Mark 4:1-20  Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge.  ² He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:  ³ “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.  ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.  ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.”  ⁹ Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  ¹⁰ When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.  ¹¹ He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables  ¹² so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'”  ¹³ Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?  ¹⁴ The farmer sows the word.  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.  ¹⁶ Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy.  ¹⁷ 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.  ¹⁸ Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word;  ¹⁹ 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.  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.”

I.                   The Nature of the Parable

1. Story that makes a point which calls for a response from the listener
2. Common teaching method for Rabbis.
3. The Sower parable begins a series of parables about the Kingdom of God (v. 11)
4. These parables have a certain element of mystery that need explaining

II.                The Parable of the Sower

1. The Sower sows God’s word
2. Main issue: The differing conditions of the soil affects the seeds ability to grow; represents people’s differing responses to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God; which has come in the person of Jesus Christ

  i.      Group One: Satan steals away the word sown in them; there is never even a chance for growth; now response; Dead Beat Doug

  ii.      Group Two: Rocky soil; initial joy but no foundation; trials cause them to turn away; Teary-eyed Tess and Shallow Sharon

 iii.      Group Three: Thorns; interested in gospel, but more concerned with what the world offers than following Jesus: Worldly Willy

 iv.      Group Four: Good soil; hears the word, accepts; their life is transformed and they bear fruit; Solid Sally and Firm Fred

III.   The Response Jesus Calls Forth: The Kingdom of God is at hand in Jesus Christ; how do you respond to it?

1. Note the emphasis that faith produces fruit (v. 8,20); There is no such thing as a Christian whose life is not transformed by the gospel

IV.              How do we become (or create) the good soil?

1. Seek him humbly- vs. 10 (note that is more than just the twelve)- they take the time to inquire of the parable
2. Analyze your life; set priorities

                  i.      Reading scripture (and other good books to supplement scripture)

                  ii.      Prayer

                  iii.      Fellowship

                 iv.      Service/Outreach

     3.  When you proclaim the kingdom of God, by sharing the good news and love of Jesus (through words and deeds); help create soil to those whom you reach out