Thirty, Sixty, or even a hundred times

Mark 4:1-20

Key verse 20

“Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop-thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times what was sown.”

Two weeks ago God richly blessed our conference with his living words and renewed our hearts to follow Jesus as his disciples. Last week missionary Isaac’s special message helped us to know the importance of world mission command. It turned out to be a great blessing for us to share his almighty power. Today’s passage teaches us about how to maximize such God’s power and be very fruitful. 

Part One, “He taught them many things by parables”(1-3, 9-14).

Look at verse 1. “Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into the boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. In the previous chapter Jesus taught the people in the synagogue. But this time he went out to the lake. No matter where he went, he taught them God’s words. Also look at verse 2. “He taught them many things by parables...” Jesus taught them using parables. What is parable? A parable is a short story about ordinary events designed to teach spiritual truth. It is so simple that even a child can understand them. But their meaning is so deep and wide. In this chapter, Jesus came up with four parables. But this one is the first and basic one according to verse 13, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?” Jesus told a parable about a farmer who sowed the seed on different kinds of soil. Some of it grew and bore fruit, but the rest did not. End of story. Jesus didn’t give any detailed comment about what it meant. Some people in the crowd had come a long distance to hear Jesus. They even took day off from work, hired babysitters and came by walking many miles. When Jesus finished this seemingly simple parable, they might have asked, “That’s it? That’s what I came here such a long way?” Why then did Jesus teach in parable? It was God’s wisdom. It’s because Jesus wanted to spread the word to all people. What if he is too serious from the beginning? They might lose interest in his message. Look at verse 3, “Listen!, a farmer went out to sow its seed.” Here a farmer is Jesus himself. Jesus was doing that day at the lake, sowing God’s word to a diverse crowd. Like farmers he used “broadcast” method of sowing. Just as they spread the seed generously and it fell on all kinds of soil, symbolizing all people on earth. He wants to give every person the equal opportunity to hear God’s word and decide if they accept, repent, be forgiven, and further appreciate the secret of God’s word. 

Look at verses 9 -11a. “Then Jesus said, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’ When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parable. He told them, ‘The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you...”  Here we learn what Jesus really wanted. Jesus did not want people to just hear his teaching. He wanted them to think about it deeply. In fact that is what the disciples did. They asked one another, “What does it mean?” But no one came up with a clear interpretation. Finally they came to Jesus and asked him. It’s a very important move. Spiritual understanding does not come from our own logic or even reading books. Understanding directly comes when we bring our questions to Jesus in person. When we meditate on it, the Holy Spirit comes and gives us deep understanding. Jesus taught in parables to help his disciples to treat God’s word thoughtfully and humbly. 

Also look at verses 11b & 12. “But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.!’” Many activities of the military intelligence agencies are kept secret from its enemies to protect its national security. In the same way, the deepest secrets of the kingdom of God are hidden from God’s enemies. God’s truth is precious. What a privilege it is to study the Bible and come to Jesus in person and learn from him the secrets of the kingdom of heaven like Jesus’ disciples. Jesus’ disciples had made a life commitment to follow him. Jesus recognized them as his family members and shared his secrets further with them.

Part 2, the different types of soil (4-8, 14-20).

Although we commonly called this parable as the parable of the sower, in my opinion it should be called the parable of the soils because the seed is self sufficient and bearing fruit is hinged upon the condition of soil. For instance any seed has three components: embryo that has life, nutrients, and protected coat layer. Also the natural tendency is for the audience to critique the preacher. But here Jesus the preacher critiques His audience. What makes it different is what kind of soil it lands on. The real issue is how well they will hear, not how well He will preach. The purpose of a seed is to produce a fruit through the growing stage of so called germination (begin to sprout), seedling(a young plant), becoming a mature tree. So what counts is whether it produce a crop that a farmer desires. That being said, now let’s move on to each type of soil. At the same time let’s make a diagnosis about their unique problem and come up with the remedy to make it into good soil.

 First is the path. Look at verse 15. “Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.” The path represents people whose hearts are so hardened that God’s word does not penetrate into their hearts at all. Ever since the time of Adam and Eve, Satan has been working hard to remove the word of God from human hearts and replace it with lies. The word of God teaches that God is love, but Satan leads people to doubt God’s love. Satan distorts God’s commands and makes people think that they restrict our freedom. People become hardened toward the word of God for many reasons. Some have become hardened because they were personally hurt by the people in the past. If our hearts become hard, we must cry out to God. Then God will help us to cultivate our hearts through listening the word of God and sincere repentance. Ezekiel 36:26 reads, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Between the time when the seed fell on the path and the time when Satan comes and takes away is very short. We must react without time delay while we hear the word. 2 Corinthian 6:2b reads, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”

Next, the rocky soil. According to verse 5, the problem of rocky soil is no enough soil to take a deep root. When the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered. Of course the sun light is essential to make it grow. But in this case the sun became more harmful than good. Look at verses 16-17. “Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.” These people heat up quickly and cool off quickly. For instance, in the Bible conference, they received a lot of grace and decide to follow Jesus. But sooner or later when they faced with small trouble and persecution from their friends and immediate family members, they backed out and drift away from the truth. So less than a couple of months, they disappeared. Why? Because they have no root. Taking root is unseen. It happens under the surface, through deep personal struggle with the word of God. Sometimes it is done through deep personal testimony writing with meditation. Roots usually grow during times of trouble and persecution. Roots grow when we make small decisions of faith to obey God’s word although it is inconvenient. These decisions look small. But over time, they become strong and unshakable and grow as committed disciples. Let’s pray that our newly signed disciple candidates may deepen their faith through “7 I AM” studies. Also let’s pray that our Friday disciples may take a deep root in Jesus through deep testimony writings.

Third is thorny soil. Look at verses 18-19. “Still others, like the seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.” Many Christians are like thorny places. They are hanging in there and don’t fall away. But years and years go by, and they don’t bear fruit. They sit on the church chairs but their hearts don’t change. Why not? Their spiritual lives have been choked by thorns. Jesus mentions three kinds of thorns: the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and desires for other things. For instance when we personally decide to follow Jesus, we often times compare ourselves with others who are seemingly successful. We begin to worry about one thing after another. Especially when we graduate and get married and even have kids, we easily worry and desire for many things. So our energy and time are redirected to something else in this world instead of following Jesus patiently. Philippians 4:6 reads, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and yours minds in Christ Jesus.”  When we also turned mid life, we are tempted to pile up wealth because money talks in real world. But 1 Timothy 6:9&10 read, “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” Also desire for other things are very real in America. People are obsessed with bigger and better things such as new technology and cars. Even teenagers are eager to get new clothes. How can we sort it out as weeds and continue to grow? It is possible with God’s word. Romans 12:1&2 says, “Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of  God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” May the Lord help us to daily cultivate our hearts through living words and discern God’s perfect will for us. Just as a gardener has to weed out his garden to allow the plants to grow, we must weed out such thorns. Indeed pulling out the thorns is painful and difficult for their roots are deep. But with God’s help, they can eventually be uprooted so that we can become fruitful.

Lastly good soil. Let’s look at verse 8. “Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew, and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.” Notice the word “still.” So far there are three unfruitful soils that seemed to be dominant. Still there is remained good soil. Look at Jesus’ further explanation in verse 20. “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop–thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.” Here we can see the clear difference between the previous three unfruitful soils and good soil. People who are like good soil do not simply hear the word. Rather they accept it because they know the value. Just as one seed, under the right condition, can eventually become a huge tree or even form a forest because a seed has a life all its own. Even a tiny kernel of God’s word is planted into a person, over time it would grow into a huge self reproducing tree. This is what Jesus had been doing so far exactly in calling handful of young disciples, absolute minority and pouring out his effort to plant the seed, the living word of God. So this is the very secret of discipleship ministry directly from our Lord Jesus. No person can change another person. No human being can raise a disciple of Jesus. But if we obey and plant the seed of God’s word, it begins to grow all by itself. We must prepare the conditions. We must plant the seed and water it and fertilize it patiently and humbly. It is the mystery of life and the power of God himself that makes it grow. The seed of God’s word is the very engine power that drives the growth and expansion of the kingdom of God. We first need to intentionally plant God’s word in our hearts and tend to it so that we can grow. We also need to intentionally plant the word in others. Then God’s kingdom will grow powerfully and his holy name will be glorified practically.

In the book of Genesis, after the Noah’s flood of judgment God could have given up his salvation plan when he saw that every inclination of a man’s heart is still evil from childhood. But God went out fishing and met a 75 year old man who used to serve the idols without any meaning and purpose. God said, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. ‘I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’” Amazingly enough this old guy, Abram responded to God’s invitation and left as the Lord had told him. From human point of view it seemed no big deal. He had to go through a lot of small or big troubles. But as he hold the word of God  and over time he was being changed from Abram, a noble father into Abraham, a father of many nations. By faith he raised Isaac, one sheep for his lifelong mission life, even though God promised to give him numerous descendants like stars in the sky. When he kept his identity this way, according to God’s promised word, God blessed him to be a father of many nations and multiplied his children like many twinkling stars in the sky.

Likewise when we receive the word as the absolute truth and authority in our lives and when we obey it and put into practice, we bear a fruit for God, changing the lives of thirty, sixty, or a hundred people. And the words “produce” or “multiplying” are common things in their lives. So the primary focus of our struggle is not to produce fruit, but to have a right attitude toward God’s word. Then our hearts become good soils and the fruit will come naturally and eventually. Bearing the first is quite challenging but once we learns, bearing lots of fruit is quite easy because it grows by multiplying the numerous branches at the same time. According to Luke 8:15, the good soil is compared to a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering, produce a crop. Notice “retain” and “persevere”. We must not only accept the word but also retain and persevere for a while like Abraham until a crop springs up at the right time. Also such good soil like mind is not born naturally. They say that disciples are not born, but made. It is in and through sincere Bible study and earnest repentance. In fact we can cultivate any soil: hard path, rocky soil, and thorny place and convert them into a good soil. Because of their lack of patience that is common problem for them, they became a spiritual patient. So from a medical point of view, the path is like an emergency or acute patient who is quickly volatile. A rocky soil is like moderately suffering or sub-acute patient who lost their faith that doesn’t last long. A thorny soil is like long term or chronic patient who lose faith eventually. But once they were diagnosed correctly before too late, still there is hope for them because we have the cure-all medication, the living word of God.

Let’s think about the next step in the key verse. “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop–thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.” Take notice of the word “produce.” Jesus says in John 12:24, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” In fact it was not a mere lip service, but an actual life example of our Lord Jesus Christ. He gave up the honor and glory as God and became a man in order to be our friend. He was born in a manger and despised and rejected. He served sinners until he gave his own life on the cross. In this way he himself became a fertilizer for producing many seeds. Jesus also says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Jesus calls each of us to serve the people of the world in His footsteps. Although it is costly it is meaningful and glorious life. So numerous saints throughout the history followed the Lord’s footsteps. Once again one kernel of wheat wants to remain as it is instead of falling down on the earth and dying. It doesn't produce any fruit. It is not God’s will. God’s will is multiplication like thirty, sixty and a hundred. In Matthew 13:12 reads, “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” Two months ago I encouraged a student who had one to one with me for the last several months to join in our discipleship program. But he declined because he thought that he would handle such a thing by himself. Last week, I called him again and found out that he was losing his spirit and he even lost his minimum desire to grow. But those who know God through his word continue to grow in the knowledge of God until they reach the full measure of God’s glory and they become a source of blessing for many.

It also reminds me of Genesis 1:28, saying “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number...’” Man is not a mere product of environment. God originally made a man as a manager of God's world. He made the first person Adam and asked him to take care of the whole world all by himself. Adam even named all the creatures. He worked hard. So it was the original position of a human being. In this individual society, it is common sense that if one person or one family just survives well, that’s enough. But the key verse 20 says differently that we must accept the word of God and then must produce a crop-thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times what was sown. So we must direct our attention newly what Jesus said in verse 20 according to God’s perfect will and his perfect perspective. In short to receive God's word and bear fruit is the very reason why we were created and put into this world. With that in mind, let’s read the key verse once again "Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop–thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." Take notice of the word, “even.” Our Lord Jesus Christ expects each of us to have one hundred times as much with each one's life. It is impossible with human calculation. But it is possible with God. For instance in Genesis 26:12, Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year of a severe famine reaped a hundredfold because the Lord blessed him. On average Palestine land produce five to ten times. But when Isaac heard and accepted the word of God despite unfavorable situation, God blessed him more than he can possibly imagine. Here 100 equals 10 times 10. 10 is divine perfection. For instance God gave Moses 10 commandments to help and train his chosen people to be perfect like God. That's the very purpose and the ultimate meaning God made us pilgrims in this hard world. Also I have a question for you. In the key verse why did Jesus say, “a crop”, “thiry”, “sixty”, or a even “hundred”? Here Jesus wanted to teach his disciples about the principle of God’s multiplication. As we see on the slide, if you were to witness for 6 months and reach one person, and then disciple him or her for the next six months, at the end of the first year there will be two of you. Then if both of you reach one person each and disciple them, at the end of year two there would be four growing, reproducing Christians. If the four of you each prayerfully continued this lifestyle of witness and more importantly personal one to one follow up, you will impact the whole world for Christ in one brief lifetime, less than 35 years. It is similar to atomic bomb effect, more powerful than any evengelism movement such as Harvest Crusade. 

Also three weeks ago when I prepared the five minute message for the prayer meeting of SBC, I discovered or found the same clue. It was based on Acts 19. Apostle Paul was very successful in the church of Ephesus. He changed his way from a mere evangelism with uncommitted crowd, rather he took the disciples having good soil like hearts with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. As a result all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. Likewise there is God’s wisdom for each of us to apply practically. When we evangelize the whole campus with an initial contact so called evangelism, we helped them not only convert them into believers or mere church goers, but help them personally to grow as committed disciples that are considered to be quality and real crop in light of today’s Jesus’ teaching. Furthermore they themselves become a disciple maker by equipping them with God’s words. Eventually they will become a powerful & professional reproducer or a pioneer of one campus or even one nation to produce easily up to 100 times. What a great vision it is! It is to make a young man who is spiritually dead into a man of reproduction to aim at God’s perfection(2Co 13:11) according to the full potential of God’s word and its power. Ultimately it has something to do with world mission command to make disciples among all nations. This is God’s only and unique way to fulfill His salvation plan. Jesus raise up his disciples with the world mission mind. In 2 Timothy 2:2 apostle Paul pointed out the same principle, saying “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” Here there are already four generation: starting from Paul himself, Timothy, a reliable man, and others. We can see through compounding and reproductive cycle or pattern. They are all serious qualified committed disciples. In fact we are so blessed that God led our UBF ministry for a half century in this way to serve Jesus’ world mission command through disciple making ministry. If we continue to follow our Lord in the same way, God will continue to use us for fulfilling His powerful vision for world campus mission and God will surely bless us and our children as well. But first is first. Like our Lord Jesus in this passage, we deny ourselves and take up our cross of mission to go out campus in this coming fall semester to scatter the living words and make disciples with persistence and long patience. 

One word: even hundred times