Parables Of The Kingdom – The First - The Sower Or Rather The Soil – Part 3 Of 5 Series

PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM – THE FIRST - THE SOWER OR RATHER THE SOIL – Part 3 of 5

Last time we finished thinking about the good seed that was wasted on the barren pathways and beside the roadway. There was nothing wrong with the seed, but the reception was nil because men closed their hearts to the message of the gospel, and therefore the devil could easily snatch the seed away.

May I say that when the gospel is not all that palatable to the unsaved person, I sense that some ministers and evangelists try watering the message down so it is not so challenging and therefore more acceptable. That is an evil thing to do. You don’t sow contaminated seed in the hope of getting more responses. That is so dishonouring to God and you will be accountable if you do not preach the full gospel.

In the parable of the Sower there are four soils or locations on which the seed fell. In today’s message we examine the second soil and begin the third one.

[B]. THE SECOND RESULT – THE SHALLOW SOIL AND TOO ROCKY

{{Matthew 13:5-6 “Others fell upon the ROCKY PLACES where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up because they had NO DEPTH OF SOIL, but when the sun had risen they were SCORCHED, and because they had NO ROOT THEY WITHERED AWAY.”}}

{{Matthew 13:20-21 “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and IMMEDIATELY RECEIVES IT WITH JOY, YET HE HAS NO FIRM ROOT IN HIMSELF, but is only temporary, and when AFFLICTION or PERSECUTION arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.”}}

{{Mark 4:17 “and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary. Then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.”}}

{{Luke 8:6 “Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it WITHERED AWAY, because it HAD NO MOISTURE.”}}

{{Luke 8:13 “Those on the ROCKY SOIL are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy and these have NO FIRM ROOT. THEY BELIEVE FOR A WHILE, AND IN TIME OF TEMPTATION FALL AWAY.”}}

In studying this second group, the ones in the rocky soil, we are looking at the synthesis of these passages just quoted.

All refer to rocky soil, rocky places and all follow the same outcome. Expressions are used for the seed sprouting – “no firm root; no depth of soil; no moisture.” There is great emphasis on the soil, not on the seed. The fault lay, not with inferior seed or any such thing, but the fault was with the soil. As I said earlier, this is not really a parable of the Sower, but a parable of the soils.

All supply reasons why there was failure. I give these only briefly because I delve into them later on. “Scorched; withered away; affliction, persecution, temptation”. These suggest that failure occurs because of poor soil and preparation, and the lack of addressing that matter.

It stresses me in the happy-clappy churches all is hype with little serious teaching on commitment, and endurance, and persecution that comes to true believers.

EXPANDING THE THOUGHTS FROM THESE PASSAGES

The second group represented by the rocky soil was composed of those who had ears to hear but the ears were shallow; awfully constricted. They had no depth, and this expression “a person having no depth in his life,” comes from this parable.

These folk received the word with joy. Part of them could relate to what was being preached so it had some impact but not a life-changing one. Unlike the genuinely convicted, these are they who go forward at crusades not quite knowing why. They have a feeling of well-being as if they had done the right thing in making some sort of response to the challenge of the gospel, but the word had no depth because it had not been accompanied by saving faith or true repentance. I have known some who make responses to please their spouse or their parents. The depth is not really there.

(a). TRUE BELIEF AND SPURIOUS BELIEF

True belief is a life-changing experience - it is not an imitation, nor is it of piecrust depth. Luke adds that there was no root. That of course explains everything. There was something there in the first place that caused the seed to absorb water, swell, put down the embryo of a root then shoot up, but alas, the realities of the real world would soon burst forth and the root was found to be horribly deficient. The root was deficient because the soil was thin, like the Martian landscape.

I don’t like exposing too many churches but I do it sometimes because of the damage being done. Please don’t attack me over this, but I must name the church. Some years ago before all the strife they entered into, Hillsong in Sydney, Australia, used to boast approximately 3 000 a year being saved. However, their numbers never really rose. Why was that?