Scattering The Seed Of The Gospel

Let's open up our Bibles this morning to the book of Mark.

The book of Mark.

If you're just joining us for the first time or first time in a while,

you should know that our normal practice as a church is to walk through books of the Bible.

And we've been in a bigger series going through the book of Genesis.

And we're actually going to pick back up next week, Lord willing,

right where we left off in the book of Genesis.

I'm excited to get back into that.

But here in the month of January, what we're doing, really,

this is a month of kind of sharpening our focus together as a church

and reminding ourselves what are we here to be about and what are we here to do.

And so we've reminded ourselves this month of our mission and then our ministry priorities.

It's our mission at Seaweed Bay that we exist to magnify the glory of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We want to make a really big deal about the gospel of Jesus Christ

because we believe that that's where the glory of God is seen most clearly.

God's mission is God's glory.

And so God's mission, God's glory is our mission as well.

And then the how of how we plan to go about that.

We've seen that over the past couple of weeks.

We plan to enjoy God together as we worship him and delight in him.

We plan to equip the saints for the work of ministry by speaking the truth and love to one another.

And then this morning, we see our last kind of ministry emphasis.

We plan to evangelize the lost.

Every member engaged in the work of personal evangelism.

And so Mark chapter 4, our passage this morning is verses 26 through 29.

Mark 4 · chapter mention

Mark 4 verses 26 through 29.

Mark 4:26–29

If you don't have a Bible of your own, that's okay.

There should be one somewhere nearby and a seat back close to you.

But I would encourage you to have your Bibles open this morning as we look at the passage together.

So when you found it, Mark 4 verses 26 through 29,

Mark 4:26–29

let's stand together in honor of the reading of the word of God.

And he said,

Father, we praise you, God, that you've given us such a clear, such a simple mission.

And we simply pray for your strength to do it.

That we would each leave here encouraged and equipped to open up our mouths and share the good news of the gospel with others around us.

We pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

You may be seated.

One of my favorite pictures is from June of 2024.

It was summertime.

Our family, our boys were home from school.

They were outside playing in the backyard.

They were soaking wet.

There had been water games of all sorts happening that day.

And they posed for a picture standing outside.

And right behind them were these tall, towering sunflowers.

And we had them stand right in front of them for scale.

And you could tell in the picture that the flowers are at least twice their size.

They were just these huge, beautiful, towering sunflowers that gave the backdrop for our picture.

But, of course, they didn't start off that way.

They didn't start off as tall, towering, seven-foot-tall sunflowers.

Earlier that year, Amanda wanted a garden for her birthday.

And so my role in this, I'm not a gardener at all.

My role was to clear out the soil, bring in the mulch, build the beds, and give her a blank canvas

that she could turn into this beautiful, flourishing garden.

And what she chose to plant that year were a bunch of wildflowers and several sunflowers.

And so surely, slowly but surely, time went on.

And steadily, not all at once, but over time, the seeds that she had scattered there in the soil grew.

And what started off as just a blank patch of dirt out in our backyard

became, over time, this beautiful, flourishing garden.

In our passage this morning, here in Mark chapter 4,

Mark 4 · chapter mention

Jesus tells us that the kingdom of God is a little bit like this.

The kingdom of God is like, he says, a man scattering seed on the ground,

and then all over time, watching that seed steadily, slowly but surely,

he knows not how, as he sleeps, as he rises.

He says, steadily, he watches that seed turn into a harvest.

You know, this is important for us to grasp,

because as we think about the mission of our church here in the month of January,

this task of evangelism, it is all tied up with the growth of the kingdom.

We want to see the kingdom of God grow.

And we believe that the way that that happens is by each and every one of us

scattering the seed of the gospel.

And so let's take a look at the text this morning.

And what I want to do is I want to ask two questions this morning.

We'll spend most of our time on the second question,

but two questions this morning.

This will be our outline if you're taking notes.

Question number one, what is the kingdom of God?

We need to understand what that is, what we're trying to grow,

what we're aiming to see grow.

And then second, I want to ask, well, how does it grow?

How does it grow?

So what is the kingdom of God, first?

And second, how does the kingdom of God grow?

So first question, what is the kingdom of God?

And we'll, again, spend most of our time on that next question,

but we need to be on the same page here with what it is that we're trying to grow.

And you should know, surprise, surprise,

Christians have a lot of different ideas of what the kingdom of God is.

But what's absolutely clear as you read through the gospels

is that the kingdom of God is a central part of Jesus' message.

In Mark chapter one, you open it up, it says,

Jesus, at the very beginning of his ministry,

he came into Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God

and saying, the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent and believe the gospel.

It's a major theme.

In fact, we see the phrase, the kingdom of God,

come up 13 times in Mark's 16 chapters,

32 times in Luke's 24 chapters,

only five times in Matthew's 28,

but that's just because he prefers the title kingdom of heaven,

which shows up 32 times in his 28 chapters.

It is all over the place.

But even still, it's not so simple to define

because Jesus tells us what the kingdom is like,

but he never just explicitly tells us what it is.

So, for example,

he says things like,

the kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed.

It's small, but then it flourishes

and it grows to be the biggest tree in the land.

Or, the kingdom of heaven is like leaven

that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour

until it was all leavened.

He describes it in this way.

Or in our passage this morning,

the kingdom of God is like

as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.

He uses these parables to describe it,

but never just to explicitly define it.

So, here's my best take, okay?

And you have probably heard this before from me.

What is the kingdom of God?

The kingdom of God

is the redemptive reign of God.

The kingdom of God

is the redemptive reign of God.

It is his saving rule.

Now, of course, in a general way,

if we're talking generally,

of course, God reigns and rules over all the earth.

He's king over all of his creation.

But when we're talking about the kingdom of God,

we're talking more specifically

about his redemptive reign

over his redeemed people.

Those who have been redeemed,

purchased, and brought into the kingdom

by the blood of the king himself,

Jesus Christ.

In other words, church,

if you are a Christian,

you are in the kingdom.

If you are in Christ,

you are in the kingdom of God right now.

The kingdom of God is here now.

Now, we live in this incredibly unique period of time here

in between the two comings of Christ.

We live in between the inauguration of the kingdom

at his first coming

and the consummation of the kingdom

at his second coming.

Think about what Christ has done.

At the first coming of Christ,

Christ our king defeated the enemy at the cross

and at the empty tomb.

And when he comes again,

he is coming to finish what he started.

So at the first coming of Christ,

sin and death were defeated at the cross,

at the empty tomb.

Satan was decisively,

effectively defeated at the cross of Christ.

But there remains a time

when Christ comes again,

when these things will be finally dealt with for good.

And where are we?

We live here in the in-between.

But it's absolutely incredible, isn't it?

There is incredible blessing to enjoy

right now through faith in Christ

if you are in him

because you are presently in the kingdom.

So all the blessings of the kingdom to come,

peace,

love,

joy,

victory over sin,

fellowship with God,

fellowship with one another,

all of this we can experience right now

because we are in the kingdom right now.

And yet,

there is an incredible,

certain hope ahead of us

that we will experience all these things

in full when Christ returns.

Free from sin,

free from shame,

free from the enemies,

free from grace,

free from suffering,

free from guilt,

free from the curse.

So the kingdom is here

and it is coming.

We live in the in-between.

And what is it doing here in the in-between?

What's the kingdom doing

in between the two comings of Christ?

The kingdom of God is growing.

It is expanding.

We live in the age of the ever-expanding kingdom of God.

God's redemptive reign and rule

is expanding within us,

in His people,

and it is expanding through His people

to the ends of the earth.

And by God's grace,

we get to be a part of it.

We get to be a part of seeing

God's redemptive reign expand.

And that's the mission of the church.

That is why we labor,

why we're so eager

to plant

and to strengthen

and to revitalize

and support

other gospel-preaching churches.

I wonder,

do you see this overlap

between the growth of the kingdom

and the growth of the church?

You see that?

The mission of the kingdom

on one hand

and the mission of the church

on the other.

Why is that?

You ever think about that?

It's not because the church

is the kingdom,

as some people believe,

but because,

think about it,

where do we see

the redemptive reign

and rule of God

most clearly

here in the present age?

It is in the local church.

The local church

is where the redemptive reign

and rule of God,

His authority

as Lord and Savior,

His blessing

to His people

as their God and King,

is realized

and experienced

most clearly

on this side

of eternity.

Church,

we are a kingdom people

who share

kingdom values

and a kingdom mission

to go and to make disciples

of all nations,

baptizing them

in the name of the Father

and the Son

and the Holy Spirit,

teaching them

to obey

all that Jesus

has commanded.

You may have heard it

said like this,

and I hope you have

because I've said it

like this a few times.

The local church

is an embassy

of the kingdom of God

and we are

His ambassadors.

The local church

is an embassy

of the kingdom of God

and its members

are ambassadors.

We have a mission.

What is it?

It is to represent

the kingdom of God

here on earth.

It is to proclaim

verbally

the glories

of the kingdom

and in so doing

it is to see

the kingdom of God

expand.

Church,

we want our neighbors,

we want our family members,

we want our co-workers,

we want our friends

to come into the kingdom,

don't we?

And to come under

the glorious redemptive reign

of God

through faith in Christ,

how will that happen?

They must hear

the gospel

from our lips.

Charles Spurgeon

says it like this.

He says,

we ought to regard

the Christian church

not as a luxurious hostelry

where Christians may

each one dwell at ease

in his own inn,

but as barracks

in which soldiers

are gathered together

to be drilled

and trained for war.

We should regard

the Christian church

not as an association

for mutual admiration

and comfort,

but as an army

with banners

marching to the fray

to achieve victories

for Christ,

to storm the strongholds

of the foe

and to add province

after province

to the Redeemer's kingdom.

Church,

we are citizens

and saints

of the eternal kingdom

of God

bought by the blood

of the king himself

and now we are commissioned

to join him

in his work

of kingdom growth

until he comes again.

So second question then.

How does it grow?

How does the kingdom grow?

Three ways.

Three ways.

And now let's look

to our passage here.

We'll see all three.

Until it comes in full

at the return of Christ,

the kingdom of God

now it grows

in three ways.

By scattering,

by resting,

and by expecting.

We'll see all three.

First, verse 26.

Look there with me.

Jesus says in this parable,

he says the kingdom of God

grows first

through scattering.

He says the kingdom of God

is as if a man

should scatter seed

on the ground.

And if we wonder

what in the world

is he talking about here,

we can just look up

a few verses

in the immediate context

to the beginning

of chapter 4

where he tells another parable

about, guess what?

Scattering seed.

You're all familiar

with this parable,

I'm sure.

It's the parable

of the sower.

And what does he say?

Look, verse 14.

He tells us very clearly

that in this parable

the seed represents

the word of God.

So, in verse 26 here,

we don't have to guess

at what he means.

He says the kingdom of God

is as if a man

should scatter the word.

He scatters the word

and goes to sleep

and rises night and day

and does it again

and again

and again

and again

and over time

that seed of the word

sprouts and grows.

Now, I wonder

if you were here last week

if you are noticing

a pattern yet.

Are you noticing a theme?

What is the church's ministry

internally to one another,

to the members of the church?

How do we grow up

in maturity together?

How is it?

It is by the ministry

of the word.

It is by each member

speaking the truth

in love to one another.

That's the internal mission

of discipleship.

So, when we go out

of these doors

and we think about

our external mission,

what is it?

Well, our primary mission

to the outside world

is guess what?

Speaking the truth.

Only now

as to those

who don't yet believe it

as to those

who are not yet

in the kingdom.

This is what we call

evangelism.

And just like we saw

last week,

that's not the ministry

of a few.

This is the ministry

of the whole church

together.

together.

Every member

of the church

is called to be active

in the work

of evangelism.

This is how we aim

to see the kingdom grow.

We have to focus

in here

and make sure

that we're on the same page

because again,

just like we saw

last week,

we can easily

make the mistake

of getting a little bit

preoccupied

with other things.

Good things,

even.

But things that are not

the ultimate things.

We have to make sure

we're on the same page

here because

our methodology

of church growth,

it needs to match

God's methodology

of kingdom growth.

You hear that?

Our approach

to growing the church

needs to be

a 100% overlap

with God's approach

to growing the kingdom.

Our mission

as a church

has to have

a 100% overlap

overlap

with God's mission.

What do I mean?

Well,

for example,

our mission

as a church

is not

primarily

political.

If you define

the kingdom of God

in terms of

kingdoms of this world,

earthly politics,

then inevitably

the way that you

will try to see

the kingdom come

is through

political activism.

And so success

looks like

political victory

or advancing

towards your idea

of what a Christian

nation might look like.

And while I am

thankful that

Christians can be

engaged politically,

we need to understand

that's not the kingdom

we're trying to advance.

That's not the way

that we're going

to advance it.

If you want to support

a certain party

or a certain politician,

please go for it.

If you want to post

a political hot take

on your social media feed,

good luck to you.

Use wisdom.

But ask yourself,

am I at least

that passionate

about the kingdom of God?

Am I at least

that excited

to talk about

the glories of Christ?

Am I willing

to risk a negative

comment on Facebook

for posting about

the glories

of King Jesus?

Another example.

Our mission

is not primarily

to do social good

in our community

or in our nation.

And if you define

the kingdom

in terms of

social progress,

social justice,

mercy ministries,

then the way

that you'll seek

to grow the kingdom

will be through

social justice

and mercy ministries.

And success

will look like

a church that's

just very busy

with that sort of thing,

helping the poor

or feeding the hungry.

And again,

please hear me,

good things.

The things that

Christians ought

to care deeply

about,

but not the way

the kingdom of God

advances

and not the primary

mission of the church.

If we feed

a thousand hungry

people a day

but never open

up our mouths

to share the good

news of Christ,

we have not

advanced the kingdom

of God

one inch.

Now,

that doesn't mean

that we don't care

about these things.

Please,

let me be clear.

That doesn't mean

we don't care

about these things.

Far from it.

You all know

our family

is fostering.

Okay?

That is a social

mercy ministry,

isn't it?

And a big reason

why is because

we believe

this is one way

as individuals,

as a family,

this is one way

that we can be

engaged with

caring for orphans

as James calls

us to do,

but simply

welcoming children

into our home

is not by itself

expanding the kingdom.

Anyone can do that.

Atheists

can do that

sort of work.

But it's as we

pray for them

and share the gospel

with them

and pray that

they would hear

the word of God

and that God

would cause that seed

to grow in them,

that scattering seed

that the Lord

would use it

as he sees fit

to grow the kingdom

of God.

One more.

And this is

common for a lot

of church planters.

If your vision

for kingdom impact

is visible,

tangible results,

and then success

means simply

drawing a crowd

and filling the room

and your mission

is just,

well, get as many people

into the room

as possible

and that's what leads

to either pragmatism

a whatever works

approach to ministry

on one hand

or attractionalism

where the main concern

is, well,

what will get people here?

What do the people want

rather than

what has God said?

And again,

we saw this last week,

didn't we?

Just having more people

in the room

does not necessarily

mean

that more people

are in the kingdom.

So,

more people in the room

is not the primary goal.

What's the goal?

The goal is that

the lost would hear

the good news

of the gospel of Christ

and by God's grace

believe.

And what's the mechanism

for achieving that goal?

It is each one of you

leaving this place

and opening your mouths

to proclaim

the glories of Christ.

Jesus tells us here

the kingdom of God

comes not by

political power,

not by feeding

the hungry,

not by drawing

a crowd,

not by making church

a lot of fun.

The kingdom of God

comes by

faithfully scattering

the seed

of the word

of God.

And what word

is that?

It's the word

of the gospel.

We are ambassadors

for Christ,

Paul tells us

in 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5.

God making

his appeal

through us.

So we implore you

on behalf of Christ

be reconciled

to God.

We have to share

this message.

It starts

with bad news.

This is not

popular news

where we start

this gospel message.

But we have

to share

the bad news

that we are

at odds

with a holy God.

We are sinners

in need

of reconciliation.

We are dead

in the trespasses

and sins

in which we all

walk.

It's not just you,

it's me,

it's all of us.

We are dead

in our sins.

But here's the good news

for sinners like us.

For our sake,

he made him

who knew no sin

to become sin

for us

so that in him

we might become

the righteousness

of God.

God,

the gospel

is our sin

in exchange

for his righteousness.

That he took

our place

on the cross

and that his

victory over the grave

is our victory

over the grave

if we are united

to him

by faith.

That's the gospel.

Now,

this word

is the ministry

of the church.

We don't have

to complicate it.

This word

is how the church

builds itself

up in love

as we speak

this word

to one another

and apply it

to one another's lives.

This word

is how the kingdom

grows externally

as we bring it

to the lost

and share the hope

of the gospel

with those who have

no hope outside of it.

It is through this word

that the church

is built.

It is through this word

that believers grow

in Christlikeness.

It is through this word

that the saints

are equipped

for the work

of ministry.

It is through

this word

alone

that the kingdom

grows.

That's why

our mission statement

again,

why our mission

as a church,

we exist

to magnify

the glory

of God

in what?

There's nowhere else.

It is in the gospel

as we enjoy him

together,

as we equip

the saints

for the work

of ministry

together,

as we evangelize

the lost

together.

That is our

big ministry

plan.

And that is our

how.

We desire

to see every

single member

of this church

to be engaged

with faithfully

sharing the gospel

with others

around them.

Why?

Because we believe

the kingdom of God

grows

through faithfully

scattering

the word

of God.

God.

Just imagine

somebody

has this vision,

has this idea,

they want to see

this town

filled with

sunflowers.

What does he do?

He comes

to get some

seed,

of course.

But then what?

He fills

his pockets.

He takes

them out

with him

and wherever

he goes

he drops

a little here,

he drops

a little there

and everywhere

he goes

he's just

scattering seed

and over time

guess what

happens?

The whole

town is

flourishing.

That's what

we want to

see happen

here.

So come

here

and gather

your seed

fill up

your pockets

and then

go.

Who will

you see

this week?

Think about

it.

Who will

you interact

with this

week?

How can

you scatter

the seed

of the

gospel

in your

conversations

this week

over the

fence

with your

neighbor

at the

pickup

line

at school

in your

conversations

at work?

You take

the seed

of the

gospel

with you

as you

go

because the

kingdom of

God comes

through

scattering.

Not only

this,

second way,

second way,

the kingdom

grows through

resting.

Resting.

Now that

second step,

it might be a

little surprising

for some

because some

of us are

looking for

more,

right?

So we

scatter

the

word

and we

preach

the

word

and we

share

the

gospel.

Then what?

Right?

What do we

do?

What's the

next step?

Well,

verse 27

says,

go to

sleep.

He

sleeps

and he

rises

night and

day and

the seed

sprouts and

grows.

I love

this.

He doesn't

even know

how.

The earth

just produces

by itself.

First the

blade,

then the

ear,

then the

full grain

in the

ear.

It is

amazing

when you

embrace

God's

definition

of the

kingdom

and you

commit to

God's

methodology

for kingdom

growth,

guess what?

You can

sleep well.

He can

sleep well.

Whatever the

immediate

visible result

may be.

even.

Of course,

this laborer,

he's not

doing nothing.

He's not

just sitting

on his

hands.

He's getting

up day

and night,

probably rising

up early.

He labors

hard and

he rests

well because

he's worked

hard.

But at the

end of the

day,

how much

of that

growth is

because of

him?

How much

did he

manufacture?

How much

was he able

to wrangle

up by his

own effort?

The earth

produces

by itself,

it says.

While he

sleeps,

he knows

not how.

This is the

sleep of

somebody who

has worked

hard out

in the

garden,

scattering the

seed,

but it's

also at the

same time,

it's the

sweet rest

of someone

who knows

that the

results are

out of his

hands.

It's not

up to him,

is it?

The point

here,

and we have

to understand

this,

church,

as we go

out to

share the

gospel,

we are

called to

faithfully

scatter that

seed,

to work

hard at

scattering the

seed of

the gospel,

but all

the while

recognizing

that the

coming of

the kingdom

of God

is not

dependent

on us.

Do you

hear that?

It is not

dependent

on you.

Those who

give themselves

to God's

mission with

God's

methods can

rest well

knowing God

does not

need us

and all

of our

wisdom

and all

of our

methods

and all

of our

labors

to expand

his

kingdom.

He is

far more

committed to

this work

than we

are,

but he's

pleased to

use weak

vessels like

us to do

it.

We can

work hard

and sleep

well knowing

that the

kingdom of

God does

not depend

on our

efforts.

R.T.

France.

says it

like this.

He says

the kingdom

of God

does not

depend on

human effort

to achieve

it and

human insight

will not

be able

to explain

it.

Again,

it's

kindness.

God is

pleased to

use us

to work

through us.

Can you

believe that?

If we

would simply

open up

our mouths

and share

the good

news of

the gospel

and trust

that the

word will

do the

work.

you

all know

the

Protestant

Reformation

took place

a little

over 500

years ago

and Martin

Luther and

his

contemporaries

took on

the Catholic

Church and

they wrote

and they

wrote and

they wrote

and they

wrote books

upon books

upon books

commenting on

the Bible

exposing lies.

I mean these

guys, if

anybody worked

hard, right,

it was these

guys.

They got up

day and

night like

faithful farmers

scattering the

seed of the

word.

But how

did the

Reformation

happen?

Luther

later

answered that

question.

He said,

it happened

while I

slept

or drank

Wittenberg

beer with

my friends

Philip and

Amsdorf.

The word

so greatly

weakened the

papacy that

no prince or

emperor ever

inflicted such

losses upon

it.

I did

nothing.

The word

did

everything.

The kingdom

of God

grows as

we scatter

the seed

of the

word and

then rest

as laborers

who work

hard but

know ultimately

the results

are out of

our hands.

God brings

the growth.

Lastly,

one more.

The kingdom

of God

grows through

expecting,

through

expecting.

Look there

to verse

29.

The farmer

scatters the

seed.

He gets

up night

and day.

The earth

produces the

crop.

It comes

up slowly,

sometimes

painfully

slowly,

but he

scatters that

seed in

hope,

in confident

expectation

that when

the grain is

ripe at

once,

he puts

in the

sickle

because the

harvest has

come.

farmers

plant seed

in expectation

of a crop.

They scatter

seed in

expectation

that through

that faithful

labor,

through his

constant day

and night

sharing of

the word

of God,

in the

end,

there will

be a

harvest.

I wonder,

do you

approach

evangelism in

that way?

Do you

expect there

to be a

harvest?

harvest?

Or do you

expect nothing

but rejection?

Do you

expect God

to take

that seed

of the

gospel and

bring the

results that

he intends

to bring?

Or do you

expect nothing?

I think the

enemy would

have us

expect nothing.

You know,

one day,

the Lord

Jesus will

return.

That second

coming will

come.

And all

who have

believed in

him will

be saved

from the

judgment to

come.

All who

have put

their faith

in him

will be

with him.

This

harvest is

the harvest

of God's

people at

the end

of the

age when

the kingdom

comes in

full.

Can you

just imagine

that harvest?

As the

Lord comes

to gather

his people

to himself,

just imagine

the joy of

that day

for those

who believe

in Christ.

Can you

picture it?

This

coming day

is going

to be a

day of

rejoicing

for those

who are

in the

kingdom

now.

At the

same time

it's going

to be a

day of

sadness

and terror

for those

who are

not in

his kingdom

now.

Those who

are in

Christ now

by faith

have nothing

to fear

and everything

to look

forward to

on that

day.

But don't

you understand

not everyone

knows the

good news

of the

gospel.

Not everyone

that you

know has

the hope

of Christ.

Christ.

Not everybody

that you

know has

confidence in

the face

of death.

Not everybody

that you

know knows

that the

blood of

Christ is

available to

them to

wash them

clean from

their sin,

to atone

for their

sin,

to reconcile

them to

God if they

would only

turn from

their sin

and put

their faith

in Christ.

Not everyone

knows that

judgment is

coming.

not all of

your neighbors

know,

not all of

your family

members know,

not all of

this town

knows.

Some have

heard and

have rejected

it.

Some have

heard and

don't fully

understand.

They're blinded.

But we know

with certainty

there will be

a harvest.

When Christ

returns,

there will be

a harvest.

what will

the harvest

be like

here in

this place?

In the

town of

Allendall and

McClellanville

and Hugee

and Mount

Pleasant and

Charleston,

what will the

harvest be

like?

I want you

to think for

just a minute

here with me

as we close

and would

you just

think of a

non-believer

that you know?

Maybe just

one or two

and I just

want you to

get them

in your

mind.

Okay?

Now there

is no

guarantee

that God

will certainly

save those

that we share

the gospel

with.

But here's

a guarantee.

They must

hear the

gospel to

be saved.

The only

way to

be saved

is by

faith in

Christ.

And the

only way

that they're

going to put

their faith

in Him

is if they

hear about

Him.

The only

way that

they're

going to

hear about

Him is

if somebody

opens their

mouth and

tells them

about Christ

and wouldn't

you have it?

Look at what

God's done.

He's put you

right there

with them.

A Christian

who knows

the gospel,

who hears it

week in and

week out at

church,

who has their

pockets full

of seed.

And God's

providence,

He has put you

in contact

with them.

What would

it look like?

Just strategize

for a minute.

What would

it look like

for you just

to go scatter

some seed

this week?

Are you

scared to

do it?

Maybe you

don't feel

ready.

Maybe you

don't feel

qualified.

Maybe you

fear rejection.

Maybe you

don't think

you have all

the answers.

Guess what?

you don't.

Neither do

I.

It is

worth

risking a

little bit

of humiliation

for the

harvest.

It is

worth risking

a little bit

of rejection

for the

harvest.

It is

worth risking

a little bit

of discomfort,

loss of

friends,

broken

relationships

for the

harvest,

for the

sake of

God's

glory

and the

salvation

of the

lost.

What if I

don't have

all the

answers?

So what?

What if

God has

prepared for

them to

believe?

And what

if they

do repent

of their

sins and

put their

faith in

Christ?

And what

if that

soil has

been primed

and prepped

and is

ready to

receive that

planting of

the seed of

the word

of God?

What if

the spirit

is ready to

move and

bring that

person to

salvation in

Christ?

What if

all of a

sudden they

just suddenly

desire to

know the

Lord and

to walk

with him

and we

get to

be a

part of

it?

What if,

just imagine

it,

what would

it look

like if

every member

of this

church went

out,

faithfully

scattering the

seed of

the gospel?

Could you

imagine the

harvest that

would come?

Do you

expect it?

We read

earlier from

Isaiah 55,

God promises,

as the rain

and snow

come down

from heaven

and do not

return there

but water

the earth,

making it

bring forth

and sprout,

giving seed

to the sower

and bread

to the eater,

so shall

my word

be that

goes out

from my

mouth,

it shall

not return

to me

empty,

but it

shall

accomplish

that which

I purpose,

it shall

succeed

in the

thing

for which

I

sent it.

As you

go out

of here

and go

scatter the

seed of the

word of

God,

we do

so in

confidence,

church,

in

expectation,

that God

will do

exactly

what He

wants to

do.

God

will bring

in

exactly

the harvest

that He

intends to

bring.

His

word

will

accomplish

all

His

purpose.

Will we

go?

Will you

go?

Will you

share?

will you

think about

those who

don't know

Him this

week?

Will you

open your

mouths and

proclaim the

glories of

Christ?

Will you

scatter the

seed so

that through

you the

kingdom might

grow?

Father,

we praise

you for

this simple,

clear directive

from the

mouth of

the King

that we

are to

go and

make

disciples

of all

nations.

Father,

this is

our

ministry to

the lost

and dying

world.

So we

pray,

God,

that you

would mobilize

us.

Father,

you've placed

us in

position,

you've put

others around

us,

you have

given us

spheres of

influence,

Father,

that are

unique to

us,

God.

Opportunities

to share

the gospel.

Would you

lead us to

be faithful

with those

opportunities?

And would

you bring

the harvest,

we pray,

in Christ's

name.

Amen.