Good Ground

GOOD GROUND

INTRO: PARABLE OF THE SOWER

1: MARK:4:3-20

A) PARABLE- AN EARTHLY STORY WITH A HEAVENLY MEANING

B) JESUS SPOKE IN PARABLES FOR THE SOLE REASON OF BEING EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY HIS CROWD

C) IT’S NOT THAT HE DIDN’T HAVE THEOLOGY OR THAT HE DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO SPEAK ELOQUENTLY

D) HE WANTED PEOPLE TO GET IT

POINT: THIS SHOULD BE THE GOAL OF EVERY MINISTER OR TEACHER, THEY SHOULD EARNESTLY PRAY LORD PLEASE HELP ME TO PREACH OR TEACH THIS IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND AND APPLY TO THEIR LIVES.

2: FOUR KINDS OF PEOPLE

A) WAYSIDE

B) STONY

C) THORNS

D) GOOD GROUND

POINT: JESUS PAINTS A PICTURE OF A SOWER SOWING HIS SEED AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SEED HE SOWS, THE FOUR TYPES REPRESENT THE BASIC FOUR TYPES OF PEOPLE WHO COME IN CONTACT WITH THE WORD OF GOD.

BODY: SOWING SEEDS

1: THE WAYSIDE SEED

A) THIS IS FIRST OF THE FOUR SEEDS

B) SOME FEEL BY TH EWAYSIDE

C) FOWLS CAME AND DEVOURED THEM UP

POINT: WHEN YOU PLANT GRASS OR SOW A FIELD SOME OF THE SEED YOU SOW GET’S OUTSIDE OF THE GROUND YOU’VE PREPARED, THIS IS THE WAYSIDE. YOU TILL AND WORK THE EARTH AND THEN YOU SOW NOT ALL OF YOUR SEED GOES WHERE YOU WANT IT TO OR WHERE YOU EXPECT IT TO GO.

2: STONY GROUND SEED

A) THIS IS THE SEED THAT GETS COVERED WITH SOIL

B) BUT IT CAN’T GROW DEEP ENOUGH TO ESTABLISH A ROOT SYSTEM

C) SO IT GROWS AND BLOOMS VERY FAST

D) BUT IT DOESN’T LAST VERY LONG

POINT: WHEN SOMETHING IS PLANTED IT HAS TO HAVE ENOUGH EARTH TO BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH IT’S ROOT SYSTEM. THE BETTER THE ROOTS THE STRONGER AND LONGER IT WILL LAST.

3: SEEDS AMONG THORNS

A) EVER GET WEEDS IN YOUR GARDEN OR FLOWER BED

B) THEY STILL ALL THE SUNLIGHT AND NUTRUENTS FROM YOUR SEEDS

C) THEY LITERALLY CHOKE THE LLIFE OUT OF YOUR SEEDS AND CAUSE THEM TO PRODUCE LITTLE OR NO FRUIT AT ALL

POINT: WHEN WEEDS GET IN OUR GARDEN OR FLOWER BED WE TEND TO GET DOWN ON OUR HANDS AND KNEES AND PULL THOSE RASCALS OUT WITH OUR HANDS. WHY? SO THEY WON’T KILL OUR SEEDS AND RUIN OUR HARVEST.

4: GOOD GROUND SEEDS

A) THE SEEDS THAT FALL INTO THE ROWS

B) THE SEED THAT GETS IN THE GROUND GOOD AND ESTABLISHES ROOTS

C) THE SEEDS THAT DON’T HAVE ANY WEEDS GROWING WITH THEM.

POINT: THE SEEDS THAT BRING FORTH THE BEST FRUIT AND LOOK AND SMELL THE SWEETEST. THE GRASS THAT IS THE GREENEST AND THICKEST. THESE SEEDS ARE WHAT YOU WERE HOPING FOR WHEN YOU PLANTED THEM.

BODY OVERVIEW: JESUS TEACHES THIS PARABLE AND THEN LATER HE IS ALONE WITH THE TWELVE AND THEY ASK HIM ABOUT THE PARABLE. HE THEN EXPLAINS THE MEANING BEHIND THE PARABLE TO THEM AND WHY HE TEACHES IN PARABLES TO THE PEOPLE.

CLOSING: THE FOUR SEEDS EXPLAINED

1: WAYSIDE

A) LOST AND UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE WORD OF GOD

B) AND BEFORE THE PERSON GETS A CHANCE SATAN IS THERE

C) MAYBE THEY ARE AT CHURCH UNDER CONVICTION

D) SATAN CONVINCES THEM THEY HAVE MORE TIME

E) OR THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT AND TO IGNORE THE FEELING THEY FEEL

2: STONY SEED

A) CHRISTIAN WHO LOVES GOD AND IS EXCITED AND OPEN FOR ANYTHING

B) THEY GLADLY RECEIVE THE PEOPLE AND THE CHURCH

C) BUT WHEN THINGS GET A LITTLE SHAKEY OR TOUGH

D) THESE ARE THE FOLKS YOU HEAR SAY I’M GONE SEE YA

E) I’M NOT COMING BACK TO THIS CHURCH

3: THORNY SEEDS

A) CARNAL CHRISTIANS

B) THOSE WHO HAVE MORE WORLDLY INFLUENECE THAN GODLY INFLUENCE

C) THEY CAN’T BEAR ANY FRUIT FOR THE KINGDOM

4: GOOD SEEDS

A) THE STEDFAST

B) THE MATURE

C) THE ONES WHO TRUST AND FOLLOW GOD

D) THEY ONLY CALL ON THE NAME OF CHRIST AND NO ONE ELSE

E) THEY ARE THE PEOPLE YOU SEE AND THINK AND SAY HOW DO THEY DO IT

POINT: SOME PEOPLE ARE WAYSIDE SEEDS WHO JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND THEY ACT LOST BEAUSE THEY ARE LOST DON’T LOOK DOWN ON THESE PEOPLE OR BE JUDGEMENTAL OF THEM. THE CHRISTIAN WHO HAS NO ROOTS WILL ALWAYS ABANDON YOU AND LEAVE YOU HANGING, PRAY THAT GOD WILL GIVE THEM SOME SUBSATNCE INSTEAD OF TALKING BAD ABOUT THEM. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE GOOD PEOPLE INFLUENCED BY THE RICHES AND LUSTS OF THE WORLD TRY TO SHOW THEM THAT THERE IS MORE TO GOD AND JESUS THAN JUST GLORY AND RICHES. THE GOOD SEEDS ALREADY DO ALL THESE THINGS. THE BIBLE SAYS IN 1 COR 2:9 EYE HATH NOT SEEN NOR EAR HEARD, NEITHER HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN, THE THINGS WHICH GOD HATH PREPARED FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM.

WHAT KIND OF SEED ARE YOU?