Nobody Knows How, but It Grows
[26] And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. [27] He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. [28] The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. [29] But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Mark 4:26–29 ESV Read More
One of the most simple truths about the Gospel comes out in this parable. It grows in people, and we don’t know how. I heard a guy say once that growing in the Word is like going to sleep. Nobody actually makes themselves go to sleep, it’s more of something that happens after you set up a few things and then let it happen. As you set up the Word, it works its way into a person’s life (as they respond to it) and then they are changed.
Niel Cole, the author of Organic Church, said that sometimes Gospel movements spread without us even noticing. After years of conversations, somebody sneezes, another person says, “God bless you,” and then other people answer “What must I do to be saved?”
There was a Muslim man in North Africa that welcomed a new neighbor from America that he had never met into his house. After a little while, the man said, “Go ahead, lead me to Jesus.” The new neighbor was shocked. He hadn’t said anything about Jesus, but went ahead and told the man about the salvation that Jesus brings. The Muslim man became a Christian at that moment. When asked later about his strange statement, the man said, “In my dream last night, Jesus appeared to me, introduced me to you, and told me that you would teach me how to follow Him to everlasting life. Today when I saw you come from the airport, I was so excited. I knew you would lead me to Jesus.”
Seed is scattered whenever we spread it. If we talk about the Gospel to our kids in the grocery line, the other people in line are overhearing our conversation. When two guys sit down for lunch with Bibles and have an awesome discussion (and leave a realistic tip!) the waitress and the host see it all. When we talk about our life and things we discover to our co-workers, without judgment, we set the stage for that conversation they start with, “Do you pray, because I have something I think I need you to pray for…”
Finally, the harvest is the whole point of why that seed is growing. We can be so shy and so timid about telling a stranger about Jesus. The whole point that we have crossed paths with that stranger is so that we can sow a seed or harvest a ripe plant. That is the only reason any of us have any interactions with each other. How does that change your day?! Instead of wondering who is ready to hear about Jesus, or who needs prayer, what if we looked around as if everyone was a seed in the process of growing into a disciple of Christ? Some people might be waiting to sow all kinds of truth and encouragement into you! Somebody else might be like the hair stylist a friend of mine visited a few weeks ago. Upon leaving the salon, she heard the hair stylist cough a little bit and boosted up the courage to ask, “Do you want me to pray for your cough?” The hair stylist said “YES!” really loud and grabbed hands with the people standing close by. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the prayer like healing was going to smack her like a water balloon.
Seed needs sunshine and water and heat and air and good dirt, but we still don’t know how it just grows enough to make one ourselves. Plant, watch, and harvest. The Kingdom of God is happening all around us today.
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