be aware
of.
And then
there's
good soil
that accepts
the word.
That soil
is personified
right at the
moment of
him explaining
it by the
people who've
gone to
Jesus to
understand this
parable.
Those who
seek his
word and
receive it
with gladness.
The seed
in them
will grow
and bear
fruit.
If you
have ever
been to
western
New South
Wales or
to the
country
anywhere,
you would
have seen
fields of
canola,
cotton,
wheat,
all different
kinds of
things.
I imagine
wheat because
I grew up
in dairy
country and
there's no
fields of
anything
anywhere.
Wheat
seems just
about as
normal as
I can
imagine.
but think
about this.
Think about
a wheat
seed falling
in the ground
and growing
up.
What's the
crop at
the end?
More seeds.
More of
what the
farmer threw
out there in
the first
place.
It is the
good news
that Jesus
the farmer
can re-sow
through the
life and
labours of
his followers
to come.
And that's
the glorious
transition that
Mark holds
up here.
The transition
that is the
pattern for
understanding all
the parables.
They show us
how Jesus
will usher
in his
kingdom and
grow his
followers through
his word so
that they can
be involved
in the
continuing
growth of
the kingdom
through the
word.
We're
invited to
join Jesus
followers in
verse 10.
Crowded
round and
near Jesus
to hear him
speak and
explain how
we follow
him into
the parable.
The words
and parables
of Jesus
are about
him and
his word
grows in
us and
the parables
become about
us to.
Think about
the parable
of the
sower.
We've just
been given
the word
by Jesus
and as we
gather around
him through
the ministry
of those
who follow
Jesus from
then till
now through
the preaching
of the written
word.
Now we
too
take that
same seed
that is
the word
and we
too
sow it
everywhere.
Not showing
favoritism,
not dividing
our churches
by language
or culture.
We want
everyone to
hear no
matter who
they are
wherever
we are.
We share
the word
hoping it
will be
received
and accepted.
That's our
mission as
Jesus followers.
to take
his word
and to
sow it
everywhere.
We too
know also
that we
are each
hearers of
the word
day by
day,
Sunday by
Sunday.
I read
this parable
of the
sower
and I
know that
some days
I am a
hard pavement
to the
word of
God.
You might
feel like
that right
now.
Satan is
still in
the business
of removing
the word
from my
ears and
from yours.
You might
be listening
right now
and not
be listening
to the
challenge of
God through
his word.
Satan loves
to rob you
of the good
news.
He loves to
undermine it
with doubts.
He loves
to distract
you with
other things.
As you
sit in
church each
week, I
can tell you
that I am
exactly the
same.
I sit in
church, I
hear the
Bible, I
read it, and
I'm thinking
about my
anxieties as
a father, I'm
worrying about
the things that
I need to get
done the next
day because the
house is a
mess and I'm
the only one
at home.
I'm thinking
about the
most ridiculous
things and
ignoring the
words of my
saviour who
is speaking to
me face to
face through
his word.
Sounds like
something I
wouldn't do if
I really did
believe that.
And that's
the trick of
Satan.
Time spent
before Jesus
in that place
in the kingdom
inspires a
life of
mission,
sharing the
gospel in
action and
word.
love.
But the
result in
this parable
of someone
who hears
the word
but gets
distracted
is a
life choked
by weeds,
the weeds of
distraction and
idolatry and
following after
things like it
mentions wealth
specifically.
there is
yet hope for
every listener
while you
eagerly seek
to hear
the word.
If you feel
like any of
those other
soils right
now as you
receive the
word of God
your hope
is that God
is in the
business of
changing you
and readying
us by his
spirit to
receive his
word,
to multiply
it in
kingdom-minded
lives.
You've got to
keep coming to
it.
You've got to
keep listening
to him.
It's not
through any
good works
that you're
going to do.
It's not
through any
striving harder
after doing
the right
thing.
It's going to
be through the
word of Jesus
by his
Holy Spirit.
Do you
see how
this parable
empowers our
lives for the
kingdom?
It is
for us
as fresh
today as it
was that
day
by the
lake.
So now
that we've
seen
how
Jesus'
life
and who
he is
is the
pattern of
the
parable
but also
he has
given us
the ministry
of the
word and
we have
become part
of the
parable
ourselves.
Let's
look back
at the
other two
parables
that we've
already
seen.
The one
about the
lamp and
the one
about the
mustard
seed.
The
kingdom of
God is
like a
lamp
because
Jesus has
transferred
the word
from him
to us.
The
light of
Jesus'
word is
now your
lamp in
your hand
to put on
the stand
of your
life every
day and
to never
hide it.
For it
will be
Jesus'
word alone
that will
help you
see people
in the
darkness
and motivate
you to
bring them
through their
horrible
blindness to
salvation to
Jesus in
his light.
How incredible
is that?
How incredible
is that?
What about
the mustard
seed?
God's
word changes
us dirt
specks into
seeds with
limitless gospel
sharing potential.
No matter
where you think
you are or
where you've
been, the
potential for
gospel ministry
is limitless.
Your life
can be
fruitful for
the kingdom
through the
word of
God.
And that's
the growth
strategy for
enlarging the
kingdom is
through God's
people.
That brings
us to our
last parable,
the parable
of the harvest
in verses
26.
the lamp
and the
mustard
seed,
like Takeshi
taught us
about last
week.
Mark has
put them
together like
a sandwich.
They're like
the bread
and here
comes the
filling,
the good
bit in
the middle,
the crescendo
of those
three.
let's read
verse 26.
He also
said,
this is what
the kingdom
of God
is like.
A man
scatters seed
on the
ground,
night and
day.
Whether he
sleeps or
gets up,
the seed
sprouts and
grows.
Though he
does not
know how,
all by
itself the
soil produces
grain,
first the
stalk,
then the
head,
then the
full kernel
in the
head,
and as
soon as
the grain
is ripe,
he puts
the sickle
to it
because the
harvest has
come.
God does
the growing
in unseen
and sometimes
unknown ways
and he does
it in your
life and in
the lives of
those around
you through
his word.
You have a
place in
the kingdom
of God and
it's to
sit right
there with
the disciples
gathered around
the saviour
listening to
him.
The time we
spend,
like I've
said before,
the time we
spend in
that place
hearing Jesus
inspires a
life of
mission,
sharing the
gospel in
action and
word.
You have
become like
a farmer
planting seeds.
you plant
the seed of
the gospel
wherever and
whatever your
field, whether
it be home or
work or a
church, wherever
you happen to
be, wherever
you are tending
the ground and
give it your best
shot to help it
grow.
Wait patiently
for the growth
that God does
by his Holy
Spirit through
his word for
the moment when
the harvest is
ripe.
Friends, we
long to see
harvest time
for this
community.
When many
patches of
soil are out
there and
there's many
seeds growing,
people are
hearing the
word of God
and some,
many,
they're all
beginning to
respond.
And while we
wait, we
know the
gospel has been
sown, we
continue to
sow it
everywhere.
We're united
by Jesus'
word as a
people desperate
to see the
world around
us encounter
Jesus.
We exist as a
church to
take God's
grace to us
and to sow
it into all
peoples.
That is our
mission.
And we long
to celebrate
the day of
harvest with
one person,
with ten,
with a
thousand.
Those who
accept the
word of
Jesus.
We long
to welcome
those into
a life of
sharing the
word alongside
us.
Joy and
eternity.
I told you
that when we
started, that
I stand here
today preaching
the word because
some people
preached it to
me.
They showed
me that Jesus
was the key to
unlocking the
words of God
God that I
had been
hearing as
I was
growing up.
It's like
they were
banging on
the door,
screaming to
get my
attention.
It's like
they could not
help but see
me in my
anxious,
fearful state
trying to
piece together
with my
understanding and
the things that I
was getting when
I read the
Bible or hear it
at school or I
hear it from my
friends who
weren't keen on
it at all.
I didn't know
where to go but
that group of
people together,
they slipped
this key under
the door.
They said
Jesus is the
way to unlock
the kingdom
so I could
find freedom
with God,
walk through
the door and
go and take
that key and
slip it under
more doors.
I stand here
because of
Viv and
Steve and
Chris and
Steve and
Stephen and
Louise,
lots of
steves in my
life growing
up,
just saying,
but I
found the
key that
Jesus is
because they
gave it to
me.
Who
sowed the
gospel in
you?
What an
opportunity we
have to go
and do the
same.
So we've
heard that
Jesus preached
in parables,
heard about
his kingdom
and heard
about our
role in it
now.
God's
word.
It's the
word that
unites us
here today.
It's the
word of
God that
is our
strength and
our courage,
our insight,
our refuge,
and our
message.
So wherever
you preach the
gospel, however
you do it in
word or deed,
wherever you
are, sow the
word in
abundance into
the field of
chatwood and
beyond.
God's
and wait
patiently for
the harvest
until we
get to sit
with Jesus
and speak to
him face to
face.
Never miss a
chance to open
the Bible and
listen to him.
Keep going to
his word, having
faith and trust
only in the
word of our
king.
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus
Christ, we
hear your
word as you
speak.
You are the
way for sinners
to come back
to their
maker.
We thank you
that you
scattered the
seed of this
good news so
widely and
graciously that
we can be
here to receive
it and sow
it today.
May many
here accept
your word for
the first time
today.
Enable us to
bear the fruit
of the gospel
in our lives
as we come
to hear you
speak every
Sunday, every
day, every
moment we
can.
And Jesus,
may we never
miss the chance
to hear and
learn and
respond in
worship to
your word as
you lead us
into your
eternal kingdom.
Amen.