The Condition of the Heart
Mark 4:1-9
Was there a problem with the seed or was the problem, the condition of the soil?
-the problem is not the truth of the Word of God but the problem we face is the condition of our hearts and the hearts of men.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Matthew 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
There are four different types of soil that we see here in this parable.
Vs. 4
1. Some seed fell by the wayside.
What kind of soil is the wayside?
-hard compacted dirt.
-unprepared soil.
What happened to this seed?
-the birds ate it because there was no way for it to penetrate the soil
Vs. 5-6
2. Some fell on stony ground.
What is different about the stony ground verses the wayside?
-there was some soft dirt but it was so shallow that the roots could
not go very deep.
What happened to this seed?
-it started to grow immediately but it withered and died because
there was no place for the roots to grow.
Vs. 7
3. Some fell among thorns.
What is different about this kink of soil verses the soil of the wayside and
the stony ground?
-this was good ground but it was abandoned.
-it was overtaken by thorns and briers and there was no place for
the good seed to flourish and grow.
What happened to this seed?
-it was choked out by the thorns and could not bring forth fruit.
Vs. 8
4. Some fell on good ground.
What was different about the good ground?
-it was prepared and ready for seed.
-the soil was soft.
-there was place for the roots to grow.
-the soil could absorb moisture.
-it was free from obstructions such as rocks.
-it was free from thorns.
What happened to this seed?
-It grew into a strong, healthy plant that produced good fruit.
What kind of soil are you?
The problem here was not the seed or the sower but the condition of the soil.
We have the same problem today:
We have the truth of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit that ministers to our hearts but stumble and fall because the soil of our heart is such that Truth cannot take root and grow.
What did Jesus mean by this parable?
Mark 4:13-20
Vs. 14
The sower soweth the Word of God.
Vs. 15
Those by the wayside only received the Word for a moment but then Satan comes and takes it away so that it has no life changing affect on their life.
Vs. 16-17
Those of the stony ground:
-they hear the Word and receive it with gladness but there is no place for
the roots to grow.
-they endure for a time but when they face hardship or persecution, they
are offended and they stumble and fall and forsake following God.
Vs. 18-19
Those of the thorny ground:
-they also hear the Word but…..
……the cares of life…..the deceitfulness of riches……and the lust of the
flesh choke out the Word of God so that they become unfruitful.
Vs. 20
Those of the good ground:
-they hear the Word and apply it!
-the word of God becomes a part of their daily diet and walk.
-And they receive the Word, it takes root, and they are very fruitful.
What kind of soil brings the most Glory to God?
Jeremiah 4:3 ¶ For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Joshua 24:15 ¶ And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Where is your treasure?
Mt 6:19 ¶ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.