The Essential Jesus as

Revealed in the Gospel of Mark

“Change is the only constant

in life!”

Heraclitus of Ephesus

(c. 500 B.C.)

How popular?

- 121 countries

-29 languages

- Found in 1/3 of all American homes

1938 - “Criss-Crosswords”

Something else that never changes?

Psalm 119:89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.

Sharpening Our Focus on Christ!

Five passages each week to help us “fix our eyes upon Jesus!”

The Essential Jesus as

Revealed in the Gospel of Mark

What is a “parable?”

para (alongside of) and baleo (to throw)

“To throw alongside of”

Mark 4:10-11aAnd when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God . . .”

The purpose of parables

“mystery” “A truth . . .

once concealed to man, now revealed by God.”

Mark 4:11b-12But for those outside everything is in parables, so that “they “may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.”

The purpose of parables

“Parables – Start”

- The Parable of the Sower

- The Parable of the Seed

- The Parable of the Soils

Mark 4:1-20

Mark 4:1-2Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:

The Parable of the Soils

Mark 4:3-4“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.”

The Parable of the Soils

Mark 4:5-6Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.

The Parable of the Soils

Mark 4:7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.

The Parable of the Soils

Mark 8-9And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Parable of the Soils

Mark 4:3 “Listen!”

Mark 4:9 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Parable of the Soils

The Parable of the Soils

Hard soil

Seed snatched

away

Shallow soil

Seed grows,

withers; no deep

roots

Infested soil

Seed crowded

out

Good soil

Seed produces bountiful harvest

Mark 4:14The sower sows the word.

The Meaning of the Parable

“For as the rain and the 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, and shall succeed in the thing

for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Responses of the heart to the seed of God’s Word

Hard soil

Seed snatched

away

Shallow soil

Seed grows,

withers; no deep

roots

Infested soil

Seed crowded

out

Good soil

Seed produces bountiful harvest

Mark 4:15And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.

The Hard Soil . . .

The hard heart which says, “Not interested! Not now, not ever!”

Mark 4:16-17And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

The Shallow Soil . . .

The shallow heart which says, “Hallelujah! Uh, where’s the exit?”

The Shallow Soil . . .

1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

Mark 4:18-19And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

The Infested Soil . . .

The crowded heart which says, “Give me Jesus AND give me the world!”

Mathew 6:24“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

The Infested Soil . . .

Mark 4:20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

The Good Soil . . .

The responsive heart which says, “I have decided to follow Jesus … no

matter what!”

Summary of heart responses

The hard heart: “Not interested! Notnow, not ever!”

The shallow heart: “Hallelujah! Uh, where’s the exit?”

The crowded heart: “Give me Jesus AND give me the world!”

The responsive heart: “I have decided to follow Jesus … no matter what!”

1. Don’t let the lack of response (hard hearts) or inadequate response (shallow/crowded hearts) to your “sowing” of the gospel keep you from “sowing!”

Today’s Takeaways

And never forget that some hearts are ready to respond (responsive hearts). Once the seed is planted, a bountiful harvest is on the way!

2. As you reflect on the condition of the soil of your own heart, which is it most like? The hard soil? The shallowsoil? The infested/crowded soil? The responsive soil?

Today’s Takeaways

What can I do?

Today’s Takeaways

First you must understand that every single one of us need to undergo a

divine heart transplant.

Ephesians 2:1And you were dead in the trespasses and sins…

Today’s Takeaways

Ezekiel 36:25-26aI will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will giveyou a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.

Today’s Takeaways

Ezekiel 36:26b-27And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Today’s Takeaways

First you must understand that every single one of us need to undergo a

divine heart transplant.

So come to CHRIST! “Repent and believe the gospel!”

Today’s Takeaways

And then once you receive that new heart, then you must learn to walk

with God, by getting to know his

Word, and then striving to live his

Word!

Today’s Takeaways