The Seed & the Soil

Mark chapter four this morning We will begin by reading verses one through eight. Mark chapter four verses one through eight. We have been going through the book of Mark on Sunday mornings. We were in Mark chapter three last Sunday morning. Moving on to Mark parables were little stories, illustrations, object lessons, from everyday life that Christ used to to explain as metaphors to explain the the gift of salvation and God's plan of redemption and also his plans for Israel.

You can see all of that as you read through the different parables. Mark chapter four and verse one. He began again to teach by the seaside and was gathering unto him a great multitude so that he entered into a ship and sat in the sea and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land and he taught them many things by parables and said unto them in his doctrine, hearken. Behold, there went out a sower to sow and it came to pass as he sowed, some fell by the wayside and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. Some fell on stony ground.

Where it had not much earth and immediately it was it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, it was scorched and because it had no root, it withered away and some fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it and it yielded no fruit and other fell on good ground and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased and brought forth some 30 and some 60 and some a 100 speaking thereof the fruit that it bore. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more before we continue. Lord, we thank you for your word today. Pray Lord as we look into it and proclaim it that you would direct, that you would guide, and the Holy Spirit would take it.

Lord, and help us to give us understanding today to help us to see our need of a savior what you have done for us and to be good ground that is willing and prepared today to receive the message of the gospel of our savior Jesus Christ that saves souls from hell and grants to all who come to him by faith eternal life. May Jesus Christ be exalted in all that we say and do today in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. When we look at this the story here, this parable that Jesus is using we see a nice little story, you know, the sower and the farm, he went out, he sowed, he planted the seeds, some of it fell on hard packed ground, and the birds came and ate it up.

Some of it fell on shallow ground. It sprang up when it rained but then when the sun came out, it died off. Some fell among weeds and thorns and star tried to spring up and grow but the weeds and thorns choked it out and then other fell on good ground and produced much some more than others and you say, pastor, that's a neat story and you know, if I was going to be a farmer, you know, that that might mean something to me but I'm not a farmer and I haven't planted seeds anytime recently and so, what does this have to do with me? Well, the crowd that was listening to Jesus that day, some of them scratched their heads too and said, what does this have to do with me? When Jesus was alone with his disciples, he explained it further to them.

So, they might understand exactly what he meant by this parable and he the explanation is found beginning in verse 14. In verse 14, the sower soweth the word. The sower soweth the word. Now, what is the word? Well, in the parallel passage in Matthew 13, it says, the word of the kingdom.

The word of the kingdom. This word that the sower is sowing is not a literal seed. It is the seed of the word of God. It is the word of the kingdom. It is the word of the king.

Therefore, it is the word of Jesus Christ. The word of God particularly the good news or what we call often call the gospel. What is the gospel? Well, the gospel is God's offer of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God. That is the gospel.

Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins, to rise again from the dead that he might offer us something that we can get no other way. That is forgiveness for our sins and eternal life through faith in him. John 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. That whosoever believeth in him, trusteth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life. This is the good news, the gospel.

This is the word that the sower was sowing in our metaphor, in our parable and therefore, the sower if he is sowing the word of the king, he's sowing the word of the kingdom, the gospel, and the good news. He is the king and who is the king? The king is Jesus Christ, the Messiah. He is the one who sows the words. He sows them in the hearts of men.

He is still in the business of sowing his word In the hearts of men today. In Jesus's day, the crowd stood on the on the banks beside the Sea Of Galilee that day and they heard his voice audibly speak these words. Today, we read them from what? From the word of God. Many of you have brought and holding your hands as I do this morning.

This is unlike any other book that's ever written because this is uniquely the words of God. God's revelation to us of himself, of his plan, of his love, of our need. And so today, we proclaim his written word as Jesus spoke the word that day to the crowd. The sower still sows the word through the Bible and by the power of the Holy Spirit, he uses the sword of the spirit to bring conviction and faith to the hearts of men. For faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

Romans ten seventeen. So, the sower is Jesus Christ and the word is the word of God. The gospel. What is the soil upon which it's sown? Well, I sort of gave that away already.

It's the hearts of men who hear and receive the word. The minds and hearts of people. The people there that day on the seashore. The people that are here today as we preach the word of The people that pick up their Bible and read it or read a track that's handed to them throughout the week. They're reading the word of God and the word of God is landing on soil.

It is being planted in the hearts of men and women, boys and girls and whether or not it takes root and produces fruit in people's lives depends on the condition of the soil. You see, not every if you if you've ever been a farmer or planted a garden, not every seed that you plant grows. And sometimes it grows and sometimes it doesn't. And one of the variables that is extremely important is the soil on which it falls, on which it is planted. A few years ago I planted a little garden in my backyard which the animals just loved.

When I took time I got myself a little tiller and I tilled up the soil And I got it nice and soft so that I could plant the seeds in there so that it could root and so it could grow. If you just throw it out on the lawn it's not going to do anything. You have to prepare the soil. Thus, the condition of man's heart, willingness to receive the word that is sown is vitally important. You see, the sower doesn't change.

That's Jesus Christ and the gospel is the same. Then, why is it that some embrace it? And others what? Reject it. What's the difference?

The difference is the condition of the minds and hearts of those who receive it. The soil. This leads me to a question this morning. What is the condition of your soil What is the condition of your heart today As we preach and proclaim the word of God will it find good soil upon which to fall and grow. Do you believe God's word?

As I mentioned, this is a unique book. It claims over and over again that it is not merely the words of men but the words of God. Either it speaks the truth or it lies, you can't have it somewhere in between. When I was a kid, I lived in Virginia. We took field trips to Monticello.

That's where Thomas Jefferson lived and in his study, they had Thomas Jefferson's Bible. You know what Thomas Jefferson did? The parts of his Bible he didn't agree with, he just cut out and so his Bible was all cut up. Because the parts he didn't like, he just cut em out. Someday, he's going to give an account for that before who?

Before God. You see, you can't just cut out the parts you don't like. You don't make them not true just because we disagree with them. If there, if this indeed is the word of God, then, what is our prerogative? It's simply to what?

To receive it. Believe it. But if you're not willing to do that, then, the seed isn't going to get very far today. Are you ready and prepared to receive God's word, the good news? This will determine what happens when it falls upon your ears and heart more than anything else, more than the church that you sit in today, more than the preacher that stands up here today, more than the delivery of it, most important is the condition of the soil.

Many souls have been saved under preachers who were not eloquent and were not exciting preach way too long in the eyes of some and other preachers who were bombastic and charismatic and You see the determining factor isn't the preacher. If it was, I'd be in trouble. Because I'm not the most eloquent and I'm not the most charismatic. But I have a good God and I have good seed to sow and I pray this morning that there's good soil out there on which it can fall What does God's word tell us? Well, it tells us among other things that judgement day is coming and coming soon.

Probably sooner than you think. You see, the Bible says our life is like a vapor. It's here for a moment and then it's what? Gone. You you think in in in relation proportion to history, our life doesn't last very long and the older you get, the more you come to realize that our time is what?

Time is short and it's brief. The fact is, we don't know when it's going to end. We don't know when we're going to stand before God. We don't know when he might return to take his children home. We don't know those things.

He hasn't told us when. He's just told us the time is coming. And he's given us this time to get prepared. Romans six twenty three, for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The fact is, everyone of us sitting in this room tonight have sinned this morning, have sinned.

And if Christ doesn't return to take his children home in the next ten, twenty, forty, fifty years, every last one of us in this room is going to what? We're going to die. We're going to die because we're sinners but it doesn't end there, you see. It's not just about that death. There's more to come.

In Hebrews nine twenty seven, it's appointed on the man wants to die but after this the what? The judgment. There are those that think, hey, I'm going to die and I'm going be buried and that's going to be it. Well, that sounds kind of sad to me. Doesn't it sound sad to you?

Fortunately, it's not true. This body will go in a grave but my soul will continue on and so will yours. For after this body dies and is buried in a grave, we will stand before the what? The judgment and we'll stand before the judge and that that judge isn't you. That judge isn't your neighbor.

It isn't your friend. It it isn't name it. It is who? Christ. It is Jesus Christ who died on the cross and rose again to save you from sin.

It is God himself that is your judge. The Bible says it's appointed on the man wants to die but after this, the judgment tells us about that judgment in Revelation chapter 20. Turn if you would. With me. Hold your place in Mark four and turn if you would to Revelation chapter 20.

Revelation chapter 20. Last book in the New Testament. Go all the way to the back of your Bible. Turn back a couple pages and you're there. Revelation chapter 20 verse 11 tells us about the judgment before which all of us should stand.

All of us won't but all of us should because it's a judgment of condemned sinners. All of us should stand before this judgment because all of us are sinners. There is a way of escape from it and we'll get to that in just a moment. But let's look at the details of this judgment. It says in Revelation 20 verse 11 and I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and heaven fled away and there's found no place for them and I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were open and other book was open which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their what's the next word?

Works. According to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which rent it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast in the lake of fire. This is the second death.

There is a judgment coming and all who stand before this judgment are condemned sinners. When they open the books their works will just reveal who they are. See, the Bible says, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. If I'm to be judged on my works, I'm in trouble. Because I would fail.

I would be found guilty. I would be cast into the lake of fire. I would face the second death. Because no matter what good works I have done, it's all stained. By sin and it isn't acceptable before the God who created me and made me and I won't be allowed in his kingdom.

I'll be cast into outer darkness. Would be forever and forever That is the judgment that awaits all sinners which should be all of us but look back in verse 12. It says, in the middle of the verse there, another book was opened which is the what? The book of life. Look if you would in verse 15.

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Now, I'll come back to that in just a second. This judgment is the judgment of the condemned and the lost. The Bible says in John three eighteen, he that believeth on him that is Jesus is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already, okay? He that believeth not is condemned when?

Already. It's a judgment for which all of us should appear. It's a judgment for sentencing and execution because those that stand at this judgment are already know that they are what? They are lost sinners. They are guilty.

There is no question to their guilt. The only thing that is to be determined is their sentence and it's what? And it's execution. This past week Tuesday and Wednesday I was summoned for jury duty at the courthouse on 49th Street. And first time since I've been here, I was summoned for jury duty.

And went Tuesday morning, I got called with 100 other jurors to a juror pool and we had to go to this courtroom and I've been called twice before and the moment they find out that beside my name is Baptist Pastor, they usually send me on my way. Don't need any Baptist Pastors on the jury. So, but I to my surprise, I got to hang around all day Tuesday and all day Wednesday and finally at the end of Wednesday, I I I still got sent home. I knew that was coming but one of the reasons I knew it was coming was because of the particular case we were trying. You see this man back in 2014 had shot and killed a police officer in Tarpon Springs.

The jury was being chosen not to determine his guilt or innocence because you see he had already plead guilty. That had already been settled. The jury was to decide his fate whether he would be killed by the death penalty or whether he would spend the rest of his life in prison. The two options and that's what the jury is determining now and all of next week and praise the Lord, I'm not there. But that's not unlike this judgment.

You see, those who stand before this judgment, they're already been condemned. They're just being sentenced and the sentence is being carried, carried out. But there are those that escape this judgment and those are they that whose names are written in the what? In the book of life. In the book of life.

Well, how do you get your name written in the book of life? Well, there's only one way. There's only one way and that's through faith in who? That's through faith in Jesus Christ. That is the only way to get your name written in the book of life.

It is the only way to escape this terrible judgment. John fourteen six or I'll I'll do John three thirty six verse. He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life. That means you go where? Heaven.

He that believeth not the son shall not see life. Therefore, your name is not written in the book of life but the wrath of God abideth on him. You'll stand before this judgment and face this decree. John fourteen six, Jesus say it unto them, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh under the father but by me.

Jesus is the way to where? He's the way to life in heaven. He is the way to get your name written in the book of life. He is the only way. Our name can be written in the book of life.

Only through faith in Jesus Christ. Acts four twelve, neither is there salvation in any other. For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Saved from what? Saved from this judgment we just read about.

Don't you want to be saved from that judgment? I don't want to appear at this judgment. I don't want to be cast out of God's presence into a place called the lake of fire for all eternity. I'm sure you don't either. There's only one way of escape.

And that is through Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ who died on the cross for your sins. He is the only way. First John five twelve, he that hath the son that is Jesus hath life. He that hath not the son of God hath not life.

The gospel is very simple. We receive Jesus? Will you embrace Jesus by faith and what he did for you? And receive life? Or will you reject Jesus?

And face the judgment. That we see here. What exactly about Christ must we believe to receive his forgiveness? What must we believe about Christ in order to have our name written in the book of life? Well, turn with me over to first Corinthians 15.

I'll give you just a moment to do that. Find first Corinthians 15. We're going to read the first six verses of first Corinthians 15. So, First Corinthians fifteen one verses one through six. You know I don't hear pages turn as much as I used to.

I think there's two reasons for that. One, just people aren't into turning pages like they used to, I guess. Lot of people don't carry their Bibles to church like they used to. The other reason is this little thing right here. See, I can carry my Bible on this and and you don't hear the pages flip.

When I'm when I'm turning in that. So, many of you have that this morning. First Corinthians chapter 15 verses one through six. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the what? The gospel, the good news, the word of the kingdom, the seed.

Nor ever brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you which also you have received and wherein you stand By which also you are saved. If you keep in memory what I preached unto you unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. That he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures and that he was seen of Cephas which is the same as Peter then of the 12 and after that he was seen of above 500 brethren at once of whom the greater part remain unto this present but some have fallen asleep. This is the good news.

This is the gospel. What must you believe about Jesus? Well, you must believe that he came. Where'd he come from? Came from heaven.

In the beginning was the word, the word was with God, and the word was God and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus, God, the son, equal and one with the father came from heaven for you. And for me. He died on a cross for you and for me. He paid the price for our sins but God commended or demonstrated his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

I can say I love you but that really doesn't mean anything until I demonstrate that I love you. God doesn't just say, I love you. God demonstrated his love by sending his son to die on the cross for our sins and then what did Jesus do? Well, he was buried and on the third day, he did what? He rose again.

In a couple weeks, we celebrate Easter. Easter isn't about bunnies and Easter isn't about colored eggs. Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. A dead God can't save you. A dead God can't help you but praise God.

A living one can. Amen. And Jesus is alive. Jesus is alive. You must believe in him.

Not only is he alive but he is seated at the right hand of the father Where he offers salvation to all who come to him freely in faith. To be forgiven forever. Their trespasses and their sins against him. He is waiting to hear. From you.

Romans ten nine, ten, nine, and thirteen say, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Save from what? Save from that judgment we looked at. Save from sin and its eternal penalty. For whosoever, does that include you?

Yes. Yes. For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, call upon him in faith. Shall be what? Shall be saved.

Applies to you the same as it does to me. The same as it does to anybody. If you call upon him in faith, he'll save you. He'll forgive you. He'll give you eternal life.

He'll give you a home in heaven and not a place in hell. That's what he wants. That's why he came and died. You have God's word on it. Now, what have you done about it?

Or what will you do about it today? Now, that depends on the soil. That depends on your heart Is it soft? Is it open? Is it cold?

Is it closed? Is it believing? Is it doubting? What will you do with Jesus? Or what have you done?

Your eternity hinges on the answer. To that question and to that question alone. Not denomination you go to. Not what rituals you have partaken in. Not good works that you have done.

Only this, what have you done? With Jesus. For who's the only way to get your name written? In that book of life. Back in our parable in Mark chapter four, hope you marked it because here we go.

Mark, to Mark chapter four. There are four conditions of the soil. Once again. The first is by the wayside verse 15 and these are they by the wayside where the word is sown but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. Some are like the wayside.

They are like the the sidewalk. Anything going to grow on the sidewalk? No. No soil. Soil is hard.

Nothing is growing there. You throw the seed down, the birds come, they eat it, they take it away, it has no effect. The wayside is like the heart that is cold, like the heart that is cold, closed, and hard. It's an unbelieving heart. God's word lands on it.

It lands on deaf ears. That which is given in hope is snatched away by God's enemy. And your enemy, the devil. And has little effect. Snatched away because there's no interest.

Snatched away because there's no understanding. Snatched away because there's no care or no concern for God or for eternity. Sound familiar? What are people in this world concerned about today? What's happening with such and such celebrity in Hollywood?

That's what they're concerned about. They're concerned about whether they have the newest iPhone or not. That's what they're concerned about. They're concerned about whether they have a nicer car or a nicer home than somebody else. That's what they're concerned about but those things are passing away.

And eternity is coming but many at heart is hard and the seed is sown and it has no effect because it lands on an unbelieving and unconcerned heart That may have been you in the past but pray, praise the Lord. It doesn't have to be you today. There's the stony ground. That's where there's little soil to root or to grow in. In verse 16, it says in, these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground who when they have heard the word immediately receive it with gladness and have no root in themselves and so endure but for a time afterward when affliction or persecution arises for the word's sake immediately they are offended.

There's the shallow ground. Throw it out there on the dirt but there's it hasn't been tilled. It hasn't been prepared and there's nowhere for the roots to go and when it rains, this little thing pops up, this little seedling, this little but as soon as the sun comes out, it withers and dies because it has no root. Because it's not been sown upon good soil. The seed of course once again is God's word.

It's well received at first but there's there's no commitment of the heart. There's no surrender to the Lord. There's no there's no repentance or saving faith. There's no reason to stay. There's no conversion.

You must be born again. It's not enough just to say. You believe you must believe in your heart. Maybe it's a let's try this out for a day. Like, might test drive a new car.

Let's give it a whirl. Actually heard people say that. My friend that's not saving faith. Therefore, when somebody questions it, it's dropped. Somebody ridicules it.

It's abandoned. When somebody challenges it, it's forsaken because it's not taken into the heart. It doesn't take root. No root, no life, therefore, no fruit. There are many out there like that today.

Oh, they toyed around with it. They were on the fence. They thought about it. They maybe they even went forward in a service or said a prayer or God dunked in water. They weren't truly born again and so it was quickly forsaken.

Then, there's the the thorny ground Verse 18 and these are they which are sown among thorns such as hurt, hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the seedfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in, choke the word, and become You got the stony ground, you got the thorny ground. This ground is a little bit better maybe in some ways but it's full of weeds and thorns and and weeds and thorns always grow faster than the stuff you plant if you've ever planted anything. And the cares of this world choke out the word that has been sown. There's interest at first but the interest wanes. Because there's more important things.

The pursuit of money and worldly possessions is often what chokes out the word. Matthew sixteen twenty six, it says, for what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? The answer to that is nothing. What do you gain if you have all the money in the world and you die and go to hell?

What gain, what profit has it been? How much money does it take to give in exchange for your soul? The answer is there is no amount because God isn't interested in money. He's interested in repentance and faith He's not interested in money He's interested in you not your money Is you for whom he died? The pursuit of money and worldly pleasures choke out the word, the pursuit of friends and acceptance, the pursuit of fame, pursuit of pleasure.

These things take first place. They come first The first commandment is thou shalt have no other what? God before me How can you trust Christ There's a greater God in your life than he So, it's choked out There can only be one God on the shelf. Told to some places in the Orient, they have a god shell. They put all their little idols on the shelf.

When they hear of a new idol, they add it to their shelf. And they think that all those idols, they bow down before em and pray to em that they're going to watch over and protect em. Those idols can't do that. They're of stone. They're pieces of metal.

They're have no power to help them. When somebody comes to them with the gospel, their first response is okay, do you have a cross or something I can add to my God shelf? But see, that's not the gospel. God doesn't want you to add him to your shelf. He wants you to knock down the shelf.

And replace it all with him. That's the only way. What is the one thing that you will not give up? What is the one thing that you will not give up? Is it family or friends?

Luke fourteen twenty six, if any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brother and sisters and yea, his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. What is Jesus trying to say? You ought to hate people? No, that's not what Jesus trying to say. What he's saying is this, If you are unwilling to go against your your family and their traditions for the sake of heaven and Christ, can't be my disciple.

Many a person I've talked to just isn't willing to part with their family traditions for Jesus and it's sad to hear Is it family traditions and friends? Is it fortune and fame? Is it pleasure and ease? Rich young ruler came to Jesus. Young man said, Lord, master, what do I lack?

To have eternal life. The long short story is this, Jesus said to the rich man, he said, go sell everything you have and follow me. The Bible says, the young man walked away what? Sorrowful. He was not, unfortunately, at least at this time, good soil.

Because he wasn't willing to part with his worldly goods for the goods of heaven. Now, pastor, you tell me I gotta sell everything I have or give it away to go to heaven? No. That wasn't the point. The point is, what is it that you won't let go of?

What is it that you won't give up? First John two fifteen says, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him. The word love means something you're not willing to give up. We're told to love the Lord with all our heart.

We shouldn't be willing to give him up. What is it that you won't give up? Is it the pursuit of Christ that you won't get up? Is it the love of Christ? Is it your allegiance to Christ?

If so, you are good soil and though at times you may seem to be stagnant or even backslidden, you still produce fruit. You remain in the love of Christ and the grace of Christ by faith. Some produce more than others but you are his and he is yours and he will never what? Amen. He will never let you go.

Your good soil. You're already saved but if it isn't Christ then you may be the thorny soil or maybe you're the the shallow, stony soil. Not prepared to receive the seed of God's word and therefore, no root and no fruit. You do not produce fruit. You have no passion for Christ.

You have no conviction for sin. You have no concern for the lost and here's the reason. You're still lost? Yourself. Because you've never been saved.

You've never been born again. The spirit doesn't dwell within You have not a home in heaven awaiting you but you have a space reserved in hell. Sure, maybe you went to church when you were younger. Maybe you got wet in a baptismal. Maybe you went forward in a service.

Maybe you repeated words of a prayer because somebody told you to. But where is Christ in your life today? Is he a part of it? Is he even there? Do you ever talk to him?

Do you ever think about him? What he desires, what he deserves, what he loves? Is he there? If you're good soil and if you've been born again, by faith in him, you'll produce what? Fruit.

You'll know he's there. You'll care that he's there but maybe today he isn't there. Here's the good news. He can be there. He wants to be there.

He wants to save your soul. He wants to forgive your sin. He wants to give you eternal life. If you will trust, in him. How about it?

Today, he loves you. He died for you. He will save you. If you will trust in him Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord for your word We thank you Lord For sowing the seed in our heart today.

Or in the past. Lord, we who know you as savior, thank you so much for saving our soul. We thank you Lord so much for the promises in your word that you'll never leave us nor forsake us and you prepared a place in heaven for us. Lord, we don't deserve it. We should be at this other judgment but God, you've provided a way of escape through your son, Jesus Christ and we thank you today that we'll never stand at that judgment because our sins have been washed away and our name is written in the book of life.

The Lord, there may be one or two or three or more here today. It doesn't know that and can't say that but Lord, you want them to be able to. You want to save them and you can today. They will receive your word. And trust in you as the Lord and savior of their life.

You will save their soul. You will come into their heart you will change their life and their eternal destiny if they'll receive you by faith today Lord, I pray that you would do your work In Jesus name