We are in a series called The Kingdom, where we are looking at Jesus as the King above all kings and how that challenges our view of power and authority, others, our work, and our purpose. Last week, Carlos introduced us to Jesus, the one above all things, and challenged us to consider our allegiance. This week we are going to zoom in even more and look at what Jesus said about His Kingdom and consider: if Jesus really is King above all governments, then how should we think about our identity in that kingdom as we live here on earth?

Growing up in a small town in Texas, from an early age I could tell that there were certain ideas that were very important to “who I was.” In my small town, it seemed like going to church was just what everyone did, so I adopted a label of “a good Christian.” Then, in my teens, it was clear that doing well in school and being a good person was celebrated, so I made sure to get good grades, be a good student, and be a good leader. This wasn’t just me performing; it was who I was and a big part of how I thought about or identified myself.

But I also experienced a lot of rejection in high school, and so I took on the identity of unlovable. In college my world expanded, and I had the opportunity to be around different people and do life the way I wanted. Although I didn’t go crazy in college, I did want to forge my own path and so I thought of myself as independent. But that independence put me in conflict with some of the values I grew up with, and so I often felt the label put on me by those who knew me growing up was rebellious. Then I met my husband and got a new identity: wife. I went into my career and got my first job, and now I was a teacher. A few years later we had our first kid, and now I was a mother. Then I came on church staff, and after some time learning and growing, I became a pastor.

You have your own story and your own set of identities you’ve piled on throughout the years. The decisions you’ve made along the way have also shaped how you and others think about who you are.

We are in an election season, and in this time, political issues or party identities and allegiances can supersede any other identity we may associate with. You might feel deeply about a candidate in a positive way or viscerally against a candidate or political issue. These deep convictions aren’t bad, but do they become primary identities that drive the way we think, act, and see others?

Do you know all the different labels you identify with? Are we to keep carrying all these identities, or is there a primary identity that is above them all?

The Kingdom Is Here

Jesus was clear about who He was. He declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), affirmed that He was the Christ and Son of God (Mark 14:61–62), and claimed equality with God (John 5:18). He was equally clear about why He came. As He began His ministry, He announced:

“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” — Mark 1:15

Jesus came proclaiming that God’s Kingdom was here. The Jewish people had been waiting for a Messiah who would rescue them, but Jesus didn’t look like the king they expected. Like Carlos mentioned last week:

• Instead of marching in with a military, He rode on a donkey.

• Instead of overthrowing Rome, He allowed Rome to crucify Him.

• Instead of ruling through force, He demonstrated mercy, forgiveness, and sacrificial love.

They expected a kingdom that would immediately overthrow their oppressors. Instead, Jesus announced and invited people into a Kingdom that unfolds slowly, is based on humility and submission under the ultimate rule of King Jesus, and advances through ordinary people radically obeying God by loving Him and loving others. And entering this Kingdom begins with repentance—turning from the direction we are going and surrendering to a new King and His ways.

The people thought their biggest problem was Rome. Jesus showed them that the problem was much closer: the human heart. The Kingdom He brings isn’t primarily about changing our outward behavior, following the right rules, or voting for the “right” party; it begins on the inside and moves outward. Jesus said to the Pharisees:

“First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” — Matthew 23:26

Jesus isn’t simply asking us to behave differently. He is inviting us to live under a different King who has a completely different set of priorities. Last week we considered our allegiance to King Jesus. This week, let’s look at our identity in that Kingdom.

Parables in Mark 4

Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of God is near. But beyond His words, He demonstrated the kingdom’s arrival through actions. For the remainder of this message, we want to explore how Jesus lived and interacted with the kingdom of this world and how that invites us to live. Not only did Jesus model how to live in His kingdom, but He also invited us to follow Him.

His favorite way to define and describe His kingdom was through parables, emphasizing growth through metaphor and story. Let’s first look at several parables found in Mark 4. If you have a Bible with you, open up to Mark (the second book of the New Testament, and believed by many scholars to be the first Gospel written).

The structure we find in Mark 4 is as follows:

• Reception to the Kingdom: 4:1-25

• Workings of the Kingdom: 4:26-34

• Demonstration of the King: 4:35-41

In each of these sections, let’s see what the Kingdom of God is like and the identity we are invited to take on because of it.

Reception to the Kingdom: Mark 4:1-10 & 13-20

In the first 25 verses in Mark 4, Jesus walks through the starting point for the part we play in the kingdom: reception. Let’s read it:

Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables… Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

First off, He talks about a farmer going out to sow seed. It falls:

• Along the path – birds ate it.

• Rocky places – sprang up, scorched by sun.

• Thorns – grew up and choked plants.

• Good soil – grew and produced fruit 30, 60, 100x.

Later, in verses 13-20, He explains that those seeds are the Word, also described as the Good News of Jesus and His Kingdom. The seeds fall on four different soils:

The path represents those who only hear the Good News Jesus brings, but spiritual forces in the world prevent them from receiving it.

The second group hears and receives it, but doesn’t let the root go down deep, so when things get hard, what they received isn’t enough to last.

The third group hears and receives, but doesn’t prioritize it, so other things grow up and take over, and the Good News gets choked out.

The last group hears, receives, and grows exponential fruit.

Main Insight: Soil matters for fruitfulness.

Which soil are you? When you take an honest look at your life, have you cultivated a heart and mind that not only receives the Good News of Jesus but has space to let the seed sink in, take root, sprout, grow, and ultimately bear fruit? This is a long process that happens over time through intentionality. It takes spending time with God alone and in community, letting our words and actions be shaped by the person of Jesus!

This isn’t a blind process where you are asked to check your mind and your questions at the door. In fact, right after this parable, Jesus says, “Whoever has ears, let them hear.” He then goes on to explain the parable to the disciples because they asked their questions! So, if you are here exploring, if you have questions, good—engage, ask questions, seek. These are all encouraged by Jesus!

The first identity we are invited into is to be good soil: open and receptive to the Good News of Jesus. The Good News of Jesus is compared to a seed dropped in soil. It’s not compared to an atom bomb dropped or a bolt of lightning hitting the ground, but a seed. Seeds are both fragile and have unlimited potential. An acorn can become a tree that produces seeds that fall and create a forest that can cover a continent. What determines the outcome? The soil!

Are you open, seeking, and asking questions about your faith? If yes, are you cultivating the soil of your heart and mind, letting the words of Jesus grow in you so that over time they can bear fruit? How? Who is helping you?

The fruit spoken of here isn’t like the tomatoes I plant on my porch each year, where I get maybe ten before the summer heat kills them. No, this fruit is supernatural and exponential—30, 60, 100 times over. It has the ability to shape who you are so that you can be the kind of person who participates in spreading the seeds of the Good News of Jesus to others. It all starts in the soil.

Workings of the Kingdom: Mark 4:26-34

The next section of Mark 4 explores the workings of the Kingdom. Let’s read Mark 4:26-29:

He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

Another seed metaphor—I’m catching a theme here. The farmer goes out and scatters seeds on the ground. This is an invitation for those who follow Jesus to partner with the work God is up to in the world. We can faithfully share the Good News of Jesus with those around us by our actions, words, and invitations, but we can’t force growth in another person or community. Our job is to receive first from God, then go and give it away. God causes the growth over time.

Main Insight: God is the one who causes His kingdom to grow. Our responsibility is to faithfully plant and participate, while trusting God’s timing and power.

We can’t force the Kingdom of God on a place or a people. Instead, remember it’s about internal transformation that changes us from the inside out and then produces fruit over time. It really is life by life—one person to another, to another.

So, the second identity we are invited into is to be a seed planter—a person who gives away what we have received from God. If you haven’t cultivated the soil of your heart and mind, you can find yourself empty. Romans 12:2 says:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Have you bought into what our culture sells, letting yourself be conformed to the norms around you? Maybe you’re posting an outrage post on social media each time something happens because that is what you’re “supposed” to do, but never lifting a finger to actually make a difference for a cause. That’s conforming, not transforming!

God wants to fill you with His love and transform you first; then you can be an agent of change in the world around you to do His will.

• Maybe you understand God loves you—give away love to others and tell them there is a God who loves them.

• Maybe you’ve received a transformed heart from God—give away patience and encouragement to those who are growing and learning.

• Maybe you’ve experienced God fighting for you—look around you. Who needs defending or a partner who can help uplift them?

The last parable in this section is the Parable of the Mustard Seed, found in Mark 4:30-32:

Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

Main Insight: God’s kingdom may begin small and seem insignificant, but God can grow it into something far greater than people expect.

Jesus valued small beginnings. He invested deeply in a relatively small group of disciples rather than seeking the largest possible audience all the time. What appeared to be a modest beginning became the foundation for a movement that spread throughout the world. Moreover, He modeled not judging people by their current potential. He saw what people could become. He called ordinary fishermen, a tax collector, and others who were overlooked by society, trusting that God could bring significant growth in and through them.

We can think that if we aren’t doing big things, we aren’t making a difference, but God has always demonstrated that He doesn’t operate by that system. God is all about slow growth over time. If we aren’t letting God grow us, challenge us, and change us each day—like the mustard seed growing from the smallest seed to a large plant that animals can rest in—then we aren’t developing the type of character that is required to truly represent God well in the tumultuous world we live in. A plant with shallow roots withers, like we saw in the first parable. Likewise, a person with undeveloped character won’t have the discernment to act rightly in our world to represent the Kingdom of God.

The third identity is to be a person of faith—someone who works and waits. In all these parables, there is work happening. It may be slow and hidden, but it is happening. We can partner with the work God is doing in our lives, or we can slow it down. We can participate in His kingdom expansion here on earth, or we can opt out. Live up to the work God is doing in you! Don’t run ahead, and don’t drag your heels.

Demonstration of the King: Mark 4:35-41

The last section of Mark 4 is the demonstration of the King. Let’s read:

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

I love that this is how Mark 4 ends. Jesus has just talked about how the kingdom starts small and grows, and He has given the disciples a lot to think about for their role in that Kingdom. Then they head out across the water, a storm rises up, they think they are going to die, and He gently stands up and rebukes nature—and it obeys Him. If the disciples were wondering if Jesus had the power to bring about all He talked about, this one brief moment leaves no doubt.

He is the King.

He has the power.

Nothing is outside of His authority.

This is the King we are invited to follow. What’s our move?

So What?

Jesus combines grace, patience, and purposeful investment toward people. He faithfully sows the values of God’s kingdom, patiently allows time for growth, and trusts God to accomplish results that are often gradual, hidden, and ultimately transformative. So what does this look like for us, especially in our tumultuous world and even in this election season?

1. Let your identity be rooted in God’s kingdom before reacting to the kingdoms of this world.

Jesus consistently viewed current events through the lens of God’s reign. Governments rise and fall, but God’s kingdom continues to grow like a mustard seed.

• Ask yourself:

  • What do love, justice, mercy, and truth require of me today?

  • Am I being discipled more by the news cycle or by Jesus?

  • Where does my identity lay: in something the world has put on you, or in what Jesus invites you to be—Good Soil, a Seed Planter, and Faithful?

We’re not saying ignore current events. But living under the true King means refusing to let fear, outrage, or political identity become your primary compass.

2. Work and Wait:

Start small, scatter seeds everywhere you go, and live by faith. There is no formula for this. I can’t tell you what this looks like in your life, but if you believe in Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit as your helper. Ask Him to open your eyes to what living in God’s Kingdom right here and now could look like.

• Challenge yourself:

  • Grow in character so you can accurately represent God.

  • Pray for leaders and those in authority, including those you disagree with.

  • Listen for God’s prompting to love, serve, or share your faith—then do it.

As we close out the message, I want to give you time to be with God and let Him talk with you. Where is God inviting you to be His ambassador in His Kingdom? Tell God your hopes, fears, and frustrations, and admit where you’ve taken on labels for a lesser kingdom. Ask Him to give you a different perspective.

Let’s just spend 60 seconds here letting God challenge and encourage us from what we have heard today.