Parable of the Sower (Part 2)
Notes
Transcript
Part 2
Part 2
Lets recap quickly
What is a parable?
So first lets go to Google. What is a parable?
a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels.
Interesting that Google acknowledges Jesus and the Gospels but here you have a moral or spiritual lesson.
Jesus spoke in parables actually to help us understand.
Look around at the world around you and better understand what I have to say.
Parabole: parable, lesson, proverb, symbolic, figuratively.
We got into the parable and talked through the setting.
If we take these three accounts and harmonize them we get this:
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. A very large crowd from town after town gathered around him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea. The whole crowd stood on the beach. He began to teach them in parables, saying:
Lets read the passage and identify the characters involved. For the sake of time we will read the account from Luke.
4 And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Alright lets begin to define the characters or items in this story. There are six main components in this story, what are they?
Sower
Seed
Path
Rocky Soil
Thorny Soil
Good Soil
The sower is the no the main point of the story but it was Jesus and anyone that preaches or teaches the word of God. The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ going out.
The farmer would go out and walk his land, throwing seed out to the field.
So what is the seed?
The word of God. The gospel of Jesus Christ.
We looked at the path.
What happened to the seed on the path— It is trampled on underfoot and then the birds of the air devoured it.
Remember the path surrounds the field and would have been compacted by foot traffic, animals and wheels from carts. You would never intentionally scatter the seed on the path but as you are walking the perimeter of the field you would throw a handful and some would go onto the path.
These people never actually had seed take root. Because of the work of Satan it goes on deaf hears and is ignored. They are not able to believe and be saved because the word is taken from their hearts.
We labeled this the hard heart.
Then we looked at the next soil: the rocky soil.
That group is no useful for any sort of meaningful crop. The roots may took root shortly but what happens? When the sun comes it dies.
This one hits a little closer to home. This is the neighbor, the friend, the coworker, the family member who hear the gospel and receive it with joy. They are so excited about this life changing message they have received.
When trials and persecution comes, they fall away. We know that life will have trials and difficulties.
This is the superficial heart. It appears to have all it needs but in reality there is no root and its just a matter of time that it goes away.
Moving on we will look at our next type of soil this morning which is what: the thorny soil.
7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.
The seed fell on seemingly good soil. The roots took hold and they grew strong and healthy. But what happened? Thorns grew and choked them and it yielded nothing.
What does this mean? What kind of heart are we talking about?
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.
18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
It doesn’t give us a clear timeline of how slowly or how quickly this takes place. One thing about the parables is any representation or picture of something can have flaws or break down at some point and in this imagery, at least in my mind, its hard to tell if this was right away or years later or what.
I would deduct this—this isn’t an instant they like what they hear but then they reject it. The hard heart is the one where it bounces off and nothing ever happens.
The thorny soil are those where it appears to take root. it begins to grow and it looks really good.
These are the people who have committed their live to Jesus Christ. They have given professions of faith. They have been baptized. They serve in local churches. Not all of them, some may have given lip service but never did anything about it. But within this group is people among this church.
I would be foolish to think that among 400+ people there is not at least one that calls Jesus Lord but has never been Master of their life.
These people look really good from the outside. But what happens?
The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and it proves unfruitful.
We know that there is lots to think about and lots of pressures around us. Some people in the world are dealing with immense pressure.
Blomberg says, “In the twentieth century there were more martyrs for the Christian faith than in all nineteen previous centuries of church history combined.”
Some of you in world history or in other lessons have heard me talk about both the Reformation and the reign of Bloody Mary but those are nothing compared to what took place in the last 100 years—people are dying for faith in king Jesus.
We don’t have that pressure in America.
Besides money, what are some of the cares of the world you deal with?
Fashion, fitting in, relationships, friendships, marriage, career, college, house, car, family, inflation
We are at no shortage of things that can entangle us and distract us.
A lot of those can be tied to money and our love of money. The bible warns us of this often.
4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
We are either a friend of God or a friend of the world. And what does the world center around—money and stuff.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
This isn’t a lesson about giving but do you want to see how this has crept into the church?
R Kent Hughes says this, “every Sunday evangelicals around America sing songs like “I Surrender All,” but 80 percent of us give on average only between 2 and 3 percent of our income, and 20% don’t give anything at all. The average family (where he lives) makes $120,000 a year meaning they give around $3,000. Where in the world is the other $117,000 going?”
We love our stuff, we are distracted by stuff and so it is no surprise that the cares of the world and the love of money can choke out the seed.
This is the person with a divided heart.
We know we will face trials and the Lord gives us ways to combat it:
7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
We can take them before the throne of grace and give them to God and he will help us.
But those in the thorny soil are choked out and the fruit never comes.
I can’t help but think of Judas when I think of this. He sure looked legit didn’t he. But the love of money revealed his true heart.
I also can’t help but think of the so many people I have seen come through this group over the years. My first summer camp was over 20 years ago and 100’s of people of come through those doors. Some for sure we knew were hostile to the Lord. But there were others that sure looked genuine. But when they got into the world, the cares of the world and the love of money choked them out and revealed their heart. So few of my peers are even in church let alone walk with the Lord.
Lets look at the final soil: the good soil.
8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The seed fell on good soil and it grew and it produced fruit. here is an example of different accounts, Luke leaves out some things Jesus said but the point is the same—the soil was good and the seed produced fruit.
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.”
20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
The good soil, the good heart, that takes root, grows and produces.
What are some of those fruits?
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. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
The good soil produces genuine believers who bear these fruits. If you say you are a follower of Jesus but don’t have any of these then you are probably the rocky or the thorny soil. You cannot be a follower of Jesus Christ and have none of these ever. We all struggle with them, we never will have these in perfection until we get to glory but have fruit, evidence of a radical live change in us. We were once this—now we are this.
Before we close I want to wrap this up with some application.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
You may be asking what in the world am I talking about—what does this have to do with the soils.
Those that are in Christ Jesus, those in good soil, will be protected and kept for eternity and nothing can seperate us.
Those in Christ can not be scorched by the trials of this world nor can we be choked out by the cares of this world and the love of money. We are united to Christ forever.
He that began this work in us will bring it to completion, we call this the perseverance of the saints.
I bring this up to point out, from God’s perspective you are redeemed or condemened: lost or saved.
Good soil or bad soil.
However, if I dare use that word. This is what it might look like from our perspective.
I don’t know about you but I sure don’t know who the elect are.
Chosen: questioning, lost, confused, backsliden, wavering, denial, rebelious, entangled, struggling, etc.
It seems simple you are on one side or the other but from our perspective its really hard to tell. And the same person can be placed in various spots on this depending on the day.
I believe the Lord gives us assurance of salvation, but that doesn’t mean there are not times we struggle. And outside of that we never will truly know outside a shadow of a doubt about someone else until we are in glory.
What a depressing thought huh?
I bring this up because I hope it challenges us.
If you are redeemed, if you are called, if you are the good soil, you actually become the sower—go and scatter the seed. Share the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. We scatter it not knowing where it will land and the condition of the soil it lands on.
We are convinced for some reason in America that the gospel of Jesus Christ is for the lost. It is, but its for us. Its for the church—the good news that Jesus has paid it all and has risen from the dead conquering sin and death, that is exciting and encouraging and challenging. If he has done that for me, am I living a live worthy of that calling today? It pushes us.
When we remind ourselves of what was done, aren’t we motivated to want to share that with others.
Share with those around you, share with your family and your friends. Share with yourself every day—remind yourself of what Jesus has done.
I mentioned that analogies or imagery break down at some point. In this parable you have the different soils and they can only receive the seed in a certain way because of the soil. But in reality the soil can change over time. God can be working in someones heart and preparing them to recieve the gospel, on good soil. They may have outright rejected the truth in the past.
They may have welcomed it and “Accepted” it but then withered away in trials. They may have been enticed with money or stuff and walked away.
But that doesn’t mean God can’t save them. He may be working in them and we keep preaching the gospel and that seed takes root and produces good fruit.
We preach the word and let God do the work and he is powerful to save in all sorts of situations.
Another thing to point out is just because your the good soil and are producing fruit, that doesn’t mean that you won’t face trials, difficulties, temptations. The love of money and things of this world are still there. We still struggle with them and give into them at times. Being saved doesn’t make you immune to these things but it does give you the Spirit. can help you through those things.
Going back to our chart—this is what God sees, this is what we see. We don’t know where people are at and so we keep casting the seed and allow the Lord to be at work.