Sermon 

Series: The Stories Jesus Told  #1

Stories From the Farm.
 
Faith Not… Expectations

• "Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." -- Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949
• "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." -- Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943
• "640K of memory ought to be enough for anybody." -- Bill Gates, 1981
• "I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." -- The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957
• "But what ... is it good for?" -- Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip."This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us," – Western Union internal memo, 1876
• "The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" -- David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.
• Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy," -- Drillers whom Edwin L.
• Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.
• "Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau." -- Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University , 1929.
• "Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value," – Marshall Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy
• "Everything that can be invented has been invented," -- Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, US Office of Patents, 1899.
• "I don't know what use any one could find for a machine that would make copies of documents. It certainly couldn't be a feasible business by itself." -- the head of IBM, refusing to back the idea, forcing the inventor to found Xerox.
• "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in the home." -- Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
  

Text: Mark 4:30-34  
Jesus said, "How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, ³² but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade."
³³ Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand. ³⁴ In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.  
  
Mark 4 :20

²⁰ And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!"
 
      1. Faith begins with the condition of our heart.

    * In the first part of Mark 4 there are four kinds of soil.
          o The footpath
          o The rocky ground
          o The thorns
          o The good soil
    * We often want the easy way out. Good ground is:
          o Tilled. How hard is your heart toward God’s word?
          o Fertilized What other ways are you getting God’s word?
          o Watered With prayer and tears.  When was the last time you agonized over a scripture?
    * People want to say hey that’s your job .
    * I’m just spreading out the seeds.

Luke 17:1-10

One day Jesus said to his disciples, "There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! 2 It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. 3 So watch yourselves!

"If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. 4 Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive."

5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Show us how to increase our faith."
 
6 The Lord answered, "If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,' and it would obey you!

7 "When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, 'Come in and eat with me'? 8 No, he says, 'Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.' 9 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. 10 In the same way, when you obey me you should say, 'We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.'"  

2. Forgiveness unlocks the faith within us.  

    * What does the Mulberry tree represent?
    * It represents the root that can form in our lives if we don’t forgive people.
    * What giant situation are you facing right now in your life?

3. A servants attitude is the key to unlocking faith.  

    * Consider the nature of a servant.
      Servants basically have no rights
      Servants don’t need to be told please
      Servants don’t need to be told thank you
      Servants don’t need an “I’m sorry”
      Servants are used to cleaning up messes whether they’re his or not
      As Jesus said, they simply respond with “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.”

    * Now consider the enormous freedoms we receive by becoming a servant.
      I am free from offense because I don’t demand my rights
      I am free to serve fully  
      I am free to forgive
      I am free from the need of man’s approval
      I am free to get my self-worth from God and who He creates me to be
      I am free to love without distraction

    * If we would but make ourselves the servants of God instead of our selves we would see more results of our faith because we’d be doing God’s work and not our own.

GO Questions