HOFC Sermon Archive: Gospel of Mark Part 24: Parable of the Growing Seed

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SERMON TIMELINE

1. Introduction

2. John the Baptist

3. The Baptism of Jesus

4. Temptation of Jesus

5. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus I

6. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus II

7. The First Disciples

8. A Teacher with Authority

9. At the Home of Simon and Andrew

10. Jesus Cleanses the Leper

11. Jesus Heals the Paralytic

12. Jesus and the Tax Collector

13. Jesus Questioned About Fasting

14. Of Wine and Wineskins

15. Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath & Resurrection Sunday 2025

16. Hard Hearts and Hard Thoughts

17. Three Responses to Jesus

18. Jesus Appoints the Apostles

19. The Family of Jesus

20. The Unforgivable Sin

21. The True Family of Jesus

22. Parable of the Four Soils

23. How Well Do You Listen

24. Parable of the Growing Seed

Today is Sunday. July 6^th, 2025

INTRODUCTION

Two weeks ago, we looked at Jesus telling the parable of the four soils, which is about the four types of people’s hearts who hear the gospel message, the seed.

Four types of people hearing the message react and respond differently. Three out of the four never grow spiritually.

Twice, Jesus says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” In our modern language, we would say, “Listen! This is important!”

Those who hear the message but never receive it, regardless of their reasoning, remain in bondage to their sin and unforgiven.

The issue is not the message. The issue is not the one presenting the message. The issue is the listener.

Jesus tells us how ever much you put into the Word is how much you will get out. If there is not enough God in your life, then it is you who have fallen short, not the Lord.

“God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:6b-8

What is the secret to getting closer to God?

· Stop being prideful (“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11)

o “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.” Proverbs 16:18

· Be humble and you will receive God’s grace

· Be subject therefore to God (Put yourself under God’s authority. Obey Him. Follow His ways.)

If you do not “resist the devil,” there is no reason for him to flee. You cannot draw near to God if you are submitting or yielding to the devil.

This is why James says “Cleanse your hands (meaning the works you are doing) you sinners. And purify your hearts (the things you think and dwell on), you double-minded.

Those who give in to sin, their hearts filled with evil they allow in, their hands doing works of iniquity, then they try to “draw close to God” are called double-minded by James. You cannot have it both ways.

You are either resisting the devil, or resisting God. Which is it?

This brings us to today's message about the parable of the seed, or word of God, that was received and grows the intent listener spiritually. Are you moving forward in your growth and becoming closer to God over the years, or are you stagnant, stuck in your faith, or worse, fallen away?

The setting for today's parable about the growing seed is in the same setting as the parable of the four soils, and the parable of the mustard seed in Mark 4:1-20 and Mark 4:30-32.

Let’s look at the parable of the seed.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Mark 4:26-29 The Parable of the Seed

“And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27 and he sleeps and rises, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know.

28 The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.

29 But when the grain is ripe, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

I. ANALYZING THE PARABLE

a. What the parable reveals about the Kingdom of God

i. It is the Word of God producing fruit that GROWS the Kingdom of God

1. Mark 4:14 “The sower sows the word.”

2. Luke 8:11 “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.”

ii. This growth produced by the Word of God is a “mystery”

Mark 4:26-28 “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27 and he sleeps and rises, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. 28 The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.”

1. The sower can sow the seed, and even witness it sprout and begin to grow

2. However, the growth is beyond our comprehension, as it seemingly grows by itself (actually through the Spirit of God)

iii. The growth produced by the Word is gradual

1. It does not occur all at once

2. Step by step, first the blades, then the flowers, then the grain

3. And eventually comes the harvest

Mark 4:29 “But when the grain is ripe, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

The Kingdom of God mysteriously grows by virtue of God’s Word, the seed, sown by His faithful servants in every field of the world.

b. Comparing the parable to the four soils

i. The parable of the four soils emphasizes OUR RESPONSIBILITY

1. Ask, and it will be given to you

2. Seek, and you shall find

3. Knock, and it will be opened to you

4. The “seed” did not produce the desired fruit UNLESS it fell on good soil

5. It takes a “good and noble heart” for the seed to produce fruit

Luke 8:15 “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”

ii. The parable of the growing seed stresses the divine power within the Word of God

1. A good and noble heart cannot bear good fruit by itself, no more than a pile of dirt produce a fig tree.

a. Not without a seed

2. It takes a seed that has within itself the power to germinate and grow in good soil

This parable emphasizes the need to trust the power of the seed. God’s very Word

Yes, the Word of God is the "seed" which contains the power for spiritual life and growth when planted in the soil of a good and noble heart!

We may not fully comprehend the true working of that power, but the parable illustrates how we can still use it!

Let's now consider how to apply this.

II. APPLYING THE PARABLE

a. The Word of God is a powerful “seed”

i. Can cause us to be born again!

1 Peter 1:22-25 “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a love of the brothers without hypocrisy, fervently love one another from a clean heart, 23 for you have been born again not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

“All flesh is like grass,

And all its glory like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

And the flower falls off,

25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word which was proclaimed to you as good news.”

James 1:18b “He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a certain first fruit of His creatures.”

ii. It helps us grow!

1 Peter 2:1-3 “Therefore, laying aside all wickedness and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Yahweh.” (Paslm 34:8)

iii. It can save our souls!

James 1:21 “Therefore, laying aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in gentleness receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

iv. It is living and powerful, filled with Spirit-giving life!

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

John 6:63 “The Spirit is the One who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”

Never underestimate the power of the Word of God!

b. Two ways we utilize the powerful Word of God

i. By receiving it into our own hearts for spiritual growth

1. Growth in our personal lives (which should be constant!)

2. Which will take place if we receive the Word of God properly!

a. With a good and noble heart (Acts 17:11)

b. Humbly with meekness (James 1:21)

c. As babies longing for mothers’ milk (1 Peter 2:2)

d. Laying aside the things tha would “choke out” the Word in our lives (1 Peter 2:1)

ii. And because growth is gradual, we need to water the seed DAILY! (1 Peter 2:2)

1. You cannot plant seeds in a garden, and expect them to grow without water.

iii. By sowing it as far and wide as possible for growing the Kingdom of God

1. The Kingdom of God growing in the world

2. Growth comes through the seed

a. It is not the message that fails

b. It is not the messenger who fails

c. It depends on if the seed lands on fertile soil

3. Growth comes as a mystery from the Spirit of God

a. We are simply sowers and waterers

4. There will be days we sow seed, there will be days the Word we share waters the seed, there will be days we see growth, and there will be days we must patiently wait for God’s timing.

iv. Like a farmer, we patiently wait (James 5:7)

In our lives and in the world, spiritual growth only occurs through the word of god. Neglect it, and you will NOT grow closer to God, you will not Spiritually Mature, and you will not experience the power of the Kingdom of God in your life.

CONCLUSION

In the Kingdom of God, as in the kingdom of nature, we are laborers together with God. As in nature, the results of sowing the seed are determined by God in His time.

Our duty as believers is to continue sowing the seed, it is for God t give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6-9)

After we sow, we must wait for God’s Word to perfect the growth (Philippians 1:6)

We must trust and hope in the power of the Word of God. Trust its power to save the lost. Romans 1:16-17 says, this is the power of God!

Are you trusting its power to save your own soul?

Don’t be fooled by self-help methods that promise but cannot deliver. The Word of God is more than capable to save souls, and change lives. (James 1:21)

If you are not seeing the power of God in your life, and want more

“God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:6b-8

Be double-minded no longer. We doubt God when we do not resist the devil and submit to sin. Submitting to sin and reaching for God makes a doubter double-minded.

“But he must ask in faith, doubting nothing, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:6-8

NEXT WEEK: “Part 25: Parable of the Mustard Seed”

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Saturday, July 12, 2025

Gospel of Mark Part 24: Parable of the Growing Seed

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