THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

CALL TO WORSHIP

Let’s pray in meditation. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. Oh, Lord our God! Be with us in our worshiping place so that we may worship you in spirit and truth.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

The Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Confession of Sin

Let us confess our sin before God.

Our Father we confess that we did not love you with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and with all our strength and that we did not love our neighbor as ourselves. Forgive us our sins and cleanse us with the blood of Jesus. “Hear the good news! ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Marvelous Grace of Our Loving Lord

Congregation Prayer: Teacher Pauline Kim

Matthew 13:1–2 ESV

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.

Matthew 13:3–5 ESV

And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 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,

Matthew 13:6–9 ESV

but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”

Four Types of Soil:

Seeds on the Path: Birds came and ate them up

Seeds on Rocky Ground: Sprang up quickly but withered under the sun because they had no deep roots

Seeds Among Thorns: Choked by thorns that grew up and prevented them from bearing fruit

Seeds on Good Soil: Produced a crop yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown

Let’s see the meaning of the parable.

Matthew 13:18–19 ESV

“Hear then the parable of the sower: 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.

The paths between fields become hardened because many people walk on them with their feet. Similarly, hearts that have been repeatedly trampled by the false thoughts of this world cannot retain the seeds of God's gospel, as birds—that is, the devil—take them away before they can sprout.

Matthew 13:20–21 ESV

As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 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.

In this case, the seed sprouted but couldn't grow and withered away. The beginning looked promising, but that was as far as it went.

Matthew 13:22 ESV

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.

The sprouts emerged and began to grow in this soil as well. However, they could not grow any further because they were overshadowed by the thorn bushes. What are these thorn bushes? It was the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches. They choked the word.

Matthew 13:23 ESV

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.”

Let’s review them.

Seed on the Path (v.19):

Represents those who hear the message about the kingdom but don't understand it

The evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart

Seed on Rocky Ground (v.20-21):

Represents those who hear the word and initially receive it with joy

They have no root, so when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away

Seed Among Thorns (v.22):

Represents those who hear the word, but the worries of life and deceitfulness of wealth choke it

It becomes unfruitful despite initial growth

Seed on Good Soil (v.23):

Represents those who hear the word and understand it

They produce a crop yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown

Which one is your case?

Let’s pray!

Oh our Father! Don’t leave our hearts in the three sad cases but make our heart good soil. So that the seed of gospel of the Kingdom of God may sprout, grow and make fruits abundantly. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Offering

Our Father, we confess that all we have is from you. So we offer a small portion of what you gave us. Bless our offering and make them fruitful in your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer and Benediction