Good Ground, Good Growth Part 1

What is more valuable than silver or gold in a real meltdown? According to a recent advertisement on the radio and internet it is a Survival Seed Bank. In doing some research I found that the assortment of seed this company offers can allow one to plant a full acre “crisis garden” in the event that world events cause a breakdown of society and result in an interruption of food supplies. The seed is touted as non-hybrid seed and it is not genetically altered. This allows reproduction of seed for future planting. Evidently, much of today’s seed is of a “terminating” variety and is sterile in that it will not produce another generation of plant growth. In their advertisement to market these seed packages, some of the bullet points cited on their website can be pretty troubling.
• WorldNet Daily cites strong evidence that some government agencies are stockpiling huge amounts of canned food.
• Jim Randas, former U.S. Intelligence officer, appeared on ABC telling Americans to start stockpiling food.
• Grocery store prices are rising faster than any time in U.S. history.
Whether this is a legitimate way to prepare for such a scenario depends upon whether a person thinks this is a believable solution. The seeds are represented to be fast-growing and self-reproducing. But even if the seed is without defect, aren’t there other factors involved? People have been planting things a long time and sometimes crops failed for one reason or another. The timing of the planting and environmental conditions plays a role in the growth of the seed. A major concern is what if the soil is unsatisfactory? What if the ground will not grow the seed that is planted? If the seed is viable and the method of planting is commendable, does the soil condition play a role in the success of the harvest?
One of the parables that Jesus told seems to indicate that the condition of the soil is absolutely critical in the support of the growth and reproduction of the seed. Let’s read the passage before us today and consider the message the Word of God has for us today in GOOD GROUND, GOOD GROWTH.
He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.”
And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” (Mark 4:1-20)
This will be the first part of a two-part message. There is much to consider with this significant parable. In fact, Jesus said that the understanding of this passage is crucial and foundational to understanding all the parables. In the context of where the author of Mark has placed this parable, I believe Jesus is teaching about the authority found within the Kingdom of God. We have dealt with the conflict that Jesus had within His earthly family in Chapter 3. Remember that they came to apprehend Him because they thought He had taken leave of His senses. Along with the conflict within the family structure was the collision with the religious institution. He was accused of being in league with Satan. Jesus alludes to the reality of two kingdoms in conflict. The kingdom of Satan and the Kingdom of God are the only two ultimate kingdoms. And in the end there will be only one. There is only room in the universe for one King of the Universe. God is in the business of plowing and planting and ultimately harvesting souls for His Kingdom.
So for these two messages, let’s consider this following truth:

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS A PLANNED AND PLANTED COMMUNITY.

I. THE KING IS THE PLANTER OF THE SEED. (3)

Behold the sower went out to sow...

Not all seed suppliers can be trusted. In the movie Secondhand Lions, Robert Duvall and Michael Caine play two elderly brothers who suddenly have their grand-nephew (played by Haley Joel Osment) dropped off at their place for a season. One of the scenes is where they all put on their overalls to tend the garden that had been planted. As they move from row to row, the descriptions and pictures from the seed packages don’t represent what is growing out of the ground. Peas, beans, squash, tomatoes, beets, potatoes, and Bok Choy all suspiciously look like corn. One of the brothers says, “All those seeds did look alike, come to think of it.” To which the other brother says, “Corn, corn, corn…Nothing but corn!” One of them laments that the seed salesman sure saw them coming. They would probably agree that not all seed suppliers can be trusted.

In the parable, there is only one kind of seed from only one source. The word of God is that which is planted. The Word of God can only come from God. The King is the sower that sows the word. God’s kingdom is based on His word. The Kingdom of God is the realization of a vision in the mind of God. It is a planted community. It is the desire of the King that we are there with Him. The sowing of the word is His way of bringing us into it. When God sows His word into our heart, it is planted there. Our heart condition will determine how well it grows.

II. OUR LIVES REPRESENT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOILS. (4-8)

...some seed fell... beside the road...on rocky ground...among the thorns...into the good soil...

Our lives represent how receptive we are to the word of God. Much like prepared soil receives seed, the circumstances and trials and suffering and victories all affect our hearts to receive the word of God. These four different types of soil can represent to us the condition of our hearts where the seed is sown. All have negative growth except for the good soil. The good soil is not good because it is good in itself. The good soil is good because it is made to be good. The condition of the soil is often changed by the one who prepares the soil before the planting. The Planter of the seed of God within us is often the Plower of the soil. God plows our hearts and “breaks up our ground” before the seed is sown. Plowed ground is a better environment for a seed to be planted. The Planter is not surprised by the need to plow our hearts. The Planter is also a Planner. He knows how to prepare for His harvest.

III. THE KING IS ALSO THE PLANNER OF THE COMMUNITY. (14)

…The sower sows the word.

The King has a Master Plan of Community Development. The Kingdom of God has an ultimate look about it. And God knows what it is to look like. Therefore His plan of planting has purpose. And this parable brings us into the truth that God is not about making this world more comfortable for His kingdom people. He is planning a new community. The following points are all part of the plan.

The King sows the word on all types of soil. God chooses those who are His. We are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. But God is an efficient planter although it may not always seem like it from our perspective. God sows His word on ground that is not receptive to kingdom growth, at least from the way we see it. But just like when we things growing where they should not logically be growing, we can marvel that they are. And we must acknowledge that we would never have planted there. We would have been afraid to waste our seed. God is not concerned with that. He knows why He is doing what He does.

The King is fully aware of the soil preparation or lack of it. God sows the seed of His word on a heart that is so hard we may wonder why He does that. He does that because He is the King. And the King is merciful. And the King cares about growing His kingdom. God’s kingdom is about life. Life is in the sowing.

The King sows the word on soil that will never produce. Even the rocky ground shows potential to grow until the heat bears down on the plant. God knows that His word is a powerful resource for those who will dig deep into in and be strengthened by it. But there are some who will only be superficial in their pursuit of God. And they will not survive as disciples of Christ. But the sower sows the word.

The King sows the word on soil that has been productive but is no longer fruitful. We can safely assume that the seed sown on thorny ground used to yield a crop but the thorns choked it out. Here is the danger of the new believer. They began to bear fruit when they truly sought after God and trusted His word. But they stopped going deep with God and thorns grew in the ground left unattended. Their hearts shifted away from God’s kingdom as they endeavored to build theirs. The problem with building kingdoms of this world is that this world’s kingdoms are cursed. Thus the presence of the thorns. This world has been good at producing thorns and thistles for a long time.

The King sows the word on soil that miraculously produces. The commercials about Miracle Grow remind me of an apt description of my garden. Anything that grows in a garden I plant is a miracle! The good soil of God’s garden produces miraculous growth because miraculous growth glorifies the King. It pleases the King to see the growth and He sustains it for His pleasure and our benefit. But there is one type of soil that does not produce growth and leads to our detriment.

IV. LIVING BESIDE THE ROAD IS LIVING OUTSIDE OF GOD’S PLAN. (15)

...these are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown...

Living outside of the plan of God allows Satan access to steal the abundant life that God has promised. The thief came to steal, kill and destroy. This is the mission of the devil, the ruler of this world. He steals God’s seed when it falls beside the road. We must be traveling the road that leads to life. The broad path that leads to destruction is not the place we need to be spending our time, pretending to follow God. His way is narrow. His way is true. And a few travel there. Many travel the road where God is not the focus of our destination. You can’t walk with God running with the devil. He will steal your life with God when you give him access. When we grant him authority to enter our lives, we can be assured he will not want our lives to bear fruit for God.

Here’s the so what? of today's message. Are we bringing our lives under the authority of God, the Planter and Planner? Or are we still moving along, working our plan to build our kingdom on this planet? Understanding that there are ultimately two kingdoms, and only one will survive, whose kingdom are we planted in? God is planning and planting His kingdom. Is godliness growing in the garden of your heart?

God can be trusted with our eternal growth. He is growing a crop that will not fail. He's planning and planting. One day the harvest is coming. What a day.