Seeds ...

Every day there are seeds are sown into our lives. Some of the seeds are good, and some are bad. The good seeds will produce good fruit, That fruit being actions, behaviours, words, and deeds (you might call them works) that will lift up Jesus and bring glory to God.The bad seeds, what do they produce? Well, sin for one and along with sin, death. They also can bring shame to the gospel of Christ. They can discredit it in the minds of the hearer or observer. They can destroy yours, the churches, and even Jesus’ reputation. This can lead to turning people off to the gospel, make them turn a deaf ear to whatever you may have to say as well as anyone who follows after you and tries to share Jesus with them. That can cause them to miss out on their repenting spending eternity with God. Instead and in turn So what do bad seeds produce? They will produce bad fruit.That is the way of things. The trick, if you will, is to seek out the good and do our best to avoid the bad.Go to those places, watch , read and listen to those things, and hang around those people  which will sow good into our lives. Conversely we need to shun those people, places and things which will sow bad seeds into our lives.Parable of the sower.​ NIV

​ NIV3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

NIV

​ NIV18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

The parable is also found in Mark chapter 4, verses 3 through 20 and Luke chapter 8, verses 5 through 15.- In every case here the seed is GOOD. There is nothing wrong with it. The proof is that in good prepared soil it produces a good crop.- In at least one case though the good seed tries to produce a crop but it is prevented from doing so by the weeds or thorns.Where did those weeds come from? From BAD SEED that had also been planted there.The good seed (the word) did start to grow but other things (bad seeds)  took over and had an adverse effect.Who plants these bad seeds?I can’t say that it is like this every time but a lot of the time it is the enemy of our souls that causes bad seed to be planted in our.Right after giving the parable of the sower Jesus tells another about a man who sowed good seed in his field. Jesus told them another parable: ​ NIV

​ NIV24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28 “ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”

Now the disciples still don’t really understand yet so they ask Jesus what this new story means.​ NIV

​ NIV36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Here is the interesting thing about the weeds (or tares as they are called in the KJV)...Darnel Grass (Lolium temulentum). It is generally agreed that the “tares” of the kjv () are the annual or bearded darnel grass, Lolium temulentum. Darnel grass is a strong grass closely resembling wheat or rye in appearance. The seeds are much smaller than those of wheat or rye but it is extremely difficult to distinguish it from wheat or rye in its early stages. If it is not eradicated early but is left until the time of harvest, it is cut down with the wheat and subsequently very difficult to separate. The seeds are poisonous, either due to some chemicals naturally present or because of a fungus that grows within the seeds. Theophrastus and other early Greek writers were well acquainted with the poisonous effects of the darnel, and the plant is sometimes referred to as the drunken darnel. It is also said to cause blindness.Here I see a parallel with what Paul wrote in 1st Corinthians chapter 3.So the deal is, you can not tell until the plant produces fruit that it is bad. Death causing bad.Some seeds that get sown in our lives can, if allowed to actually produce fruit, can kill us. We need to be very mindful of what types of fruit we are producing.John G. Butler appears to have a decent series of books called Studies of the Savior.Chapter 39 goes into detail on the parable of the Wheat. NIV

​ NIV10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

If we let the weeds represent our actions, the fruits of seeds that had been planted in  our lives, then at the judgement, when our works are tried by fire, the worthless things we did will be burnt up and we will suffer loss.​Getting back to who planted the bad seed...I’ve already said that a lot of the times it is our enemy that wants to do us in.

​ NIV8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Sometimes however the enemy that is planting bad seeds in our lives is us, we are the ones who plant them ourselves. We can be our own worst enemies.How do we do that?We go to places where we shouldn’t. Places that we know or at least should know from the get-go are not spiritually healthy for us. Places that will entice us. Tempt us and attempt to draw us away. We look at things or read things (or listening to people) that we we shouldn’t. Things that will cause us to start doubting what we have been taught.Watch things or listen to things that we shouldn’t. NIV

​ NIV13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Remember Paul’s letter to the Galatians (chapter 1:6-9)? He tells them…

​ NIV6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

The Christians in Galatia were listening to the wrong people who were planting bad, destructive teachings (that is seeds) in their minds. Because they were letting these seeds grow they were allowing themselves to be deceived.Again in the letter to the Galatian church it seems that Paul gets kind-of short with them in this exchange.

​ NIV1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Here Paul is attacking the Galatians move from FAITH based salvation which he had taught them to on of works that they were being taught bo some others. Here the Galatians had had BAD SEED / Bad TEACHING planted in their minds. It was going to eventually harm them if they did not deal with it.Paul spent a lot of time in a number of his letters to the early churches dealing with BAD teaching.Where else in the scripture, every early on, can we find someone who was given bad/false teaching after having received correct/good teaching?We can go back all the way to Eden. The serpent talks to Eve and asks her “Did God really say…” and here he twists what God DID say into something false “that you can’t eat from any of the trees in the garden?”Eve’s response gets God’s instruction wrong because she adds to it (Do not touch it). Nevertheless, the serpent then lies to her and plants seeds of doubt in her mind. “Aw, come on. You won’t die. In fact you will become just like God!”. Those bad seeds take root and end up producing death in a very real sense that had repercussions FAR beyond affecting just her and Adam.So, we can have bad seed planted in us in any number of ways. Some of which we can control and some which we can’t control. We can’t always control or choose the people who are around us. We can’t always choose what we may happen to see, but we can choose to STOP looking.We can choose to force our minds onto something else.We can’t necessarily choose the thoughts that will randomly pop into our mind but we CAN choose to not dwell on them. We can’t always control what we will hear, but we can choose to not continually think about them. We can also choose to not repeat those things (and by not repeating them we hopefully stop the spread of those seeds..The other day on my way to work I saw a whole bunch of floating white fluff. Probably milkweed seeds. Those milkweed plants released their seeds to be carried by the wind. It would be hard to figure out just how far those seeds could be carried. To be deposited many miles away and sprout new plants.In this age of digital media and online communities, our words that we post to the web, on facebook and the like can carry around the world and affect people we have never met. People we don’t know. And our words if not chosen carefully can have a negative affect on those people. People we don’t realize are reading our digital posts could be being turned off to the gospel. We HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. God says we will give an accout for every idle word.

​ NIV31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. 33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Make a tree good… That is what God does with us when we get saved. He redeems us and makes us new… makes us good so to speak.The mouth speaking what is in the heart and a man bringing out the types of things stored in him. That’s fruit born from the types of seeds that have been planted in him.So, how do we get good seed planted in us? How do we produce good fruit?As was said earlier, the type of seed will dictate the type of fruit being produced.When we become christians the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us.

​ NIV19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

And when the Holy Spirit starts to work on us, he is changing us into the image of Christ, making us like him. Remember that a good man brings out the good things stored in him?As christians we start producing fruit. Fruit of the spirit to be more exact. Remember what those are?

​ NIV22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

In the same chapter of Galatians, just before Paul writes about the Fruit of the Spirit, he writes about the fruit of the flesh. Think of it this way, a listing of just some of the results of bad seed in a man.

​ NIV13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

John the Baptist told some of the Pharisees who came to him to be baptized...

​ NIV7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

​Remember how faith is one of the fruits of the Spirit that Paul mentions?James writes about works and faith. Some people say that Paul taught salvation by faith and James taught salvation by works. This is not the correct way to read what James was trying to say. He was saying that they go hand in hand. You can’t really have one without the other.What he said was “If you say you have faith then works will be the natural result (the fruits) of that faith. Your faith will be evident by your works. You don’t do works to be saved. You do works because you are saved. These works will be a natural part of your being just as breathing is.

​ NIV14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

Another way that we can seek to produce good fruit from our lives is found in Romans chapter 12. It is almost a laundry list of behaviors that will plant good seed in others and help us to produce good fruit in our own lives.

​ NIV1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Again I am not saying that you have to do the things on this list to prove your saved or to even be saved. But if you want to live a life that will produce good fruit and want to sow good into others, try to do a few of these things ever so often. The more you do them the more natural it will become and it will just be a part of you. Yet another way to plant good seed in others and in turn have them planted in us is found in Hebrews. Here the writer wants us to... NIV

​ NIV24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

I jumped around a bit the the bottom line is that we need to be aware of the seeds that get planted in our lives and that we end up planting in other peoples lives.

PRAYER

if you want prayer please come up and let us pray with you. If you want Gods help with seeds that have creeped into your life God can help.If you have never given yourself to God and are tired of the types of fruit your life seems to be producing, come up and we will pray with you.