DISCIPLESHIP GROUP| SOIL INSPECTION

SOIL INSPECTION

Thank you for being who you are

We ask your blessing on this class

we invite your presence in our discussion and our conversation

give us spirit of wisdom and revelation

during this time of study this word of truth

give us strength to receive this word implanted

Intro

New Teaching Series called Growth

Our Topic to day is soil inspection

SO how many of you have flower gardens at home?

whenever you have a garden you should know the importance of the soil

The Lawn in the front of the house is good

The lawn in the back of the house has issues grass isn’t growing under the trees

that the quality of the soil is the most important thing if you’re trying to grow anything.

So we are going to look at a parable that talks about different types of Soil

So Jesus uses something familiar to the people to teach about the different responses people can have to when the word of God is preached!

This same parable found in Mk 4:13-20 and also in Luke 8:11-15

John 12:40 references Is 6:10

Matthew 13:1–9 (NASB 2020)

1 On that day Jesus had gone out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. 3 And He told them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil. 6 But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much. 9 The one who has ears, let him hear.”

notice the Seeds Land on 4 different types of Soil

Agrarian society familiar with road, rocky places and thorns.

Shock value

yielding a crop 100 times never happens! similar to winning the lottery

Happens only when God Blesses you

Gen26:12 “12 Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundred times as much. And the Lord blessed him,”

Shock value The one who has ears, let him hear used before Matthew 11:5,

see the same type of phrase used

separate conversation with the disciples after he preaches to the crowd.

Revelation 2:7 “7 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’”

This is Quoted when Jesus picks up that there are people in the crowd who are not discerning

Matthew 13:10-17 “10 And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 And Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

Explanation of the Parable

The Sower is the preacher

The seed is the word of God

And the Soil is the person’s heart

Then he goes into detail about what the soils mean

Let’ get into the different types of soil

Roadside Soil

Matthew 13:19 (NASB 2020)

19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road.

Roadside is where people walk. the soil has been packed down so seeds can’t sink in.

Can you think what this would look like if a hearer has a heart may be like the roadside soil? Someone you may have shared the Gospel with?

Go do open Air Preaching at a Gay Parade and watch how they receive the gospel

Whatever word they have it gets snatched away

this hearer ends up disregarding the word that they just heard because he doesn’t understand

May come to Church but never studies the word

no healthy respect for the word or No regiment

What are some things we can do to prevent roadside soil?

Rocky Places Soil

Matthew 13:20–21 (NASB 2020)

20 The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately he falls away.

there is not enough dirt on the rocky places so what is planted never lasts long

Can you think of someone without names that may have rocky places soil? Someone you shared the gospel with?

Heard a good word that impacted you life you receive it with joy

When you say no one is looking or this is the last time

when you get ridiculed by the world for being a christian which is persecution you fall away

may believe God will take away all problems. then they fall away when the problem comes

Example of a rocky places type of heart is Peter when Jesus is arrested

Luke 22:57 “57 But he denied it, saying, “I do not know Him, woman!””

Excited about the things of God but not committed

what can we do so that God’s word actually takes root in the heart?

Thorn Infested Soil

Matthew 13:22 NASB 2020

22 And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

weeds in the garden must get pulled up by the roots or it will grow back

What would it look like if a person has a thorn infested heart?

This person says I’m a believer in Jesus but their lives are unfruitful

out of control Desires cravings for other things choke out the truth of the word

comes to Church but also want to grow their business

multilevel marketing like Amway, Avon, Herbalife

have a fraternity or a sorority they want church members to be a part of

Faith in Jesus but also faith in the cares of the world

the problem is it gets choked out after a while

Good Soil

Matthew 13:23 NASB 2020

23 But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”

what God wants

when the word is preach that word is implanted

SO how do we make sure this happens every time the word is preached?

In order to receive the seed and get the 100 fold harvest blessing you must prepare the field

in the natural what do you need to do to prepare your field?

Till the Land | break the rocks | Burn so of the weeds | check ph Levels acidic vs alkaline

lets look at what we need to do spiritually to our hearts

Jeremiah 4:3-4 “3 For this is what the Lord says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem: “Break up your uncultivated ground, And do not sow among thorns. 4 “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord And remove the foreskins of your hearts, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will spread like fire And burn with no one to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds.””

We are responsible to keep the soil in good condition. Good soil has sunlight, water, and nutrients

How do we do a soil inspection?

How do you know if you have a hardened heart or a thorny heart?

matthew 7:16 “16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?”

only way you can tell is look at the fruit

Galatians 5:22-23 “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

If the fruit if the spirit is not present, you might have bad soil

Check

what are you listening to? what are you watching?

How much time are you spending praying and spending time with God?

How much time do you spend in personal bible study?

Are we listening to the Holy Spirit?

Water is compared to the holy spirit

How can we keep rocks and weeds out of the soil of our hearts?

We don’t plant things in our heart or mind that are against God

- bad TV show, movies, books and video games.

Thank you for your Word it is true and never a lie

thank you for your spirit it leads us into all truth

Help us God to receive this word implanted

That is will grow and bear much fruit