Mark 4
May 5, 2022
“Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge.” (v1)
It’s in the context of a “huge crowd” (v1) that Jesus teaches that those who hear God’s Word will either:
Reject it
Fall away after initially accepting it
Live spiritually unfruitful lives
Receive it and apply it to their lives
According to Jesus’ parable, only 1 out of 4 receive the Word, apply it to their lives, and produce a spiritual crop (v20). This doesn’t seem like a very uplifting parable for a huge gathering of potential recruits. But Jesus wasn’t looking for fans; He was looking for followers. Jesus always preached the truth, even if it meant turning a megachurch of 5,000 into a small group of 12 with one sermon (John 6).
Lord, I praise You for always telling the truth - even when it didn’t tickle ears. Even though You loved everybody, You refused to water down the truth to keep everybody happy. Jesus, I thank You that Trinity is growing. But I pray that You would guard my heart from being enamored with the size of the crowd. Keep me focused on preaching the truth of Your Word - so that it produces true followers, not mere fans.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
