SERAMPORE COLLEGE: THEOLOGY DEPARTMENT My Senior Sermon in - TopicsExpress

Sanguk Cung

SERAMPORE COLLEGE: THEOLOGY DEPARTMENT My Senior Sermon in seramporecollege.org Theme: What kinds of soil/ground are we? Bible Reading: Mark 4: 1 – 20 Introduction I am proud of Serampore College because of it is famous for variety of Theological teachers but also varies students from different languages( 31 languages),ethic group, cultures and traditions. In the midst of this reality, I want challenge all of us to examine through my sermon theme which is “What kinds of soil/ ground are we? This passage finds Jesus still ministering in the city of Capernaum. Great crowds of people have gathered to hear Him teach the Word of God. This is the first time Jesus would use parables to teach spiritual truth. Parable and Its relevance In this parable, Jesus paints the picture of various soils and how they receive the seed. That means how human received the word of God. (John 1-20). We can divide it into 4 parts. Part 1 (verses 1-2) - Jesus began a new method of teaching – Parable. Part 2 (verses 3-9) - the Parable of a sower sows. Part 3 (verses10-12) -the response to the parable. Part 4 (verses 13- 20) is the meaning of the Parable. When we study Part 1(verse 1 -2): The word ‘large’ in Greek ‘peistos’ meaning ‘very great’ which tells us that people who gathered around Him are so large that they overflowed the Lakeshore, and He was forced into boat and sat there. The verb “Sat” in Greek “Kathemai” means “to sit down”. In the Jews tradition, when someone speaks to the public sharing by sitting is meant “respect other or congregation.” In Myanmar, sharing by “standing” is respecting others. That means Jesus also shows his respect to others. “He began to teach them many things in parables”: The word “Parable” in Greek “parabole” means “a comparison”. That means parable is a new method of Jesus’ teaching. Rev. Dr. Robert S. Rayburn said that the Gospels record some 60 different parables taught by Jesus. Most of them concern the kingdom of God which he illustrated by episodes from everyday life: fishing, farming, house-keeping, weddings, and banquets, etc. Therefore, we can say that Jesus is the master user of the parable because no one had ever used the parable so effectively. In part 2, verses 3 – 9 are about The Parable of sower sows: Here, Jesus told a simple story but its meaning was profound. He said that: “A sower went out to sow. and as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, other seed fell on rocky ground, and other seed fell among thorns, and other seed fell into good soil. All seed in the four kind of ground and bear fruit, but each plant varies in it degree of fruitfulness. This is the significant. Some fruitful plants bear only 30 percent. They are very weak plants, 70 percent unfruitful. Other plants bear 60 percent. That also is weak, being 40 percent unfruitful. There are only a few pants that bear 100 percent of their potential fruit. Here, the “seed” is good, but some “soil” was unprepared to receive it. The “seed” could not penetrate the “soil”. The “seed” could not grow. There could be no life and therefore no fruit could be found. Part 3, Verses 10 – 12 is the response to the parable. Here, Jesus says, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” That is both a challenge and a warning! The Lord is challenging us to look at our hearts today. Examine our life today and see whether or not our life is producing spiritual fruit to the glory of God or not. Some people hear the parable but not with spiritual ear because they are unwilling to receive what is taught into their lives and hearts. How many times we have heard the word of God but quite after we hear only in our ears but not getting it into our heart. Actually, we shut down our minds many a time. For this reason, Jesus said in Matthew 7:6, “God cannot give His pearls to the pigs.” Part 4, the meaning of the parable is given by Jesus himself. Here, Jesus’ emphasis is upon the kind of soil which receives the seed that is the kind of person who receives the word of God. “All four soils” means “all four kinds of person” heard the word, but each received it in a different manner. 1. What is the path’s soil? The path’s soil is an unplowed heart… which results in a hardened life. The person by the path does hear the word of God. He/she is present in the church and respects the preacher and would not miss the service, but he/she is not involved. What happens: before the person believes, the devil comes and snatches the word away. It is taken from the person: the person never applies the word to his life, never really lives sacrificially for Christ. This kind of person is like Judas Iscariot. He is one of the disciples of Jesus. Disciples also can become this kind of people. We, the ministers must be alert. 2. What is the rock’s soil? The rocky soil is a rootless hearer… which results in a superficial life. But he/she fails to court the cost, to consider the commitment and self-denial. He/she does not apply himself to learn Christ; therefore, He/she does not become rooted and grounded. He/she is only a surface and superficial believer. When temptations come, he falls away. Those kinds of people are like Lot’s wife, Job’s wife. They want to be a luxurious life but when temptations came they fall a way. 3. The thorny soil is a worldly heart… which results in a strangled life. This is a person who receives the word and honestly tries to live for Christ. But he/she is another problem: He/she lives a double life. Fruit does appear, but it never ripens. It is never able to be plucked. The thorns choke the life out of it. That kind of people is like the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-23, and Acts 5:1-11, Ananias and sapphira. 4. The fruitful soil is an honest heart… which results in a fruitful life which is a good ending is the people who have an honest and good heart: when they hear the word, they keep it and produce a crop. Let us take some illustration. a. William Carey was a young Christian and shoemaker from England. There are many famous universities such as Oxford, Cambridge University, etc. But William Carey never studied there. The best University for William Carey was himself. He learned Greek, Hebrew and many languages by himself. Finally He translated the Bible in 45 languages and he became the father of Modern Missions. He is like a good soil that produced a fruitful crop that Jesus’ meant. b. Mother Teresa was a simple young nun from Roman Catholic Church but she pained for hopeless, oppressed, the poor and bore the fruitful crop that produced a miracle fruitful crop for Christ. c. David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary to Africa. Although Africa was the Dark Continent, he went and faced many difficulties in his Mission. But finally he was called the explorer of southern and central Africa. His soil produced a fruitful crop for Africa. Conclusion Jesus clearly said in Luke 6:43, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit.” Brothers, sisters and respected teachers, what kinds of fruit do we bear? Every child of God produces fruit in his or her life! If a person lacks spiritual fruit, that person is simply not saved! The Lord is challenging you to look at your heart today. We need to examine ourselves in this morning, what kinds of soil are we? May God Bless us. Sang Uk Cung BD. IV. 6th August 2013.

Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:30:26 +0000

SERAMPORE COLLEGE: THEOLOGY DEPARTMENT My Senior Sermon in - TopicsExpress

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