Episode 24S48 Mark 4:1-20 with mini-lesson the 5 Min Apologetics ( 12/08/2024 written by Dr. Kip Wehrman)
I want to start with something a little different today. I’m going to call this 5 minute with Dr. Kip. Christian Apologetics
This is a pyramid. Each level builds on the other. I view I Christian Worldview this way. Four primary levels. Truth, God, Bible and Jesus.
I every conversation and every encounter, we, as Christians, need to be aware what level our audience is at in their lives.
This used to be a lot easier in the US and Philippines. Most people Believed in God and thought the Bible was a reliable source of knowledge. Sadly, none of us live in a culture like that anymore.
Even people who claim to be Christian, question the reliability of the Bible, its story. Its wisdom. Some even begin to think all religions are the same. That’s called universalism.
Even worse, in our cultures people challenge if there is any thing as truth.
So the first things we need to do is figure out where on this pyramid we are. If you are not sure, please contact me and we can figure it out together. Once we do then we can talk about the evidence we can use to have confidence in our faith in God. We have lots of evidence.
If you are confident in your faith, now you’re ready to help others. We are not trying to trick them or coerce them. We are genuinely trying to help them by answering their doubts and questions in an understandable way. We provide them with evidence for the specific questions they have.
So when someone asked you a question or gives you a critique about Christians or Christianity. We need to determine what the real question is. We don’t need to address issue of God’s Character with people that don’t believe in God. We need to show God is real first. We don’t address is God real, if they don’t believe they can determine what truth is. We have to start with truth.
So how do we do this. We ask questions. A model question might be, something like this.
Do you Believe in the God of the Bible? If they say yes, then we can address their doubts and questions directly with the Bible as our basis.
If they say no, then our follow up would be. Okay, what part don’t you believe.
Now we know their point of view. We can even probe further with. Well do you believe in truth or absolute objective truth. Now we know for sure. Should we be talking about Truth or God or the Bible, before we address their critique about Christians
Now we know the real question, so we can lead the conversation toward the right evidence to address the real doubts. Next time we will show you a couple examples and which lessons we have already shared that could help.
So that is our first 5 min Apologetics
Let’s Pray
Today I want to give you a quick summary of what we have studied in Mark so far. Mark 1 was John the Baptist, the Baptism of Jesus and the Temptation of Jesus. Mark 2 was the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry in Galilee. The First disciples and miracles. Mark 3 we had more miracles, the twelve are selected, and Jesus ends chapter 3 with more miracles and the unpardonable sin. Jesus has gone from astonishing everyone, to the religious leaders accusing Him of using the powers of Satan. Now in Chapter 4, Jesus is going to show us a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God is like with several parables. These are some of my very favorite teachings of Jesus.
Let’s listen or Read Mark Chapter 4
Let’s take a closer look at Mark 4. Last week we ended with the teachers of the law accusing Jesus of working miracles by the power of Beelzebub or Satan.
Now we can’t be sure where the events in chapter 4 take place other than it is somewhere around the sea of Galilee. Probably near Capernaum. That was the last location given to us way back in the beginning of Mark 2.
Mark 4:1-2 (NIV) 1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:
The crowds have gotten so big, now Jesus is teaching from a boat. If you are not familiar with the sea of Galilee, the beach in many areas is rocky and there are cliffs or steep slopes near the seashore. There was probably a huge crowd of people possibly a thousand or more people crowded along the seashore. Jesus is in a boat just offshore. This is perfect natural amphitheater. God is truly in control of everything. Perfect place, now the perfect message. This is probably my favorite parables of Jesus and it is also found in Matthew 13.
Mark 4:3-8 (NIV) 3“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
I really love this parable, it is sometimes called the parable of the soils or parable of the sower. What we know is this is about four groups or soil types. “on the path”, “rocky”, “thorns”, and “fertile” soils. Different conditions for growth and maturity. I don’t really have to say anything more about this because Jesus is going to explain it in just a couple verses. So, let’s just continue
Mark 4:9-12 (NIV) 9Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” 10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that, “ ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’ ”
It used to bother me that Jesus would teach using parables instead of just using plain language. It turns out there are many reasons Jesus did this. First, God does not want to overwhelm our freewill. He wants us to have a choice. If Jesus showed His full glory or let the demon speaks or told plain language teaching. Then no one could ignore the very real fact Jesus was God in the flesh. But God wants us to choose Him, not be forced into service against our will.
Second, stories are probably the most effective way to teach. Good teachers use lots of real world examples to make their points. Stories are also easier to remember. They make us think and ponder and that sets the ideas in our memories.
God knows best.
Jesus says if you want to hear then hear. Or in His words, he who has ears to hear, let him hear. Jesus also explains why He is teaching in parables. This is a quote from
Isaiah 6:9-10 (NIV) 9He said, “Go and tell this people: “ ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ 10Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
This passage from Isaiah has a vision of God on his throne. Isaiah knows he is unworthy to be in the presents of God and verse Isaiah 6:5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
One of the Seraphim take a burning coal from the altar of God and touch it to Isaiah’s tongue to take away his guilt. Then God asks who shall I send. Isaiah says, send me. Then God says this verse to Isaiah, that the people are not going to listen. In fact, God is just going to let them but God is still sending Isaiah to warn them.
Now Jesus is using this same passage to help the disciples understand. God does not want to overwhelm the people’s freewill but those that want to know will make the effort to understand. God also knows that most people won’t listen and hear what Jesus has to say.
Mark 4:13-20 (NIV) 13Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
I’m so thankful to Jesus for giving us a very clear understanding of this amazing parable. Four kinds of people. Those that don’t believe and satan takes it away from them, and three groups that do believe.
The second group receives with joy, believes and then the problems of this world take that joy away because they don’t have a root in themselves. Every new believers starts without roots in themselves. These people probably don’t have other Christians around them to support them or they don’t seek other believers to help them grow and learn more about Jesus. And sadly they loose their love for Jesus. I have heard some pastors say this group was insincere believers or maybe not real believers. I don’t know where they get that idea. The Bible does not say that. The Bible clearly says they receive with joy. That is believing sincerely. They just give up on it when it gets tough and walk away from that joy they had. The Bible has a word for these people, it is Apostate or those who believe with joy then they turn away from that faith. They believed and had faith, then they don’t believe and have left that faith. This is a description of Apostasy.
The third group believes but then the worries of this world and wealth deceive them and they are unfruitful. They are tempted and give in to those temptations. Again, they probably don’t have other Christians around them supporting them when they face trials and temptation. Or these people might just choose to walk away from their faith because they are choosing other things instead of Jesus. There is no reason to doubt their sincerity when they first believed but again they give in to temptations and leave their faith behind. In the book of James, he says that if there is no fruit, then there is no faith. Therefore, no fruit probably no faith or lost faith or at a minimum weak faith. They had faith but there is no evidence that they still have faith. Most likely another group of apostates.
And the last group grows in their faith and is fruitful. These are Christians who commit their lives to Jesus. People that strive to be more and more like our Lord Jesus. They study the Bible, they serve others in the name of Jesus, they do what is right in the sight of our Lord. These are walking talking Children of God. They still make mistakes but their faith is strong and focused on the person of Jesus, not themselves.
I know many groups have other opinions about this. But I just trust what the Bible says, three groups believe but trials and temptation steal it from two groups. But one. The ones who strive to be “little christs” or Christians are fruitful. Fruit is evidence of our faith. In fact, Jesus says in the Vinedresser parable (Matthew 21:33-46), that branches that are not fruitful will be cut-off and cast-out. I don’t want that to be me or you. Jesus commands us to do things, we should be doing them. This is not works based salvation. Salvation is a free gift to those who follow King Jesus. What people call works are the things Jesus has commanded us to do. We serve the King because He is the King, not because of what we think He’s going to give us. Those efforts will result in fruit, which is other people. When we show Jesus to people and serve them in the name of Jesus, that points them to Jesus. We do this in our ordinary lives, at the store, at school, in our jobs. We live our lives the way Jesus wants us to which points to Jesus. When we do this, people can see the difference. If people don’t know you are a Christian, then you are probably not honoring God with your life. This does not have to be Church work, its all work, all activities, all the time. Living the right way, the best life now in every situation. And when others turn their life over to Jesus because of what they have seen in you, then that’s fruit. When we help, others are watching. We are called to be different, different in way that points to Jesus. The best way. God’s bigger, better plan for us.
Let’s close and pray.
Let’s review.
1) the Seed? The seed is the word of God. When we spread God’s word, many hear but how they receive it is very different.
2) Soils? The different soils are different ways people received God’s word. Some dismiss it and satan takes it away, others all receive the good news and believe. Sadly some fall away from faith when they are faced with troubles in this life. Others are not fruitful because they are deceived by the things of this world, riches, desires. But one group grows in their relationship with Jesus. They serve others and they are very fruitful for the kingdom of God
3) Parables? Why parables? It does not make sense to us. We say, why would Jesus not want everyone to accept him and understand his teachings. Well, Jesus does want everyone to understand and accept who He is. But, there is always a but… God wants us to want to know Jesus, God does not want to overwhelm us into submission. He wants willing disciples, not obligated service.
4) Lamp, measures, seeds? The kingdom of God is like a seed or a mustard seed. The word of God is a light to the world, how we judge others is the standard we will be judged by. These are amazing life principles. Jesus is teaching us the best way to live and why it’s the best way to live. Life in the kingdom of God.
Let me leave you with this today. Jesus teaches in stories or parables so He won’t overwhelm our will. God is giving us a choice.
Choose wisely.
Stories are easy to remember, so we can apply the wisdom to our lives. The 4 groups of people represented by the four soils are us. We have a choice, but only one of those choices leads to a satisfying fruitful life. Not based on the world’s standards but based on God’s Bigger, better plan.
Jesus is telling a truth we better hear clearly. Many hear and many believe but not all that hear and believe become fruitful. You have to be a true follower of Jesus to be fruitful. If we don’t follow Jesus and do the things Jesus wants us to do, then we miss the satisfying life God wants for us. A life of service to others in the name of Jesus.
If you are struggling with something, trials and troubles or temptations or doubts or questions. Let me know. Or let your pastor, or Joy or Judy know. We want to help you. We don’t have all the answers, but we know who does. God. You are not alone. There are people who care about you and love you. I’m one of those.
I would like you to get into groups and go through the questions. You can talk about he 5 min Apologetics or the Gospel lesson or both.
Don’t forget to do your homework for next week. Read Mark Chapter 4:21-41. See you next week.
Before we end. I want you to watch the music video. Thank you and God’s Blessings.
