Mark 4:8
Yesterday we posed a question as to what constitutes fruitfulness--seed planted in the good soil. Thanks to those who replied. Leslie, you are right on sister; I'm excited about how God has been challenging you. I didn't realize you had a LIFEgroup going in Tahlequah...that's awesome.
I appreciate the kind words concerning Sunday. It's funny, some seem to have gotten out of it that I was discouraged. That's not what I intended to convey. The fact is, I am quite excited and wanted to do some vision casting. My prayer is that we all will begin seeing with the eyes of Christ the mission field He has placed us in. The question is, "how will we affect it?" I do not have the answer, but believe that it lies not in building up but in stretching out.
Anyway...
The verse we looked at yesterday was part of Jesus' explanation to his disciples about the parable of the sower. The verse today is the parallel verse from the parable itself. The thing about this seed that was lacking in the other seed was three-fold: growing up, increasing, yielding. I guess the reason this is so important to me is that we need to rethink our measure of success (as well as evaluating our own lives in view of Christ). The number of people we pile into a building on Sunday is not the measure. As a matter of fact, just getting people into a building has the potential of giving people a false sense of security. In other words, they may feel they are alright with the Judge just because they are at church. I don't think that is what pleases the Judge, in and of itself. What pleases the Father is the gathering of a Bride for His Son. Rather than being at church it is in being the church.
You must read the rest of the parable and see where the other seed failed in order to really get into this, but it seems, perhaps, that this is what is meant...growing up refers to a strong root system (foundation, below the surface) so as to stand (rather than blow to and fro with every wind and doctrine) against tribulation and persecution; increasing could refer to living by eternal perspective rather than storing up for themselves things on this earth; yielding must refer to the spiritual seed one's life leaves for the Spirit to increase (fruit leaves seeds, right?).
By just looking at these in my devotional time without my Greek N.T. or any other helps, those, perhaps, could be somewhat of an idea concerning the fruitfulness Jesus was talking about. What do you think? Are you coming along in all three areas? Do you think those are necessary areas of life for believers? How would those be measurable in our lives? Should we just stick with Sunday School attendance to measure "success"?
