IS GOD STILL WORKING IN THE WORLD?

SCRIPTURE TEXTS:

Background Texts: Mark 3:7-6:6a

Focal Texts: Mark 4:14-32

INTRODUCTION:

For today’s lesson we return to our regular series of lessons from the Gospel of Mark. Our lesson title asks us a question, which in turn should prompt us to ask ourselves some questions too:

“Do we really believe that God is at work in the world?”

“Do we really believe that God wants to use us to do His work in the world?”

And also, and most importantly:

“Do I really believe that He will use me?”

Then, there is one final question to ask ourselves:

“Am I ready and willing to be used by Him in whatever way He sees fit?”

It is my hope that this lesson will clarify these questions, and brings us to answer honestly and sincerely these important questions which every Christian needs to confront.

Now, coming to our scripture texts for today, let us first look at the context of the passage. The scene for our lesson text in the Gospel of Mark is this:

In the previous verses, just prior to our scripture texts, Jesus was in Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee. He had once again come into the Synagogue there on the Sabbath day. At this time certain of the Jewish leaders had already made up their minds that they hated Him. He was drawing large crowds and healing many people. They were very jealous of His fame and popularity with the crowds. They were watching carefully to see if He did something on the Sabbath Day to violate their idea of the Sabbath rules.

They specifically wanted to see if He would heal someone on the Sabbath. They considered this as “work’ which was forbidden on the Sabbath (according to their oral tradition). Jesus indeed healed the withered hand of a man after challenging them if it was right to do “good” on the Sabbath, or only on other days. In doing this He demonstrated that God approved of doing “good” on any day, because that supersedes any ritual observance invented by men. Thus - God was at work that day.

Then coming to our lesson passage we see that because of the press of the crowd, Jesus withdrew to the seaside with His disciples. There He selected the Twelve who were to be Apostles (including Judas who later betrayed Him). He also began preparing them to go out and preach the good news of the Kingdom. He then began to teach the crowds, using parables. Our lesson today takes up at Mark 4:14 during this sermon.

I.) GOD’S WORD IS SOWN: Mark 4:14-20

“¹⁴ ‘The Sower soweth the word.

            ¹⁵ ‘And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

^{16 ‘}And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

¹⁷ ‘And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

¹⁸ ‘And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

¹⁹ ‘And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

²⁰ ‘And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive [it], and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.’ ”[1][1]

Jesus in this passage begins to explain His parable of the “Sower and the Seed”. This parable about the Word of God is one of the most familiar and yet most profound of His parables. It is a beautiful explanation of how God works in the world by the propagation of the Gospel.

Back in verses 10 and 11 of this same chapter Jesus gave an explanation to His disciples as to why He taught in parables. They are for the wisdom and understand of those who believe, but are not understood by those who have not yet believed. In our passage Jesus takes the time to explain this parable to them. We too need to understand it for this is how God works in the world through His Word. Today we have the written Word in complete form. At that time Jesus’ teachings were also the Word of God. The preaching of the Gospel in this illustration is also the Word of God.

The Word is broadcast widely over all sorts of people who hold all sorts of ideas and beliefs. Some have hardened their hearts, so that they do not really hear the Word. This is represented in the parable by the hard soil so that the birds of the air stole it away. This likely would have been a well beaten path or road. These allowed Satan to steal the Word out of their hearts and minds through inattention or a hardened heart.

Others have their lives choked down by evil things. This was illustrated by the seed being chocked out by weeds. So the Word does not produce its proper result in those people. There is also a category of those where the seed fell on stony ground.

There were three types of responses. The first was in effect, no response, for the seed fell on the hard earth and the birds of the air ate it before it could produce any new life. This represents those people who do not respond to the gospel at all.

The second type of response falls into two different categories, but with similar results. One is illustrated by the seed which fell on “stony ground”.

    When a farmer in those times cultivated his land he removed the larger stones from the soil. However, sometimes there would be patches which contained smaller stones and shallow soil. This type of soil might allow the seed to germinate, but because it was shallow and stony, the plant could not mature and produce fruit. This was usually on the margins of a plowed field. This describes those who receive the gospel, but not having any depth, they soon lose interest in serving God. Their commitment was lacking.

The second subtype of this response is the seed which fell on soil which was filled with weeds. The weeds chocked out the new plant so that it was unable to mature and bear fruit. This is a picture of a believer who allows the cares, concerns, or various lusts for the things of the world, to prevent him or her from maturing and producing fruit.

The final response is that of those whose heart is prepared to receive the word and also to nurture it to full completion and fruitfulness. This is the kind of result God wishes for all of us. We must prepare our “soil” - that is to say our hearts and our attitudes toward the work of God. There is work involved in this cultivation, it does not happen by accident.

Notice that this entails the removal of “stony” obstacles in our life. It also means that we need to have a depth of commitment. Only real commitment can continue to nurture the seed of the Word until it produces fruit in our lives. A willing heart is a plowed field where the seed of the Word of God can produce His work in the world. God will “plow” our hearts and minds if we place ourselves at His disposal, if we are a willing and obedient servant, He will work in us to do His will. Two aspects need to be addressed in this parable to understand it.

1) Does the seed of the Word produce life in the soil of the souls who hear it?

If it does, then that person has received the gospel and became alive in Christ.

And secondly:

2) If it does, but then does it go on to produce fruit in that life?

Sadly, not everyone who comes to Christ and is saved continues to grow and mature into a fruitful follower of Christ.

Some people, notable those who believe in “good works” salvation interpret this parable differently. They think that all those who receive the Word ,but do not produce fruit are those who got saved but lost their salvation. That is a false and inconsistent view of this parable. The seed produces “Eternal Life”. ^{(See John 3:15-18)}

Isn't it marvelous how Jesus could take everyday events in the lives of the people there and teach great spiritual truths? I would that we could reach people in a similar way as we seek to bring the Word of God to them.

II.) GOD’S WORD IS HEEDED: Mark 4:21-25

“²¹ And he said unto them, ‘Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, And not to be set on a candlestick?

²² ‘For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

²³ ‘If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.’

²⁴ And he said unto them, ‘Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

^{25 ‘}For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.’ ”

When Jesus uses the phrase “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear”, He is telling us that we need to listen with our spirit as well as our ears. We need to comprehend what He is saying about God’s work in the world. We can only do this by being diligent in studying the Word of God, and by prayerfully seeking God’s direction. In another place (in the Old Testament) God issued this call:

“And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” ^{Jeremiah29:13}

If we seek to do His will He will give us chances to grow and produce fruit. And that fruit is other believers who in turn may grow and produce other fruit. After all, that is how you and I got here. That is to say, saints down through the ages have carried the seed and produced fruit which over and over in turn brought the Gospel to us. “We stand on the shoulders of giants...” as someone once said in another context.

Our job is to continue this process until Jesus comes again. God’s Word HAS been heeded down through the years. And now it is our turn to trust Him in faith and to scatter the seed in whatever field we find ourselves in.

Jesus, in this parable of the candle, is talking about where its proper place is. This parable contains another spiritual truth about God’s work. We have been entrusted with a living and powerful message. Indeed, it really is like light in a dark room; but we must not obscure or hide this light. We must place in a position to give its light to the maximum extent. The candle was to be elevated so that its light could be cast into every dark corner. So too is the gospel to be raised high in the world so that all may see and heard God’s “Good News”.

In verse 22 He tells us that whatever we do with this light, with which we have been equipped, will always be revealed. This is a reference to “The Judgment Seat of Christ” which Paul mentioned in 1^st Corinthians chapter 3. Christians will be judged, not to determine their salvation, but for their rewards at that time. Salvation is eternal and not based upon our works. But our rewards are based on what we do with the seed entrusted to us. ^{(See 1st Corinthians 3:11-15)}

In verse 24, Jesus talks about a couple of different aspects of this responsibility. The first says: “Take heed what ye hear”. This means that we need to carefully consider the things we hear; from others, from the preached Word, and yes, even in the written Word of God. We must learn to put all knowledge into its proper context. The Word of God must be “rightly divided” as Paul told us. We can only do that by “studying to show ourselves approved unto to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed.” ^{(My paraphrase of 2nd Timothy 2:15)}

If we have done that we have taken heed to what we have heard. Then, and only then, we will be able to enter into the second aspect of this statement:

“...with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you...”

We can then mete out what we have learned by both telling others or by giving service which is scripturally based. Only such works which are based on correct heeding will produce the desired results. Those also are the only “works’ which will be rewarded.

In verse 25, Jesus continues to expound on this theme of how rewards and greater service are apportioned out by God:

“For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.”

Those who heed properly will be given more responsibility (and greater rewards). Those who fail to do so will lose even the small rewards they may have earned and their ability to do more for God will be restrained. Over and over Jesus stressed this principle in several parables. Unfortunately many of us just don't seem to get it. Some say: “I just don't know how to do anything for the Lord”.

The questions they need to address are:

“Have you prepared to be used?”

And:

“Have you been faithful in the small things God has entrusted you with?”

He will not give greater ability to those who have wasted what they have already been entrusted with. This is a universal principle in God’s work in the world.

III,) GOD’S KINGDOM GROWS: Mark 4:26-32

“²⁶ And he said, ‘So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

²⁷ ‘And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

²⁸ ‘For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

²⁹ ‘But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

³⁰ And he said, ‘Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? ‘Or with what comparison shall we compare it?

³¹ ‘[It is] like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

^{32 ‘}But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of

it.’ ”

Jesus continues with some other illustrations of how God’s work in the world shall continue. First He talks about the fact that men cannot know all the ways which God uses to grow the kingdom, for they are spiritually discerned. Also, they are sometimes hidden from our eyes. Just as the farmer sows his seeds in the earth but does not know just how those seed come to bring new life, so too does God use the gospel to regenerate lost souls. We cannot know just how the Holy Spirit can do this, but we, like that farmer, sow those seed in faith that the process of its life producing power will bring the desired results.

As Paul once wrote:

“^{1st Corinthians 3:6} I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”

We may be the planters, or those who water, or even possibly the reapers; but it is God who does the life changing regeneration of lost souls.

Then in verses 31-32, Jesus talks about how a small seed can become a great plant. He uses the mustard seed, which is extremely small. Yet when the plant from that seed reaches it full maturity it is very large. This is how the church of God has grown down through the ages.

There is also a dark side to this parable. Remember back in the parable of the Sower how the birds of the air represented Satan’s work in removing the seed before it could germinate? The birds here also represent evil influence. No, they are not a part of the plant which represents the church as a whole. But they seek refuge in its branches. This tells us that there will be apostates numbered among us, just as the Apostles also warned us.

In Revelation chapters 1-3 Christ warned the seven churches that false prophets and heresy would creep in. They were enjoined to purge out the “old leaven’ and return to their “first love”.

We need to always adhere to right doctrine, and take care that those who come among us do not teach false doctrine.

Several decades ago there was a bible study group which began to study prophesy, especially in the Old Testament. A man came into their midst and began to teach strange things using a unique way of interpreting the scriptures. (Completely out of context)

That group veered away from sound doctrine and today they are know as the “Jehovah’s Witnesses”. Oh how much damage Satan was able to do by subverting a group which started our well to try to learn the scriptures! One charismatic individual can destroy the lives and souls of many people. Most of us remember the massacre in Central America a few decades ago where a leader (Jim Jones) led people to drink poison. Many died including small children.

The Word needs to be heeded indeed! It needs to be measured out as God intended by those who truly hear Him, and heed what He says.

CONCLUSION:

The answer to our lesson's title’s question is this:

YES - God is indeed at work in the world!

Where He works, and through whom He works, is up to those who name the Name of Christ. We must listen, we must heed, and we must sow the seed. If He leads us to be those who sow the seed or to water, or if He allows us the great privilege to be reapers; all of us have a place in that most wonderful and even mysterious, and yes, even miraculous work!

Thought Questions:

    “Have you found the thing that God has equipped you to do in His Kingdom work?”

        If not, have you sought Him with all your heart as the scripture I quoted above from Jeremiah 29:13 promises? This is part of the hearing.

“If you do know your task, have you committed to do it with all your abilities?”     

        Then there is one final question regarding our work in the Kingdom:

        “Have you been faithful, and are you seeking to grow in your ability to do greater service for your King?”

He is altogether faithful in His commitment to us, in Salvation and in Service. He is “faithful and just to forgive us... and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”  ^{(paraphrasing 1st John 1:9)} 

    Let us therefore resolve in this coming New Year to be faithful, and to advance in the ranks of those in the Lord’s army.

Let us seek to both hear and heed His direction and instruction, for the work we are enrolled in is eternal work, with eternal results, and also eternal consequences.

    In Jesus’ Name:

    Joe Forbus 12-22-09

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[1][1] I am quoting from The King James Version, taken from the Electronic Version of the Interlinear Analyzer Program. Used by License JLF