When You Do Good Things and Nothing Happens

The Orchard Church - Pastor Nathan J Norman
delivered on March 18, 2012

Mark 4:1-25
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Parable of the Sower
1 Again He began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around Him. So He got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was on the shore facing the sea.
2 He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them:
3 “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.
4 As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it sprang up right away, since it didn’t have deep soil.
6 When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn’t have a root, it withered.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce a crop.
8 Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”
9 Then He said, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!”
Why Jesus Used Parables
10 When He was alone with the Twelve, those who were around Him asked Him about the parables.
11 He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables
12 so that they may look and look, yet not perceive; they may listen and listen,
yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back—
and be forgiven.”
The Parable of the Sower Explained
13 Then He said to them: “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables?
14 The sower sows the word.
15 These are the ones along the path where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them.
16 And these are[e] the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.
17 But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble.
18 Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word,
19 but the worries of this age, the seduction of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20 But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word, welcome it, and produce a crop: 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”
Using Your Light
21 He also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand?
22 For nothing is concealed except to be revealed, and nothing hidden except to come to light.
23 If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!”
24 Then He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use, it will be measured and added to you.
25 For to the one who has, it will be given, and from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.”