“Build Up For Me”

Scripture: Mark 4:3-12

For the past three weeks, we have considered some of the most basic and vital issues of our Christian faith. We have seen that first and foremost, faith requires our trust and acceptance in all that Jesus is, taught, and stands for. And when our belief has been established, and we truly know who and why Jesus is, we make a commitment to Christ to set the ways of earth aside and begin to become more and more like him. And as our ways continue to change, and as we continue to grow in the Lord, we will discover that our citizenship in the world will no longer hold the importance that it once did, and our allegiance will be refined and reoriented to become a commitment to the Lord God Jesus.

And as each of these phases of faith can never be the end-all of our Christian life, that there is always something more that we can gain, we eventually discover that the fullest expression of our life in Christ is to become a witness to the grace and glory of our Almighty God to the people of earth. And the purpose of our witness? To invite others to begin Believing, and Becoming, and Belonging to the Family of God by faith in the Son of Glory – the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our fourth step in faith is the part that all too many Christians fail to remember – far too many church people think that being active in worship, and that participating in committee and missional work is enough. But the truth is that it is anything BUT enough.

John 1:7 tells us that the reason John the Baptist came into the world was so he could testify to the light (Jesus) so that “all might believe in him.” And in verse 9, we read “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.”
In Acts 22:12-15, Paul testifies that God, through Ananias, told him “You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for?”

Both John and Paul (the evangelists, not the Beatles!) were chosen to testify to the world about Jesus, so that all might come to believe in him - and every Christian is also called to be a witness for Jesus Christ.

Today, we consider what our witness, our testimony, can mean to the kingdom of God.

Read Mark 4:3-4

Jesus taught with parables because they incorporated everyday situations, ones that the people would understand very well, to describe the unique ways of God. Sowing seed and raising crops was one of those jobs that practically everyone did, and the lesson that Jesus was offering could be learned in a very natural and recognizable way.

In that day, sowing was always done by hand through a means that we know as “broadcasting”. Handfuls of seed would be thrown out on the soil, without any concern as to where the seed landed – the only intent was that the sowing would cover as much land as possible. And depending on where the seed landed, some of it didn’t grow all that well, while some didn’t have a chance to begin growing. And that becomes the first point of Jesus’ lesson.

And the point is this – that our testimony to the grace and glory of Jesus Christ doesn’t always take hold in the lives of those who hear it, but that can never be seen as a problem for us! Jesus offers 3 obstacles to the seeding – or in the intended lesson, to receiving the word of God.

The first problem with the sowing is that some seed will fall outside the field and onto the adjacent, beaten down path, where the birds eat it up. From the gospel’s point of view, the seed, or the word of God, doesn’t even have a chance to “sprout” in the heart of some hearers. And what keeps it from germinating? In the parable, it’s the birds, but in the lesson, it’s because of the one who hates and fears that precious word the most – Satan himself.

Satan is the source of all opposition to sharing the word of God. Ever since he was ejected from glory, he has been the hatred that has keep countless millions of people from experiencing the grace of Jesus Christ. Satan is the one who destroys some of the seeds of faith that we sow, and the people never have the chance to Believe.

Read Mark 4:5-6

Some seeds fall into skimpy soil – soil that is cluttered with foreign objects that can never provide the nourishment to sustain the newly sown seeds.

Life can be full of objects like those rocks. The burdens of life can easily preoccupy our thoughts and our time – things like our jobs that can literally consume us at times; things like financial struggles that hobble us, that drive us away from our vision of other aspects of life; things like difficulties in our relationships, and major health issues. These, and other “rocks” of life will not only never be able to nourish and support us, they sap our strength and our desire to live better.

But isn’t there something that “sowers” can do to restore “good soil” to the rocky lives that are missing out on the fullness of a life in Christ? Possibly, but the truth is that 1) we seldom have the expertise or resources to actually care for those needs in any effective way, and 2) the best way that we can help those folks is to lead them to effective and skilled help, and then continue on our way of “sowing”.

Seeds need nurture and depth of support if their growth is to achieve its full potential, and seeds that are never sown are seeds that never will grow. And the seeds of faith need vision and nourishment if they are to grow to fullness in Christ. When we allow ourselves to truly Belong to the Lord instead of to the world, the “faith seeds” will grow within us, and we will Become who we were intended to be.

Read Mark 4:7-8

Thorns can also prevent seeds from growing strong and tall. They compete for the nourishment and sun light that the new growth so desperately needs, and the seed’s development will be seriously stunted.

The difference between the rocks that obstruct the new growth, and the thorns of Jesus’ parable, is that the rocks were there before the seeds were sown, while the thorns grew up with the grain. They’re both equally destructive, but the thorns increase in strength while the seeds are trying to do the same. And at some point, the thorns will usually win the race, and the tender stalks of grain are overwhelmed.

In our walk in faith, we begin to grow in Christ, but as our trust in the Lord grows, the ways of earth are also growing, and sometimes we have trouble understanding the difference. The ways of earth can seem far easier to follow, and far more acceptable, if we aren’t careful. The thorns that grow within our faith can actually have a strange sense of “beauty” and a lot of “neon” that beacons us to allow them to grow stronger in our life. And faith suffers.

And once the thorns begin growing in our lives, the time will almost certainly come, if we aren’t diligent, when we can’t tell the difference between them and the good “grain” of Jesus. And once the thorns take hold, there is little we can do to defeat them.

The obstacles to faith can seem overwhelming at times. But take heart – the opportunities that lie ahead for the seeds that fall on the good soil – on the open and receptive heart - can be greater than anything we could ever imagine. The gospel message will always face extreme and sometimes violent opposition, but the faithful are called to understand that the “birds” and “rocks” and “thorns” that come against faith have not only been defeated, they have been sentenced to destruction! And the harvest of the faithful will exceed all of our efforts – the thirty, sixty and hundred fold increase that Jesus speaks about will be the result of each of our efforts, as long as we remain faithful to the Lord’s call on us.

Ephesians 2:21-22 – “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you to are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

Colossians 2:6-7 – “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

The “Building Up” in Christ requires that we sow the seeds of faith as far, as plentifully, as lovingly, as faithfully as we possibly can. Will we experience problems in the sowing? Of course, but we have to remember that our call is not in the Building UP – we are simply the ones who are to sow the seeds of faith. And when we do our job, the Holy Spirit can do all the rest. But conversely, if we don’t sow, the “Building Up” will never happen.

Read Mark 4:9-12

Our District Committee on Evangelism is preparing to offer opportunities this fall to help us in our sowing, and I pray that each and every member of our congregation will attend, and learn, and enthusiastically pick up their bag of seeds, and head into the mission field. That is the Lord’s call on our church – are you ready?

Then what are you waiting for?