Ground Breaking

Scripture

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

The Purpose of the Parables

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“ ‘ “You will indeed hear but never understand,

and you will indeed see but never perceive.”

15  For this people’s heart has grown dull,

and with their ears they can barely hear,

and their eyes they have closed,

lest they should see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn, and I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 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 what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

The Parable of the Weeds

24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

INTRODUCTION

EARLY IN JESUS’ MINISTRY, HE STOOD IN A BOAT ON THE SEA OF GALILEE AND GAVE HIS FIRST MAJOR PARABLE.

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER...

THIS POWERFUL PARABLE TEACHES US OF THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING PREPARED TO RECEIVE THE WORD OF GOD AND TO BE FRUITFUL TO THE LORD

THE SETTING OF THE STORY IN MATHEW CHAPTER 13 IS QUITE REMARKABLE…

JESUS HAD JUST LEFT CAPERNUM

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

MATHEW 12:46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

HE SAYS THIS TO ILLUSTRATE IN A PROFOUND WAY, THAT HE EXPECTS FRUIT FROM OUR LIVES

WHICH LEADS INTO HIM SHARING THIS PARABLE, .. OF A SOWER WHO SOW’S SEED AND EXPECTS FRUIT

AND IN SHARING THIS PARABLE HE ENLIGHTENS US ON THE PROCESS...

& NOW HE IS SITUATED NORTH OF THE SEA OF GALILEE

AND ONCE AGAIN AS HE BEGINS TO TEACH, A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE GATHER TO HEAR HIM ON THE SHORE

AND BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THIS GROWING CROWD, JESUS CLIMBED INTO A BOAT AND BEGAN TO TEACH, SO EVERYONE WOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR

THE EXACT LOCATION WHERE JESUS TAUGHT THIS CROWD IS NOT CERTAIN WE KNOW IT’S NEAR THE SEA OF GALILEE

BUT TRADITION SUGEST IT WAS THE COVE OF THE SOWER

THE REASON THAT THIS LOCATION IS SUGGESTED TO BE THE LOCATION WHERE JESUS TAUGHT IS BECAUSE OF THE NATURALLY CREATED ACOUSTICS

SO JESUS’S VOICE

WITHOUT A MICROPHONE, SPEAKER, AMPLIFIER OR SUBWOOFERS .. COULD BE CARRIED TO GREAT DISTANCES

SO THIS MAKES FOR A PERFECT LOCATION FOR HIM TO TEACH

THIS PARTICULAR AUDIENCE WOULD REDILY IDENTIFY WITH THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER BECAUSE THEY THEMSELVES WERE FARMERS AND THEY WOULD HAVE SPENT THEIR ENTIRE LIFE SOWING AND REAPING

BUT IN THIS PARABLE JESUS SPEAKS OF

A SOWER - JESUS / AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST (REPRESENTS)

SEED - THE WORD OF GOD

GROUND - THE HUMAN HEART

HARVEST - FRUIT IN OUR LIVES PRODUCED BY THE SEED SOWN IN OUR HEART

THE EMPHASIS IN THIS PARABLE THOUGH....IS ON THE GROUND & ULTIMATELY HOW IT RESPONDS......

TO THE SEED THAT IS SOWN ON IT

AND THAT’S WHERE I WANNA LAND TODAY.... DEALING WITH THE GROUND

BECAUSE I DON’T THINK THAT I WOULD HAVE ANY PROBLEM TALKING TO YOU TODAY ABOUT HAVEST

BUT IF WE GONNA TALK ABOUT HARVEST

I WOULD BE FORCED TO TALK ABOUT THE GROUND WHERE THE SEED IS PLANTED AS WELL AS THE SOWER

VERY QUICKLY REMEMBER THE SOWER THAT SOWS THE SEED REPRESENTS GOD / AND OR HIS AMBASSADORS (THAT WOULD BE US)

SO WHEN JESUS COMES BACK FOR THE SECOND TIME TO REAP THE HARVEST OF SOULS FROM THE EARTH, HE WILL

NOTE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE 100 SOUL CHALLENGE....

BUT THE SOWERS JOB IS TO PLACE OR RATHER SCATTER SEED ON THE GROUND FOR FUTURE GROWTH

HE PARTICIPATES IN THE PROCESS OF REAPING A HARVEST WITH A DEGREE OF EXPECTATION

AND CAN I SUGGEST THAT IF YOU WANNA SEE A HARVEST THIS YEAR

IN YOUR BUSINESS/ FINANCES / FAMILY WHEREVER… RAISE YOU LEVEL OF EXPECTATION

THE SOWER DOESN’T COME TO THE PROCESS DOUBTING BUT BELIEVING

NEED I REMIND YOU THAT WE STILL SERVE A GOD

WHO CAN DO EXCEEDINGLY AND ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL WE ASK OR EVEN THINK

BUT THE SOWER COMES AND SOWS HIS SEED IN THE GROUND

AND I TOLD YOU THAT THE GROUND IN THIS PARABLE REPRESENTS OUR HEARTS

THE FOUR SOILS OR FOUR GROUNDS ARE INDICATIVE OF THE HEART

BUT NOT ONLY OUR HEART BUT OUR UNDERSTANDING AND ACTIONS

BECAUSE THE CONDITION OF YOUR HEART WILL DICTATE WHAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND YOUR ACTIONS WILL BE IN RESPONSE TO THE SEED THAT’S SOWN

LOOK AT

MATHEW 13:14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“ ‘ “You will indeed hear but never understand,

and you will indeed see but never perceive.”

15  For this people’s heart has grown dull,

and with their ears they can barely hear,

and their eyes they have closed,

lest they should see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn, and I would heal them.’

IN THIS PASSAGE ISAIAH IS DEALING WITH THE HEART BUT HE’S ALSO DEALING WITH IDOTRY

BECAUSE OF ISRAELS IDOLATROUS WAYS THEY HAVE BECOME DEAF DUMB AND BLIND LIKE THE IDOLS THEY WORSHIP

LOOK AT

JEREMIAH 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things,

and desperately sick;

who can understand it?

10  “I the Lord search the heart

and test the mind,

to give every man according to his ways,

according to the fruit of his deeds.”

LOOK AT

MATHEW 15:10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

MATHEW 15:17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.

LOOK AT

PROVERBS 4:23 Guard your heart above all else,

for it determines the course of your life.

YALL GET THE PREMISE