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4.22.2001 | PARABLES OF JESUS - THE SOWER
Here in America, there’s a real good chance you’ve heard
the gospel... How long have you been in church life? Around Xians? Heard
the truth? What are you doing about it? The seeds have been sown, it’s
up to you what you do with them.
Jesus liked to speak in parables: A comparison of two objects for the
purpose of teaching. Simple stories, relating to something they could
all understand. Most likely dealing with to illustrate the point, drive
it home. We all like/need picture stories, something to make it simple
and clear.
Matthew 13:1-9
Four types of people (soil) when it comes to receiving the gospel….
- The Path - vs. 4
Falling on deaf ears. (cold to the gospel, not ready to receive) Even
when the chief sower is at work, some seed fails...that’s our
fault!!
- The beaten path, where everyone walks. The truth is easily picked
apart.
- No wonder, as the seeds lay all exposed, that the fowls came and
devoured them up. If truth does not enter the heart, evil influences
soon remove it. What causes someone to be unreceptive to God? vs.
19
- Rocky Places - vs. 5-6
As the rainy season ends and the sun's heat increases, the shallow
soil heats up quickly. The seeds sprout and promise to be the best
of the crop. But the unrelenting summer heat demands that plants send
deep roots down for water, and the bedrock prevents this. Young excited
Xians, yet lacking the needed roots. Shallow. What are the roots we
need? vs. 20-21 Everything was hurried with them; the seeds had no
time to root themselves, and so in hot haste the speedy growth met
with speedy death. Hence our emphasis on home fellowships and follow-up!
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Thorns - vs. 7
People involved with too many worldly activities,.... drinking,
whatever. This is usually more trouble than it’s worth! “Oh,
I can handle this!” Other seed falls into hedges of thorns
that deprive the plants of sun and nourishment (v. 7). The SON shine
can’t get to you. It’s being blocked by outside forces.
What are the outside forces (thorns)? vs. 22 The native plants choked
the poor stranger. They would not permit the intrusive corn to share
the field with them: evil claims a monopoly of our nature. Initially,
the path, rocks and thorns can keep you from Christ. The seed gets
thrown everywhere. It’s not like God is going to give up on
those of us who are rocky and thorny.
- Good Soil - vs. 8
Good soil, allowing ourselves to be tilled, dug up, turned over, LOOKING
GOOD!
Xians growing and being nutured in the proper environment At CC we’re
all about “Growing healthy Xians.” Someone who “can’t
get enough fast enough” vs. 23
How’s your soil?
- The Path: You hear the truth but let it fly right by. “I don’t
need to apply that right now.”
- Rocky Places: Failing to establish deep roots in this area in your
life. Then when the heat comes, you get fried, dry up and wither.
- Thorns: Outside pressures, We have to stick to the Bible for our
guide. Otherwise we’ll be swayed by emotion, popular opinion,
“PC”/tolerant thinking...
- OR, as we stay receptive to God we remain:
- Good soil: Receptive to what God wants. We grow and multiply, producing
many times what we once were. We tell others about Christ, they tell
others…
- The opposite, dry and cracked.
- The same seed produces no crop, some crop, or much crop according
to the soil's character. It’s all about the soil!
- The seed will always be sown, how ready are we (at different phases
of life) to receive it? Which one are you? Are you one of these at
different phases of your life? What is it that keeps you from being
the “good soil”, able and ready to hear, apply and grow
the faith? How does the path, rocks and thorns prevent you from becoming
the Xian you can be?
Conclusion: “The Message”
Head back to Sermon Archive.
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