Parable 1: Sower and Seed

Throughout this camp, we are going to talk about parables.

Parables are stories that Jesus told to make a point (like fables)

The tortoise and the hare teaches you not to hurry

Little red riding hood teaches you not to talk to wolves and to know what your grandma looks like

Jesus’ stories teach you how to be a real human.

So, for every sermon but 1 (you’ll find out later) Jesus is going to tell us what the Kingdom of God is like, what it means to be a true follower of Jesus, and how we get there.

Every parable does 2 things:

Causes spiritual examination

You need to look at who you are in this sermon

Gives instruction

What are you supposed to do with this?

Sower and the Seed

Matthew 13:1-23.

Context

So, Jesus tells a story, talks about why He’s telling stories, and then talks about the story.

Why Jesus tells stories

These parables are built to force people to think! Whenever there’s a parable of Jesus, He’s not just saying it because parables are easy, He’s making the people there think!

Some will accept His teaching, and some won’t.

The disciples were people who He knew would take the message and run with it!

They’re His chosen followers, He knew that they’d take it, He called them!

The others had a hard choice to make

“Do I follow Jesus, or do I do what I’ve always done?”

And the parables force those same questions on you too.

The Story

So, in the story, there’s a sower, which is a farmer who is throwing out seeds to grow crops.

Seeds land in

a Path

Crows steal it, nothing happens

Rocky Soil

Seed starts to grow, but it has no roots, so it fails.

Thorny Soil

Starts to grow, but get’s choked out by weeds

Good Soil

Grows and produces a ton of food.

About the Story

This story is a story about every person.

All of us can receive the seed, which is God speaking to us through worship, a sermon, Bible reading, or anything that God uses.

Now, what does it do?

Seed on the Path

For those of us on the path, we receive this stuff like it’s nothing. It doesn’t have anywhere to go.

It’s like if I tried to preach to a brick wall.

It doesn’t matter how good the sermon is, nothing’s happening.

We can hear countless sermons, listen to all the best worship, and do all of the right things, but it doesn’t change that we’re not going to hear it.

Seed on the Rocky Ground

For those of us that are on the rocky ground, we get stoked about Jesus, for a little bit.

We get hyped for worship and can feel really close to Jesus for a second, but then we ditch it when it get’s hard.

It’s kind of like it’s our parent’s faith. We follow Jesus because our moms told us to, not because we’re living it.

It’s like when you raise your hand that you gave your life to Jesus at camp, but you’ve done it every single time you’ve gone to camp.

Our faith has no roots, and so when we’re back in the thick of life, we just give up and go back to what we’ve done.

Seed on the Thorny Ground

This is for those of us who really start to believe and follow this Jesus guy, but then things start getting rough.

Maybe it’s depression or anxiety, Jesus even says it can be the deceitfulness of money (which is like the promises of the world)

Basically, the life we live for Jesus doesn’t feel like enough, and so it slowly starts to get choked out.

Maybe sports, or a relationship, or just “getting busy” get’s in the way, but we suddenly find ourselves out of church and everything.

Our faith get’s choked out because things get difficult or we get busy.

Seed on the Good Ground

This is the best one right? The good soil!

You’ve accepted Jesus, you’re walking in faith, and even though things are difficult and there’s a whole lot of challenges ahead, you’re walking with God through the suffering.

Here’s the beautiful thing, everyone who produces, produces different amounts!

You don’t need to be the most successful Christian around, because Jesus doesn’t require you to! What He requires is fruit, but it’s not other people’s fruit, it’s yours!

Who are you?

In this story, who are you?

What’s your soil?

Are you the path, who just really doesn’t care?

Are you the rocky soil, who can’t seem to get depth?

Are you the thorny soil, who’s too busy to have faith?

Or are you the good soil?

I’m not here to answer that for you, and neither is anyone else. This is between you and God! But I really think you should ask.

Remember, the point of a parable is to cause reflection and give instruction, here’s what it is!

What soil are you

What are you going to do about it?

Figuring out where you’re at is great, but what’s that going to do in you?

Are you going to be content where you’re at, or are we going to move forward?

I pray that you’ll want to move forward.

What are you producing?

In your life, what is it that you’re producing?

Is it good grades, a good looking boyfriend, a busy schedule?

Some people want to make the thing that the seed produces in their life all about who they get to save, I actually think that it’s just a transformed life.

When God works in your life, is it going to be changed, or are we just going to fall flat like so many others?

What is your life producing, that’s a good way to tell what’s going on.

So, let’s take two minutes together, and I want you to earnestly as God, as we start out this camp, what are you going to be? What soil are you? What are you praying for God to do in this camp? Where does Jesus need to meet you?

How does this parable challenge you?

What are things in your life that pull you away from Jesus?

If you feel comfortable, what soil are you?