Developed Before Disclosure | Mark 4:26–29 (CSB)

You've been invited to fellowship with me this morning in the Gospel of Saint Mark. Somebody's hearing that. Saint Mark, chapter number 4. Y'all know who that could possibly be? Just Came to go back down. Y'all cool? I'm cool. Mighty loud noise that took place. I asked because I was thinking maybe it might have been Mommy or somebody, but obviously it's not. So we gonna see who it is. Saint Mark chapter number 4, begin the reading in verse number 26. Word of God reads: Kingdom of God is like this. A man scatters seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day. And the seed sprouts and grows, although he does not know how. The soil produces a crop by itself— first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head. As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sower. Because the harvest has come. You may be seated. We thank God for his word and for the perpetual nature that lies there. For a few moments, this first Sunday, I want to wrestle from the subject developed before this closure. Developed before disclosure. You ever been talking to a baby? Goo goo, ga ga, yes she is, yes he is. We call that baby talk. I love her. I've come to learn and grow from this childhood educator called— I think her name is Miss Rachel. Correct me if I'm wrong, but her name is Miss Rachel. If you have not seen her, I want you to go to YouTube and look up Miss Rachel. Rachel has a way of putting a smile on my face. She is a childhood educator who specializes in helping the communication of toddlers and babies. She has such a soothing voice. Can you say mama? Mama? Mama? And she sings these songs. Now, I understood and I studied studied why does Miss Rachel take this approach in teaching babies how to talk. Because I grew up listening to adults, yes she is. But Miss Rachel has discovered that scientifically that before the baby says mama or dada, she understands that the development does not happen at the initial words. The, the, the, the, the development does not happen when the baby first starts talking, but the baby's first words are a result of unseen development. And child of God, we serve a God who is known and very well versed in how to develop in places where you can't see. That's the point this morning of this parable. That we often look for the harvest, but what we really need to be prayerful about is what God does before the harvest. Because before the harvest, God is working behind the scenes in our lives to make sure that what needs to come out of our life will come from, from our life. And beloved, this morning, if you are not aware that God is developing something for all of us, he's developing something in all of us, he's working things out right now. And those things that you have done that perhaps you thought were worthless, those encouraging words that you gave to somebody that you thought perhaps did not mean anything, those efforts that you have participated in that you thought that other people looked over. What you did not know is that while you were not aware, God was taking that and developing that to be something that will blow your mind. And I hope this morning that we receive this parable in Saint Mark's Gospel where we find Jesus teaching about what the kingdom of God is like. And brothers and sisters, we come to know this morning that the kingdom of God is not just about what we see on Sunday mornings. But the kingdom of God is where we see God's reign and rule happening all over the earth. In other words, those blessings that you see, that's a part of the kingdom of God. When souls are saved, that's a part of the kingdom of God. When people are delivered, that's a part of the kingdom of God. And while people are so anxious to see the manifestation, God says the real work happens behind closed doors. And I want to let somebody know today that you need to be excited that you serve a God who works behind closed doors. You need to thank God this morning that you serve a God who works in the midnight hour And when you are unaware, God is working things together for your good. And even though God is working for his glory, God is working for your good. I'll say it one more time because y'all still ain't here with me yet. God is working for his glory, but behind the scenes, he's working things for your good. And I just wanna know this morning, does God, does anyone need God to do something for your good this morning? Is there anybody who God needs to work something out for your good? Does anybody need God to help life make sense for them? Does anybody need God to encourage and lift them up this morning? Well, if you don't need that, that's fine, but I will shout by myself. Because I know there are some things that I'm trying to do and I don't see the results of it yet. But I believe by faith that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Be not weary in well— well-doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not. Brothers and sisters, Here is my thesis for today, using this parable that's only found in Mark, is that in discipleship there is delight in knowing that God is developing what he has not yet disclosed. Say it one more time, Gavin. In discipleship, there is delight in knowing that God is developing what he has not disclosed. Y'all were distracted, y'all wouldn't listen to me. Say it again, Gavin. In discipleship, there is delight in knowing that God is developing what he has not disclosed. Now since my boy Tony here, let me say it a different way for you. Welcome back, Tony, I've been missing you, man. God is already doing it. He just ain't told you what he doing. I'm gonna feel like preaching in just a second if y'all pray with me this morning. God has already and is already working the details of your life, but the thing that has you discouraged this morning is that God has not told you exactly what he's doing. And I don't know who may be in that season right now that you don't see what God is doing. God has not given you a prophetic word about what he's doing, and you think that everything that you're doing is worthless. You think that everything you're doing, it does not matter. But God has already encouraged me this week, and I came to encourage you this week just to be patient in the development season, because a God who starts something is a God who has already finished it. And I want to know this morning, pilgrims, is— has God proven himself to be a finisher of stuff in your life? Has he ever started anything that's failed in your life? Has he ever started something in your life that does not work? That is not the character of my God. But my God finishes everything he starts. My God finishes despite the circumstances. He finishes despite the details. Because he's already developing even if he had not disclosed. I gotta get out of here. We gotta go to church again this evening. It's fine since y'all ain't going and I gotta go. Let me see if I can get these hermeneutic highlights and see what God has blessed us with today. Tony, since you here, you and KJ back, I feel like preaching now. God has shown us in this text that we have to be mindful of unrecognized assets. Unrecognized assets. In other words, we have something to work with, we just don't know that it's worth it. Watch this. The parable starts saying that the kingdom of God is like a man who scatters a seed. I knew you didn't recognize because many of us get discouraged because while we are looking for harvest, we overlook seeds, because the harvest that you see is big and beautiful. But what you have to be aware of is the fact that every mighty harvest started as a simple, small common seed. And many of us who are listening to me, or not listening to me, are perhaps discouraged because what you are doing does not look like harvest, but it looks like a small simple seed. Y'all remember this morning on the prayer call, if you were there— you weren't there, you remember before I always asked you to invite somebody to worship. That's so simple, but a lot of people don't do it. You know why? Because it's too seedy for us to recognize. Get quiet. I don't care. It's too simple for us to recognize the potential that's in the seed, because here it is, a lot of times those simple seedy circumstances and moments are often negated because we did get discouraged because we don't see the potential of the seed, but we see the posture of the seed. What you saying, Gabby? There are simple ways of influencing this world or influencing the life of other believers that we stop doing too early. You have not told anyone about the goodness of God lately because that's too common. I'm waiting on him to put me on program. I'm waiting to be the keynote speaker. I'm waiting for somebody to put what I do on Facebook so I can go viral and I can monetize my Facebook account. I'm waiting on an appreciation program. I'm waiting for a crowd to be there. I'm waiting for a special occasion. But let me tell you something, brothers and sisters, if you forget about the seed, you will never receive a harvest because you have not done your part to receive it. Yeah, see, I told y'all y'all wasn't gonna be encouraged. Brothers and sisters, I know that you want to give up on doing the simple things, but God is saying if you keep doing the simple things with your seed, what you don't realize is that you are looking at your seed based upon what it is right now. But inside every seed is something larger than what the world can see. In other words, those trees outside, when somebody planted the seed, nobody saw that there inside that seed, that was a great harvest. And while you are negating the simple work that God has called you to do, God is saying, don't look at the seed as it is right now.. But look at what it could become. If I give somebody an encouraging word, if I invite somebody to church, if I go to church when I don't feel like it, who knows what God can say that will change my life? Who knows what God can do in their life just by giving them something simple, just by telling them I love you, just by giving them a compliment? You don't have to have world-changing power because you already have world-changing power by doing something simple with your seed. The tragedy this morning, brothers and sisters, and the reason that all of us are quiet, because first of all, we're convicted. We've stopped doing those simple things. I ask people to come to church, they don't come. That's why I changed it. Y'all notice how I changed it? I said, if you are excited and if you come, invite somebody. Not just by saying, come to church with me, but tell them why you going. Tell them what you get when you go. Tell them if you believe— this ain't talking about me, but my pastor has a word for me every Sunday. I enjoy seeing people. So why don't you come and partake in what God has already blessed me with? Gavin, I think you're preaching all right because it's mighty quiet in here. I want to encourage somebody today because here's the thing about the seed. Y'all ready? For a seed, you don't have to have notoriety. In order to possess a seed, you don't have to have wealth. In order to possess a seed, you don't have to have a good last name. But all you have to do in order to have a seed is to belong to the seed manufacturer. In other words, if you belong to God, no matter what your credit score is, you have a seed. If you belong to God, no matter your past, you have a seed. No matter what mistakes you've made, God did not take your seed away. And is there anybody listening to me today who can look back over your life and reflect on the times that you should have lost your seed, but God kept you with a seed, which means that you still have something to offer? And I'm looking at some people today who I want you to discover that You got an asset today that you see it as something simple now, but when God gets through working with it, it's gonna change the world. I spent all of my adult life, all of my adult life, in higher education, and I've seen some amazing things, seen some things that really changed the way I view things. Uh, everybody loves the graduation day. Everybody now twerking and strolling and doing everything across the stage because of their excitement about that day. But I've always had the pleasure of working in that cause I've spent my career working in financial aid and enrollment management. In other words, that means help people get in school, help people pay for school. And in those moments, in case you did not know it, can be some of the most divisive, struggling, frustrating times. I've seen parents cuss their children out. I've seen children cuss their parents out. I've seen all types of things in the enrollment process. And here's the thing, completing an admissions application takes you about 5 to 10 minutes. Completing a FAFSA application takes you about 10 to 15 minutes. And I've seen people derail the entire process because of that seed moment. So when you all see graduation, you are thankful because they made it. But when I see people graduate, I thank God because I seen them at the seed moment when they wanted to give up, when they had to turn in a SAP appeal, when they had to appeal before people to get back in school, and they made it through anyway. If they would have given up in the seed moment, they never would have had that harvest. I'm trying to tell somebody this morning that you can't give up in that seed moment. You can't give up on the seeds you have right now because your patience and God's work is going to produce something out of it that's going to be impactful. Can I give you a little bit more? I know y'all tired of me. It's the summer months now, so I know people get to leaving and y'all hot and all got all kind of stuff, but let me just give you one more thing this morning, all right? Next thing this text teaches us is that you have to be mindful and thank God for the undetected awareness. The undetected awareness. Here it is. This text teaches us— K, happy to see you, man— that there is victory in losing visibility. Not victory in always having vision, but there's victory in losing visibility. Sounds crazy, don't it? Because when the seed scatters. The seed takes a vacation, Sister Mia. And the seed, when it leaves your hands, goes to a place, a nice resort that you don't see. Can I tell you where that place is? The seed takes a trip to the dirt. The seed— the challenge, the good news and bad news is that when it leaves the sower's hand, it does not go immediately to a high place, but the seed must go to the dark, dirty invisible dirt. Has anybody ever planted a seed this morning and your seed went to some dirty places? Your seed went to a place where you did not see the impact of your seed? Have you ever got— have you ever planted a seed and it went to a place that it was out of your control? Have you ever done a good deed and your good deed went to a place where it was unappreciated? Have you ever scattered a seed and thought that people were going to applaud you but yet and still your seed caused controversy? Have you ever planted a seed and it went to the dirt out of your sight, and you said, if I would have known that me trying to do this would cause that, I would have kept me and my seed at the house? Gavin, have you ever preached a sermon? That was me, that was my study side. Have you ever taught a lesson? No. Have you ever studied? That's my son. But for y'all, have you ever raised your children right? Bought them the new shoes? And they walked over the back of them. Children, have you ever bought your father a Father's Day gift, bought your mother a Mother's Day gift, and then they got the fussing right after that? See, it goes both ways. The reality this morning is that the dirt and the invisibility of the seed is a natural part of the process. So if you are in that moment right now, or if you have ever been in that moment while you are discouraged, that is the moment where you actually need to celebrate. Because here's what happens when it goes out of the sower's hand. It submits itself to a higher power because the seed never grows in the hands of the sower, but the seed starts to grow once it goes through the dirt. In other words, hey, preach yourself happy, Gavin. When it goes to that place where you don't see the good coming out of it, when it goes to that place where you don't see what's happening, that very place is the place where it starts to grow. In other words, if you don't see it, shout right now, because it's out of your hands and it's in the hands of God. And you done got mad. You got that Facebook post ready about how you sick and tired of doing stuff for folks, and that's why you don't do nothing now because such and such ain't no good. God says delete that, and he wants you to post this: I'm thankful for you, God, for the victory in the invisibility. Because even though I don't see it, me not seeing it means it's in your hand. And that's your word today. It's out of your hands and it's in the hands of God. God did not make you responsible for what happens after the sowing, but God says, you just keep on scattering and I will take it in the dirt and I will develop your good deed. I will make something out of it. I will do something with it that you could not do with it in your hand. I know it. I sense that's why God gave me this word. Honorable somebody wanted to put their seed back in their pocket. But let me ask you a question. What you gonna do with the seed? What you gonna do with it in your pocket? It ain't growing in your pocket, so don't get mad when it goes to the dirt. I like this quietness this morning. You better sit with this because it's when God has it in a place where it's not visible, where God is giving you the victory. I close with this. I'm done, I'm done, I'm done. Y'all remember a few months ago there was this Artemis mission where they were sending this space shuttle, this aircraft, to the moon, and it orbited the moon. I, I watched. I love that type of stuff. Probably notice it when I preach. I, I sneak some of this stuff in there because I'm interested. You're not interested, when— oh well, preach on, sir. But since it's mine, I preach. That Artemis mission, here's what happens with it. They were orbiting around the sun— I'm around the moon. But what happened when I was watching, when the, when the Hawaiian spacecraft got to a certain point on the other side of the moon, there were 40 minutes of silence. In that 40 minutes of silence, there was no communication between NASA and the Orion spacecraft. What shocked me is that no one seemed to be panicking about this lack of communication. You can't see it, you can't hear it, you can't talk to it. Guess what I discovered? That when it gets to a certain point, the reason that there is no panic is because the lack of visibility and the lack of communication is not a surprise to NASA. They already expected Because NASA knows that when it gets out of their hands and it goes to a place that is too far for them to do anything with, they are too far for them to see it and for them to communicate. And it's a natural part of the process. But here is yourself. That even though NASA does not have control, it does not mean that the space shuttle does not have control of something else. Say it a different way, Gavin. Even though NASA is not controlling it, it does not mean that the spaceship is going without control. Can I make it plain? The director of NASA says something that shouts me. And I knew I was going to be able to preach it one day. They were interviewing him and said, how are you going to handle that moment of silence where you can't see the spaceship and you can't talk to it? He said, it's simple, because when it gets to that point, it's not in our control. That's when physics takes over. Y'all missing your shout. In other words, what they were saying, when I can't see it, it does not mean it's just flying out of control, but that's when a higher authority— that's when something certain takes over. And we don't have physics this morning, but we do have a Savior. And when you see your seed scattered and you can't see it, and when you see your efforts going out of your control, that means that something else has control. And the something else that has control turned water into wine. The something else that has control opened up blinded eyes. The something else that has control, it can open up deaf ears. The something else that has control died one Friday, stayed dead 3 days and 3 nights, but early Sunday morning got up with power in his hands And if he can get up from the bed, he can handle my seed. We offer Jesus this morning. We offer Jesus this morning. God has not disclosed to you what he's doing with your seed. You think you just on that job to pay a car note, so therefore you approach your job as just something to pay the car note. You think that he coming here for you to hear me babble for a few minutes and go home, and you think, God, I said, well, he saw me there, so I'm gonna get a perfect attendance record. For the month of June. Congratulations, y'all got a perfect attendance for the month of June. Congratulations. But God said it's much deeper than that. Every week I'm gonna give y'all some very intimate— I typically don't share intimate stuff like this. It ain't deep, but it's just something that I don't like being public. I pray this every week. God, I don't know what you gonna do with this sermon. You got me prepared. If you give me the power, I'm gonna study, I'm gonna get it out my mouth, right? I'm gonna let you do what you need to do. 3 weeks ago, somebody who I never even remember shaking his hand said, I found one of your messages on YouTube. I found it, came to my feet, and you don't know how that was the right word for the right time. And here's the thing, here's the thing, I felt like that was one of the worst sermons I ever preached. God was telling me You just put it out there. Put it out there. Put it somewhere. You can't see it because it's bigger than you. I don't know who this word is for, but you better scare it. Whatever it is, whatever it is. I mess with him all the time. Mess with him, I'm serious at the same time. I joke, I'm serious at the same time. Like, I hope I'm not embarrassing, but Tony, you're super president in all these things because you shared some struggles that you had. And God lifts me up in Christ. Tony ain't on devotion, he ain't throwing out no Dr. Whites. This is right there. He tell me, break it down. He don't know that what this doing for me psychologically. You— I really get a lot of rhythm from it. From Tony. My life, I, I know when I need to do speed up. So now I can, I can feel Tony's pulse. You don't know, you don't know that. I'm babbling now, but when you preach, you don't know you feed off certain stuff. I say certain stuff because it helps me stay centered. And that self— God has a record, just a record. The button-up shirt. You sitting right here this morning You being here, you've overcome a lot of stuff over the week, but you're here. Have you ever got a text message from somebody? Something simple, just checking on you. Anybody have to call you? Just say, how's your blood pressure? Anybody have to get on you? Simple, just change somebody's day. Few times I almost lost it on somebody throughout the day. Few members say, hey, Pastor, just stay encouraged. I can't do it now. You scared.