26He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."
This parable is the only parable that is recorded by Mark alone. It's almost a part 2 of the sower parable - for the seed is surely the Word of God. The focus on this parable is not on the how receptive people are, but on the growth of God's kingdom, and here's the big news flash: you and I are not needed to make it grow.
Are you kidding me? I, who have worked in Christian ministry for all my adult life? The Churches I have worked at, and now the Camp - won't they crumble into ruins if I am not there doing my part? How can God grow His Kingdom without me? Well, pretty easily.
What is more powerful and unstoppable than growth? Sure, a plant can die if it does not get the proper nutrients, but if it is alive, it is growing. I looked back at my blog here from a while back and read some of my postings about my "extreme gardening" project behind our house. I started last fall (2008)- taking down the "Roman Barricade" as Jenette called it - dismantling the huge pile of logs and ice storm debris so that we can have something close to a yard back there. After I did so much work last fall and winter, clearing and cutting and removing a million rose vines, the spring and summer happened. I got busy with camp, and the roses popped up again, and the weeds grew more happily than ever. The Spring of 2009 was the first in three years that we did not have a major late killing freeze, so everything grew, well, like weeds.
It seems just yesterday that I had three baby boys. Now I have three young men. (and some young ladies as well!) - Growth is amazing and unstoppable, and it all comes from God. Night and day, whether I sleep or get up, the Kingdom of God is growing, just like the seed, and I don't know how it works. It seems to me that these days are destined to have the Kingdom diminish - because of the evil that has run amuck and how our country's leaders are trying to lead us further and further away from God. But it just this type of situation that Kingdom advancement has always been seen in the Bible and in history. What is more powerful than the growth of God's Kingdom?
I visited an interesting town last Sunday. I went to the Christian Church in Liberal, MO to share with the Church the exciting things that God is doing here at MBC. (And, this is a great little Church! We loved being there!)
Liberal, Missouri was founded as a town that was to being with God, churches, Christians, Jesus, and (oddly enough) without saloons. See this article for more information. It was supposed to be a "freethinking" society, without all the messy difficulties of religion. It didn't take long for the town to be in utter chaos, for Christian missionaries to seize the opportunities afforded by the chaos, and for God's Kingdom to advance in this small town. What is more unstoppable than the growth of God's Kingdom?
Even though the preaching of the gospel was crucial to the life of Liberal, MO (and to every other group of people on the planet), the point of the parable is that God is going to grow His Kingdom - if one person is disobedient in the call, God will use another. Verse 28 points out the way that the seed grows - "All by itself." The Word of God, planted in the hearts of people is like that seed that has a way of growing all by itself.
Paul talked about this same idea in 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. People were arguing about who was their spiritual leader and "father." Some said it was Paul. Others said it was Apollos (a NT missionary). Paul said, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow." (1 Corinthians 3:6)
Finally, there is an end in sight - there will be a harvest, and it won't be the weeds that are harvested (as we see in other parables) - it will be the grain that is producing fruit. What is the fruit of the Kingdom of God? How about love, joy, peace, patience, etc... (I can say them much faster than I can type them). Not only will God grow His Kingdom with or without us, but He will do the harvesting.
So, to all my friends involved in ministry, here is my encouragement. Fear God, not the people in the congregation. It's His Kingdom - His power behind the growth - His holiness - and His harvest. Is no one being baptized at your church? Are the disciples falling away? Maybe it's because church leaders are aligning themselves with the world more than with God.
Why would God want to grow a baby Christian in a worldly, loveless, passionless, Pharisaical, lukewarm church?
Isaiah 55:10-12
Are you kidding me? I, who have worked in Christian ministry for all my adult life? The Churches I have worked at, and now the Camp - won't they crumble into ruins if I am not there doing my part? How can God grow His Kingdom without me? Well, pretty easily.
What is more powerful and unstoppable than growth? Sure, a plant can die if it does not get the proper nutrients, but if it is alive, it is growing. I looked back at my blog here from a while back and read some of my postings about my "extreme gardening" project behind our house. I started last fall (2008)- taking down the "Roman Barricade" as Jenette called it - dismantling the huge pile of logs and ice storm debris so that we can have something close to a yard back there. After I did so much work last fall and winter, clearing and cutting and removing a million rose vines, the spring and summer happened. I got busy with camp, and the roses popped up again, and the weeds grew more happily than ever. The Spring of 2009 was the first in three years that we did not have a major late killing freeze, so everything grew, well, like weeds.
It seems just yesterday that I had three baby boys. Now I have three young men. (and some young ladies as well!) - Growth is amazing and unstoppable, and it all comes from God. Night and day, whether I sleep or get up, the Kingdom of God is growing, just like the seed, and I don't know how it works. It seems to me that these days are destined to have the Kingdom diminish - because of the evil that has run amuck and how our country's leaders are trying to lead us further and further away from God. But it just this type of situation that Kingdom advancement has always been seen in the Bible and in history. What is more powerful than the growth of God's Kingdom?
I visited an interesting town last Sunday. I went to the Christian Church in Liberal, MO to share with the Church the exciting things that God is doing here at MBC. (And, this is a great little Church! We loved being there!)
Liberal, Missouri was founded as a town that was to being with God, churches, Christians, Jesus, and (oddly enough) without saloons. See this article for more information. It was supposed to be a "freethinking" society, without all the messy difficulties of religion. It didn't take long for the town to be in utter chaos, for Christian missionaries to seize the opportunities afforded by the chaos, and for God's Kingdom to advance in this small town. What is more unstoppable than the growth of God's Kingdom?
Even though the preaching of the gospel was crucial to the life of Liberal, MO (and to every other group of people on the planet), the point of the parable is that God is going to grow His Kingdom - if one person is disobedient in the call, God will use another. Verse 28 points out the way that the seed grows - "All by itself." The Word of God, planted in the hearts of people is like that seed that has a way of growing all by itself.
Paul talked about this same idea in 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. People were arguing about who was their spiritual leader and "father." Some said it was Paul. Others said it was Apollos (a NT missionary). Paul said, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow." (1 Corinthians 3:6)
Finally, there is an end in sight - there will be a harvest, and it won't be the weeds that are harvested (as we see in other parables) - it will be the grain that is producing fruit. What is the fruit of the Kingdom of God? How about love, joy, peace, patience, etc... (I can say them much faster than I can type them). Not only will God grow His Kingdom with or without us, but He will do the harvesting.
So, to all my friends involved in ministry, here is my encouragement. Fear God, not the people in the congregation. It's His Kingdom - His power behind the growth - His holiness - and His harvest. Is no one being baptized at your church? Are the disciples falling away? Maybe it's because church leaders are aligning themselves with the world more than with God.
Why would God want to grow a baby Christian in a worldly, loveless, passionless, Pharisaical, lukewarm church?
Isaiah 55:10-12
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
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