The Magic Seed Luke 4 09/23/2007 Dr. Dane Boyles

The Magic Seed Introduction You can’t help but wonder what’s going on when you read the first 3 chapters of Mark.

The Magic Seed Everyone thinks that Jesus and the disciples are being foolish – the seeds cost too much (everything!) and offer too little. Though the seeds seem so tiny, they become the greatest thing on earth.

The Magic Seed Jesus and the Magic Seed. Why is Jesus so ineffective in making disciples? The one who claims to be Messiah does not seem to be very effective at getting his message across.

The Magic Seed Mark 4 is Christ's commentary on the events of the first three chapters in Mark Why doesn’t everyone respond to Jesus as he wants them to? Jesus explains by telling three parables.

The Magic Seed Be a Good Listener People hear what they want to hear (Mark 4:1-20). Four different kinds of hearers:

The Magic Seed Some are hard-hearted. Some are shallow-hearted. Some are mixed-hearted. Only a few are good-hearted.

The Magic Seed Jesus does two things with this parable. He explains his apparent lack of success—there is bad soil in the world. He tells his disciples to be good soil.

The Magic Seed What kind of hearers are you? 21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?

The Magic Seed 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Magic Seed 24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you-and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” (Mark 4:21-25, NIV)

The Magic Seed Just as light dispels darkness, so Jesus has come to dispel ignorance about the kingdom. The bigger your heart, the more will be poured into it.

The Magic Seed There’s Power in the Word. The magic seed. 26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.

The Magic Seed 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain-first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.

The Magic Seed 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29, NIV)

The Magic Seed When placed in the heart of a good listener, the seed can do marvelous things. Good things come in small packages 30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?

The Magic Seed 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.” (Mark 4:30-32, NIV)

The Magic Seed The seed seems tiny and fragile to accomplish the task. What appears weak and rejected and ineffectual and hopeless has the germ of greatness within it.

The Magic Seed Conclusion Exhortation to be good listeners. What kind of heart do you have? Are you considering carefully what you hear?

The Magic Seed Encouragement that the POWER is in the WORD. Don’t despair in the preaching of God’s word. You are using magic seed. It will produce a crop.

The Magic Seed 38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39, NIV)

The Magic Seed Luke 4 09/23/2007 Dr. Dane Boyles