VOICE OF THE TEACHER: part 2

Mark 4:1-20
February 15, 2009
with Adam Waters

Introduction
False story of Matt Istnick’s landscaping. Mowing the yard all the way down and just starting over by spreading flower seed: driveway, ditch in the front, last year’s garden/flowerbeds, and the empty yard.

Read: MARK 4:1-20

JESUS…
• 1:15 – “The Kingdom of God is near! Turn from your sins and believe this good news!”
• 4:11 – “You are permitted to understand the secret about the Kingdom of God. But I am using these stories to conceal everything from outsiders.”
• Matthew 13:35 – “I will speak to you in parables. I will explain mysteries hidden since the creation of the world.”
• TODAY, you all become insiders to God’s Kingdom (not heaven). We are given the rite to listen in on God’s heart for his Kingdom through scripture and Jesus’ teaching to his disciples.

THE TEACHER’S VOICE
• Jesus comes and speaks to the crowds using language they would understand.
– Jesus uses simple stories to explain difficult truths.
– Jesus uses the terminology of the day.
– There were no combines, trucks or cell phones.
• Jesus comes and talks to everyone’s heart who is in the audience (refer to Mark 3).
– The Pharisees: questioned healing on the Sabbath, his authority over demons
– The Crowds: 3:9-12, 3:20, 4:1-2
– Judas and his family: 3:19, 3:31-35
– True Disciples: 3:13-19, 3:31-35
• Jesus comes and demands attention even if your response isn’t always perfect.
– The one who brings God’s message.
– Hear the message, but at once it’s gone.
– Hear the message and receive it with joy, but wilt soon.
– Hear the message and accept it, but life happens and they don’t produce fruit.
– Hear the message, accept it and produce!
• Jesus comes and interacts with us in 2009.
– The message of the Kingdom of God is one that has been scattered now for centuries. It is known in almost every corner of our country.
– Crows and CEO’s.
– Shallow soil and Sunday Christians.
– Thorns and The Bottom Line.
– Black Soil and Blackberries.


We must tune our ears to a different station…
· We are going to challenge you to live like what God has to say actually matters!
· If what he is saying matters, then we must change our soil.
· If what he is saying matters, then we must become disciples (Matthew 28).
· If what he is saying matters, then we must make more disciples.