REBC Adult Bible Study - Mark 4

Samuel Farag

Mark • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

Mark 4

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Bible Study at REBC

Notes

Transcript

Introduction - 6:30 pm

Welcome

How are you all?

Any comments on what you read this week?

Any questions?

Opening Prayer

Before we dive into the text...Please join me in prayer before we start

Reading: Mark 4:1-2

Verses 1 & 2: Again 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:

So many came to hear Jesus that He got on a boat and started preaching to the masses.

In His teachings, as we will see throughout this chapter, He predominantly uses parables.

Let’s start by looking at the first parable.

Questions or Comments?

Reading: Mark 4:3-9

Verses 3-9: “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. Other 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. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And 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.”

When Jesus used a parable, He used illustrations that His intended audience would understand.

The population in Isreal had many farmers so this illustration would have been very relevant.

To the hard-hearted, parables are a warning.

To those who are open-hearted, parables illustrate principles of the messianic rule of God.

A parable consists of a story and its corresponding intended message.

These parables, like the one here, can still be confusing without a proper explanation on what this exactly means.

Thankfully, this parable is explained by Jesus in the following section.

Also notice the warning, “having ears to hear.”

This involves surrender of proud self-reliance and submission to God.

Questions or Comments?

Reading: Mark 4:10-20

Verses 10-12: And 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, but 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.’ ”

Jesus had a purpose for His use of parables.

Jesus paraphrases Isaiah 6:9–10 to explain that only those within the kingdom can understand.

Only those with ears can hear.

Only those God chooses to have mercy on can truly understand.

Jesus actually hide the true meaning of His saying as a form of Judgment against His enemies.

Consider what John MacArthur says about parables:

“Parables were a common form of teaching in Judaism...Before this point in His ministry, Jesus had employed many graphic analogies, but their meaning was fairly clear in the context of His teaching. Parables required more explanation and Jesus employed them to obscure the truth from unbelievers while making it clearer to His disciples. For the remainder of His Galilean ministry, He did not speak to the multitudes except in parables.

Jesus’ veiling the truth from unbelievers this way was both an act of judgment and an act of mercy. It was “judgment” because it kept them in the darkness that they loved, but it was “mercy” because they had already rejected the light, so any exposure to more truth would only increase their condemnation.

[Keep in mind,] we are not to think that God blinds them because He somehow delights in their destruction. This judicial blinding may be viewed as an act of mercy, lest their condemnation be increased.”

So, when we understand His truth, the truth in the Bible, it is not because of our knowledge but of His mercy.

Even our understanding comes from Him.

So, we can’t boast.

Verse 13: And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

It is key that we understand exactly what Jesus is talking about here.

Without this, we will not be able to understand the other parables He is about to share.

The same goes for even the difficult sections of the Bible.

We must understand it to understand the Bible as a whole.

Understanding the Old Testament gives us a proper understanding of the New Testament.

Understanding that the Old Testament as a whole points to Jesus gives us a proper understanding of the Old Testament.

Verse 14: The sower sows the word.

This is the faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word.

Verse 15: And 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.

Some people, almost as soon as they hear the Word of God, ignore it’s life saving truths.

Why?

Because Satan comes along and snatches that truth from them.

Remember what the Devil said, “Did God really say?”

He is the Prince of Lies.

He comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

He wants you to doubt God’s Word.

He wants to twist Scripture like what he did when he tempted Jesus.

He wants to tickle your ear.

Verses 16-17: And 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.

Some people, after hearing the Word of God get inspired.

They get excited with religious zeal.

On the outside they look like an authentic new believer.

But they just have a Christian veneer.

They are whitewashed tombs.

They put on a shell of a Christian but are just as dead on the inside.

Everything was fine for them until it got real.

Because tribulation will come.

Persecution will arise.

This is a guarantee for all believers.

Now this is not the routine difficulties and troubles of life, but specifically the suffering, trials, and persecutions which result from one’s association with God’s Word.

But for the fake Christian, they fall away.

They have no firm root.

Because the person’s heart is hard, like the rocky ground, the gospel never takes root in the individual’s soul and never transforms his life—there is only a temporary, surface change.

And then a falling away.

Because as John said, they where never of us from the beginning.

Verses 18-19: And 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.

Some people, after hearing the Word of God are still attached to the world.

They heard God’s Word but are concerned with money.

They are more concerned with worldly desires.

Power, greed, lust, vanity, status, etc.

These desires cannot blend with righteousness.

Even “good” cares can be bad if placed above God like: family, property, and one’s occupation.

The world and it’s cares and the Word of God are against each other.

If the desires in the world are planted in you and you refuse to forsake them, the the Word of God the you hear will be choked out.

Verse 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.”

Some people, don’t just hear the Word, but they accept it.

This accepting of the Word of God produces good fruit.

And this good fruit, as the person grows in sanctification, grows and grows over time.

Consider this:

An average ratio of harvested grain to what had been sown was 8 to 1, with a 10 to 1 ratio considered exceptional.

The yields Jesus refers to (thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold) are like an unbelievable harvest.

So, A true believer is growing in their faith.

They are becoming Christ like and it is apparent to all around.

Questions or Comments?

Reading: Mark 4:21-25

Verse 21: And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?

In other words, can you be transformed by the Gospel and stay silent?

Can you be growing in sanctification and no one take notice?

Can you reflect God’s light in the darkness of the world and it not be seen?

It is not possible.

Verses 22-23: For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

During Christ’s earthly ministry, things are hidden.

But the day will come, from the resurrection on, when all will begin to be revealed.

In particular, the ultimate purpose of His parables is not to conceal God’s light but to display it.

If you are genuine then the light of Christ will shine in you.

If you are of this world, then the light will expose your darkness.

At the end of the day, there is no hiding.

Verses 24-25: And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

So, be discerning of what you hear.

Measure what you hear by the truth found in the Word of God.

The ones who are faithful with the gifts God gives them, will get more from God.

The ones who do little with they have by there own means will soon find they lost even that little.

In other words:

The person who welcomes God’s rule and presence will be given more of God’s intended fruit.

However, the one who depends on his own resources without receiving the word will lose even that.

Questions or Comments?

Reading: Mark 4:26-29

Verses 26-29: And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Fruit for God’s kingdom grows from soil that is hospitable to his Word.

We as believers are to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with all.

It is our responsibility to evangelize, preach and teach the Word of God.

Our responsibility is from our mouth to their ears.

However, God is responsible for taking what goes in the ear and delivering it to the heart.

Just look at where it says “by itself” as this represents without human effort.

It is God and God alone that turns the heart of stone into a heart of flesh.

It is God alone that causes the growth in someone.

Both Salvation and the process of sanctification is of the Lord and not the will of man.

Also, look at where is says, “First the blade, then the ear.”

This goes against the popular expectation at the time of Jesus that God’s kingdom would come suddenly and all at once.

Jesus teaches that the messianic rule of God commences inconspicuously, grows slowly but steadily in the midst of much adversity, and reaches its glorious culmination point at the second coming of Jesus.

Questions or Comments?

Reading: Mark 4:30-34

Verses 30-32: And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

The Kingdom of God is like a seed the grows and expands in good soil.

Who else but believers...

Who else but the church will God use to expand the Kingdom of God?

Even if a group of believers seem small, God can use them to reach the world.

Just look what God did with the apostles.

Verses 33-34: With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

Again we see that God is in control and is sovereign over everything.

This is the reason why Jesus used parables.

Questions or Comments?

Reading: Mark 4:35-41

Verses 35-38: On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

Wind is a common occurrence on that lake, about 690 ft. below sea level and surrounded by hills.

The “windstorm”, in this case, was a storm so severe that it took on the properties of a hurricane.

The disciples, used to being on the lake in the wind, thought this storm would drown them.

So, at the first sign of trouble notice what the disciples do.

Isn’t this the way we act sometimes.

When the storm in our life hits, the first thing we think of is if God cares.

We believe we are not going to survive the storm.

Yet Jesus is asleep for two reasons.

First, Jesus’ sleeping indicates a lack of fear.

Second, Jesus’ sleeping indicates His great fatigue from a day busy day of preaching, teaching, and healing.

So, this serves as a reminder of his true humanity.

Verse 39: And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

“Peace! Be Still!” can also be translated as ““be silent, be muzzled.”

Jesus’ words mirror His response to the unclean spirit at Capernaum in Mark 1.

Jesus shows Himself to have power over both spiritual and elemental forces, demonstrating His divinity.

So, with just a deceleration, the sea obeyed Him immediately.

Why?

Because He is the Creator and God Almighty.

Verse 40: He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Jesus made it clear that when we react in a manner similar to how he disciples acted, we are acting like we have no faith.

If we know God is sovereign and in control why should we fear?

Why are we afraid?

The reality is that we have no good reason to fear if Christ is our Savior.

So when in the midst of the storm, remember who is in control.

Fear not.

And remember the antidote to fear is faith.

Verse 41: And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

“Filled with great fear” can also be rendered, “they became … afraid.”

This was not fear of being harmed by the storm, but a reverence for the supernatural power Jesus had just displayed.

The only thing more terrifying than having a storm outside the boat was having God in the boat!

The fear and reverence they had is similar to when Job interacted with God.

So, the disciples saw first hand the actions of the Creator.

And the answer to their question, “Who then is this?” only has one answer: God.

Only God can command the wind and sea and have authority over nature.

Remember in Mark 1 this was the same reaction of those who witnessed Jesus’ first exorcism.

Consider all Jesus did that proved that He was God:

Jesus has authority on earth to forgive sins.

He is Lord of the Sabbath.

He has authority in His teaching.

He has authority over the demons.

Questions or Comments?

Closing Prayer - 7:30 pm

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