Faith in the Word of the King

you might be sitting here for the first time being in our church for the first time or a church for

the first time. You might have been here for a hundred years like I have, it feels like, and you

might be wondering why do we do this bit of church, the bit that I'm doing, why do we do this preaching

bit of church every week? We know that God speaks through his word, the Bible. In 2 Timothy it says

that all scripture is God-breathed as if God was speaking it to you directly. His words in the Bible,

read and explained, are empowered by his spirit, they are his living voice. And we are commanded

in the Bible too to pass on his word through reading and preaching when we gather together

carefully and wherever we are. We can trace the practice of doing this back from today through

church history, back to the disciples ministry and back to Mark 2 verse 2 where we hear that Jesus

Mark 2:2

began to preach the message of good news to all. Now I was preparing to preach today, that lineage

struck me because Jesus' example followed faithfully for many, many, many generations.

Through that preaching and proclamation of Jesus' words, that's why I am right here doing the same

today. So this week, like the last and the one before that and the one before that, we're going to hear

God speak in his word. And I'm going to try and help you understand it, apply it, and love it.

So let me pray and ask him to do what he has promised he will do and speak to us. Let's pray.

Amen.

Lord Jesus, open our ears to hear you speak today. May the words of my mouth be filled with messages

from you. Would you speak through your Holy Spirit to me, through me today, so that we may together

hear your words with open ears. For it is a privilege that you, O God, would speak to us. Amen.

So far in Mark, which we've been stepping through the last few weeks of church, we've heard that Jesus

was preaching and healing and proving himself by miracles and defying the conventions of the culture

of his day. He loved people who were outsiders, who didn't fit into the culture of the time,

who were often outcast. And he shunned the insiders, the people who thought that they had

everything together. We haven't seen, though, yet how Jesus preached day to day. It was a big deal

what he was doing. We know that he was preaching. Mark 4 is where we get to hear about it.

So today, I want to do three, take you through three steps. We're going to discover how Jesus

preached and why. Because it's not what you might expect. We're going to try and understand

what his preaching means for him and for his kingdom. And lastly, we're going to look at how

his teaching leads and empowers his followers in his kingdom. But right now, let's discover how

he preached. So get your Bible, go to Mark 4, and if the fan doesn't keep blowing it away,

keep it open in front of you.

Jesus was outside in a boat on the lake. The crowd around him was so large that he had to

get in the water to stay away from them so that they could all hear him rather than being crushed.

So eager were so many to hear him. So he gets into a boat and he says, listen. And then he spoke to

them using parables. A parable is this kind of wisdom story that gives us insight into the real world.

It literally means to put one thing beside another. Like a story beside reality itself.

These are puzzles of wisdom that when interpreted correctly can reform whole worldviews, reshape cultures,

reform ways of living, ways of thinking, all with this little story. But the problem with parables

is that they're like riddles. They're tricky. They're completely unclear without an interpretation.

Like a lock that needs a key.

Jesus explained to his disciples why he used parables in Mark 4 in verse 11. And if you were

listening to the passage, this is the verse that sounds out of place. So have a look. This is why

Jesus used parables. He says,

Everything is said in parables. Everything.

So that they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding.

Otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.

Wait.

Wait.

Wait.

Wait.

Sounds like Jesus was deliberately trying to exclude people.

Is he?

Why does he say this?

Jesus here is quoting from the Old Testament.

From a book in the Old Testament called Isaiah.

Where God calls a bloke called Isaiah to be a prophet.

Using those exact words.

Jesus here is aligning himself as God's messenger.

And perhaps his disciples and the other people gathered around at that moment,

they might have understood that.

But still, that's a strange part of God's calling of Isaiah to pick out.

It's not by accident that Jesus places his preaching alongside what God's people knew

was God's invitation for a man to be God's messenger.

But Jesus quoting Isaiah, he also reveals that Jesus' messages from God as parables,

they're going to demand a special perception and understanding.

And without those, the heroes of the parables will miss forgiveness from God and receive judgment.

See, they're pretty important.

So rather than this being Jesus deliberately excluding people,

he's warning people to pay attention and seek understanding and perception,

or they're going to miss out.

I said before that parables are locked and need a key.

And to understand their meaning and application,

they would need explaining by someone very wise,

or explaining by the person who wrote them.

Who will provide the key for Jesus' parables?

Or more specifically, who might be the key that we're to look to,

to get understanding.

So, right now, put yourself in the crowd around the lake.

How would you make sense of these parables?

Let me first tell you how not to understand these parables.

Do not make yourself the key to their interpretation.

You are not the key to understanding Jesus' preaching.

Their author alone knows their meaning,

and you cannot open a lock without being given a key.

If I stand before one of those vintage old doors with an old lock,

with one of those huge big keyholes,

apart from it being kind of cool and making me think about

all the Lord of the Rings books that I read when I was young,

with all the elaborate ways of opening doors and things to say

and that kind of stuff,

I would be stuck.

I wouldn't know what to do.

The only thing I've got is a hand or a finger or something

to try and jam into that lock to try and get it open.

That's not going to help.

So take care with these parables.

Your finger's not going to open the lock.

You can't do it.

And take care with the word of God too.

See that you never take your culture,

your desires,

your preferences,

and project those onto the word

to make it suit you.

Rather, look to Jesus himself,

to his words,

and to the life that he lived,

to see what these words truly mean

and how to apply them to their life,

your life.

Now,

the best part of this passage,

I think,

is that

people came to Jesus to do exactly that,

straight away.

Look at chapter 4, verse 10.

People came to Jesus to hear him

straight after that first parable.

They were desperate to hear what it meant.

And it's not just Jesus' disciples.

It's not just Jesus going home

with the guys who gave him a lift.

It's just a bunch of people

who really wanted to know what was going on.

And Jesus was willing to explain it to them,

to those who would come close

and hear further.

But vast numbers of people,

a crowd so big

that the guy had to go into the water

to avoid getting crushed,

vast numbers of people

went home after hearing Jesus' parables

without seeking Jesus' insight into them,

and they assumed

that they could comprehend

and apply them without him,

or they were totally irrelevant,

it didn't matter.

Judgment

and a real lack of wisdom.

God is not being people,

heard by people,

who respond like that.

Jesus is seeking people

who when they hear Jesus speak,

yearn for more words from him,

so that many would receive

the salvation that he brings,

and the forgiveness from sins

that he offers.

Jesus knew people needed

his insight.

Which is why he asks

those rhetorical questions

in verse 13.

Look at verse 13 with me.

Don't you understand this parable?

How then will you understand

any parable?

Well, the answer is

by asking you, Jesus,

to explain them

and say more.

Jesus is the one to come to

for the key to understanding

all God's word.

He is the king

of the kingdom of God.

And we come to this passage now

and to our Bibles every day

because of Jesus' willingness

to embody and reveal

that he is the key.

He is the key to the kingdom of God.

Good news.

I'm not going to preach

to you today in parables.

I'm first not clever enough

to write them

because they're so rich

and difficult and amazing.

But I'm going to dive with you

into these that Jesus shared.

There's four of them today.

And we're going to see

what they reveal

about his kingdom.

And then we're going to look

at how he unlocks the parables

for our life and mission.

And we're going to start

with the two short parables,

two of them that begin

with the statement.

The kingdom of God

is like...

See how the design

of the parable works?

Each little story

reveals part of the kingdom

as revealed by the king.

The kingdom of God here

is not about a realm

or a geographical location,

but it's all about

who the ruler is

and how he rules.

See, the king

of the kingdom of God

did not come with an army

or tanks,

no force.

He didn't drive out

the physical enemies

of God's people

like they might have

expected him to do,

but he came with words

of invitation,

grace,

and love.

These parables reveal

the king

of the kingdom of God.

They're breathtaking.

They're disarming.

They're deep.

So let's have a look

at some of them.

First,

the kingdom of God

is like a lamp.

Look at me

at verse 21.

That'll be over the page

if you've got

a church Bible

in front of you.

Verse 21

of chapter 4.

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 him hear.

The kingdom

is the light

in a dark room.

It's on a stand.

It's up high

where the light

can disperse from.

It's not hidden.

Its light reveals

what lies

in the darkness,

illuminating

the unknown

and providing

the view

for man

to take steps

back to God.

The light

provides insight

and understanding

for the world

that we live in.

Jesus' life

shows us

that he is

this lamp

on a stand.

That people

would see

their way

to God

when they saw

him.

He does not want

mystery

or exclusion,

but invites

and provides

nearness

to God

as people

see him.

as they

see the light.

So second,

let's go

to verse 30

where the

kingdom of God

is like

a seed.

A little

seed

contains

all the

potential

of a huge

tree

in a tiny

grain.

Its power

under control

in the face

of terrible

odds.

God

is

in Mark

4.

Jesus

is just

this

carpenter

standing

in a

boat,

but he

is the

king

of the

most

powerful

kingdom

to ever

take hold

of the

world.

The gospel

has circled

the globe.

It's

crossed barriers

of continents

and language.

It's been

greeted by

young

and old

and clever

people

and foolish

people.

It's even

been embraced

by its

enemies.

This tree

has grown

so much

that it

now connects

us,

connects

you,

to the

word that

he preached

by the

lake that

day,

to this

broke

carpenter

standing in

a boat

2,000

years ago.

He was

just a

seed,

but look

at the

tree.

On first

reading,

these

parables

are like

prophecy.

They're

like

insights

into the

life that

Jesus

would live

out in

the pages

of Mark

to come,

and they

are.

But they're

even more

than that.

Here's how

we know.

Have a look

at verse

33 and

34.

With many

similar

parables,

Jesus spoke

the word

to them,

as much

as they

could

understand.

He didn't

say anything

to them

without using

a parable,

but when

he was alone

with his

own

disciples,

he explained

everything.

Jesus

always

offered an

explanation

for his

parables.

We can

compare

Jesus'

life and

example to

these stories

to see

his kingdom

come.

There's

more.

If we

just heard

these stories

and then

clearly watched

how he

lived,

that's what

we would see

in those

parables,

but there's

more.

The good

news is

that Mark

chose one

parable

that Jesus

preaches

and explains

to help us

see deeper

into all

the other

parables to

come.

Let's jump

back to the

beginning of

Mark 4.

This may

be the

only parable

you know.

This was

my favourite

one growing

up.

I love

the idea

of God

being

gracious

and I

also really

really like

the story

of the

prodigal

son because

I often

felt like

one or

both of

those people

in that

story.

It may

be a

really

well-known

parable that

you can think

of right

away.

I'm not

going to

go deeply

into it.

I'm just

going to

describe it

but I

think that

God might

have something

very very

different to

say to you

than you

think is

actually

written there

because I

can tell you

that growing

up both

prodigal

son and

this one

I had my

own

interpretation

that suited

me.

Let's see

what Jesus

says.

He

describes a

farmer

sowing

seeds.

Four soils

and four

responses to

the seed

as it

is sown.

The story

is very

simple but

Jesus explains

its epic

implications for

us all.

He says

the key

for us

is what

the seed

is and

our response

to it.

So then

later in

verse 13

to 20

we learn

that the

seed is

the word.

It's God's

message preached

and lived

out through

Jesus.

If you

were a

farmer

standing in

that crowd

and you

heard Jesus

describing a

story of a

farmer just

lobbing grain

everywhere with

some of it

going on the

path and

some of it

going on the

rocks and

some of it

going into

bad soil,

you'd think

what a

waste.

That's

actually

what's

going to

grab your

attention if

you're an

agriculturalist.

but

in this

story

it reveals

Jesus'

gracious

strategy

so that

all might

hear the

good news.

He's not

playing

favourites,

he's not

going,

oh those

people will

get it,

I'll go

over here.

He's

preaching it

to everyone.

So as

Jesus

preaches

and so

is the

word,

people

respond to

hearing it

and see

here that

there's this

existing barrier

to accepting

God's word.

It's in

verse 15.

Look at your

Bible and see

if you can see

what it is,

verse 15.

It's Satan

himself.

Jesus is

fully aware

of Satan's

intention to

remove the

word,

undermine the

word and

distract the

soil from

growing the

word and

bearing fruit.

Satan wants

to silence

Jesus'

message.

Within the

parable there's

an implied

boundary of

Satan's ability

to influence

the reception

of the

word,

which is

to say

that he

cannot

silence

the word

everywhere.

It is

always good

to hear

that Satan's

work against

us has

limits.

But it's

certainly

something to

be aware

of.

And then

there's

good soil

that accepts

the word.

That soil

is personified

right at the

moment of

him explaining

it by the

people who've

gone to

Jesus to

understand this

parable.

Those who

seek his

word and

receive it

with gladness.

The seed

in them

will grow

and bear

fruit.

fruit.

If you

have ever

been to

western

New South

Wales or

to the

country

anywhere,

you would

have seen

fields of

canola,

cotton,

wheat,

all different

kinds of

things.

I imagine

wheat because

I grew up

in dairy

country and

there's no

fields of

anything

anywhere.

Wheat

seems just

about as

normal as

I can

imagine.

but think

about this.

Think about

a wheat

seed falling

in the ground

and growing

up.

What's the

crop at

the end?

More seeds.

More of

what the

farmer threw

out there in

the first

place.

It is the

good news

that Jesus

the farmer

can re-sow

through the

life and

labours of

his followers

to come.

And that's

the glorious

transition that

Mark holds

up here.

The transition

that is the

pattern for

understanding all

the parables.

They show us

how Jesus

will usher

in his

kingdom and

grow his

followers through

his word so

that they can

be involved

in the

continuing

growth of

the kingdom

through the

word.

We're

invited to

join Jesus

followers in

verse 10.

Crowded

round and

near Jesus

to hear him

speak and

explain how

we follow

him into

the parable.

The words

and parables

of Jesus

are about

him and

his word

grows in

us and

the parables

become about

us to.

Think about

the parable

of the

sower.

We've just

been given

the word

by Jesus

and as we

gather around

him through

the ministry

of those

who follow

Jesus from

then till

now through

the preaching

of the written

word.

Now we

too

take that

same seed

that is

the word

and we

too

sow it

everywhere.

Not showing

favoritism,

not dividing

our churches

by language

or culture.

We want

everyone to

hear no

matter who

they are

wherever

we are.

We share

the word

hoping it

will be

received

and accepted.

That's our

mission as

Jesus followers.

to take

his word

and to

sow it

everywhere.

We too

know also

that we

are each

hearers of

the word

day by

day,

Sunday by

Sunday.

I read

this parable

of the

sower

and I

know that

some days

I am a

hard pavement

to the

word of

God.

You might

feel like

that right

now.

Satan is

still in

the business

of removing

the word

from my

ears and

from yours.

You might

be listening

right now

and not

be listening

to the

challenge of

God through

his word.

Satan loves

to rob you

of the good

news.

He loves to

undermine it

with doubts.

He loves

to distract

you with

other things.

As you

sit in

church each

week, I

can tell you

that I am

exactly the

same.

I sit in

church, I

hear the

Bible, I

read it, and

I'm thinking

about my

anxieties as

a father, I'm

worrying about

the things that

I need to get

done the next

day because the

house is a

mess and I'm

the only one

at home.

I'm thinking

about the

most ridiculous

things and

ignoring the

words of my

saviour who

is speaking to

me face to

face through

his word.

Sounds like

something I

wouldn't do if

I really did

believe that.

And that's

the trick of

Satan.

Time spent

before Jesus

in that place

in the kingdom

inspires a

life of

mission,

sharing the

gospel in

action and

word.

love.

But the

result in

this parable

of someone

who hears

the word

but gets

distracted

is a

life choked

by weeds,

the weeds of

distraction and

idolatry and

following after

things like it

mentions wealth

specifically.

there is

yet hope for

every listener

while you

eagerly seek

to hear

the word.

If you feel

like any of

those other

soils right

now as you

receive the

word of God

your hope

is that God

is in the

business of

changing you

and readying

us by his

spirit to

receive his

word,

to multiply

it in

kingdom-minded

lives.

You've got to

keep coming to

it.

You've got to

keep listening

to him.

It's not

through any

good works

that you're

going to do.

It's not

through any

striving harder

after doing

the right

thing.

It's going to

be through the

word of Jesus

by his

Holy Spirit.

Do you

see how

this parable

empowers our

lives for the

kingdom?

It is

for us

as fresh

today as it

was that

day

by the

lake.

So now

that we've

seen

how

Jesus'

life

and who

he is

is the

pattern of

the

parable

but also

he has

given us

the ministry

of the

word and

we have

become part

of the

parable

ourselves.

Let's

look back

at the

other two

parables

that we've

already

seen.

The one

about the

lamp and

the one

about the

mustard

seed.

The

kingdom of

God is

like a

lamp

because

Jesus has

transferred

the word

from him

to us.

The

light of

Jesus'

word is

now your

lamp in

your hand

to put on

the stand

of your

life every

day and

to never

hide it.

For it

will be

Jesus'

word alone

that will

help you

see people

in the

darkness

and motivate

you to

bring them

through their

horrible

blindness to

salvation to

Jesus in

his light.

How incredible

is that?

How incredible

is that?

What about

the mustard

seed?

God's

word changes

us dirt

specks into

seeds with

limitless gospel

sharing potential.

No matter

where you think

you are or

where you've

been, the

potential for

gospel ministry

is limitless.

Your life

can be

fruitful for

the kingdom

through the

word of

God.

And that's

the growth

strategy for

enlarging the

kingdom is

through God's

people.

That brings

us to our

last parable,

the parable

of the harvest

in verses

26.

the lamp

and the

mustard

seed,

like Takeshi

taught us

about last

week.

Mark has

put them

together like

a sandwich.

They're like

the bread

and here

comes the

filling,

the good

bit in

the middle,

the crescendo

of those

three.

let's read

verse 26.

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,

and as

soon as

the grain

is ripe,

he puts

the sickle

to it

because the

harvest has

come.

God does

the growing

in unseen

and sometimes

unknown ways

and he does

it in your

life and in

the lives of

those around

you through

his word.

You have a

place in

the kingdom

of God and

it's to

sit right

there with

the disciples

gathered around

the saviour

listening to

him.

The time we

spend,

like I've

said before,

the time we

spend in

that place

hearing Jesus

inspires a

life of

mission,

sharing the

gospel in

action and

word.

You have

become like

a farmer

planting seeds.

you plant

the seed of

the gospel

wherever and

whatever your

field, whether

it be home or

work or a

church, wherever

you happen to

be, wherever

you are tending

the ground and

give it your best

shot to help it

grow.

Wait patiently

for the growth

that God does

by his Holy

Spirit through

his word for

the moment when

the harvest is

ripe.

Friends, we

long to see

harvest time

for this

community.

When many

patches of

soil are out

there and

there's many

seeds growing,

people are

hearing the

word of God

and some,

many,

they're all

beginning to

respond.

And while we

wait, we

know the

gospel has been

sown, we

continue to

sow it

everywhere.

We're united

by Jesus'

word as a

people desperate

to see the

world around

us encounter

Jesus.

We exist as a

church to

take God's

grace to us

and to sow

it into all

peoples.

That is our

mission.

And we long

to celebrate

the day of

harvest with

one person,

with ten,

with a

thousand.

Those who

accept the

word of

Jesus.

We long

to welcome

those into

a life of

sharing the

word alongside

us.

Joy and

eternity.

I told you

that when we

started, that

I stand here

today preaching

the word because

some people

preached it to

me.

They showed

me that Jesus

was the key to

unlocking the

words of God

God that I

had been

hearing as

I was

growing up.

It's like

they were

banging on

the door,

screaming to

get my

attention.

attention.

It's like

they could not

help but see

me in my

anxious,

fearful state

trying to

piece together

with my

understanding and

the things that I

was getting when

I read the

Bible or hear it

at school or I

hear it from my

friends who

weren't keen on

it at all.

I didn't know

where to go but

that group of

people together,

they slipped

this key under

the door.

They said

Jesus is the

way to unlock

the kingdom

so I could

find freedom

with God,

walk through

the door and

go and take

that key and

slip it under

more doors.

I stand here

because of

Viv and

Steve and

Chris and

Steve and

Stephen and

Louise,

lots of

steves in my

life growing

up,

just saying,

but I

found the

key that

Jesus is

because they

gave it to

me.

Who

sowed the

gospel in

you?

What an

opportunity we

have to go

and do the

same.

So we've

heard that

Jesus preached

in parables,

heard about

his kingdom

and heard

about our

role in it

now.

God's

word.

It's the

word that

unites us

here today.

It's the

word of

God that

is our

strength and

our courage,

our insight,

our refuge,

and our

message.

So wherever

you preach the

gospel, however

you do it in

word or deed,

wherever you

are, sow the

word in

abundance into

the field of

chatwood and

beyond.

God's

and wait

patiently for

the harvest

until we

get to sit

with Jesus

and speak to

him face to

face.

Never miss a

chance to open

the Bible and

listen to him.

Keep going to

his word, having

faith and trust

only in the

word of our

king.

Let's pray.

Lord Jesus

Christ, we

hear your

word as you

speak.

You are the

way for sinners

to come back

to their

maker.

We thank you

that you

scattered the

seed of this

good news so

widely and

graciously that

we can be

here to receive

it and sow

it today.

May many

here accept

your word for

the first time

today.

Enable us to

bear the fruit

of the gospel

in our lives

as we come

to hear you

speak every

Sunday, every

day, every

moment we

can.

And Jesus,

may we never

miss the chance

to hear and

learn and

respond in

worship to

your word as

you lead us

into your

eternal kingdom.

Amen.