April 6, 2025 Sunday Message: Faith and Fruit - Mark 4:20 By Pastor Chuck Kennedy

Mark 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

There are growth levels in our life of faith

Stages or seasons where we produce Godly fruit in different amounts

Today, we will look at the seed that fell on good soil

The previous verse deals with what happens on soil that Jesus didn't refer to as “good”

Mark 4:2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

Mark 4:3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

Mark 4:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

Mark 4:5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

Mark 4:6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

Mark 4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

Mark 4:8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

Mark 4:9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Mark 4:10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

Mark 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all thesethings are done in parables:

Mark 4:12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

Mark 4:13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

Mark 4:14 The sower soweth the word.

Mark 4:15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

Mark 4:16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

Mark 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

Mark 4:18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Mark 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

The key verse in this

Mark 4:13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

If you do not understand this parable, you will not understand any of them

Each of these examples heard the word each with different results

We will primarily speak on the good soil

The soil is the heart

Luke 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Prov 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Out of the heart you speak

You say what you believe

You act on what you believe

Your heart is the soil on which you grow what you believe

Thus out of your heart comes life’s actions or issues

2Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Are we confessing we love Him?

Do we do what He commands?

Checkpoint if it is your heart speaking or your emotions, or head knowledge

Mark 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Which one are you?

The goal is an hundredfold.

The goal then is to refocus from self to Jesus

To get our eyes off ourselves and onto another…Jesus

John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

John 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

John 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

There are various levels of faith in our Christian walk

I am addressing the good soil Christians today

Those who desire to produce an hundredfold instead of the thirty or sixty

Initial Level:

Matt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matt 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

These come because they hurt and realize by divine revelation they need a change that they cannot do on their own

They are hungry and desire to learn

Their intentions are pure and motives are to surrender to the Lord

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

They are fruit bearers

Another level

Love the Lord but moved by self and what God can do for me

Benefits and recognition

Comes to church when convenient for themselves

Generally stop coming to that church if they do not get their way

Attitude of what can God do to benefit me today, in the name and appearance of serving Him

Easily offended

Walks more by carnal flesh appetite than by faith in the Word of God

Yet still bear fruit, just not as much as they should or could

Matt 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Matt 16:22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

Matt 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Matt 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Matt 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Matt 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Another Level

Religious

Usually have been a Christian for several years at this point

Becomes unteachable, knows more than everyone else

Judges others around them

Attempts to bring into their religious bondage those around them who are free

Set rules and laws based on their perceptions and religious attitudes instead of the love of God

Jas 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

Jas 1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueththerein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Jas 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

Jas 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Another Level in Growth

Develops a one on one personal relationship with the Lord

Loves Him, spends time with Him as most important

Seeks Him, gets to know Him intimately

Self is no longer the main reason for your decisions

Jesus is Lord

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

1John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

1John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

1John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

1John 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Another Level, Hundredfold

His will not mine

Suffer to do His will instead of my comfort or ease

About the father's business

1Pet 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

1Pet 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.