Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet

The Kingdom of God

Bryan Schneider · October 29, 2022

Mark 4:21-34

sharonrpc.org/sermons/the-kingdom-of-god

Summary

Jesus' parables reveal the kingdom to those given ears to hear while also exposing the accountability of those who resist his word.
The lamp may appear hidden for a time, but God's revelation and the good news of Christ are meant to be brought into the light.
Jesus' warning about the measure calls hearers to receive his word carefully: faithful hearing brings further understanding, while rejection ends in loss.
The seed grows while the farmer sleeps and rises without understanding its hidden process, teaching dependence on God rather than confidence in technique.
The coming harvest assures both the completion of God's kingdom work and the certainty of final judgment.
Like a mustard seed, the kingdom begins in apparent insignificance but grows beyond expectation and extends shelter to the nations.
God's sovereign work never excuses passivity; the church sows the gospel widely, prays for the kingdom's advance, and trusts the Lord to give growth.

Am I listening to Jesus with humble dependence on the Spirit, or treating his Word as something I can master unaided?
What does the way I measure and receive God's Word reveal about the posture of my heart?
Have I confused slow or hidden growth with the absence of God's kingdom work?
Where am I tempted to trust methods, personality, or pressure to produce what only God can grow?
Does the certainty of the harvest make me both hopeful about mission and sober about judgment?
Am I withholding the gospel because I have tried to decide beforehand who is likely to receive it?
How can I pray, speak, give, and serve this week in confidence that Christ is building his kingdom?

Kingdom of God: God's saving reign revealed in Christ, advancing through his Word and moving toward its public completion.
Parable: A comparison drawn from ordinary life that reveals kingdom truth to receptive hearers and leaves resistant hearers accountable.
Illumination: The Holy Spirit's work enabling hearers to understand and receive the truth revealed in Scripture.
Sowing: The church's work of proclaiming the gospel broadly without controlling which hearers will receive it.
Growth: The hidden yet certain work God produces from the seed of his Word in people and across the world.
Harvest: The appointed completion of kingdom growth, carrying both ingathering and the solemn prospect of judgment.