Mark 4:23 talks about the parable of the sower. Jesus then talks about how a ministry can bring forth fruits; which lead us to the question:
How can a church be successful?
A lot of people look at a church’s success indicator in the quantity of the attendees and members. It is more about the fruits that we are producing for the Lord, which includes the number of tracts passed out to people, soul-winning effort, helping individuals to improve on their spiritual walk with Christ etc.
From Mark 4:23-32, we understand that God’s work and His Spiritual Kingdom are not to be compared with the most prestigious architectural buildings in the world like the Eiffel Tower, but simply as mentioned in Mark 4:31; to be compared with a grain of mustard seed.
God’s ministry is actually very small, but it becomes one of the greatest fruits and trees. It all started from that few mustard seeds, and that is exactly what we need to plant in ourselves to order to bear great fruits for the Lord.
Softness
Mark 4:23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
In order to sow the seeds, we need a ground that is soft; which means we need to be receptive towards the right seeds that are given to us. It is all about starting from the bottom, if we have a soft and tender heart to serve God willfully, He will speak to us through the Bible and use us mightily. Don’t be discouraged by the amount and intensity of work we assume ahead of us, it is a process of consistently working our way up.
In contrast, to those of us who think our hearts are hard, and we have not been faithful to God, we are reminded to always repent in the name of Jesus Christ, that through His precious blood, God will allow us to redeem ourselves. God gives a chance to everyone, and we have a free will to choose to do what is righteous in His eyes.
Remember that it will also come with God’s chastisement, knowing God will always use the evil for good as well.
Surrender
Mark 4:24-25 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
Learning to surrender to God is the next big step we need to take, in order for God to continue to shower us with blessings. God will bless us with the same amount if not more, compared to how much we are willing to sacrifice or give it up for Christ’s sake.
There is a difference in knowing something we are willing to give up but it seems difficult because our flesh is weak, versus us making a conscious choice of not being willing to give up. In the former, we can always pray to God for His wisdom to help us go through the process. He loves us enough that as long as our heart is with Him, we can achieve it through Him.
It is important for us to rely on God, especially for Him to help us go through the afflictions in life, knowing that we can’t possibly make it on our own. That is the true definition of surrendering. One possible factor that hinders us from truly surrendering to God is our lack of faith in Him.
A lot of people tend to think that surrendering to God is only reasonable if they can foresee the outcome, or being assured with some sort of beneficial returns. However, surrendering means to take a complete leap of faith, knowing that God will be there to hold onto us no matter what; our simple act of faith is by trusting that God has everything in control, both our eternal soul and our temporary flesh.
Step by Step
Mark 4:26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
Some of our issues and struggles would be to develop our faith in God on a step by step basis. As mentioned, it requires consistency, whether if it’s attending the church, reading the Bible, daily prayer, etc. All of these require step by step effort, whether on a daily basis or even minute by minute. We should not burden ourselves with more than what we can bear, and more importantly, don’t compare ourselves with others unrealistically.
Learn to start small, set realistic goals, and upon achieving them, it will give us more courage and confidence to do more for God. Even if sometimes if it one step forward, two steps back, don’t get demoralized with the backsliding. Just humble ourselves and confess it under the blood, then reset the goal and move forward.
Sickle
Mark 4:29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
This is about fruit harvesting. After having done all the seeds planting and watering, if people do not see any or only a minimal amount of fruits growing from their hard work, they tend to get discouraged as well. Nevertheless, it is not about the quantity, it is about the quality!
Everyone works in a different locality and terrain, equipped with different personalities and strengths, so the types and amount of fruits we bear will be different. We should only be comparing to ourselves, but not to others. Yes, take others as a form of reference, but how much we can or should do should be based on our own capabilities.
Spreading
Mark 4:31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
The worst place we can be in is at the state of contentment thinking that we have done enough for the Lord, it stops us from doing more and achieving more.
This is different from point 3 – step by step where we may lose patience. In the opposite manner, some people may be complacent and taking things too easy, or not willing to go the extra mile when it comes to bearing fruits for the Lord.
Stopping
Mark 4:32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
Any interference from the devil will ruin our progress and work for the Lord, sometimes even our testimonies! Most often when we serve God with fervency and start building great momentum, Satan will seek to destroy that. Mark 4:32 mentions that the fowl to remove the seed that bears fruit, it is all part of Satan’s doing.
So our job is to get rid of the fowl and conquer our fleshliness. Keep in mind that in our daily walk for the Lord, there will be a lot of interference and hurdles that come from the world and Satan, we need to be vigilant and wise enough to remove all of that interference from the adversary.