The Gospel According to Mark (Part 16)

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The Gospel According to Mark

(Part 16)

Good Morning and Welcome to Jesus Church

• We are on part 16 of our series through the Gospel according to Mark
  • Last week we started on the beginning of Jesus’ parables
  • Parables were a popular way that Rabbis taught
  • Jesus constantly used parables to illustrate the “Kingdom of God”
• And every story Jesus tells does two things
  • First it illustrates the Kingdom of God
  • Second it invitates you to participate in the Kingdom of God

So the first parable (last week) was about the sower and the seed

• And in his explanation Jesus says the seed is the Word of God (Logos)
  • And as Jesus/Gospel goes out to these different people
    • Many people are too hard to receive Jesus
    • Other people have too shallow a relationship – No roots
    • Some have too much going on – Jesus doesn’t take priority
    • And then there are those to have soft heart… deep roots
• And Jesus said those who allow the Gospel to change their lives
  • Will produce a harvest 30/60/100x (kingdom of God)
  • Significant because a really good harvest would be 8x
  • So when a heart surrendered to Jesus it produces a miracle

Tag: This week: Gonna cover 3 more parables that Jesus teaches in Mark 4

Mark 4:21-34

He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.” Consider carefully what you hear, he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you- and even more. Whoever has will be given more, whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up , the sed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain – first the stalk , then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.

Again he said, What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade. With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

[PRAY]

Ever had someone ask you something over text…

And you knew the answer was gonna be way too long

• But for whatever reason you try to answer anyways
  • I feel like that’s the worst thing you can do
  • First of all ½ the time I get distracted and never finish the text
  • Second you end up deleting it 10 times before you send
• I think text messages should be like twitter… limit to 160 characters
  • Just keep it simple
  • Give it to me in bite size portions
  • Heck we are American… I need my food wrapped with words
    • And preferably with my name on it

The central theme of Jesus’ ministry is… THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

• And when Jesus talks about the kingdom… never a straight answer
  • Like why can’t we just have a definition
  • But whenever he talks – its in these pictures/metaphors
  • Question: Why does he do that… why never a cut & dry answer
• I think maybe I wonder b/c… I relate to parables – I’m an explainer
  • My wife asks me a question – I’m so excited to explain it to her
  • But she’s a bottom liner
• So while I want to give her some background… context… build it up
  • She’s like – Calm down I just asked how the grocery store was
  • Why can’t I just give an answer…

There was an English author Flannery O’Conner… 1900’s

• Asked by a reporter about one of her stories
  • Said: Can you just real quick give us the meaning of your story
  • Like just one to two sentences really quick
• She responded: If I could give you the story in one sentence
  • I wouldn’t have had to write the story
  • Meaning… She could give you a sentence about the story
• But the biggest things in life – Can’t cut them into a tiny definition
  • If someone asked me what my wife means to me in 1 word
  • That’s not a 1 word answer or 1 sentence
  • If it is… Pastor Rick would love to give some marriage counseling

Jesus is showing us that… Kingdom is so important

Only way to get it across to us is through sharing these stories

• And today’s text gives us 3 of these stories
  • To help us understand how great God’s Kingdom is
  • But also help us understand living our lives in a Kingdom Context

Mk 4:24-25

Consider carefully what you hear, he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you – and even more. Whoever has will be given more, whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

3 thoughts on God’s Kingdom

(1 from each parable)

1 – Its not about what you get… but what you use

Jesus says: With the measure you use it will be measured to you

• In the Greek that’s a really funny line
  • “The measure you measure will be measured”
  • Thanks a ton Jesus that makes perfect sense!
  • Can translate it – By the measure you spend… you’ll be rewarded
• This is what Jesus is saying about how the Kingdom works
  • The people who give the most… will have the most
  • And that’s the upside down of God’s kingdom
    • The way to fullness… by emptying yourself
• Jesus says: Those who don’t have, even what they have will be taken
  • What he’s saying is givers… Will have more and more to give
  • But hoarders… graspers will have less and less to hold on to

And this applies to everything in life

• Talk about our knowledge of Jesus… All have some lvl of knowledge
  • How do you grow in your knowledge of Jesus
    • You give it away… you share it to everyone around you
    • When we give away what they know – End up knowing more
  • But what happens if you never share Jesus… keep it all to yourself
    • Even what you know will fade away
    • Let alone ever grow at all
• This is why Jesus says “Consider HOW you hear”
  • Not so much WHAT you hear… its HOW you hear
  • What will you do with what you’ve been given
• The people I know that understand God and His kingdom the most
  • Are not the ones who know everything about the Bible
  • Its those who use the knowledge they have to give it away

This really shows itself in relationships

• If you approach your relationships conditionally & selectively
  • Trying to find the people who will meet all your needs
  • You’ll never find someone
• If you approach relationships seeing what you can give to others
  • You will find the deepest relationships you could ever dream of
  • Because you focused not on gaining… but giving
  • And in your giving you gained what you could never find
• Can we just talk about how this applies to marriage
  • If your marriage just focuses on how spouse should do this /that
    • Or they aren’t making you happy
    • Or they aren’t giving you what you need
    • You will absolutely destroy your marriage
  • If your focus is “what can I give to my spouse”
    • How can I meet their needs… bring them joy
    • How can I make life better for them
    • This is where a marriage will thrive with health
• Lets talk money… does it say if you give away money you make more
  • No… not quite that easy… I wish
  • But money is a prison and the bars are made of greed
  • And the only way to find freedom… give it away with generosity

Now some might think… cool I’ll make this into a formula – just get more

• You can’t manipulate the system and it isn’t some game to beat
  • Abraham could pretend to give up his son to God
  • And the fullness will never come by trying to get full
• Another way to say it… if you wanna live a complacent/stagnant life
  • Show up for church once a week
    • Get a dose of knowledge about Jesus
    • And then don’t do anything with it
  • Don’t invest in relationships… don’t share your hope
    • Don’t serve… get involve
• But if you seek to give… God’s love… God’s wisdom & knowledge
  • You will gain so much
  • And the greatest part… you will be full

2 – Not about the work you do… who you do it for

Mk 4:26-29

He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up , the sed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain – first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.

This echo’s last weeks sermon a bit with the talk of a farmer & seed

• But Jesus is talking about this seed in the ground
  • And whether the farmer is doing anything or not… seed grows
    • Farmer is asleep – Seed grows
    • Farmer is awake – Seed grows
    • Farmer is close/far – Seed grows
• And you might not have any clue what is happening
  • Gk – Word “All by itself” – Automate (automatic)
  • Meaning that seed underground grows without human effort
  • We don’t grow the kingdom of God… God does
  • But we get to share the kingdom with those around us
• Reason the kingdom grows w/o us is because the Kingdom has a King
  • And the king is the one who makes his kingdom work… day/night
  • B/C this king doesn’t stop… doesn’t sleep… doesn’t grow weary

Is. 40:28-29

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Ps 121:2-4

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth… indeed he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

At the center of God’s kingdom is a King that never stops working for you

• And God allows us to participate in that kingdom… if we choose to
  • So each day we have a decision we have to make
  • Either I will be a part of God’s kingdom and join with him
  • Or I won’t and instead will just focus on myself

3 – Not about how you start… but how you end

Mk 4:30-32

Again he said, What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.

Jesus says this is what my kingdom is like

• Just like a mustard seed God’s Kingdom starts small and then spreads
  • And everything about the story of Jesus reflects that
  • Even Jesus birth can be seen in the mustard seed
• That’s what people had such an issue with… they wanted a big army
  • They wanted a Kingdom by force
  • But God doesn’t force us to do anything… he gave us the choice
  • To join something that is built through trust and faith
• B/C if Jesus came as a military force… full kingdom… streets of gold
  • Your decision would be to follow the kingdom…
  • Doesn’t work b/c the kingdom means nothing without the king
    • And if you saw the full kingdom
    • Your trust would be in that and not the king himself

We love things to start big… even church we want (revival/supernatural)

• Did u know every revival starts with a hand full of people in a room
  • Each one praying… seeking… believing for God to move

Cure for all ills – Quotes A.T. Pierson

From the day of Pentecost, there has been not one great spiritual awakening in any land which has not begun in a union of prayer, through only among 2 or 3.

• We think of Jesus ministry as the 5000… or the great crowds
  • But the kingdom came reaching the shepherds on the fields
  • It was calling a couple young fishermen
  • It was changing the life of a tormented woman
• God’s kingdom starts when you invite a neighbor over for dinner
  • Or you finally as someone from church to get coffee
  • Or you join a home group to get to know others
  • Or you help in a church mission outreach (VBS/Mexico)

God isn’t after your greatness… he’s after your faithfulness

• And maybe you are ok with that part – But then what about the tree
  • Can be a ton of pressure b/c small seeds become big trees
  • And that can be frustrating if you haven’t seen the growth
    • Worried your ministry hasn’t grown like you thought
    • Or your life group hasn’t multiplied
    • Or you have to grow these kids into super Christians
• But remember what Jesus just taught – All these are connected
  • The seed is growing even if you can’t see it… why? B/C of the king
  • God saying – No pressure – I’ll carry those burdens for you
  • Your job is to be FAITHFUL where you can today… the little things
• We get so fixated on the big stuff… life goals… kids to college… career
  • But most often it starts with finishing a work project as unto Jesus
  • Or showing kindness to your wife as unto Jesus
  • Or doing your homework as unto Jesus
    • Kingdom: Forgive that person who hurt ur feelings last week
    • Kingdom: Taking time to just talk to God through the day
    • Kingdom: Helping that person who is struggling at the store

One last thing as we close

Something at the end that is so easy to miss… not first century Jews

• Jesus says the line: Such great branches that birds nest in its shade
  • That seems like a pretty random detail to me
  • But Jesus audience would have totally understood this
• Because it’s a quote from the OT (Ezekiel/Daniel)
  • Where God talks about this great world tree
  • It’s a tree that in the future connects everything – Heaven/Earth
  • It’s the idea of a literal spine of all creation

Dan. 4:10-12

These are the visions I saw while lying in bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the earth. Its height was enormous. The tree grew large and strong and its top touched heaven, and it was visible to the ends of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in tis branches; from it every living creature was fed.

This tree that Jesus is talking about again comes from the SEED (WORD)

• Jesus tells us what the Kingdom of God is like… also what is was like
  • In the beginning God dwelt among his people
  • When he dwelt with us everything was paradise (no brokenness)
  • And in that time… world was like a garden’
  • Why – Because God’s relational presence was on the earth
• And God’s presence is only environment where creation flourishes
  • But Bible says that long ago in God’s presence we wanted control
  • So we decided to take matters into our own hands
  • We walked away from the garden… our world broken ever sense
• And we try to live in a broken world as if there is nothing wrong
  • Its like trying to run with a broken foot
  • Because all these things we try to live for (self/family/money/xp)
  • None of them are big enough to satisfy the capacity of our souls
• Because we were created to live for God
  • This is why no matter what we get… its never enough
  • You got a job… that ones better… house… looking for more

But the prophets spoke of a time when God would take over again

• When Earth and Heaven would be married back together
  • And when that day comes all creatures will rest and satisfied
  • The birds will nest in its shade
  • Every living being will be restored in God’s Kingdom
• And Jesus is telling us that all of that brokenness
  • It will be restored through Him
  • And that’s why to Jesus… the Kingdom was so exciting
  • Because this great tree has been planted… and is now growing
• Everyday this kingdom grows – Connecting more of Heaven to Earth
  • And I believe when that tree gets to a certain height
  • Jesus will then return to rule & reign once and for all

But he calls us to join him in what he is building now

• To in our today lives… live the way of HIS KINGDOM
  • Seeking to give instead of just to get
  • Faithful in the little things – Not just the big
  • And trust God to grow His Kingdom
• When you live this way… you join with Jesus to bridge heaven/earth
  • Will you join him – Praying for his kingdom to come
  • Praying for his will to be done (fruit/housing/shade)
  • And be a part of the healing of the world