Gardening, Growth, and the Kingdom of God - Mark 4:26-34

 

Gardening, Growth, and the Kingdom of God

Mark 4:26-34

Introduction: One of the pressing questions tied to the Messianic hope of the Jews was the restoration of the Davidic Kingdom. Even after the resurrection the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). An odd question? Shouldn’t they have asked about missions or about the Master’s plan for discipleship or something? Remember, for 40 days after the resurrection, Jesus was appearing to them and teaching them, about what? The Kingdom (cf. Acts 1:3,6)! God had promised David a son who would have an eternal kingdom, and who would also be called the Son of God. In John 1, Andrew found his brother Peter and said, “We have found the Messiah!” (1:41). Later in that chapter, Nathanael expresses his idea of what that means when he says to Jesus: “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (1:49). Messiah—Son of God—King.  Those titles were inseparable. That was the hope of Israel. The idea of an already/not yet kingdom would only be revealed later (Col 1:13,14).

        Mark, in his gospel, would lead his readers to a proper understanding of the person and work of Jesus. In part, he was correcting an inadequate messianic hope among the people. Most of what we’ve seen so far in Mark can fit under three questions: 1) Who is Jesus? 2) Why did He come? And 3) What does it mean to follow Him?  His kingship, rightly understood, will impact the answer to those questions. Much of Jesus’ “kingdom” teaching was given in parables (4:26,30,33,34). These stories were a gracious invitation to all who would hear: Twice we’ve heard in Mark 4, He who has ears to hear, let him hear! The parables provoked thought and invited the hearers to consider and to respond to the message Jesus taught. As Jesus returns to gardening imagery, he is offering encouragement and hope to his hearers. That invitation goes to us as well…

The BIG Idea: Trust the King! God’s Word will accomplish God’s work in God’s time.

The Context: God is Sovereign: Jesus was teaching about the kingdom in parables (26a, 30a, 33-34). Mark has been talking about the “kingdom,” and the sovereignty of God in both implicit and explicit terms until now. It was implicit in the titles he uses to refer to Jesus, he is the Christ, Messiah, and Son of God. It was implicit in speaking and acting with authority that astounded those who saw and heard him. He also said that Jesus was proclaiming the Gospel of God (1:14), with Jesus announcing, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the Gospel…” (1:15). Did Jesus mean that the awaited messianic kingdom had arrived? The King was present... but not a kingdom like the nations, but a King who would be crucified (Mk 15:2,9,12, etc.).  His plan was to inaugurate the Kingdom in a preliminary sense through His rejection, death, and resurrection. His Kingdom was not of this world!

       And so the response to the parables exposed unbelief in some, and began to shine the Light of Life in the hearts of others... In this chapter 4 of Mark Jesus began with the Parable of the Soils, and told the disciples about the twofold purpose of parables before explaining the parable to them in private. He used the parable of the Lamp coming, shining the Light of truth for those who had eyes to see and ears to hear. Now He uses two more parables, the Seed, and the Mustard Seed, to talk about the Kingdom of God. The invitation, the Big Idea, is to trust the King, and sow faithfully! God's Word will accomplish God's purpose in God's time, and it will be amazing!

I. In faith, keep on sowing! One plants, another waters, but God brings the growth… in His way, and His time (26-29; cf. I Cor 3:6). Growth is normally slower than we expect.  The first of this pair of parables is the only parable that is unique to Mark, none of the other gospels repeats it.

²⁶And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. ²⁷ He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.

       Here Jesus uses some of similar imagery as the parable of the Sower that we looked at in the beginning of this chapter, but as we’ll see, the point is different. In the “Sower and the Soils” there the emphasis was on the different “soils” representing the different conditions of human hearts. Only in the fertile “prepared” soil, did the seed take root, and grow and produce fruit. It seems as though this parable reflects a bit more on that kind of sowing, i.e. what happens when the “seed” falls on the prepared, fertile soil.  His point is that the Word will accomplish God’s purpose in God’s time in those hearts. His Word will not return void, but will accomplish the purpose for which it is sent. Read the first two verses: "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground…”

       The purposes of God often develop slowly, organically, not as the result of human planning or ingenuity. It’s God’s plan, and He is not in a hurry. The great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was known for his poise and quiet manner. At times, however, even he too suffered moments of frustration. One day a friend saw him feverishly pacing the floor like a caged lion. "What's the trouble, Mr. Brooks?" he asked.  "The trouble is that I'm in a hurry, but God isn't!" Haven't we felt the same way many times? Have you ever prayed, “God, please, give me patience, NOW!”? Notice that the man in Jesus’ parable sows the seed, and then goes about the business of life, without stressing about the results, “He sleeps and rises night and day…” We can’t hurry the process God has ordained!  One writer commented in the devotional magazine Table Talk…

…this is not a call to passivity. As Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 3:6, some believers focus on planting seed (evangelism) and others focus on watering (teaching and discipling); however, even in these activities, God is the one who gives the growth.

        Stay faithful (trust and obey!), and be patient. Trust God, He is the Lord of the harvest! Some of the greatest missionaries faithfully spread the seed of God's Word and yet had to wait long periods before seeing the fruit of their efforts. Last week we mentioned William Carey as an example, who labored 7 years before the first Hindu convert was brought to Christ. In Burma. Adoniram Judson toiled 7 years before he saw someone saved... In New Zealand, it took 9 years; and in Tahiti, it was 16 years before missionaries saw the first harvest of souls begin.  What if they had given up? Well, God would have found a way in His time to get the word to them, but they would have missed the blessing of seeing the seed “sprouting” and new life beginning.

       It is not wrong to evaluate our service for the Lord. We need accountability and encouragement to stay faithful. What would be wrong, is to be anxious about the results coming more slowly than we would hope.  Chuck Swindoll said, “True patience is waiting without worrying.” Think about it, could it be that God is using “delay” to teach us something, to grow our faith?  It is God’s work, and God’s time… M.H. Lount said,

"God's best gifts come slowly. We could not use them if they did not. Many a man, called of God to...a work in which he is pouring out his life, is convinced that the Lord means to bring his efforts to a successful conclusion. Nevertheless, even such a confident worker grows discouraged at times and worries because results do not come as rapidly as he would desire. But growth and strength in waiting are results often greater than the end so impatiently longed for. Paul had time to realize this as he lay in prison. Moses must have asked, 'Why?' many times during the delays in Midian and in the wilderness. Jesus Himself experienced the discipline of delay in His silent years before His great public ministry began."

Even Jesus waited for the time set by the Father to reveal himself publicly and to begin the journey that would including mentoring His disciples, revealing himself to the multitudes, exposing the unbelief of the Jewish leadership, and ultimately, reach a climax at Calvary.  God wants us to see results as we work for Him, but He is also concerned with our growth. Could it be He withholds success until we have learned patience?  What is God trying to teach you? What is He trying to teach us as a church family?  Be patient! Trust the King! God’s Word will accomplish His work in His time.

       Be patient, and secondly, trust God! Growth is an organic process, designed by God, it is not mechanical! His Word will accomplish the purpose for which it is sent (28-29)..

²⁸The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. ²⁹ But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

       I see a lot of articles on ministry and church growth some of them contain a “to do” list: Five steps to making your church grow. Really? The text here emphasizes that the farmer does not in any way cause the growth of the seed. The phrase, “…by itself…” translates a single Greek word:  automatos = “of itself, without visible cause.” That may sound familiar, it is the Greek term from which we get the English word “automatic.” There is no effort, and therefore no credit, that can go to the farmer. In the home where I grew up, our neighbor gave us some wild flower seeds. We scattered them in a flower bed by the corner of the house. For several years, they grew even though we did nothing. Who did that? The old flowers went to seed, the seeds fell, and BAM… flowers!  There was no plan, no human effort, just the design that God had placed in the DNA of the wildflowers… the circumstances allowed it, and there was life!  God said, “My Word will not return to me void, but will accomplish that for which it is sent…” Do we believe that? Then why are we so easily discouraged?  We need to trust God!   A preacher told of a time that he and his young son were out in the country, climbing around in some cliffs…

…I heard a voice from above me yell, "Hey Dad! Catch me!" I turned around to see Zac joyfully jumping off a rock straight at me. He had jumped and then yelled "Hey Dad!" I became an instant circus act, catching him. We both fell to the ground. For a moment after I caught him I could hardly talk. When I found my voice again I gasped in exasperation: "Zac! Can you give me one good reason why you did that???"

He responded with remarkable calmness: "Sure... because you're my Dad." His whole assurance was based in the fact that his father was trustworthy. He could live life to the hilt because I could be trusted. Isn't this even more true for a Christian? [Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat, 46-47].

I remember our daughter doing the same thing, but in a pool… until I missed her! She was too young to be baptized, but she was fully immersed! “Dad, why didn’t you catch me?” Do we trust our Father, even when we don’t yet see the “results”? Be patient, you can trust Him! Have faith, because God’s Word will accomplish His work in His time.

II. Growth is Sure: Jesus IS building His church (30-32). The second parable begins,

³⁰ And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?  ³¹ It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth…

       Have Faith! Don’t despise “small beginnings.” Think about the context. Jesus had a small group of genuine disciples, committed followers.  Even those that were closest to him would be put to the test when he was arrested! Even after the resurrection, in the light of the opposition that they faced, how hard it must have been to have faith!  The Jewish leaders had rejected Him. The Romans had been complicit in His death. Against such opposition, against Rome and Jerusalem, what could a handful of followers possibly have hope?  It was such a small beginning. Like a tiny mustard seed. And think about this: as Mark is writing his Gospel, maybe 20-30 years after the death of Jesus, the church was being ruthlessly persecuted. It was such a small, unlikely beginning!  And Jesus said to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth? It was enough of a challenge just to stay alive! How many times they must have prayed, “How long O Lord?”  Can we have faith even when nothing seems to be happening, even when it seems the obstacles are unsurmountable, the needs too great? Mary Ann had a little plaque in our kitchen: “Don’t tell God you have big problems, tell your problems you have a big God!”

Faith in God makes great optimists. Over in Burma, Judson was lying in a foul jail with 32 lbs. of chains on his ankles, his feet bound to a bamboo pole. A fellow prisoner said, "Dr. Judson, what about the prospect of the conversion of the heathen?", with a sneer on his face. His instant reply was, "The prospects are just as bright as the promises of God." 

That is faith! Believing God, even when we don’t see the answer! “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…”! George Mueller is renowned as a great example of faith and faithfulness. He made that point that our trials don’t catch God by surprise, and that in fact He would use those times to grow our faith…

God delights to increase the faith of His children...I say, and say it deliberately--trials, difficulties and sometimes defeat, are the very food of faith...We should take them out of His hands as evidences of His love and care for us in developing more and more that faith which He is seeking to strengthen in us…

Do you have hope? Trust the King! God’s Word will accomplish His work in His time.

      Since growth in the kingdom is sure, we can have hope! The End of the Story is going to be bigger and better than you think! The previous parable looked ahead to the harvest. This too looks ahead…

³² …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."

        This story looks ahead, anticipating a conclusion that goes beyond what can be seen, including even the nations...  It calls us to a confident expectation about the future. Just a tiny mustard seed, but God can grow it into something amazing! “Hope” in the future motivates us to perseverance and faithfulness in the present.

The school system in a large city had a program to help children keep up with their school work during stays in the city's hospitals. One day a teacher who was assigned to the program [was asked] to visit a particular child. She took the child's name and room number and talked briefly with the child's regular class teacher. "We're studying nouns and adverbs in his class now," the regular teacher said, "and I'd be grateful if you could help him understand them so he doesn't fall too far behind." 

The hospital program teacher went to see the boy that afternoon. No one had men-tioned to her that the boy had been badly burned and was in great pain. Upset at the sight of the boy, she stammered as she told him, "I've been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs."

       When she left she felt she hadn't accomplished much. But the next day, a nurse asked her, "What did you do to that boy?" The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologize. "No, no," said the nurse. "You don't know what I mean. We've been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He's fighting back, responding to treatment. It's as though he's decided to live." 

       Two weeks later the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived. Everything changed when he came to a simple realization… "They wouldn't send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?" 

Homework gave him hope! No one is giving you homework today, but do you believe that God has a plan, and that you are included in it? O.K., I lied, here’s some homework: read His book, trust Him! Believe God. Do you think He has a part for YOU to fulfill in His program? We all have passed through some trials. Our patience has been stretched, and hopefully grown, along with faith-trust-and hope.  This I know: Jesus is building His church… and we have been entrusted with a mission… until Jesus comes or until He takes us home, we are here for a purpose. Stay faithful, and…

What is God saying to me in this passage? Trust the King! God’s Word will accomplish His work in His time, and it will be amazing!

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? The parable of the soils told us that we should keep on sowing, only God knows the condition of the human hearts. Some will receive the Word, believe, and bring forth fruit. These parables should encourage us as we sow, trusting that God is the Lord of the harvest, having faith that He will bring the increase. His Word will accomplish the purpose for which it is sent. I like something Greg Laurie said, about our mission. He said, you may think preaching and ministry is only for professionals, but…

…There are many people you can reach far more effectively… they know you. They work with you. They live next to you. You are able to speak to them like perhaps no other person... God has given you a group of people whom you can influence. God wants to use you right where you are. It will start small, like a mustard seed, but take hope, the end of the story is going to be greater than we can possibly imagine!                                

Sound familiar? You have an oikos, an extended “household.” God has put those people in your life, and you in theirs.  Keep sowing! Keep inviting! Keep sharing!  Trust God. His word will accomplish the purpose for which it is sent.  AMEN!