Introduction
• How many of us want a harvest from God’s Word?
• How many of us want to be blessed with all the promises of God?
• In order to receive a harvest from God’s Word, we must become like a sower and plant the Word in the soil of our heart.
• We must be doers of His Word. We have to plant the Word by reading and meditating on a constant basis.
• We have to keep it before your eyes, in your ears and coming out of your mouth continually.
• By planting the Word in our heart, it will produce roots and make us a person of depth who can withstand the storms of life.
• Let us look to the some scriptures this morning and check the condition of our soil.
A. The harvest you receive is based on the condition of the soil.
(NKJV) Mark 4 1 And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” 9 And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” 10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 so that ‘ Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’”
13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
1. The "soil" of our heart will determine whether we receive a harvest from the seed of God’s Word that we sow.
2. There are four types of soil:
a. Wayside soil
i. The Word says that the fowls of the air devoured the seed sown on wayside ground.
ii. This type of soil represents the person who hears the Word, but Satan immediately comes and steals what was sown in their heart.
b. Stony soil
i. The harvest did not come because this soil had no depth, and the seed could not take root. As a result, the sun scorched the seed and it withered away.
ii. This type of soil represents the person who hears the Word and immediately receives it with gladness, but because they have no spiritual depth, they are offended when persecution or affliction comes.
c. Thorny soil
i. The seed sown on this soil was choked by the thorns that grew up.
ii. This type of soil represents the person who hears the Word, but the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust for other things enters in, chokes the Word and causes it to become unfruitful in their lives.
d. Good ground
i. The seed sown here yielded a thirty, sixty and a hundredfold harvest.
ii. This soil represents the person who hears the Word, receives it and holds on to it, causing it to yield a great harvest.
B. Good soil produces maximum returns.
1. Christians must sow the Word of God in good soil to get the maximum return.
2. How do we do this?
a. Prepare your heart to hear the Word of God.
i. Preparation is never wasted.
b. Don’t be a hearer of the Word only. Apply it in your life.
i. Only when you apply the Word that you hear will you receive a harvest from it.
3. A successful sower determines exactly where the seed should be planted. (Listen to the Holy Spirit in you)
C. The harvest of your life is directly connected to the depth of your seed.
(NKJV) Colossians 2 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
1. We must be rooted & built up in the Word of God.
2. Having deep roots in the Word is key to receiving your harvest.
3. The devil will cause issues to arise, but that is when you must dig deep in the Word.
a. That why the Word must be planted in the soil of your heart. You will not be moved!
D. We must attend to our soil daily to reap a harvest.
(NKJV) Mark 4 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
1. We must be consistent in our life by becoming grounded in the Word.
a. When you are grounded in the Word, you will endure trouble and persecution without wavering.
b. Guard your heart against what is contrary to the Word.
2. Keep the Word in the center of your heart.
(NKJV) Proverbs 4 20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.
3. You must stay focused on the things of God and not allow Satan to detour or distract you.
Conclusion
• This morning, what is the condition of your soil?
• Have you tilled your soil with the Word of God?
• Is the Word of God rooted in your heart?
• Have you been attending to the soil of your heart?
• This morning, let us examine the condition of our heart.
• Let us step it up in our time with God, His Word, reading and meditating on the things of God.
• In order to receive a harvest from God’s Word, we must become like a sower and plant the Word in the soil of our heart.
• We must be doers of His Word. We have to keep the Word before our eyes, in our ears and coming out of our mouth continually.
• By planting the Word in our heart, it will produce roots and make us a person of depth who can withstand the storms of life.
• Let us pray!
Salvation Call / Altar Call
