Jesus says this in Mark 4:13: “Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables?” The Parable of the Sower unlocks all the other parables Jesus taught. Mark 4:3-9: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. ⁴As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. ⁵Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. ⁸Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” ⁹Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

The “Sower” represents Jesus. The soils represent the responses to the gospel. 4 Types of Responses to the Gospel of Jesus:

1. Doubting Listener (4:4, 15) Luke 4:15: “The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away.” Satan is called the “prince of the power of the air.” Satan consumes the seed by making the hearer doubt the claims of the Gospel.

2. Deceived by Emotions (5-6, 16-17) Luke 4:16-17: ^“The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ¹⁷But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.”

Explanation: The enthusiastic, emotional response: “immediately sprang up” as a quick response. This person wants all the BLESSINGS of the gospel but doesn’t want to follow Jesus. They want HEAVEN, FORGIVENESS, and an ABUNDANT life. They do not repent and go back to their old life soon after. They run from Jesus just as fast as they made the decision.

3. Distracted by Stuff (4-7, 18-19) Luke 4:18-19: “The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.”

Thorns: Tough, thistle-bearing weeds that use up the available space, light and water that plants need to live. They love money more than Jesus. One thing different in this false convert is that they have good soil. These people understand the Gospel, have a conviction of sin, and make a decision for Jesus.

4. Legit Commitment to Jesus (8-9, 20)

Luke 4:20: “And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Fertile Soil: He who is with hearts to hear, let him hear. Jesus is telling the crowd to be attentive and discern what the story means. Good soil represents a LEGIT Christ-follower. Surrender and willingness

(1) Which type of soil best represent your heart? (2) If not the good soil, would you come to Jesus today and have Him change your heart

Element of Fun: The students played the game, "Is it Really in the Bible? ” It was a fun game to watch at all campuses!

Music: Not Ashamed, Search My Heart, Your Love Never Fails, With Everything.

Favorite Moment: Celebrating student beginning a relationship with God and for those who are going to be baptized!

What’s Next: We will begin a series called, "Home Improvement" in November.

To watch any of the series messages, check out the vimeo page

joshrobinson

October 21, 2013

Culture, Leadership, Ministry, Theology

Source SM Recap: Volume #51

joshrobinson

October 21, 2013

Culture, Leadership, Ministry, Theology

Series: Legit Week 1 – “Christ IN Me” The Word: Mark 1:15-17, Isaiah 53:5, 2 Corinthians 5:17-20. Main Thought: Jesus is not asking to be an addition to your life; He is asking to be your life.

Message Explanation: We are excited to kickoff a new series called, “LEGIT!” Legit. Real. Authentic. Christ-follower. Over the next few weeks we will talk about how do I know I am a LEGITIMATE child of God? Is my relationship with God real?

What does it mean to be legitimate?

Legitimate means, “having full rights and obligations by birth, being exactly as purposed, principle of hereditary right.”

We usually equate a LEGIT Christ-follower these ways:

- I was born in a “Christian” family. - I was baptized or went through confirmation. - Going to church makes you a Christian. (Garage doesn’t make you a car). - What you believe is what makes you a Christian. For others it is about how we “behave” that makes us a Christian. - Living a good life makes you a Christian.

Mark 1:15-17: “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”¹⁶One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. ¹⁷Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

The first part of the gospel of Jesus isn’t “Love” or “Grace” but it begins with “Repent.” The next thing Jesus says as the book of Mark begins is this: “Repent.” When Jesus said to repent, He meant for people to stop, to make a 180-degree change in the way they were living in order to embrace a new way of living.

1. Repentance is the first step to become a LEGIT Christ-Follower

Luke 13:5: ^“No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”

We are helpless apart from the grace of Jesus. Because of what Jesus did FOR us, we have the opportunity to TURN to Him. Repentance helps us understand what Jesus did on the cross as PERSONAL.

Isaiah 53:3-5: “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.”

2. Salvation is given by God and not earned by us.

Ephesians 2:8-9: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.⁹Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

Ephesians 2:13: "But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ"

Romans 5:6-8: ^“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.⁷Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. ⁸But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 3. Jesus is not asking to be an addition to your life; He is asking to be your life.

To be “in Christ” means that we have accepted His sacrifice as a payment for our own sin. On our sin list, He has forgiven all of our attitudes, thoughts and actions. When Jesus came, He showed up asking people to change direction, asking people to stop heading in the direction they were already moving, in order to make a turn, a 180-degree turn.

What is keeping you from a wholehearted commitment to becoming a LEGIT Christ-follower? To truly follow Christ means He has become everything to us.

Element of Fun: The students played the game, .” It was a fun game to watch at all campuses!

Music: We Unite, Running, Forever Reign, Break Every Chain

Favorite Moment: Listening to small groups and two students receiving Christ and more wanting to follow in baptism!

What’s Next: We continue the "Legit" series as we talk about the big idea that true Christ-followers will change.

To watch any of the series messages, check out the vimeo page