All in God’s Time
Ecclesiastes 8:9-17; Mark 4:26-29 / Proverbs 11:1-31
I. Farming Illustrates the Gospel
A. Christ approached the farming story from the perspective of the farmer in contrast to the perspective of the seed. “And he said, So is the
B. Human life is fragile like grain, but the new life of the redeemed is eternal. “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” (1 Peter 1:23-25)
II. Farmers Must Be Patient
A. The farmer must wait patiently because seed grows by itself. “And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.” (Mark 4:27)
B. Human wisdom cannot measure the mystery of the growing seed; similarly the progress of the gospel cannot be patented, boxed, and sold. “Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.” (Ecclesiastes 8:17)
C. The gospel works according to its own rules, but it never fails in God’s purpose. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)
D. Believers do not let the unknown shadow the known. “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12)
E. Jesus opened His gospel preaching with the mystery of human birth. “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:7-8)
III. Seed Grows in Its Own Ways
A. The seed matures according to its own nature. “For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.” (Mark 4:28)
B. God’s command is the ultimate explanation for life and growth; reality must obey. “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:11-12)
C. Nothing can stop the progress of the gospel. “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” (Proverbs 4:18)
D. God’s fundamental designs stretch across the full expanse of creation. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
E. The process is beautiful, but it cannot be mastered by human philosophy. “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
IV. Eventually the Harvest Will Mature
A. When God is ready, He will gather His harvest. “But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” (Mark 4:29)
B. Leave the management of the harvest to God; final decisions belong to God rather than to human institutions. “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. ” (Matthew 13:30)
C. God will settle all accounts at the end of the harvest season. “As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.” (Matthew 13:40)
