INTRO:
This week Ann and the kids did some planting. We have a little plot in our backyard that we’ve designated for the kids’ garden. Last year we planted a few things – including a short lived goldfish pond, in that area, and on one of the sunny afternoons Ann took them out there and put some seeds in the ground.
But before they did, there was some work to do. They didn’t just throw the seed out and hope it would grow. They got a shovel and turned the ground over. They pulled out the rocks and the weeds. They drew up a plan and recorded what seeds went where, and then they put them in the ground. With any luck later this summer you’ll see some lettuce, some corn, some catnip, some sunflowers growing in our backyard.
Jesus once told a story about a farmer who went out to sow some seeds, too. It’s a story that is meant to teach us about the ways of God’s Kingdom, rather than simply teaching us about seeds. Along the way it requires that each of us do a little introspection about our own life in God’s Kingdom. But we’ll get there in a few minutes, for now let me just tell you the story. It’s found in Luke 8 and in Matthew 13 – you can turn to Luke 8 if you like, but I’d like to just tell it to you in my own words.
One day a farmer went out to sow some seeds. As he threw the seeds out handful by handful, some of the seeds fell on the road. Instead of growing these seeds were quickly snatched up by the birds.
Some of the seeds fell onto rocky ground. These seeds actually grew quite rapidly, but when the sun got too hot, they withered and died, because they didn’t have deep enough roots.
Another portion of the seeds fell into a weedy area where some thorny plants were growing. These seeds started to grow, but they were quickly overrun by the weeds, which gave them no room to grow.
But some of the seeds fell onto good soil. These seeds grew healthy and strong, and ended up producing 100 new plants.
And then he closed with these words: He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
OK – just imagine you are in the crowd of people that day. Farming was a normal part of their culture – everyone was familiar with the basic principles of how to get your crop to grow. But as Jesus finished this story they must have scratched their heads. “yeah – so what? What is this guy Jesus talking about?”
Later that day in fact when the disciples were alone with Jesus they asked him, “Why do you use parables to teach?” In other words they were saying, “when you use parables like that one about the farmer, we’re not sure people are really getting what you are meaning. In fact – we’re not so sure WE know what you’re getting at!” (Aside: I can identify with them, can’t you? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to ask Jesus what exactly he meant when he said some of the things he said?)
And so, Jesus went through and gave an explanation of what he meant by the parable of the sower. I’ll read now from Luke 8:11-15.
Luke 8:11-15 (NIV)
11"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
LESSONS:
Soil on the road: Not everyone who hears the gospel will respond by surrendering to the Lordship of Christ. In fact, some will be prevented from understanding the gospel by Satan. No sooner is the message shared that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” but Satan comes and snatches that seed away with doubts, with pride, with distrust, with apathy, with cynicism – you name it. Unfortunately for these folks, the “soil” of their lives is on the road. It is packed down so hard and so compact that the message of the gospel can’t penetrate. These folks already know everything – or think they do anyway. Or the circumstances of their lives have created in them a hardness which makes the message of the gospel just bounce off their hard exterior.
I meet people like this all the time. WE might be having a nice conversation, but as soon as they discover I’m a pastor – their walls begin to go up. Maybe you’ve encountered that too – as soon as someone discovers you’re a Christian then no longer want to hear what your opinion is on much of anything. Jesus’ story reminds us not to be surprised by this state of affairs.
TRANS: But in the second group of seeds, we learn another lesson about how different people respond to the good news of the gospel. In the example of the seeds in the rocky soil, we learn…
Rocky soil: Not everyone who responds to the gospel will keep following Christ. Some will grow up quickly but will fall away when tough times come. These people are receptive to the good news of salvation in Christ, and they are really “on fire” for a while. They come to church every week. They get involved in a small group – maybe 2 or 3 each week. But then something happens in their lives.
They lose their job. There is a death in the family. A relationship is destroyed. And when this happens, all of a sudden this person’s spiritual life dies away. Why? They just didn’t have the roots necessary to hold onto their faith when things got difficult.
Again, I meet people like this all the time. They view their life with Christ as a way to get rid of all their problems – and when that doesn’t happen they just don’t have the connection to God to sustain them when all they have is their faith!
Perhaps you’ve known a person who once walked with Christ, but then lost their faith because of a trial in their life. Maybe like me you’ve invested in people to try and get their root systems established, but for some reason they just aren’t able to stand up when the inevitable problems of life come along. If so, remember, Jesus predicted this. His story tells us to expect it.
TRANS: In addition to this group of people, Jesus goes on to tell of the people who are like the soil filled with weeds. In this part of the parable we learn that…
Weedy soil: Not everyone who begins growing in Christ will mature. Some will end up with their spiritual life choked out by worldly desires. Again, how did Jesus describe these folks:
Luke 8:14
The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
Some people try to add Jesus to everything else they already have in their life. And so, as their life progresses, they have a challenging battle between conflicting values. The world’s values of power, money, selfish gains are in direct opposition to the Kingdom values of servanthood, submission to God, loving others as you love yourself. And one cannot have both types of “plants” growing in the same life. As Jesus said in Matthew 6 – “you cannot serve both God and money”. If money is your God, it will choke out your spiritual growth, and any lasting value your life might have, right with it.
Unfortunately, especially in America, too many would-be disciples of Christ never really mature because their hearts are still too full of the cares of this world for the values of the Kingdom to thrive.
TRANS: So Jesus has taught us that some who hear the message will not even respond, and that some who respond will fall away because of shallow spiritual roots or because of competing values. But the good news is some “seed” falls onto “good soil”.
Good soil: Some will respond to the gospel, persevere through trials, mature as believers, and will be fruitful in spreading the gospel.
Although Jesus has a realistic view of the different responses people will have to the message of the gospel and how well it takes root in their lives, he ends his story with these “poster children” for the life the gospel calls us to. How does he describe these “good soil” folks?
Luke 8:15
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
These are the “the few, the proud, the disciples”. They are the ones whose lives end up influencing many others to follow Christ as well. They are the ones God is continually searching for to carry on his work in this weary world.
These are the people we as a church are trying to become. But how can we become “good soil” people? I think the answer is found in exactly what Ann and my kids did to prepare the soil in our backyard for planting.
How can your life become “good soil” for the gospel?
• Allow God to break up the hard ground in your life.
You’ve got to be receptive to the “seed” of the gospel by first of all giving God permission to change you. Come to him with humility and give him the right to change your thinking, to change your life, if he wants to.
• Let the gospel develop strong roots.
Read the Bible. Interact with other Christians. Study the stories of historical Christian leaders. Understand that suffering is a key component in the development of Christian character. Reject ideas that make your prosperity the end product of the Christian life.
Come to Jesus and drink deeply:
John 7:37-39 (NIV) On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive
• Eliminate weeds.
o worries
o riches
o pleasures
When your thinking begins to be dominated by any of these things – it’s time for some weeding!
1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) Cast all your anxiety upon Him for he cares for you!
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) Be anxious about nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Heb. 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
1Tim. 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
• Repeat. Just like every year that dirt in our backyard garden needs to be tilled and prepared for fresh seed, so our lives need to be repeatedly submitted to God’s hands. The moment any of us think we’ve arrived is the moment we’re living in the flesh and not by the Spirit.
CONCLUSION:
What is the point of the “seed” of the gospel in your life? What is the end result God is trying to achieve?
1. he wants you to be getting strong in your faith and solid in your walk with him. But that’s not the point of sowing seed. The farmer does not sow corn seeds in order to see some nice tall corn stalks.
2. the point of the seeds is the REPRODUCTION of seeds. Only when the plant matures and reproduces hundreds of seeds, which can then be translated in hundreds of new corn stalks, has the real purpose of the seed been fulfilled.
In the same way – when the seed of the gospel gets planted in our hearts – God’s grandest design is to see us put down strong roots, mature in our faith, and then use our lives to help plant those seeds of the gospel in the hearts of others.
That’s what this church is all about. It’s not about providing a place where we can get what we need. That is a PART of it. But the real result we’re looking for is seeing God’s people inspired and empowered to sow seeds of the gospel into the lives of others.
Don’t forget that this week, alright? And as you go about your week, look for ways to plant some seeds through loving people and speaking about the love of Christ.
May the seed God has planted in you grow, mature, and multiply.
