So if you would, let's go ahead and get started. Turn to Mark 4. Mark 4. Mark 4. Now before I read, I just want to Tell you of an account of myself. When I was small, there was a time, I don't know, seven, eight, nine, I don't know how old I was, but where we were before, they would preach hell and brimstone. Not all the time necessarily, but at least sometimes. But this one night, I got really afraid, because I was afraid to go to hell. And so I ended up had to go in the bed with my mom and dad to sleep. I was so scared and stuff. But if anyone's not afraid of hell, there's probably something wrong with them. It's not that it shouldn't be afraid, but the one thing about it, there's one thing that will dispel that fear, and that's Jesus Christ and knowing him. So let's go ahead and read Mark 4, 26 through 29. And he said, so is the kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the fork, full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he put it in the sickle, because the harvest is come." Young's literal translation starts this verse off like this, and I really like how it says this. And he said, thus is the reign of God. The kingdom of God is reigned by a sovereign God. I know you hear at times, for instance, a country saying they are sovereign. They're a sovereign nation. It isn't really true if you believe God. We know he reigns over all. But there is no kingdom without a king. The king we are reading about reigns over all, and that is all things, all people, and all happenings, all. This God we're going to hear about reigns for eternity, for eternity. Revelation 19, 6 we read, And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thundering, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. He reigned before the world began. He reigned in creation to the extent that everything that was made was made by Him. He reigned and reigns in bringing about His purpose which includes all happenings. He reigned on that tree. He reigned being brought forth from the dead. He certainly reigns in salvation. And as we read, He reigns evermore. He has always reigned and will always reign. What Jesus Christ is telling us is this is the reign of God. Now this parable, I believe, is specifically talking about him reigning over his people and he cares for them. We read of a man casting seed into the ground. Then he sleeps and rises night and day, it says. Just like we do. He gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night. That seed that is planted by him grows up. This man knows not how this happens and neither do we. We know it does because we can see it but we do not know how nor do we know when the growth happens. We don't know how much the growth will be. We know from the parable of the seed and the sower, which is just before this, that some plants bring forth 30 fold, some 40, and some 100. And it's not the quantity, as some have said, it's the quality. And that quality is brought about by God, who brings the growth and gives the increase. But it grows. First, it starts out as a blade, very small at first. but it grows into this blade. It may not look like much at first. This man and we are not sure it will turn out to be much. All we can do is watch it grow. Maybe we water it some. It doesn't say that here, but maybe we water it some. But then an ear starts to develop. We don't know how. This is the reign of God, remember. It says, this man does not know how, so he does not know how and neither do we. We have no idea if anything will come of it because we have no part in the growth. The only part we have is watering and planting. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3.6, it says, I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. But watering and planting is no guarantee that it will grow up and produce fruit. Only God gives the increase. But here in this parable, this plant and ear begins to produce fruit. And here it says the corn comes. Now maybe this is talking about wheat and not corn as we know it. I don't know. But the point is there is fruit that eventually comes to this plant. And this is probably not the best way to say it but that's my lack of vocabulary that prevents me. But we see these stages, blade, ear and corn in the ear. This man does not know how this happens and I will say he does not know when these will happen. They just do happen in this parable. We do have several parables in this chapter of Mark. One of them, prior to this, speaks of seed being sown and it falls on different types of grounds. There's only one ground where the seed planted has any lasting effect where fruit is produced. We do not have to speculate on this because Jesus Christ actually explains that parable. The ground is speaking of men's hearts. And that good ground is speaking of an honest and good heart, that's what he says. Man as he is born in Adam does not have this good heart. God must create it. If he does, he will then send the sower to sow the seed, the word of God, which is what he calls it, what he says. Then good things will happen. If it falls on any other ground, no good effect will come from it. We all were or are one of these grounds, and maybe we've been all of these grounds. But if God's been pleased to give you a new heart, then the seed will then start to take root. So I believe we can see here this is talking further of those good ground healers. Not that it is continuing necessarily that parable, but it in some respects builds on that parable. When it says, earth bringeth forth fruit of itself here, that is the good ground that we are talking about as it produces fruit. And I believe this is talking about believers and his reign over us. His care for us, His purpose for us. But it also includes the other parable before this because it is the seed, the word of God, which we do not set under a bed. We do not hide it. It is proclaimed on the rooftops, if you will. We know this especially today. Anyone in the world can hear what we're saying. If they want to listen, they can hear it just about anywhere they are in the world. So this seed being planted is the Word of God. All of this controlled by Him who reigns. But then we read, once the fruit comes, it is time for harvest. As far as that man is concerned, that is the end of it. But this is the reign of God. And I want to talk about reign. Man is reigned over. There's no other way to see it in scripture. Man is reigned over. There are a lot of people who will say we will not have this man reign over us. It might not sound like that. It might sound like this, Walter. I don't like that bowing stuff. I just want to say this. All of mankind from all time will bow down to God. He reigns. And you will bow down to God, either in mercy or in condemnation. So I have these two points. What reigns over man? And I'll get to what I mean by that, and then the reign of God. So what reigns over man? If you would, turn over to Luke 19 with me, Luke 19. And beginning in verse 20. And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin. For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man. Thou takest up that thou layest not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he saith unto him, out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow. Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? And he said unto him that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds. For I say unto you, that unto every one which hath shall be given, and from him that hath not even that he hath shall be taken away from him. but those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me." There are some that will do just like these did in this passage in Luke. Some will have this done to them. They will be slayed by him who does reign. But why is that? They will not have this man reign over them. I mean, I understand how they can do this. They are not alone. Me and this flesh did not want this either. But I thank God he calls my ground to be good and he sent me his word. But why is it that they will not have this man reign over them? Why is it like that with them? Romans 5 verses 12 through 14. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sin. For until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed where there is no law. Nevertheless, Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come." It's quite simple and profound at the same time. Man born of Adam is reigned by death. That's what it just says. The problem is a lot of people don't know this. Dead men don't know anything. Death is over man and there's nothing man can do about it. Death is why we have the wicked heart, that it's desperately wicked and we can't even know it. It's why we will see Jesus Christ and say, I will not have this man reign over me. We are reigned by death and that death coming because of sin. We will not come to him that we might have eternal life, not on our own. We can't. We are reigned by death. We need someone who has a reign that overpowers and causes that reign to be in subjection to Him. And there is one. The name which is above every other name. His name is Jesus Christ Jehovah God. So next, the reign of God. We are told in scripture that he has the keys of hell and death, Romans 1, 17 and 18. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead, and he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the first and the last. I am he that liveth and was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore, amen, and have the keys of hell and of death. So God reigns over hell and death. Whatever reigns over us, God reigns over it. There have been many men in the scripture that it was said they reigned over people. But you always read of them something like this, so and so reigned so many years and then someone else reigned in their stead. You will never read of anyone or anything reigning in God's stead. In fact, we read all over the places in passage just like this, Exodus 15-18. The Lord shall reign forever and ever. God reigns and there is no question about that. He reigns whether you are reigned over by death or you're reigned by him. He holds the keys to hell and death. So if he wants to make you free from death, he can and he will. He certainly has done the work that freed us from death, but we don't know who they are and who he's done this for. The only thing that manifests to us of those he's done this for is those who bow down to him in believing him. This is what we preach. that God is the God of salvation and he reigneth, Isaiah 52 7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publishes salvation, that saith unto Zion, thy God reigneth. And what a comfort to his people. The God they serve reigneth forever and ever. We know because we are told that God loves his people and he does not change. If he reigns forever and scripture is clear, he does reign forever. Psalm 115.3, but our God is in the heaven. He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Everything that goes on around us is because he purposed it. He has promised to never forsake his or leave his people. If you don't want to bow down to him, he says he will laugh when your calamity comes. But his people, he watches over and he protects always, whether we know it or not or whether we feel it or not. But this death reigns over us until he is pleased to make that difference, to make us free from that reign. We read in Romans 5.17, for if by one man's offense death reigned by one, And it did, we already read it. Much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. How do you receive the abundance of grace? God gives it to you. You cannot receive it if it is not given. But if he gives it, you will receive it. There's not a one of God's people who are given grace that reject it. His giving grace to a people is sure because He reigns and He will make sure they receive it. That grace brings with it righteousness. Not our righteousness. other than what is given to us by Jesus Christ. But it says there in Romans, those given this grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life. But they do not do this by their own wisdom, strength, or right. They do this by one and that one is Jesus Christ. He purposed to have a people for his name and he performed the work to free them He then comes to them in time in love and he gives them the gift of life before God where they were rained by death before that. What are we to conclude from all of this? God rains and he takes care of his people. God purposed all that he has done to be gracious to a people because he loves them. He conducts them safely throughout this world. What does Paul tell us in Romans 6.11? Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. That word reckon, that is to take an inventory, estimate, or conclude. Conclude from the record God gave of His Son that these things are true and that in Him is life eternal. Paul also says this in Romans 8.18, For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. He will grow you in grace how He sees fit. Some may know more of him than others, but all of us know him because he first knew us." But what do we read in Matthew? Turn over to Matthew 6. Matthew 6, verse 25. Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, and what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body, and what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold, the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature? That is growth. And why take ye fault for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? How comforting it is to know that our sovereign God cares for us and he gives us what is needed. And it's been said before, if we don't have it, we don't need it, else God would have given it. We are reigned by death because sin causes death and all have sinned. But God reigns over death. If he is pleased to break that hold of death on me, he will do it. He is in absolute sovereign control. We read again in Romans 5.21 that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. His grace reigns supreme over sin and death. We are told He condemned sin in the flesh. He took what is ours and took that in his own body and died, taking that sin and sins out of the way. Then he comes to us in time. He gives us eternal life. He gives us a new heart. Then someone comes along and plants a seed, the word of God, sent by him. Then growth begins and it goes to its fulfillment. How does he do it? We don't know. But we do know he is in control and we need not take any thought about anything. He said we are chosen to salvation by sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. But we do not know how he does it, but we just know that he does do it. He throughout a believer's life will cause by his own doing that plant to grow from a child to a man, if you will, or from a child to a woman. And I'm talking about spiritually. I know a lot of people will talk about this as his people becoming more sanctified. They get more holy as they go along, in other words. But that's not true. They begin growing in grace and they finish in and by grace. They grow in grace that is they come to know with every passing moment that it is all by His grace. It is all by that One who reigneth forever and ever. There will come a time when the harvest time comes. He will harvest his field because he has made that plant grow as he sees fit and he protected it and nurtured it for it to produce fruit and he was pleased for it to produce fruit. But then he will take that one home as he does for all of his people. There will come a day when he shall return for those and the final harvest will come. He will not forget his people. He will gather in that harvest. 1 Thessalonians 4 16-18 we read, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be called up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. And what are we told to do with these words? Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. The reign of God comforts God's people. No matter what we might see around us, he is working everything out. And the end of that purpose is to bring his people unto himself. He will accomplish this. He made this possible by his work on that tree and he comes to us in time with the seed of his word and then we can see him. He will either bring us to Himself or return for us as we just read to bring us to Himself. He will do His good pleasure always and we have nothing to fear, not even hell. He's in absolute sovereign control so much that we read this in Romans 8, 35-37. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. We conquer through Him and we lay our head down at night reckoning it to be so. We might not always feel it, but we know it's so from Scripture because He said it. This is the reign of God. Amen. Dear Lord God, calls us to look to You, to trust You, dear Lord, that You have us in Your hand, You protect us. And we can do all things in Jesus Christ, Your Son, Your glorious Son, dear Lord. All these things we ask in Christ's name. Amen.