[I’ve adapted this post from a sermon on Mark 4:1\u201320 titled “The Mystery of the Kingdom” that I preached April 2, 2023]<\/p>\n
Jesus is the \u201cfounder of our faith\u201d (Heb 12:2). Jesus is both the savior and the model <\/em>of our faith. He made us his disciples through the cross. And as his disciples, we seek to be with and be like Jesus. We seek to bear fruit just as he did. Thus, discipleship begins at the cross, and the heart of a disciple bears much fruit. What then does the heart of a disciple, the fruit bearing heart, look like?<\/p>\n In Mark 4:1\u201320, Jesus tells the parable of a sower and four different types of soils: (1) the path, (2) the rocky soil, (2) the thorny soil, and (4) the good soil. The sower sows the word of God and the different soils represent those who hear this word (Mark 4:14\u201320). The condition of the soil, that is, the condition of the hearts of those who hear, ultimately determines how the word is received and if it will produce fruit. While there are four different types of soils or hearts in the parable, there are really only two categories: hearts that do not produce fruit (the path, the rocky soil, and the thorny soil) and hearts that do produce fruit (good soil). In the heart of a true disciple, the word of God bears fruit (John 15:8). But what is the makeup or nature of this fruit bearing heart? By looking at the nature and condition of the three soils or hearts that do not produce fruit and asking the question, \u201cWhat would be the opposite of this?\u201d, we can determine the nature of good soil. That is, we can discern the defining marks of the heart of a true disciple of Jesus, a heart that bears the fruit of God\u2019s word.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Path<\/u><\/p>\n Mark 4:4\u2014And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.<\/p>\n Mark 4: 15\u2014And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.<\/p>\n The picture of the trodden, hard-packed, impenetrable path is that of the hard-hearted man. He hears the word, and rather than sinking into his heart, it sits on the surface. It never breaks through. Satan easily walks along the paths of this heart and takes up the word. And as a result, there is no fruit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Heart of a Disciple<\/em><\/p>\n What would be the opposite of this?<\/p>\n The heart of a true disciple of Jesus is a soft, tender heart. This heart lowers its defenses when the word is spoken, even if the word confronts deeply held notions, ideals, and values. This heart opens itself up to the truth of the word even if the word exposes sin, selfishness, and pride. The word pierces the heart of a disciple, and the gospel of Jesus sinks in deeply. In that heart, the word of God can bear much fruit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Rocky Soil<\/u><\/p>\n Mark 4:5\u20136\u2014Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.<\/p>\n Mark 4:16\u201317\u2014And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The rocky ground represents those who hear the word of God and joyfully accept it. But the due to the condition and nature of this heart, the gospel doesn\u2019t take deep<\/em> root<\/em>. Rather, the picture here joyful but shallow acceptance. The word is something that accessorizes this hearer\u2019s life. It is helpful. It offers self-improvement. It\u2019s something new and exciting. The hearer intellectually assents to it and enjoys its tight logic. But they only endure for a while.<\/em> This is more literally translated \u201cthey are temporary.\u201d Why are they and the word within them temporary? Because tribulation and persecution arises on account of what? The word. Suddenly the gospel that they enjoyed for its helpfulness is no longer helpful. It doesn\u2019t seem to be leading to self-improvement but harm. Therefore they immediately <\/em>fall away. Once the heat turns up on the hearer on account of the word whether socially, culturally, politically, etc., and they are out. Like a plant with no roots drying out under the scorching heat of the sun, \u00a0the word within this heart withers away when tribulation and persecution mount. And there is no fruit.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The Heart of a Disciple<\/em><\/p>\n What would be the opposite of this?<\/p>\n The heart of a true disciple of Jesus does not shallowly accept the word. For the true disciple, the word, the gospel is not simply a trinket. The heart of a disciple does not see the word as a helpful addition to their life. For the disciple the word is not a therapeutic path to self-improvement. The true disciple does not merely intellectually assent to the word. Rather, the heart of a disciple hides the word deeply within and gives ample room for it to take root. For the disciple, the word is a part of the very fabric of who they are. The heart of a disciple is bound up in union with Jesus and his gospel. Jesus and his gospel are treasured as an identity, not simply admired as a personal accessory. Thus, a true disciple endures through tribulation and persecution on account of the word because it is not just what they have, it is who they are. In that heart, the word of God can bear much fruit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Thorns<\/u><\/p>\n Mark 4:7\u2014 7\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.<\/p>\n Mark 4:18\u201319\u2014And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The thorns are those who hear the word and accept it, only to have it choked by the world. Specifically, these receive the word, but due to three things it never bears fruit: (1) the cares of the world, (2) the deceitfulness of riches, and (3) the desires for other things.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Cares of the World<\/em><\/p>\n In this heart, the word ultimately succumbs to the cares and anxieties of this temporary age. While all hearts battle anxiety to a degree, these anxieties enter into this heart and supplant the word. The key here is that these cares concern \u201cthe world\u201d or \u201cthis temporary age.\u201d This heart seeks to continually vie for and maintain control of all aspects of this age, without looking to God\u2019s sovereignty or the coming age of eternity. This age, this world, ultimately holds sway over the affections of this heart rather than the gospel and God\u2019s eternal kingdom. And it leads to anxieties and cares on all fronts. The cares concerning the things of this world and this earthly life strangle the gospel, and there is no fruit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Deceitfulness of Riches<\/em><\/p>\n How are riches deceptive? Well, the word \u201criches\u201d in Scripture is telling. \u201cRiches\u201d in the NT refers primarily to God and the treasure he offers in Christ rather than to earthly, material wealth (Rom 2:4, 23; 11:12, 33; Eph 1:7; 2:7; 3:8, 16; Phil 4:19; Col 1:27; 2:2\u20133; Heb 11:26; Rev 5:12). Our earthly, material understanding of riches, then, is really a twisted, counterfeit to the real thing. Earthly riches hold out the promise of security and happiness while true security and happiness are found only in the richness of God. The thorny heart embraces the deceitfulness of earthly riches, and the result is the word is choked. And there is no fruit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Desires for Other Things<\/em><\/p>\n Finally, the thorns are the desires, that is, the \u201clusts\u201d the \u201ccravings\u201d for other things. If the first two thorns don\u2019t cover everything, this last one certainly does. It\u2019s a catch-all. This is every Satanic, evil, fleshly, worldly passion that James 1:14\u201315 says gives birth not to fruit of the Spirit, but fruit of the flesh\u2014sin! These desires and lusts override the desire for God\u2019s word, and they choke it out. And there is no fruit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Heart of a Disciple<\/em><\/p>\n What is the opposite of this?<\/p>\n The heart of a disciple desires and embraces God\u2019s sovereign rule over this age. Humility marks the heart of a disciple. When anxieties abound and threaten, this heart lays down it\u2019s pride. As 1 Peter 5:6\u20137 instructs, disciples, \u201chumble themselves under the mighty hand of God.\u201d How? \u201cBy<\/em> casting<\/em> all their anxieties on him.\u201d In that heart, the word of God can bear much fruit.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>The heart of a disciple desires God above worldly riches. The heart of a disciple finds the treasure of the gospel in a field and goes and sells everything to buy that field (Matt 13:44). The heart of a disciple considers reproach and rejection on account of Christ of greater wealth than all the treasure of Egypt. It is a heart that looks to the reward of God in eternity (Heb 11:26). In that heart, the word of God can bear much fruit.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>The heart of a disciple desires God above worldly riches. It desires God above worldly pleasures. The heart of a disciple seeks to \u201cnot gratify the desires of the flesh\u201d (Gal 5:16). It is a heart that has \u201ccrucified the flesh with its passions and desire\u201d (Gal 5:24). It\u2019s a heart that desires nothing more than to \u201cbe with Christ\u201d (Phil 1:23). It\u2019s a heart that desire to be in God\u2019s presence where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). In that heart, the word of God can bear much fruit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Conclusion<\/span><\/p>\n The heart of a disciple is a heart in which the word bears fruit. In that heart the word sinks deeply, hidden and guarded from the enemy, becomes an identity by establishing robust roots to endure, and is embraced, desired, and treasured above all the world has to offer. In that heart, the word bears much fruit. We can only do this because the founder of our faith did it first. As the Living Word, he cherished God\u2019s word and was perfectly obedient to it even unto death. And like a grain of wheat that falls into the earth and dies in order to produce a harvest, Jesus in his death bore abundant fruit (John 12:24). Discipleship begins at the cross, and the heart of a disciple bears much fruit, just as Jesus did. You, Christian, are a part of Christ\u2019s harvest. Let us then follow in the footsteps of the founder of our faith. Let us have the hearts of true disciples that holdfast to the word and bear much fruit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [I’ve adapted this post from a sermon on Mark 4:1\u201320 titled “The Mystery of the Kingdom” that I preached April 2, 2023] Jesus is the \u201cfounder of our faith\u201d (Heb…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,15,24],"tags":[2696,361,410,414,2065,657,706,2695,2693,2694,1125,1126,2698,2697,2699],"class_list":["post-3397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-devotions","category-sermons","tag-bearing-fruit","tag-cross","tag-disciple","tag-discipleship","tag-fruit","tag-gospel","tag-heart","tag-heart-of-a-disciple","tag-mark-41-20","tag-parable","tag-parable-of-the-soils","tag-parable-of-the-sower","tag-seed","tag-soil","tag-word"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3397"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3398,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3397\/revisions\/3398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}