Jesus taught parables to His disciples regarding how the Kingdom of God would grow. As His disciples, we should continue to do our part and watch God cause the growth.
Mark 4:21-34
21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
Shine the Light (Mark 4:21-25)
- The gospel isn’t a secret to be kept.
- The light that is covered up is the one that is snuffed out.
- The amount of Kingdom opportunities you receive is proportional to what you do with the ones you already have.
Throw the Seed (Mark 4:26-29)
- Before we can experience the growth and the harvest, someone has to first scatter the seed.
- Authentic Kingdom growth is not something we can attribute to our personal skills or corporate strategies.
- The nature of discipleship usually consists of steady growth rather than drastic results.
Expect the Growth (Mark 4:30-34)
- We cannot fathom the contrast between the meager beginning of the Church and the mighty culmination of the Kingdom.
- The Kingdom of God will grow significantly through insignificant people.
- Jesus preached and practiced the need for making disciples through intentional relationships.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
