At Gateway Church in Austin, we continued our series through the Gospel of Mark by focusing on Jesus’ parables.
Jesus shares a short but profound parable about the kingdom of God. He compares the kingdom to a seed that grows in secret, unbeknownst to the sower. The message is simple, yet it uncovers profound truths about how God’s work unfolds in ways we often cannot see. Let’s take a fresh, creative look at the parable, focusing on the mystery and beauty of growth.
Digging Deeper:
Work through the following questions and scriptures on your own or get together with your group, spiritual running partners, or family to talk through what you are learning.
Video Message from Gateway South Austin:
Audio Message from Gateway South Austin:
Message Notes:
We are in a series looking at the power of a story. Jesus told stories called parables that have continued to make an impact – the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and so many more. These are known even outside of those who follow Jesus.
He spoke in parables to help him make his point. These parables are like a Rorschach test where you look at an image and you see whatever is in your heart. Those with spiritually open ears could hear and understand the meaning and those who were closed minded could not.
This was especially important at this time in the early part of his ministry. Jesus had much he wanted to do and he wanted to spread his message far and wide before he confronted the religious leaders who would oppose Him and eventually take him to the Roman authorities to kill Him.
So let’s read through this brief parable about the growing seed.
“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 seed 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.”” – Mark 4:26-29 NIV
Jesus shares a short but profound parable about the kingdom of God. He compares the kingdom to a seed that grows in secret, unbeknownst to the sower.
So first, let’s talk about the meaning of the kingdom of God.
Jesus began his ministry, proclaiming the “kingdom of heaven is near.” He sent out his 12 disciples at one time and then 70 followers at another point to go out to proclaim this message while praying for healing for people including the sick and those who were demon possessed.
The phrase “kingdom of God” occurs 68 times in 10 different New Testament books, while “kingdom of heaven” occurs only 32 times. These phrases are synonymous.
Matthew who was the more traditional of the four Gospel writers seems to prefer that phrase as in his Jewish tradition they never said the name of God out loud.
The kingdom of God is where Jesus reigns. When we choose to follow Jesus, the Kingdom of God is within us. As we live out our faith and bring God’s love and kindness and presence, we can expand His invisible Kingdom.
“It is the task of the church to make the invisible kingdom visible. We do that by living in such a way that we bear witness to the reality of the kingship of Christ in our jobs, our families, our schools, and even our checkbooks, because God in Christ is King over every one of these spheres of life. The only way the kingdom of God is going to be manifest in this world before Christ comes is if we manifest it by the way we live as citizens of heaven and subjects of the King.”
– R.C. Sproul
Unlike earthly kingdoms, the Kingdom of God is not hindered by borders or spread through weapons of war. Instead, we expand the Kingdom of God through faith, love, and hope.
By the way, everyone is welcome into God’s Kingdom.
No matter what mistakes you’ve made or regrets you might have…
No matter your spiritual background or nationality…
No matter your age or gender…
You are loved by God and invited to join His Kingdom.
To do so, simply acknowledge you want Jesus to be your King! Confess you need what He did on the cross to count for you, turn your life over to Him, and He will not only forgive you and be with you as His Spirit comes to live within you, you will also discover your purpose! You will find you are valuable and an important part of God’s family with a purpose of loving, serving, and bringing healing, beauty, and goodness to our world!
Jesus taught us to pray To God: “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
We partner with God to bring more of Heaven to where we live as we experience His presence and peace and joy and bring His presence and peace and joy to our family, neighbors, co-workers and friends.
We need to imagine heaven on earth!
If heaven is being in God’s presence, we can experience that now and help others do the same as well!
If you grew up going to church you may have heard this phrase describing the Kingdom of God. It is “already here but not yet fully here.” Not yet fully here in its fullness but it’s already here! That’s true as one day Jesus will return and establish a new heaven and new earth. But I feel like the emphasis was more on the “not yet” than it was on the “already”.
The Kingdom of Heaven is here now!
The new Kingdom began with the arrival of King Jesus, when He took on flesh and dwelt among us. with the death and resurrection of Jesus! He’s alive! At his death He took upon Himself the sins of humanity, and it killed Him. But on the third day, He rose from the dead! And He had a new body that the disciples could touch, and a new body that could walk through walls and appear miles away. One day, there will be a new heaven and new earth where we will have resurrected bodies. Even now, Jesus reigns over this new Kingdom at the right hand of the Father!
Here are some principles we can apply from this short parable.
1. Don’t Underestimate God
“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 seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.” (Mark 4:26-27)
The message of this parable is simple, yet it uncovers profound truths about how God’s work unfolds in ways we often cannot see, predict or control. The growth of God’s Kingdom is a mystery and ultimately the work of God.
Think about this for a moment. Have you ever stopped to think about how amazing it is that seeds grow? Why is it that as soon as you put this little seed in the ground and give it some water and sunlight that all of a sudden it starts to grow? It is a miracle! In our day and age, scientists can explain incredible complexity, but yet how do you explain the miracle of growth? I guess in one sense, you can’t. It is simply beyond human comprehension.
Jesus was saying the Kingdom of God may start small, but it will have a long lasting impact.
Jesus’ ministry in Galilee doesn’t look like the sort of kingdom-of-God-movement people were expecting, it was in fact the seedtime for God’s long-promised and long-awaited harvest.
People wouldn’t be able to see how God’s promised plant would grow from this seed; but grow it would, and harvest would come.
The story is a warning against looking down on the small beginnings, in Jesus’ Galilean ministry, of the great work that God was to do. It can function as a warning, too, against looking down on the small beginnings – a moment of vocation, two or three people meeting to pray and plan – that often, today, herald the start of some great new initiative that God has in mind.
In God’s Kingdom, we cannot underestimate the power of small beginnings. Sometimes it’s the quiet, unseen moments of obedience—like a small seed in the ground—that will grow into something great in God’s timing.
Have you ever heard of Edward Kimble?
Edward Kimble was a shoe salesman who worked alongside a guy named Dwight. He also was a Sunday School teacher, helping children understand the Bible at his church on Sundays. Edward really came to appreciate Dwight. They got to know each other. Perhaps Edward even asked Dwight for ways he could pray for him. Maybe he was even nervous that Dwight would not be interested in being prayed for or even hearing about spiritual things. One day, there was an opportunity for Edward to go beyond being friendly and praying for Dwight. He had a chance to share the message of Jesus with Dwight, and Dwight said “yes” to surrendering his life to Jesus and became a Christ-follower. It was 1858. Now, Dwight’s last name was Moody. You may recognize by his initials. Dwight was also known as D. L. Moody. He became one of the greatest evangelists in history.
Years later when Moody was speaking, a pastor named Frederick D. Meyer was deeply stirred, and as a result, he went into his own nationwide ministry traveling from town to town to tell others about Jesus. On one occasion when Meyer was speaking, a college student named J. Wilbur Chapman heard him and chose to follow Jesus. Wilbur went out and told people about Jesus. At his church events, he brought along a young baseball player named Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday ended up being the greatest evangelist of his generation.
When Billy Sunday spoke in Charlotte, North Carolina, it was such a great meeting that he was invited back. But when he couldn’t be there, Sunday recommended a pastor named Mordecai Ham. Ham went to Charlotte and spoke, but not many people responded to his invitation to follow Jesus. But on one of the last nights, a tall, lanky boy who worked on the local dairy farm walked forward. Everyone in town knew him as Billy Frank, but we know him today as Billy Graham.
So Edward Kimble reached D. L. Moody, who touched Frederick Meyer, who reached Wilbur Chapman, who helped Billy Sunday, who reached businessmen in Charlotte, who invited Mordecai Ham, who ultimately reached Billy Graham. And it all began with the kindness and concern and courage of a shoe salesman who cared for his co-workers named Edward Kimble.
Maybe you haven’t heard of Edward Kimble or some of the men who were well known in their day, but I imagine you’ve heard of Billy Graham as he probably led more people to follow Jesus in the last century than any other person on the planet. Billy Graham spoke to more than 215 million people who attended one of his more than 400 Crusades, simulcasts and evangelistic rallies in more than 185 countries and territories. It is estimated that 2.2 million responded to the invitations to follow Jesus. When including the television audiences, it is estimated he spoke to 2.2 billion people in his lifetime. He was known as America’s pastor and became a confidant to presidents across the aisle and leaders in other countries including the Queen of England. He corresponded with Nelson Mandela while he was in prison, and he bailed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. out of jail after the march in Birmingham.
We may not all grow up to be like Billy Graham, but we can all be like Edward Kimble.
Every one of us can make a difference for the kingdom of God.
Keep sowing, even when you don’t see immediate results, because growth is happening in secret.
Who are the neighbors, co-workers, friends, family members or strangers in your life that God wants you to love and serve? When we befriend those around us and care for them and pray for them.And when the opportunity arises, we can share with them about the hope we have found knowing God through Jesus. We can invite them to our group during the week. We can invite them to join us on a Sunday.
Do not underestimate what God can do in and through you when you trust Him and follow His lead.
2. Trust The Process
“Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed 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.” (Mark 4:27-28)
Remember, spiritual growth doesn’t happen all at once. It’s a step-by-step journey with gradual progress. Embrace the process, even if you can’t see the end result yet. God is working in you in ways you may not fully understand, but He is faithful to bring about a good work in His time.
Not sure what to do? Just do the next right thing in front of you no matter how small it is.
This is true in the lives of those we are trying to reach or encourage along in their journey with God. We can sow the seed (share God’s word with others), we can create the environment for growth to happen (nurturing the gospel in people’s lives), but ultimately, God is the one who causes the growth (heart change and transformation).
It’s also a great analogy for our own growth. Have you ever tried gardening? It takes work! But in reality the work we do is creating the right environment for growth to happen, and that growth can be mysterious.
But what is interesting following God, is that He gives us a lot of clarity with the Scriptures as our foundation.
Recently I heard someone tell a story of a man who was asked if he could recommend a book that could help us understand our times and the future to come. The expert responded: “No I can’t because times are changing so quickly that there is not book that can help us.” The man who told the story then said: “Actually there is a book that can help us. It is the same book that helped the generations who have come before us.”
You see God’s process for spiritual growth is very clear in the Scriptures.
There are so many clear commands for what every follower of Jesus is invited by God to do.
We all need to spend time with Him every day and throughout the day through prayer, reading the scriptures, singing, and meditating on His Word learning to hear God’s voice and follow His Spirit.
We all need to serve others with others. That’s why we invite you to serve on Sundays, serve in the city, and/or serve your neighbors, co-workers, family, friends, and strangers.
We all need to be in community – both in large groups and in small groups. That’s why we gather together on Sunday mornings and encourage you to connect with a group during the week.
When we do these basic general things then God will guide us into more specific things.
Too often, we try to overthink things. We let the enemy confuse us or distract us.
As a result, some of us don’t believe we can grow.
Too often, we come to closure too soon on who God is in our life or what we think God wants to do in our life.
We don’t believe God can do the miraculous.
We’ve become cynical or jaded because of painful moments and what seems like unanswered prayers.
Some of us don’t want to grow because it means change or making sacrifices. So as a result we settle for the status quo. We look back with fondness on the past but we end up missing what God wants to do in us and through us right now and in the future!
Some of us feel like we want to grow but we seem stuck. But some of that could be because we think we are more mature than we are. We confuse progress with maturity.
Let me just say this outloud: none of us have arrived! I know I haven’t.
Wherever you might be right now – growing, cynical about growing, settling, or stuck, the Scriptures tell us that
“God is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine.” – Ephesians 3:20
Some of us have stopped asking.
Some of us have stopped imagining.
Some of us aren’t asking for enough.
Some of us aren’t imagining enough.
What if we are settling for good, but what God has for you is great?
What if we are settling for what comes natural, but what God has for you is supernatural?
We are all imperfect people, which means, we have not yet arrived at our full potential.
Trust the process! Trust that God is doing a good work in you and will continue to do so.
We need to remember and keep moving forward “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6
3. God’s Perfect Timing
“As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:29)
In his book, The Gospel of Mark for Everyone, Dr. N.T. Wright offers some insights on this passage. He points out that Mark is quoting the prophet Joel which is all about the coming Day of the Lord. Joel prophesies that there will be a time when God will restore the people of Israel by pouring out his Spirit upon them, but this will come after they experience devastation and after the nations experience judgment. The people of Israel at the time of Jesus were eager for the nations to be judged and to be restored. What we discover in Jesus is that He came to fulfill this prophesy, but it won’t look like what they were expecting.
You see, God is not simply vindicating Israel and condemning those outside. God is inviting all into His new Kingdom and there will be far more coming than what the religious people wanted to come.
The Scriptures remind us that “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” – Proverbs 16:9
And in another proverb: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” – Proverbs 19:21
Some of us have prayed and begged God for something that did not happen.
Some of us have suffered a great deal, and we even blame God for our suffering. At the very least, we struggle to trust Him for even allowing the things we have faced.
Some of us have been burned by people who say they represent God.
Some of us are mad at a version of God that does not exist.
These trust issues have real effects on our life.
Some of us have decided He must not exist or if He does exist He must be aloof, distant, and doesn’t care.
Some of us have added superstitions, other beliefs, and even created our own version of faith. Jesus is in there, but we’ve added on our own ideas just in case.
Some of us treat Him like He’s Santa Claus. We think if I do what He wants me to do then maybe He will give me what I want Him to give.
To some extent or another, we have distorted views of God that we can unlearn so we can discover who He really is.
Growing up, my Dad’s side of the family was very religious. They went to church regularly, but I don’t think it was something that was discussed in the home. And in many ways that was how they raised me and my brother.
My Mom’s side was not very religious. My grandmother got more involved in a church in her later years, but when we would invite my grandfather to attend church He would always refuse to go, warning us that if he went to church, God would probably send lightning bolts to put a quick end to his life.
The Scriptures are filled with stories that reveal who God truly is.
Let me summarize with just a few.
God is Creator.
God is Love.
God gave us freedom to choose. And with our freedom, we have damaged our world and each other.
Even still, God chose to rescue us from the brokenness and evil within our world
He offers forgiveness. He extends kindness, grace, and mercy.
Ultimately, you can know who God is by looking at His Son, Jesus.
Jesus was God walking among us.
Your efforts in God’s kingdom—no matter how small or hidden—will yield fruit at the right time. The harvest is certain, and when it comes, it will be full and plentiful. Trust that God’s timing is perfect. Keep sowing, keep trusting, because the harvest is coming.
A little seed can grow into something beautiful! A little step of faith can have a HUGE impact.
For example, today we are celebrating baptism! Baptism marks that first step of trusting our lives to God. Baptism means Identification with Christ. Baptism is the Public symbol of cleansing from all wrongs and entering God’s family.
Jesus commanded all who follow Him to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit.
The Scriptures say:
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit…. and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” – 1 Peter 3:18, 21-22
Water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from [as an appeal to God for] a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 3:18, 21 As this says, the water is a picture of baptism. Baptism means Identification. The water is a physical picture, or symbol, of a faith transaction between you and God that no one can see. It’s not physical water that matters, it’s a picture of God cleansing your Spirit and conscience, so that you are made Right with God spiritually. All he needs to do this is your permission.
When someone goes down into the water, they are saying “I identify with what Jesus did for me. He died and was buried to pay for my sins. He wasn’t ashamed to identify with me, I’m not ashamed to identify with him.
When you come up out of the water, you’re saying, “Jesus triumphed over death, he rose to life—and I identify with what He did to wash me clean and give me spiritual life with him forever.”
