Transcript:
Many evangelicals look at all the Christian activity in our society and conclude great things are happening. Thousands of churches, particularly mega-churches, are growing and expanding. Christian radio stations, television networks, and internet websites are broadcasting the good news around the clock. Contemporary Christian Music is popular. The Christian publishing industry produces massive numbers of Bibles and devotionals every year at a low cost. Missionaries are traveling to all corners of the globe, translating the Bible and telling people about Jesus. It is assumed that all this activity is bearing fruit.
However, just because there is action, does not mean the action is producing positive results. The truth is Christianity is losing influence in our society and one of the parables of Jesus explains why.
Jesus told a parable about a sower sowing seed. Some seed fell beside the road and was eaten by birds. Others fell on rocky soil and withered soon after it sprouted. The seed that fell among thorns was choked by the thorns. Only the seed that fell on good soil produced a good crop. The disciples did not grasp the meaning of the parable and asked Jesus to explain it. Jesus’ explanation started in verse 14.
Mark 4:14 The sower sows the word.
Just as a sower spreads seed, so too contemporary evangelicalism is broadcasting Christian content around the clock using multiple methods and platforms.
Mark 4:15 And these are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
When seed falls beside the road, it never sprouts because the birds eat it first. Christian media is broadcasting Christian messages, but that doesn’t mean anyone is listening. A Christian radio station may spread the truth all night long, but if no one is tuned in, no one hears the message. A Christian website might have great content, but if no one visits the site, the content doesn’t help anyone. Evangelicals assume it is great to have an abundance of Christian media, but much Christian media is unfruitful because no one actually pays any attention to it.
Mark 4:16 And in a similar way, these are the ones being sown on the rocky places: those who, when hearing the word, immediately receive it with joy;
Mark 4:17 and they have no root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.
When seed falls on rocky ground, it will sprout, but without soil it will soon whither. Many people are lured in by the glitz and glamour of Contemporary Christian Music or the fancy productions of large churches. However, both of those are big on production quality, but very low on substance. People who only get Christian messages from those outlets embrace Christianity with enthusiasm, but when life gets tough their joy soon fades and they easily leave Christianity because they never had any depth.
Mark 4:18 And others are those being sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,
Mark 4:19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for anything else enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Seed that falls among thorns will sprout, but the thorns use up all the nourishment from the soil and block out the sun, with the result that the good seed does not have enough of either and does not bear fruit. Many people who listen to the message being broadcast by evangelicalism also listen to the message being broadcast by secularists. The greed and priorities of the world are more enticing than the morality and self-sacrifice of Christianity. Many so-called Christians do not bear fruit because they never actually adopt a Christian mindset.
Mark 4:20 And those are the ones which were sown on the good soil: they who hear the word and accept it and are bearing fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
Seed that falls in good soil has enough nutrients and moisture to produce a good crop. People who hear the truth of the Bible and accept it, giving priority to Jesus above everything else, are the ones who actually produce Christian fruit.
Evangelicals look at all the activity in evangelicalism and assume great things are happening. However, Christianity is losing influence in our society because the number of people who actually have a Christian world view is very small.
Mark 4:21 ¶ And He was saying to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be put on the lampstand?
The purpose of a lamp is to light a room. Christians should light the world with truth, but that can only happen if the light of Christianity actually penetrates through all the noise and haze being produced by the world.
Mark 4:22 For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light.
Mark 4:23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Mark 4:24 And He was saying to them, “Beware what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you.
Mark 4:25 For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”
Mark 4:26 ¶ And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;
Mark 4:27 and he sleeps and rises, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know.
Mark 4:28 The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.
Mark 4:29 But when the grain is ripe, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
A farmer has to take action to sow seed, and he can water the seed and remove weeds, but he can’t actually make the seed grow. All he can do is watch the crop grow. Once the crop matures, then he needs to act again and harvest the crop.
Christians must share the gospel and proclaim the truth about Jesus. However, we can’t make people accept the truth. What people do with the truth inside their heart and mind is beyond our control. All we can do is be there when someone decides to become a believer and is ready to mature in the Christian faith.
Mark 4:30 ¶ And He was saying, “How shall we compare the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?
Mark 4:31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smallest of all the seeds that are upon the soil,
Mark 4:32 yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes largest of all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE.”
Christianity started with one man, Jesus. Jesus discipled the twelve. The twelve created disciples, who created disciple-making disciples. That has been happening for 2,000 years. Now the number of Christians from all centuries who will spend eternity in heaven is beyond our ability to count.
Mark 4:33 ¶ And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear it;
Mark 4:34 and He was not speaking to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.
Mark 4:35 ¶ And on that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.”
Many evangelicals look at all the Christian activity in our society and conclude great things are happening. There is a multitude of churches and Christian media personalities and outlets producing religious content. However, just because there is action, does not mean the action is producing positive results. The truth is Christianity is losing influence in our society.
Much of the Christian content is broadcast, but never consumed. A lot of the content that is consumed is shallow so those who consume it never become mature Christians and soon abandon church. Many so-called Christians are influenced by the world just as much as by the truth of the Bible, so they have more of a secular world view than a Christian world view.
If a farmer wants to harvest a good crop, he has to take care to sow the seed in good soil. If Christians want to influence the world, we need to stop proclaiming shallow messages and preach substantive, truthful messages instead. Then we need to create an environment in our churches where the truth of the Bible and a Biblical world view is valued more than secular entertainment and a secular world view.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”
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