Sunday Sermon – January 18, 2026 – “How does the Kingdom of God grow” – Mark 4:1-20
January 18, 2026
How Does the Kingdom of God Grow?
Mark 4:1-20
January 18, 2026
Dr. Kelly B. Burton
Remember the crowds in Mark’s Gospel? By chapter 4 they have grown to an unmanageable mob who do not care if Jesus eats or sleeps. Jesus’ crowd management was the parable. Parables provide a megaphone allowing God to break through our deafness. They are intended to expose misguided motives and hard hearts. This parable focuses on the soil. The soil characterizes the human heart. Those who listen to God hear Him and His Kingdom grows inside of them. Those who listen and do not hear God because of hard hearts will not understand and be left out of the Kingdom of God.
4:1-9 The Calculated Effort of the Sower Covers Every Corner with His Seed.
Jesus teaches and preaches as tirelessly as the Sower sows his seed.
4:10-13 The Key to Unlocking the Parables is A Faithful Response.
People place themselves inside or outside the Kingdom by the way they respond.
4:14-20 The Kingdom of God Grows Immensely Inside of Those Who Hear.
Sermon Idea: The Kingdom of God expands exponentially inside of those who listen to God’s Word.
