What does the Sower Think About?

Welcome/Series Recap/Prayer/Scripture

Good Morning Church!

Continuing our Series on Testimony. This morning we are going to relfect on how sharing “testimony” and Jesus with others is like planting seed.

Would you Join me in a word of prayer?

Scripture Reading: Mark 4:1-20

Mark 4:1–20 NIV

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. He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, “ ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’” 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.”

Introduction:

Opening:Most of us have heard this parable several times in our life. And on first thought we might scratch our heads when we consider the parable. We may come with several questions. We might ask why would a farmer plant like this? as Mennonites who want to be good stewards of our resources, it seems on the surface that a lot of seeds go to waste. As Farmers, We know that this is not We sow seed today is it?

Cultural Context: Well, to offer some background. This refers to a specific farming practice in that time where the seed was sown and the ground was then plowed. The seed not left where it fell, but was mixed into the soil underneath. But I want to draw our attention to a different question this morning that connects with tesitmony.

Do you ever wonder what the Sower thinks about when He goes out to Sow Seed?

Trouble in the Text:

The trouble in the text is simple. The sower plants by hand,, There are some seeds that produce a crop, but In the end there are some seeds that do not produce anything at all!

Yet there is a deeper trouble, Jesus draws our attention to the sober reality behind the parable that there are sowers of the not of mere seend but of God’s word and the harsh truth is there are people who will hear the word of God but it wont take root. with that in mind, It would be easy for the sower to think about how much of his work amounts to nothing.

The Realities of Sowing Seed (What does this look like when We are sowing seed by sharing testimony)

The Birds- Satan Snatches up the Word-

When we share testimony, Satan can cause so many things to happen to get in the way. Satan can put a spirit of fear in us. Satan can cause the other person to reject you right away.

Can we name other ways in which Satan can snatch our testimony?

The Rocks

The word that doesnt take root. Have you ever shared testimony with someone and it was a really good experience, and you had all of these expectations only to be let down.

I know I have had this happen at saylors several times or at Neighbors In Christ

The Thorns

These are the excuses people give when they dont have time for testimony. Im busy. I have heard a story like this.

Have you ever tried to share with someone and the word gets choked out?

I think there can also be thorns in our lives that keep us from Sharing the Word.

With all of this rejection, It would be easy to guess what the sower thinks about: Times that his sowing has failed.

4. However, I want to draw your attention once again to the parable. Think about how the sower goes out in the parable. Sowing his field in the same way, year in and year out. The results of last years harvest dont change the way the farmer sows. The Sower doesn't judge the ground before his scatters the seed. No the Sower simply thinks about Sowing the seed with reckless abandon knowing that God will produce a crop if he sows. That is what the sower thinks about.

Jesus in the Text

Jesus is the sower. Jesus went about his life sharing the word of God wherever he went. He preached in the the temple and all the hill side. He preached on the land and from a boat. Here is the real kicker. Jesus knew the people he preached to. He knew when the seed would fall on the path, in the rocks, in the thorns and in the good soil. Yet, He still spread the goodnews wherever He went.

Question Church: How big is a seed? Small right?!?

Then why does sharing testimony often feel like a big task. If we look back in our own lives we can see the seeds planted in our own lives.

For this last part of the Message I would like to invite you to follow me outside, we will meet by the cemetery. The reality is we dont know how many times the word that Jesus’ words fell on deaf ears, but I can tell you something we do know. The harvest, Jesus’ word produced a harvest a million times over, Why? We are the harvest friends think about it. Jesus shared the good news with one person that told another and another (5 times) and one person one day sowed a seed in you.

In reality, multiple people probably sowed something in you. In fact, if we look at the graves in front of us. There as at least one of these people that sowed a seed in you. There are people behind them that sowed a seed in them. I want you to take a moment to Pause and reflect on who has sowed a word in your life. There are people behind them that sowed a seed in them and still another another generation behind them. Church, we are the current generation of sowers. The Christian life is not about traveling from pew to eternity, but planting seeds for the next generation. If we want to see a harvest, We need to Get Planting. The Seeds you have are a reminder that we have seeds to plant, every day. The reality is: As Paul says in 1 Cor 3, one person may have planted a seed, another waters , but God causes a seed to grow, Amen?!?!