Mark 4:27 “And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.”
As Christians, Churches, and even as Pastors and Ministers of all kind we must understand our limits. God has commanded us all to plant the seeds of His word into the world. He commanded that that the gospel is preached to every living soul, even if we are unaware of what will grow and what will not. As workers together with God, we cannot lose sight of what our part is in these seeds, it is only to plant and water. We all have a great hope as we plant, not only the gospel of Jesus Christ but also the doctrine of the Word of Truth that increase will come. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…” Matt. 28:19a & 20a. Everything we do in planting God’s seeds, the seed of salvation (the gospel message) and the seed of Truth (all biblical doctrine) we have our limit, we plant the seeds, but God must give the increase. The Apostle Paul wrote, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” 1 Corinthians 3:6 As powerful as these men, all of them were in the ministry of the Lord, they could only plant and water the seed of the gospel and the seed of biblical doctrine. We have no power to make any seed grow, just as we plant a garden and care for it, we have no power to make it grow. But isn’t it a wonderful and beautiful thing to watch those seeds break the ground and become a plant. To us it’s a mystery because somehow a very small dried-up seed, maybe setting for a few years, a lot of hard labor, and a lot of prayer, it can have life once again and grow into something so wonderful. To us the labor and workers who till the ground and put much love and time into it, do not know if it’s going to grow or not, and if it grows will it ever produce any fruit? “and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.” But this we do know, “God gave the increase.”, that’s right it is through the gracious love and power of God that there is any life of fruit from those seeds and all that labor. The reason it is a mystery to us is because we have no control of life, we have no power to give life to nothing, only God can give life. So much is the same to the human soul as God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life, He also breaths into a dead spirit the breath of life as His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) quickens a dead spirit. Until He does there is no life at all, just as God delivers life to our dried-up seeds His Spirit delivers life to a lost soul with a dead spirit. Beloved, no matter what your work is, no matter how much labor you use, do not be discouraged if you do not see the results you expected, you can only do your part, God does the rest. Never get discouraged at the outcome, it’s all a mystery to us, we do not know the workings of God until we see the results. Do not be discouraged and think your words were not powerful enough because salvation is not accomplished by our words, but by the word of God. “but of incorruptible, by the word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). Even the Apostle Paul had to admit that his own words were not as powerful as God’s words, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:4. It is the same in teaching bible doctrine, both are seeds that God must give the increase. Biblical doctrine is a gift from God, if it was not, then we would all believe the same, but we do not. Bible doctrine is a revelation that only the Holy Spirit can give, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26
Beloved, we are only workers for the Lord, we are planting the seeds and watering the seeds, and as much love and care that we give them, we cannot make them grow or produce fruit. Life in the Lord is a mystery and we must continually understand our limits. God must do His mysterious work of giving the life to those that He has chosen too. But, as heartbreaking as it sometimes is that some seed may never grow, how rejoicing it is when one lost sinner comes to know and believe in Jesus Christ as their Saviour or to come to the acknowledgement of biblical Truth. “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15:10
