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Understanding the Parable of the Sower: Mark 4
July 25, 2025 · 11 min
Reflect on Jesus calming the storm and learn how to trust in God's guidance amidst life's tempests.
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The Parable of the Sower and the Nature of Faith 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining me this morning. I'm on the road in Indianapolis, Indiana, but still standing on the word. Alright. Today, we are in, Mark chapter 4. Primarily, it's a0:22 chapter related to parables about the kingdom of God. Key verse. But he said to them, why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? Now first up is the0:33 parable of the sower, which we read back in Matthew verse 3. Listen, behold, a sower went out to sow, and it happened as he sowed that some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds of the air came and devoured it.0:45 Some fell on stony ground where it did not have much earth, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered0:57 away. And some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seeds fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased, and1:09 produced some thirtyfold, some 60, and some a hundred. And he said to them, he who has ears to hear, let him hear. Now that almost sounds like a pun, but I don't think1:21 Jesus was using corn for his illustration. Then on the verse 10, but when he was alone, those around him with the 12 asked him about this parable. And he said to them, to1:32 you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, all things come in parables. So that seeing, they may see and not perceive. In hearing, they may hear and not1:44 understand, lest they should turn and their sins be forgiven them. Now we've seen this explanation of why the use of parables before. Frankly, it can be a bit difficult to1:56 understand. Jesus is not saying he does not want people to hear what he's saying. The parables, as you'll recall, came after the miracles were rejected by the people. It was rejected by2:08 those who did not want to hear the truth of God, and they did not wanna grasp it. Those who do not want to hear just think they're hearing a bunch of stories. But those who do want to2:19 hear, they understand and they perceive the truth that is within those parables. Now this is not unlike what we encountered in the old testament. You know, what you refuse to see, what you refuse to hear, eventually,2:32 you'll be unable to see and unable to hear. Next, Jesus explains what the parable means. Like the answers that used to be on the inside of a box top of the cereal, we go to verses2:43 14 through 20 to see what it is that this parable is all about. So the wayside describes those who hear, but Satan, he immediately snatches that2:55 word from their hearts. The stony ground, well, they received it, but when they face the opposition, that will come. That will come when you truly follow Jesus. They deserted and they took3:07 off. They lacked courage. Then there's the thorny ground. Those allowed those that allowed the temporal, things of this world to eclipse the eternal, and they were of no3:19 kingdom value. The good soil yielded eternal fruit, differing amounts, but fruitful nonetheless. Then in verses 21 through 34,Faith Over Fear: Lessons from the Storm 3:31 Jesus gives 3 parables or illustrations that are related, that that are related to speaking to the nature of the growth of God's kingdom. It will and did start off small.3:44 But as the truth of God was proclaimed by those who heard it and understood it, it would and it did take root, and it grew gradually until like a, a a a3:56 plant of the smallest of seeds, the mustard seed, it, it grew, and it became the greatest of herbs. It becomes the greatest of herbs when it's grown. Now I want to to4:08 focus this morning on the last part of this chapter, beginning in verse 35. On the same day, when evening had come, he said to them, let us cross over to the other side. Now when they had left the multitude, they took4:19 him along in the boat as he was, and the other little boats were also with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling.4:31 But he was in the stern asleep on a pillow, and they awoke him and said to him, teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? Then he arose and rebuked the winds and said to the sea, peace, be still. And the4:43 wind ceased and there was a great calm. But he said to them, why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? And they and they listen to this. And4:55 they feared exceedingly and said to 1 another, who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey him? I wanna focus on these last 2 verses for just a moment as we wrap up our time together this morning.5:07 Awaken from his sleep, and I and I can relate to the physical exhaustion after preaching and teaching all day. He's he he explains this, why are you so fearful? So5:19 why do you think what do you what do you think it was that the disciples were fearful of? Now the the the US National Institute of Mental Health had a report that I ran across on fear5:31 and worry. This is what they found. 60 percent of the things that people feared never took place. 90 percent of things feared are insignificant. 88 percent of things5:43 feared in relation to health never happened. So why is fear so prominent in our world? Now the word fear in verse 40 is not the same Greek5:54 word used for fear in verse 41. So these are 2 different words. The Greek word in verse 40 is dylos. Now the word is found only 3 times only 3 times in the New6:06 Testament. Here, in Matthew's account of this very same event and, listen to this, Revelation 21 8. And this is what Revelation 21 8 says. But the cowardly, dilos, unbelieving,6:19 abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake, which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Now6:30 this word, dylos, this is the word for cowardice. Jesus rebukes them for being cowardly in the face of the storm, the conditions that were around them. Now can you6:42 think for just a moment how this might apply to us today? What he is talking about here is not unlike the seed in the parable of the sower that was sown on the stony soil. It withers in the6:54 face of opposition. Jesus is saying here that there is no room. There's no room for cowards in the kingdom. Now I know that sounds harsh, but that's what Jesus is saying. Cowardess takes up7:06 residence where faith doesn't live. Paul tells the Corinthians to watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong in first Corinthians 16 13. So7:18 why do you think Jesus confronted their cowardice? The emotional panic that accompanies fear actually shuts down the prefrontal cortex or the7:30 rational thinking part of our brains. In other words, when we're consumed by fear, we stop thinking. A populist that stops thinking for itself is a populist that is7:41 easily led, easily manipulated, and easily controlled. And by the way, is that not what we saw during the coronavirus? He who has overcome7:53 his fears will truly be free, Aristotle said. Now look at the responses of the disciples, which by the way is the proper response. And they feared exceedingly, it's verse 15 41.8:05 The Greek word here is phobeo, which is interpreted as reverence in this context. Now we we won't fear the world around us when we properly revere8:17 God. We should be too fearful to be fearful. Matthew 10 28 says, and do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in8:29 hell. During his years as premier of the Soviet Union, Nikolai, Nikita Kukhev Khrushchev, I'll get it right, denounced many of the policies8:41 and atrocities of Joseph Stalin. And in the midst of the speech, a heckler shouted this, you were 1 of his colleagues. Why didn't you stop him? Khrushchev screamed, who said that?8:53 And there was deadly silence as nobody in the room dared move a muscle. Then Khrushchev broke the silence and said, now you know why. See, the9:05 fear of man will silence us. It will rob us of our courage and steal our voice. Fear will paralyze us at the very moment that we should act. We can only overcome our fear of9:17 the world and all that's in it by a reverence for the 1 who made it all. Faith and fear cannot embrace 1 another. They're incompatible, and we have9:29 to choose 1 or the other. Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you father for the encouragement we have here from Jesus. Or to be strong, to beCourage in Faith: Overcoming Fear 9:41 courageous, not to be consumed with fear of the temporal things of this world. And so I pray, Lord, you would strengthen us, give us boldness and courage to face the environment in which we're in. That, Lord, we would do9:52 so with peace and joy as overcomers. Thank you for your word. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that leads us on this journey through your word. For we pray and ask this in Jesus name. Amen.10:04 Alright. Thanks for being with me this morning, and until next time, keep standing on the word.10:11 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you10:23 can read through the entire bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 The Parable of the Sower and the Nature of Faith3:27 Faith Over Fear: Lessons from the Storm9:32 Courage in Faith: Overcoming Fear94K followers
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