Mark 4:21-34:34
QUESTIONS FOR GOD !

 

Dear God,  Did you mean for the giraffe to look like that or was it an accident? -Norma

Dear God,  Who draws the lines around the countries? -Nan

Dear God: How come you only have 10 rules and our school has  millions? Joy

 Dear God: Why did you make people talk foreign languages? It would be easier if everybody could talk English like you and me. Alice

 Dear God: Where does yesterday go? Do you have it? Stanley

Dear God,  I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is that okay?    -Neil

 

People have always had questions for God and in the day of Jesus one of things on people’s minds was –

A) What is the messiahs Kingdom going to be like ? And what would be the purpose of His Kingdom

 

B) Here in this section of Mark – Jesus is seeking to give us some insight into the kingdom – 4 Pictures  Lamp / Scale / Growing seed / Mustard seed

 

C) Before we get into each Parable – Consider – Def. of the Kingdom of God

1) Earth Forfeited -  Satan god of this world

 

D) Real God reigning in Heaven – Left earth to Satan’s Devices

 

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS THE INTRODUCTION OF GOD’S RULE AND REIGN FROM HEAVEN INTO HUMAN HISTORY.

A) Took place when Jesus came – God’s kingdom enter human history in the person of His Son JC –

 

The kingdom of God is among you.

B) Wherever the King is – those who are following Him are a part of his Kingdom

 

C) Today there are 3 Kingdoms we are a part of – Kingdom of this earth

 

First there is  the world or Kingdom around us – A) this planet / our jobs / our friends / these fleshly bodies / all of which – Present challenges

 

1)This world that we live in is marked by greed / unfairness / disappointment

 

B) This world is controlled by our adversary the Devil – god of this world

C) He has an agenda – program – that is aimed at –DESTRUCTION and DISTRACTION /

 

Distracting people of their need of God/ - DESTROY

 

 

Then there is the world or the Kingdom which is to Come – The Kingdom of our Lord – marked by peace / Joy / perfect righteousness

A)A kingdom in which there will be no more pain / no more sorrow / no tears / a Kingdom marked by Beauty, Perfection & Ultimate Satisfaction

 

B) We are presently longing for that Kingdom – longing for that day when we will enter into that perfect & complete rest & be w/ our Lord

 

1) Joy that is beyond anything we could ever experience in this life !!

 

 

 

But then there is this 3rd Kingdom – the Kingdom with in

A)The Kingdom w/in our hearts where He who is the King of kings and the Lord of Lords is wanting to reign

 

While we are living on this earth we want that 3rd Kingdom to be growing in our lives – Expanding around us –

A) What Jesus shares here gives us insight into how that happens

 

B) 4 Pictures tonight of the Kingdom – 1st is of a lamp   Mark 4:21-23

 

Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."

 

Jesus says God’s Kingdom is like a lamp.

A) Now the lamp Jesus is describing here is a small clay oil lamp that was used to light up a room in the ancient world.

 

B) Remember that there were no electric lights back then, no battery operated flashlights, so they’d use oil lamps.

1) I’m told that these oil lamps are one of the most frequently discovered artifacts by archeologists because they were so common.

 

 

C) POINT: Jesus says you don’t take one of these clay lamps, fill it with oil, light the wick, and then hide it so it can’t light up the room.

1) The Lamp is meant to be on a Lampstand

 

 

Then Jesus tells us that whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed and whatever is concealed is meant to be out in the open.

A) Here is His point – when He first came into the world – The lamp was concealed – Born in Barn – lived in Obscurity – 30 yrs unknown

 

B) But now it was time for the kingdom to be Revealed –

1) World was being introduced to the King of Kings – Lord of Lords

 

C) John 8:12

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

 

Now he says – Matt 5:14-16

14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

Jesus living in us wants to continue to shine –

A) Actions –

 

B) Words – Sharing

 

C) Community – Worship – Youth group –

 

So first the kingdom is like a Lamp – 2nd Picture is of a Scale:

Mark 4:24-25

24 Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

 

A) Take heed how you hear – How do you hear – Critics Scrutinize –

 

B) Connoisseurs of Bible teaching – Ok – places where people are starving !

 

C) How you hear is going to determine the expansion of God’s Kingdom in your life!

 

Truth expands – More take in more it weighs and grows

A) Start of walk – Jesus is Savior / Friend / Father / Lord

 

B) Expands learn of His Grace – not PBA

 

C) Incredible blessing of being in Christ

 

D) It expands as your knowledge of the King expands – Lucy – to Aslan you are getting Bigger – More you grow the bigger I will get in your eyes

 

Heb 5:12-14

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

 

 

3rd Picture : The growing seed

Mark 4:26-29

 

And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

A) As he sows seed, a farmer doesn’t understand exactly how the seed grows.

Yet one day he looks out the window and sees a crop.

 

B) Jesus is talking about the mystery of the effect of the Word.

1) And, like the seed sown by the farmer, it’s inexplicable how studying the Scriptures causes the kingdom to be established within us and among us.

 

C) People who are not believers think we’re crazy to come week by week to study a page or two from a book thousands of years old.

1) Yet when we study the Word corporately and have devotions personally, something happens miraculously.

 

D) We begin to look at life differently, and good fruit begins to grow. Oh, we’re not perfect.

1) We have a long way to go. But the process has begun.

 

 

 

4th Picture is of a mustard seed Mark 4:30-32

 

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."

 

What Jesus is talking about here is the EARTHLY manifestation of the Kingdom of God

A)The KINGDOM  is going to be like a MUSTARD seed that grows into this HUGE TREE.

 

B) Now Jesus uses some imagery here that would right away – be a signal to his listeners that something ODD was going to take place.

1) See the Mustard seed – doesn’t grow into a HUGE TREE -  but actually it is  SHRUB / a little BUSH – ( no birds nest )

 

C) So what Jesus is describing is ABNORMAL GROWTH -  & He is likening it to the Growth that would take place w/ His Kingdom.

1) We Know that is absolutely true of the Church – Began w/ 11 Disciples & a few others who saw Him in upper room after Rez.

 

D)Then 120 gathered in an upper  room in Jerusalem – PENTECOST – spirit fell – Peter Preached – 3,000 saved - 

1) Today millions all over the World

 

Now that is ABNORMAL GROWTH -  understand –what I mean by that

It is not ABNORMAL in a SENSE that God didn’t intend it to happen

A) It is ABNORMAL in that it is not NATURAL - / This is  SUPERNATURAL

 

B) This is part of what Jesus is explaining – If Mustard seed to grows into a tree – something ABNORMAL  has taken place . /  Not Natural

 

C) Something SUPERNATURAL -  God was Behind it ./ Miracle

Our God is into doing MIRACLES

1) The Church is a Supernatural work of God !

 

But Jesus continues by describing that the birds will come & nest in the Tree – WHAT DO THESE BIRDS REPRESENT ?

A) Best commentary on the Bible is the Bible – Parable of the Sower – Birds – Devil wickedness

1) Seek to come into the Church and Corrupt it !

 

B) Seen that throughout Church History : Constantine – compromised

1) married to the world

 

C) Today: Full of Divisions – Can’t be avoided –

 

Our Church Careful be on the look out – Protect ourselves

A) What Protects us – Cross – Unity at the Cross – Pole – sinners saved by grace

 

B) Come together tonight – Celebrate our Unity in Jesus

 

Not just a time for Commemoration – Remembrance

Also a time of Declaration – His kingship in our lives

 

C) Bible days – A deliverer – People had a Choice to make Him their Sovereign

 

Jesus went to battle for us – to Deliver us –

A) Choice do I want him to be my King

 

B) Proclaiming that thru – Communion – Partaking of who you are !

1) Lord reign in me -  My redeemer now be my King

 

C) Poor in Spirit theirs is the kingdom of God – SALVATION

1) SUPPLIES – All the resources of the king are made available