Sermon #14 Series:
Mark
Title: The Parable Of The
Sower
Text: Mark 4:1-20
Readings: Office: Buddy Daugherty Auditorium: Merle Hart
Subject: False Faith and True
Date: Sunday Evening - March 2, 1997
Tape # T-48
Introduction:
Our subject tonight is The
Parable Of The Sower. Of all the parables spoken by our Lord
during his earthly ministry, none is so widely known and so little heeded as
the parable of the sower. The parable itself is easily comprehended. Everyone
is familiar with the work of a farmer. He plows his fields, sows his seeds,
tends his plants, and gathers in his crop. And every farmer knows that much of
the seed sown is lost forever, bears no fruit, and is profitable for nothing.
Yet, very few people appear to understand the spiritual implications of this
well-known parable.
This parable is of universal
application. So long as the Kingdom of God is in this world, so long as there
are assemblies of saints like this one, so long as sinners gather to worship
God in hope of grace and eternal life in Christ, this parable will be applicable.
Let’s read it together.
Mark 4:1-20 "And he began
again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great
multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole
multitude was by the sea on the land. (2)
And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his
doctrine, (3) Hearken; Behold, there
went out a sower to sow: (4) And it
came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air
came and devoured it up. (5) And some
fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang
up, because it had no depth of earth: (6)
But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it
withered away. (7) And some fell
among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. (8) And other fell on good ground, and
did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty,
and some sixty, and some an hundred. (9) And
he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. (10) And when he was alone, they that were about him with the
twelve asked of him the parable. (11) And
he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of
God: but unto them that are without, all these
things are done in parables: (12) That
seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not
understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. (13) And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then
will ye know all parables? (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."
Proposition: In this parable,
our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us plainly that the vast majority of those who
hear the gospel of the grace of God preached, even the vast majority of those
who profess faith in him after hearing the gospel, are unregenerate, lost, and
perish under the wrath of God.
“He
that hath ears to hear, let him hear” the parable of the sower.
I.
The Sower Is The Gospel Preacher.
Gospel preachers are like farmers
sowing wheat. They broadcast the Word of God upon the ground, upon the hearts
of eternity bound men and women. This is not a careless, thoughtless process.
The preacher, if he is indeed a faithful, gospel preacher, has his heart in his
work. He is not indifferent to those to whom he preaches, or indifferent to
their response. Oh, no. God’s servants care deeply for the souls of men. They
sow in hope of harvest.
Psalms 126:5 "They that sow
in tears shall reap in joy."
Ecclesiastes 11:1 "Cast thy
bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days."
Isaiah 55:11 "So shall my
word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but
it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
The sower is the servant of God, the
who faithfully sows the seed of the gospel in hope of a great harvest.
II. The Seed Sown Is The Word Of God, The Gospel Of The
Grace Of God Revealed In The Word.
Mark 4:14 "The sower
soweth the word."
We recognize, preach, and rejoice in
the glorious sovereignty of our God. I take a back seat to no one in preaching
God’s absolute sovereignty in all things, and especially in the salvation of
his elect. Yet, we recognize that God almighty has chosen to use specific means
for the accomplishment of his purposes. “It
pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe.” “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
Word of God.” That is Bible language. God
declares that he saves sinners through the utility of the Word.
James 1:18 "Of his own
will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of
firstfruits of his creatures."
1 Peter 1:23-25 "Being born
again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which
liveth and abideth for ever. (24) For
all flesh is as grass, and all the
glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower
thereof falleth away: (25) But the
word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is
preached unto you."
A. God saves
chosen sinners only through, or by means of, the faithful exposition of the
Scriptures.
B. The Word of
God is faithfully expounded and preached only when the gospel of Christ is
faithfully expounded and preached.
Rolland
Hill was exactly right when he said, “Any sermon that does not contain the
`Three R’s’ (Ruin by the Fall, Redemption by the Blood, and Regeneration by the
Holy Spirit) ought never to have been preached.”
God’s servants are not just preachers.
They are gospel preachers. They do not just preach. They preach the gospel.
The sower is the gospel preacher. The
seed sown is the Word of God, the gospel of Christ.
III. The Results Of Gospel Preaching Are Always Exactly
According To The Purpose Of God.
We randomly preach the gospel to all
who will hear us. But the results are not random. When God almighty sends forth
his Word, his Word always accomplishes his purpose. It either produces life and
faith in Christ, or it produces judicial blindness and hardness of heart.
Mark 4:11-12 "And he said
unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but
unto them that are without, all these things
are done in parables: (12) That
seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not
understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them."
The Lord is quoting from the prophecy
of Isaiah.
Isaiah 6:9-10 "And he said,
Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye
indeed, but perceive not. (10) Make
the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with
their heart, and convert, and be healed."
The apostle Paul argues in much the
same way, declaring that man’s unbelief does not in any way, or to even the
slightest degree alter the purpose of God. Rather, even the willful unbelief of
the reprobate fulfills God’s sovereign purpose
Romans 3:3-4 "For what if
some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without
effect? (4) God forbid: yea, let God
be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be
justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to
triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in
every place. (15) For we are unto God
a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: (16) To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour
of life unto life. And who is sufficient
for these things?"
A. Faith in
Christ is the gift of God.
The seeing eye, the hearing ear, and the believing heart are
from the Lord. Faith is not something men muster from within. Faith is the gift
and operation of God’s free grace in Christ. If you believe, it is because “unto you it is given in the behalf of
Christ to believe on his name.”
B. To those who
will not believe, the Word of God is both blinding and binding.
None are so blind as those who will not see. And none are so
hardened as those who are gospel hardened. When men and women willfully despise
the gospel of the grace of God, when they resolutely harden themselves to the
Word preached, the very Word which they despise becomes the instrument by which
they are bound over to everlasting judgment.
IV. Some Who Hear The Gospel Receive It As Seed
Sown By The Wayside.
Mark 4:15 "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."
Some of you have come here tonight
with no concern for your souls, glory of God, or eternity. You come to church
because you have to, or because it is the respectable thing to do, or because
you think it is your duty to do so. But you really have no interest in what is
going on here. You try your best not to hear a word I say, or at least not to
be bothered by what I say. All the time I am preaching, you try to think about
something else. Unless God intervenes and does something for you, the gospel
you have heard today will profit you nothing. Before you get out the door the
old black crow of hell will have snatched away the seed from your hard heart.
V. Some Are Described As Stony Ground Hearers.
Mark 4:16-17 "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."
There are many stony ground hearers.
The preaching of the gospel makes very quick, but only temporary impressions
upon them. Their religion is all superficial, just a flash in the pan, nothing
else. Like burning briars in a fire, they may crackle and pop, and make a lot
of noise, but they produce nothing. They appear enthusiastic. They talk a good
game. They are sometimes moved to tears. They may even speak about inward
conflicts, hopes, desires, struggles, and fears. But they lack one thing. They
have no root. The root of the matter is not in them. Like seed sown in
unprepared soil, the Word of God takes no root in them because there is no work
of the Holy Spirit in their hearts.
·
No Conviction!
·
No Repentance!
·
No Faith!
These stony ground hearers endure for a while; but they will
not last. Their religion is like Jonah’s gourd. It springs up in a night and is
gone in a night. They are like cut flowers. They look pretty and smell nice for
a while; but soon wither and die. They have no root. Christ is not in them and
they are not in Christ.
A. A little
trial, affliction, or temptation will be too great for the stony ground hearer
to endure.
B. Any
persecution or opposition because of the offense of the gospel will destroy
them.
VI. Others Are Described In This Parable As Thorny Ground
Hearers.
Mark 4:18-19 "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."
The wayside hearer has no interest at
all in the things of God. He could care less who Christ is and what he did. The
stony ground hearer is somewhat impressive. He makes a big splash, but does not
last very long. The thorny ground hearer is something else.
The thorny ground hearer assents to
the gospel, approves of it, and is moved by it. He makes a good start and goes
a long way in religion. He feels much, experiences much, and may even do much
that appears to be truly spiritual; but he has a basic, fundamental, underlying
problem. It is a problem that may lie under the surface, hidden from every eye
but God’s. It may even be hidden from his own eyes. But it will eventually
destroy him. The problem is worldliness. The world still holds his heart. He
loves the world.
A. Beware of
religion without Christ!
You may think, “All is well with my soul. No one could ever
feel what I feel and experience what I have experienced and yet be lost.” You
ought to think again! False faith is a strong delusion, a delusion by which, in
this parable, one in four who
profess faith in Christ are dragged down to hell!
1.
False faith may be greatly enlightened and knowledgeable of
the gospel (Heb. 6:4).
2.
False faith may greatly reform the outward life. - The
Pharisees!
3.
False faith may speak very well of Christ. - The Jews!
4.
False faith may confess personal sins like Saul.
5.
False faith may humble itself in sackcloth and ashes with
Ahab.
6.
False faith may repent in tears with Esau and Judas.
7.
False faith may diligently perform religious works with the
Jews.
8.
False faith may be very generous and charitable, like
Ananias and Sapphira.
9.
False faith may tremble under the Word with Felix.
10.
False faith
may experience great
things in religion (Heb. 6:1-4).
11.
False faith may enjoy
great religious privileges with Lot’s wife.
12.
False faith may
preach, perform miracles, and cast out devils, like those mentioned by our
Lord.
13.
False faith may
attain high office in the church like Diotrephes.
14.
False faith may walk
with great preachers like Demas.
15.
May even be peaceful
and carnally secure like the five foolish virgins.
B. Yet, it is
written, “If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him” (1
John 2:15)
Sooner or later those who love the
world will choose the world. The sad fact is that though they willfully choose
the world and turn from Christ, they are so thoroughly justified in their own
minds that what they are doing is right that they never even realize they have
done it, until they wake up in hell.
If you are one of these thorny ground
hearers, the Lord Jesus plainly warns you that one of these three things will
eventually destroy your soul.
1.
“The Cares Of This World” - Legitimate Cares.
2.
“The Deceitfulness Of Riches” - Materialism.
3.
“The Lusts Of Other Things” - Fame - Acceptance - Position -
Power - Sensuality - Pleasure.
VII. The True Believer Is That Person Who Receives The
Gospel As Seed Sown In Good Ground.
Mark 4:20 "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."
The
good ground is a regenerate heart, a heart prepared by God the Holy
Spirit to receive the Word of grace. The fallow ground of the heart has been
broken up by the deep cutting, sharp plow of the law. The hard clods have been
broken by the heavy harrow of conviction, beaten to pieces by the thunderous
rain of God’s wrath, and at last softened by the sweet dew of heaven.
The Word of God sown in the regenerate
heart, the heart prepared by the grace and power of God to receive it, brings
forth fruit unto God. Some bear fruit more rapidly and more plentifully than
others; but all bear fruit from God. The fruit they bear is the fruit of the
Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such
there is no law."
Application: You
have heard the Word of God tonight. What kind of hearer are you?
1.
Wayside Hearer?
2.
A Stony Ground Hearer?
3.
A Thorny Ground Hearer?
4.
A Good Ground Hearer?