True North Church
Road Trip Through the Book of Mark - Part 3
Part 3: Making Room for the Seed
Locations & Times
Fairbanks Campus
2830 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709, USA
Sunday 8:30 AM
Sunday 10:00 AM
Sunday 11:30 AM
INTRO: Jesus didn’t give a lecture, He painted a picture.
Mark 4:3-8 (NLT) 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. 4 As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a FOOTPATH, and the birds came and ate it. 5 Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” 9 Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
The Explanation:
Mark 4:13-18 (NLT) 13 Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? 14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. 15 The seed that fell on the FOOTPATH represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. 16 The seed on the ROCKY soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 17 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 18 The seed that fell among the THORNS represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. 20 And the seed that fell on GOOD soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
4 TYPES OF SOIL (HEARTS):
1. Footpath– (road) hard heart.
2. Rocky– (emotional) shallow heart.
3. Thorns– (worldly) crowded heart.
2 Pet 1:5-11 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. SUPPLEMENT your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.8 The more you GROW like this, the more PRODUCTIVE and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
4. Good– (understanding) fruitful heart.
HE USES THIS ILLUSTRATION TO SHOW US:
1. It’s a process (doesn’t happen overnight; we plant, water, and wait)
2. It’s about produce (pro-duce)
John 15:16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and PRODUCE lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.
Mark 4:3-8 (NLT) 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. 4 As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a FOOTPATH, and the birds came and ate it. 5 Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” 9 Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
The Explanation:
Mark 4:13-18 (NLT) 13 Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? 14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. 15 The seed that fell on the FOOTPATH represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. 16 The seed on the ROCKY soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 17 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 18 The seed that fell among the THORNS represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. 20 And the seed that fell on GOOD soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
4 TYPES OF SOIL (HEARTS):
1. Footpath– (road) hard heart.
2. Rocky– (emotional) shallow heart.
3. Thorns– (worldly) crowded heart.
2 Pet 1:5-11 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. SUPPLEMENT your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.8 The more you GROW like this, the more PRODUCTIVE and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
4. Good– (understanding) fruitful heart.
HE USES THIS ILLUSTRATION TO SHOW US:
1. It’s a process (doesn’t happen overnight; we plant, water, and wait)
2. It’s about produce (pro-duce)
John 15:16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and PRODUCE lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.