Tell Me a Story
The Sower and the Soil
Understanding the Parable
What is your heart Like?
Hardened Soil = Resistant Heart
Rocky Soil = Party Heart
Thorny Soil = Vacation Hearts
Good Soil = Open Hearts
How to Bear More Fruit?
Cultivate the growth of your mind (Plow the field of your mind)
Prune the sin of your heart (Prune) (John 15:2-3)
Weather the storms of your life (Persevere)
Slide
Landscaping
If you hadn’t noticed, we got some landscaping this week.
It is really starting to look nice out there.
But as these guys came in this week to put in the landscaping, they didn’t just set it on top of the ground and leave.
They had to prepare the soil by digging holes and they dug up around it and put some top soil there and fertilized it so it would be good for the plants to grow in.
Not all soils will receive the plant material and enable it to grow so they worked to make the soil good.
Transition
This morning we are going to look at a story that Jesus told of a man who came to sow his seed and some different kinds of soil that received that seed and what happened to what was planted on those soils. In your Bibles it may have a heading called the Parable of the Sower, but it might more accurately be called the parable of the Soils.
Turn with me if you will to
Matthew 13:1-23 (p. 690)
Slide
This story is unique among the stories that Jesus told because it is one of only 2 where Jesus gives an interpretation of it. That makes my job this morning much easier, because I get to use his outline.
But after we take a look at this story, I want us to see how we can apply this to our own life so we might have hearts that produce an abundant crop for the Lord.
Let’s begin
Matthew 13:1-23
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop-a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear."
10 The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
11 He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
"Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
"’You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18 "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
You will notice that often in Jesus’ stories he relates to the people from what they know. They were an agrarian culture so many of the stories he tells have an agricultural context.
As we take a look at the interpretation that Jesus gives about the four soils and I want to see if we can better understand these by putting them into our own cultural context.
Ok, so first Jesus explains to the disciples that the seed being sown is the word of God and that the soil that is the heart of the person that the seed is being sown in.
I want to talk about each soil and the type of heart they represent so that we might be able to assess our own heart in this matter and truly be able to have a heart prepared for a bumper crop.
The first type of soil that Jesus talks about the seed being sown on is the path or
Hardened Soil
Slide
Matthew 13:4, 19
Have you ever seen a path cut through a wooded area. It has been walked on and the dirt has been packed down so no seed can get in the soil and grow.
The hardened soil represents a person with a Resistant Heart
Hardened Soil = Resistant Heart
Slide
This is the type of person who looks at life cynically in everything.
No matter what he hears, he seems to already doubt it or is completely unwilling to give a hearing to anything. He has already got life all figured out. They have turned away from God and pursue only what they desire.
This would be like a person described in Romans 1.
Romans 1:18-24
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts
Because they turned from the God given knowledge of Him that is in each human being, their hearts became hard, resistant to hearing the truth of God’s Word.
Ephesians 4:18 says
They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
These people have become cynical and hardened their own hearts and have made it easy for Satan to lie to them and they believe the lie and refuse to believe the truth.
Those with a hard, resistant hearts do not have salvation.
The second type of soil that Jesus talks about is
Rocky Soil
Slide
Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21
5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
As I studied this, I found out that there were places in Israel that had a thin layer of dirt over shale rock. Seed would start to grow, but once the roots hit the rock it would wither and die when the sun came up and dried up the soil on top and the roots had no place to find water.
Jesus explains it like this.
Matthew 13:20-21
20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
This rocky soil represents a person with a Party Heart
Rocky Soil = Party Heart
Slide
Notice that Jesus said that this type of person would hear the word and receive “it with joy.”
This type of person is
all about enjoyment,
all about the party atmosphere,
having a good time.
They might come to church and truly enjoy
Meeting new friends.
Fellowshipping.
Being cared for by others.
But
when the party atmosphere is gone, so are they.
When the persecution comes, and it will,
they don’t want any part of following Christ.
When church is no longer just fun, but it is expecting them to begin ministering,
they stop showing up.
When others may encourage them to overcome sin in their life,
the party is over for them and they move on.
This person is all about the experience, and the experience has got to be good.
The person that Jesus describes is not a real Christian. They may look like a Christian for a time, and profess to believe, but the truth is shown in their actions over time.
I want to tell you that being a Christian is sometimes going to be hard.
Paul tells Timothy in
2 Timothy 3:12 that
“everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”
Real Christians will experience joyful circumstances, which we can praise the Lord for, but we will also experience
painful circumstances, and
trials and tribulations and
persecutions.
Christianity is not just fun experiences, but sometimes it is hard and it is a struggle, but it is always real and it can always be joyful, even in difficult circumstances.
The third type of soil that the Lord speaks about is
Thorny Soil
Slide
Matthew 13:7, 22
7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
The thorny soil represents a person with a Vacation Heart
Thorny Soil = Vacation Heart
Slide
This is the type of person who is focused on the cares of the world and riches.
Is there enough money in the bank to care for my needs?
Do I have enough to do the things I want?
To take the vacations I want?
They want to be confident that they have the resources to do whatever they want.
Jesus tells another story about such a man with a vacation heart.
Luke 12:16-20
16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ’What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 "Then he said, ’This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." ’
20 "But God said to him, ’You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
I’ll take a vacation.
I’ll retire to the good life.
I am living for the weekend.
A person with a vacation heart may appear to believe, but when being a Christian may mean sacrificing
what they want to do, or
their resources that keep them in control of the things that they want to do, then they don’t want to be part of that type of Christianity.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 - 24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
This person may play at Christianity, but they are not a real Christian.
Well, there is a fourth soil that Jesus talks about. That is the
Good Soil
Slide
Matthew 13:8, 23
8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop-a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
The Good soil represents an open heart
Good Soil = Open Heart
Slide
This is the type of person who hears the message of the gospel and is open to it and understands it.
They recognize their need of salvation and recognize that the reality of the Christian life will not always be joyful and experiential, but will sometimes be hard and require sacrifice, but in recognizing that, they are still willing to follow Jesus because they truly believe there is no other way to live.
This person is a Real Christian.
And notice that Jesus tells us that they go on to produce fruit 30, 60 or 100 times what was sown.
Real Christians, true Christians are going to differ in their fruit bearing for the Lord.
Why is that? If we are both true Christians, what makes the difference between a Christian bearing 30 times what was sown, or a Christian bearing 100 times what was sown?
And is there anything we can do to increase our ability to bear fruit for the kingdom?
How can we bear more fruit?
Slide
Jesus told many stories, and as we began this series, I talked about the importance of understanding that we need to understand the point of the stories that Jesus tells and not try to base our entire theology upon them in a literal way.
Here for instance, Jesus talks about 4 different types of soils representing 4 types of hearts.
Now, this story speaks in the extremes of people having a heart that is fully resistant or fully rocky or thorny or good.
The reality is that the problems that have been defined in these hearts affect all of our hearts to one degree or another.
And even those with open hearts, we have aspects of the resistant heart, the party heart, and the vacation heart.
It is those areas of our heart that are going to affect our ability to produce an abundant crop.
Those areas need to be
overcome and
tilled and
plowed
so that our hearts can be more open and more productive for the Kingdom of God.
So what do we need to do to bear more fruit?
How can we be people that bear 100 times what was sown into our life instead of 30?
I think there are several things that we can do or allow God to do in our lives that will help us be better bearers of fruit.
First,
Cultivate the growth of your Mind
Slide
Listen to what Jesus said of the one who bears a crop.
Matthew 13:23
23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
Our hearing and understanding of the word is going to affect our productivity for the Lord.
As we cultivate the growth of our mind by studying and growing in knowledge, we can be more fruitful.
Colossians 1:9-10
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work
If you want to bear more fruit, you will strive to grow in knowledge and understanding of God and His will.
How do we do that? - Prayer and Bible Study
Make prayer a priority in your life.
Commit to reading and studying God’s word.
Many of our groups meet less frequently over the summer as we strive to help people connect, but we have our “Summer in the Gospels” group.
We just met this past Tuesday and will meet again on Tuesday, June 17th at the church. We are reading through the Synoptic gospels.
This is an easy way to become familiar again with the gospels and a way to let the Lord speak to you and spark something in you to help cultivate the growth of your mind.
Second, you need to
Prune the sin of your Heart
Slide
Or allow God to prune it.
John 15:1-2
15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
Both the party heart and the vacation heart had sin in their heart.
They both exalted pleasure or comfort above the Lord.
We need to let God prune our hearts of the sin that resides there.
How do we do that?
First Pray and ask God to expose the sin in your heart.
Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
When you pray that and He exposes that sin, repent and confess and be cleansed
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (from New International Version)
Prune the sin from your heart.
Lastly, you are going to be able to be more fruitful as you
Weather the storms of your Life
Slide
In other words, persevere.
In the parallel account of this story in Luke, Luke writes
Luke 8:15
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.
We are going to face many difficult circumstances, but we need to persevere.
Persevering is trusting the Lord when from a human standpoint their seems to be no hope.
Perseverance is a hallmark of a true Christian.
James 1:12
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Real Christians persevere.
In fact, I will go as far to say that
The reality of your profession of Christ will
be proven by your perseverance in Christ
Slide
Now there may be times that a real Christian fails to persevere for a time, but a real Christian will persevere in the faith over the course of their life.
That is because, as Paul told the us in Philippians 1:6, “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Now just because it is God who makes us persevere, you may be thinking that it will be easy.
Perseverance is not easy. And God doesn’t just do it without working through you.
He works through you and in you and around you and it will feel as though sometimes that you will not make it or that you don’t have the strength to persevere in a particular situation.
It is there that God holds you and strengthens you.
It is there that the words that Christ spoke to Paul are made real.
2 Corinthians 12:9
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
Conclusion
You will never experience that grace and power without truly receiving the real Jesus as Savior.
The real Jesus does not promise you health and wealth
The real Jesus does not promise you a party all the time or a life that is all vacation.
The real Jesus does promise to give you grace and power to make it through any circumstance, because you are going to have to deal with hard circumstances.
If you have recognized your own heart in this message today and it is not a heart that has believed truly what the word of God says about Jesus, then won’t you do that?
Maybe God has been tilling up some of the hardness, the rocks and the thorns in your heart today to make it soft. Don’t let it get hard again or rocky or thorny. Receive the Word of God and fertilize it with study and fellowship and accountability so you can be a Christian that produces 100 times what was sown.
If you have never truly believed and received the real Jesus as your Savior, do so this morning.
And if you are a Christian that is producing just a little fruit, ask God for His power and grace to till up the areas of your heart that need it so you can be a 100 fold fruit producer for the Kingdom of God.
Let’s pray.
