Planting, Purpose, & Production

Text: Matthew 13:1-9

Place Preached - (Mississauga International Baptist Church)

Date Preached - (05/19/02)

Introduction:   

This is a parable (EXPLAIN)

Parable – DEF.

It ordinarily signifies an imaginary story, yet one that in its details could have actually transpired, the purpose of the story being to illustrate and inculcate some higher spiritual truth.

Someone has said “An earthly story with a Heavenly meaning.”

The purpose of the parable is both to reveal and to conceal the truth.  It was to serve the first purpose in the case of the disciples, the second in the case of the unbelieving Jews.

This parable teaches the responsibility of the sower (soulwinner / preacher) and the various responses of the heart (represented by the four soils).

You have the hard hearted. (WAYSIDE)

You have the shallow hearted. (STONY GROUND)

You have the half hearted. (AMONG THORNS)

You have the whole hearted. (GOOD GROUND)

The seed that is sown, of course, is the Word of God.

Psalms 126:6  He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

1 Peter 1:23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Today we will focus on the sower – Next few weeks on the soils.

The Soulwinner / Preacher is the sower.

ILLUS: Can you imagine the Cumulative effect of every true Christian sowing/planting and watering the seed.

BTW – This is a great time of year for it.

On the part of the sower we see action, motivation, and then result.  Preparation is not mentioned and although none is required, it is of great value in more effective sowing. (Namely: PRAYER)

Transition – PURPOSE STATEMENT

My desire for us is to see today that if we would go (The Correct Action) sowing the Word of God (The Correct Seed) with the correct motivation and the correct preparation we will have the correct result.

I. The Necessity of the Planter vs.3

“Behold, a sower….”

Someone has to go!!!  The work will not get done without the sower.

LOOK UP & READ Rom. 10:13-17

What does it take to be a sower?

A. Obedience

He has been sent.  Likely in someone else’s employ. He is a labourer.

B. Humility

The sower does not have a glorious or glamorous position.

He goes forth knowing (in this case) that he will fail three out of four times.

C. Faithfulness

He must go in all kinds of conditions.  Over all sorts of terrain.  Against difficulties and obstacles.

Enduring various responses and receptivity of the seed.

He goes already knowing there will not always be positive results,  But he is faithful!!!

Proverbs 20:6  Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

D. Confidence (Faith, Trust)

He may be often rejected, but some seed will fall on the good ground.

There is a Lord of the harvest!

God has promised that His Word will not return void.

Isaiah 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

His confidence is in that very promise.

II. The Nearness of the Planting

“A sower went forth…….”

He didn’t travel many miles or great distances, but he began to sow the seed.

The harvest is much closer than you think!!!

John 4:35  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Just outside our doors the mission field begins!!  Sow the Seed!

Acts 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

SONG: In the Shadow of our Steeple Souls are Dying.

There are four soils representing various spiritual heart conditions.  They are different one from another.

But there are some common characteristics of these soils..

A. All ground needs to be planted.

Proverbs 29:18  Where there is *no vision (Word from the Lord), the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.  (*only other occurrence in Lam 2:9)

Why are our cities languishing? Why are our inner cities hopeless, drug-infested and crime-ridden? It is because there is not enough Bible being preached. It is because there are not enough adult Bible classes and children's Bible classes available to minister to them.

It is because not enough vision is being cast. The people in our cities are perishing. There are enough alcohol and drugs, but there is not enough Bible. There is enough fornication but not enough faith on the part of God's people to cast more vision. – Dr. Paul Chappell (guided by Grace)

B. All types of ground are within our reach.

Mark 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

C. All ground has potential to be good ground.

ILLUS: The back 40 at Community Baptist.  Jake Mielke operating the cat / blowing Stumps with dynamite / the pete bog / picking rocks after school. Etc.

We do not know the hearts!!

God can open the hearts!!

Acts 16:14  SEE NEXT PAGE……

Acts 16:14  And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

In the  Bible we see Beggars, Pharisees – Aristocrats and Outcasts saved by the glorious power of the Gospel!!!

EXAMPLE – Saul of Tarsus (Apostle Paul)  You talk about unlikely candidates!!!

III. The Knowledge of his/His Purpose vs.3

“Went forth to sow”

A. The Sower’s Purpose

LOOK UP & READ I Cor. 3:5-7

B. The Saviour’s Purpose

Luke 19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Romans 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The sower knew His purpose was sowing the seed.  It was his job, he was obedient.  His purpose was to please his master who sent him.

We have problems when we confuse our purpose with the Saviour’s purpose.

IV. The “Steps” (Initiatives) that Produce Results vs.4

“And when he sowed”

This is one important step, but there is one which precedes it.

Let’s look at three steps to producing spiritual fruit.

A. Begins in Prayer

Every true work of God is bathed in and birthed in prayer!!

Psalms 126:5-6  They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

6  He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

EG. – Book of Acts (Prayer = Power)

B. Moved forward by preaching (sowing the seed)

Prayer is the advance man for preaching.

What is the result of passion and prayer? I believe it is the effectual preaching of God's Word - a strong declaration of truth given forth through a vessel yielded to God. Servant leaders are mere vessels of clay in which God deposits His glory. – Paul Chappell

Let us consider what it is "that always heralds the dawn of a reformation or revival. It is renewed preaching: not only a new interest in preaching, but a new kind of preaching. A revival of true preaching has always heralded [great] movements in the history of the church."

Lloyd-Jones, Martyn D. Preaching and Preachers.

C. Concludes with the fruit of Salvation.

Romans 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Ephesians 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

1 Corinthians 15:1-3  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

Conclusion:     (Review)

Main Points

Necessity of Planters

Nearness of the Planting

Knowledge of our Purpose and the Saviour’s

Steps that Produce Results (Pray, Preach, Produce)