Sermon Tone Analysis

Let’s read verses 1-9

For those that have been Christians for a while, this is a pretty familiar passage to us.

However, we want to be careful not to let ourselves get ahead of the game when we get to examining it.

We want to approach the text with fresh eyes as much as possible, approach it was one who has never heard this parable before.

Let’s loot at a few details in this parable.

First we see Jesus saying “Listen” and then he closes the parable by saying “Let anyone who has ears to hear, listen.”

Pay attention to that because listening and hearing is a key theme in Jesus’ explanation of His parable.

We see a sower going out and throwing seed seemingly indiscriminately on various type of soils.

We have seed thrown on the path, which is eaten by birds, the rocky ground which sprouts but is scorched, the thorny ground which chokes out the sprout, and then the good soil, which produces a large crop.

Now why would a sower sow seed into an area that is obviously not good for producing fruit?

One theory about that is that

That large crop is interesting as well.

In that time period, a crop that large was absurd.

Very few times did any crop produce that much.

So this seed that is sown is producing more than any farmers highest aspirations for his crops.

Let’s read on.

Verses 10-12

Here Jesus explains why He uses parables.

That fact that this is sandwiched in between the parable and the explanation of the parable actually shows us that this is a very important point, but a point that is very difficult to grasp and understand.

Jesus speaks in parables, it seems, in order to hide the secrets of the kingdom from the “outsiders.”

They are revealed for the those that are with Him, for the insiders, but for those on the outside, everything comes in parables.

This continues the theme that was began in the previous chapter about Jesus being in the house and those on the outside sought to restrain him and hinder his ministry, but those on the inside were those that did the Will of God.

First, notice that the Kingdom of God is a secret.

Not everyone is going to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom.

Jesus seeks to teach the things of the Kingdom to those on the inside, rather than those on the outside.

There are examples throughout the book of Mark of those who were on the outside and move to the inside, and also, unfortunately, those that appeared to be on the inside, but then moved to the outside.

Jesus quotes from the book of Isaiah here, and the context there has God calling Isaiah to speak to the Israelites, but its a message that won’t be headed.

They were so far gone in their rebellion against God that God says they will not listen.

The message is to preached, but it serves to confirm them in their unbelieving state, and thus the preaching is an act of judgment against them.

Similarly Jesus spoke in parables which in many ways was an act of judgment against the religious leaders.

They refuse to accept the messiah, so they are confirmed in their unbelief through Jesus teaching these parables and only giving the meaning to those on the inside.

What is interesting, however, is that the reason those who on the outside are where they are is because of the condition of their own hearts, and their receptivity, or lack thereof, of Jesus Christ and Gospel.

This is made clear through the explanation that Jesus offers as He shows the meaning to the disciples.

Let’s read Jesus’s explanation

The sower sows the Word.

That sentence alone is packed with so many things.

I’m going to take a moment to highlight each word that isn’t an article.

The sower sows the word.

In His day, Jesus sowed the Word during His ministry.

He taught his disciples to do the same and they carried on the missions of sowing.

Today those who are faithful to sow the Word carry on that same message, that same gospel that was sowed by Jesus Christ.

Here’s the point: It takes people to get the message out.

If there is no sower, there is no harvest.

If no one plants the seed, it cannot grow to produce fruit.

We are to be the sowers.

You and me.

The sower sows the word.

There is an action that is taking place.

The sower is not just walking around in life minding his own business, but rather is active in an activity that is intended to bring about a harvest.

Farmers that don’t plant crops aren’t profitable, and really should not be called farmers.

The sower is intentionally active in activity that is intended to bring about a harvest.

He can’t control what that harvest will look like, but he is trusting the Lord of the harvest to do the work of bringing the rain to cause the seed to grow.

But there has to be an intentional action, an action of faith in the Lord of the harvest, an action that is intended to bring about results.

Will the result be there?

That part is in God’s hands, but there has to be a sower active in sowing if the results are to happen.

We recognize and affirm that God is sovereign in salvation, but God has called us to sow the seed to bring about His purposes in that salvation.

I heard a story years ago about two farmers who lived during a drought.

Both men prayed for rain, but only one actually went out and planted crops.

When the rains came, which man had faith, and which man reaped a harvest?

The one who planted.

We are to be sowers and we are to be sowers who sow.

When was the last time you sowed the Gospel?

I challenge you to make sowing a regular part of your spiritual walk, that you view evangelism as a spiritual discipline.

The sower sows.

The sower sows the word.

The third word here is

Notice that the sower doesn’t go out sowing whatever he feels like.

The seed is something specific and if we are to be faithful sowers of the word, we have to know what the seed is.

The seed is not a health, wealth, and prosperity message, it’s not a feel good story of how God wants you to be victorious in all you do in life.

The word is the message of the Gospel.

It’s the message that Jesus has been proclaiming, the message that the disciples proclaim, and the message that we are called to proclaim as we act as good sowers of the word.

What is that message?

Jesus has been preaching a message of repentance and faith.

Repentance implies that we are going the wrong way.

We have to make a U-turn and orient ourselves according to God’s word.

Faith implies an object of that faith.

Jesus calls everyone to faith in Himself.

Faith that He is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do.

He offers forgiveness of sins to those who repent and believe in Him as the crucified and risen Lord of the universe.

That’s the message.

That is the only message that produce fruit.

That is the only message that’s worth our time in planting.

Any other message will not produce a good crop, but only more thorns and thistles of which the world is already full.

So the sower sows the word, it takes individuals to do the task.

That’s you and that’s me.

The sower sows the word, it takes intentional activity that is intended to bring about a harvest.

We must actually speak to people about the gospel.

We must be active in sowing.

And the sower sows the word.

This intentional activity is governed by the message.

We speak about a Savior who was crucified, dead, and buried, rose again the third day conquering death and offers salvation to all who forsake their sin and cling to the savior for eternal life.

It’s a great message.

But as this message is sown, it is not received equally across all areas where it is sown.

There are varying degrees of receptivity to this message, and the results are not always what we would want.

But as you sow, you can expect to have these different results:

People who hear and manifest no signs of anything penetrating their hearts are these individuals.

I would say this is the majority of people that I have interacted with.

They hear the gospel, but it just seems to bounce off.

In one ear and out the other.

No receptivity.