8. What is a “parable?”
para (alongside of) and baleo (to throw)
“To throw alongside of”
9. The purpose of parables
Mark 4:10-11a
And when he was alone, those around him
with the twelve asked him about the
parables. And he said to them, “To you has
been given the secret of the kingdom of
God . . .”
“A truth . . .
“mystery” once concealed to man,
now revealed by God.”
10. The purpose of parables
Mark 4:11b-12
But for those outside everything is in
parables, so that “they “may indeed see
but not perceive, and may indeed hear
but not understand, lest they should turn
and be forgiven.”
12. Mark 4:1-20
- The Parable of the Sower
- The Parable of the Seed
- The Parable of the Soils
13. The Parable of the Soils
Mark 4:1-2
Again he began to teach beside the sea.
And a very large crowd gathered about
him, so that he got into a boat and sat in
it on the sea, and the whole crowd was
beside the sea on the land. And he was
teaching them many things in parables,
and in his teaching he said to them:
14. The Parable of the Soils
Mark 4:3-4
“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to
sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell
along the path, and the birds came and
devoured it.”
15. The Parable of the Soils
Mark 4:5-6
Other seed fell on rocky ground, where
it did not have much soil, and
immediately it sprang up, since it had no
depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it
was scorched, and since it had no root, it
withered away.
16. The Parable of the Soils
Mark 4:7
Other seed fell among thorns, and the
thorns grew up and choked it, and it
yielded no grain.
17. The Parable of the Soils
Mark 8-9
And other seeds fell into good soil and
produced grain, growing up and
increasing and yielding thirtyfold and
sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he
said, “He who has ears to hear, let him
hear.”
18. The Parable of the Soils
Mark 4:3 “Listen!”
Mark 4:9 “He who has ears to
hear, let him hear.”
19. The Parable of the Soils
Hard soil Shallow Infested Good soil
soil soil
Seed Seed Seed Seed
snatched grows, crowded produces
away withers; out bountiful
no deep harvest
roots
20. The Meaning of the Parable
Mark 4:14
The sower sows the word.
21. “For as the rain and the snow come
down from heaven and do not return
there but water the earth, making it
bring forth and sprout, giving seed to
the sower and bread to the eater, so
shall my word be that goes out from my
mouth; it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I
purpose, and shall succeed in the thing
for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)
22. Responses of the heart to
the seed of God’s Word
Hard soil Shallow Infested Good soil
soil soil
Seed Seed Seed Seed
snatched grows, crowded produces
away withers; out bountiful
no deep harvest
roots
23. The Hard Soil . . .
Mark 4:15
And these are the ones along the path,
where the word is sown: when they hear,
Satan immediately comes and takes
away the word that is sown in them.
The hard heart which says, “Not
interested! Not now, not ever!”
24. The Shallow Soil . . .
Mark 4:16-17
And these are the ones sown on rocky
ground: the ones who, when they hear
the word, immediately receive it with
joy. And they have no root in themselves,
but endure for a while; then, when
tribulation or persecution arises on
account of the word, immediately they
fall away.
25. The Shallow Soil . . .
The shallow heart which says,
“Hallelujah! Uh, where’s the exit?”
1 John 2:19
They went out from us, but they were
not of us; for if they had been of us, they
would have continued with us. But they
went out, that it might become plain
that they all are not of us.
26. The Infested Soil . . .
Mark 4:18-19
And others are the ones sown among
thorns. They are those who hear the
word, but the cares of the world and the
deceitfulness of riches and the desires for
other things enter in and choke the word,
and it proves unfruitful.
The crowded heart which says, “Give
me Jesus AND give me the world!”
27. The Infested Soil . . .
Mathew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters, for either
he will hate the one and love the other, or
he will be devoted to the one and despise
the other. You cannot serve God
and money.”
28. The Good Soil . . .
Mark 4:20
But those that were sown on the good
soil are the ones who hear the word and
accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and
sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
The responsive heart which says,
“I have decided to follow Jesus … no
matter what!”
29. Summary of heart responses
The hard heart: “Not interested! Not
now, not ever!”
The shallow heart: “Hallelujah! Uh,
where’s the exit?”
The crowded heart: “Give me Jesus AND
give me the world!”
The responsive heart: “I have decided to
follow Jesus … no matter what!”
30. Today’s Takeaways
1. Don’t let the lack of response (hard
hearts) or inadequate response
(shallow/crowded hearts) to your
“sowing” of the gospel keep you from
“sowing!” And never forget that some
hearts are ready to respond (responsive
hearts). Once the seed is planted, a
bountiful harvest is on the way!
31. Today’s Takeaways
2. As you reflect on the condition of
the soil of your own heart, which is it
most like? The hard soil? The shallow
soil? The infested/crowded soil? The
responsive soil?
33. Today’s Takeaways
First you must understand that every
single one of us need to undergo a
divine heart transplant.
Ephesians 2:1
And you were dead in the trespasses
and sins…
34. Today’s Takeaways
Ezekiel 36:25-26a
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and
you shall be clean from all your
uncleannesses, and from all your
idols I will cleanse you. And I will give
you a new heart, and a new spirit I will
put within you.
35. Today’s Takeaways
Ezekiel 36:26b-27
And I will remove the heart of stone
from your flesh and give you a heart of
flesh. And I will put my Spirit within
you, and cause you to walk in my
statutes and be careful to obey my
rules.
36. Today’s Takeaways
First you must understand that every
single one of us need to undergo a
divine heart transplant.
So come to CHRIST!
“Repent and believe the gospel!”
37. Today’s Takeaways
And then once you receive that new
heart, then you must learn to walk
with God, by getting to know his
Word, and then striving to live his
Word!
