“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” Mark 4:3-8
Today we’re going to finish up Mark 4 by looking at the fourth response. You can find the last 3 month’s newsletters here discussing the first, second and third responses.
Fourth Response: Those who live the gospel as a part of who they are
- The last type of response is to “hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” v. 20
- This is what all Christians should strive for: to make the Gospel message such a deep part of our lives that it is part of our core identity and affects everything we do. Then our lives will produce fruit for the Kingdom.
- An example of this level of intimacy to look at from scripture is David. David was honest with God (Ps. 109), he developed trust in God (I Sam. 24), became responsive to heart of God (Acts 13), and then served God’s purpose (Acts 13:36).
Hopefully reviewing this parable over the last several months has helped you examine your own life and see where you are personally. Don’t be content to stay where you are. Always seek a deeper relationship with the Lord and seek to help those around you deepen their faith.
