Charles W. Holt
Community of Grace
"An Assemblies of God Fellowship"
September 28, 2008
cholt@gt.rr.com
SOWER + SEED + SOIL
Text: Matthew 13:3-23 (NKJV)
(See also Mark 4:1-20 and Luke 8:4-14)
INTRODUCTION
It is a well-known fact that the Bible is probably the best-selling book in America. Just how many are sold each year is almost impossible to tell. “A conservative estimate is that in 2005 Americans purchased some twenty-five million Bibles and the amount spent annually on Bibles has been put at more than half a billion dollars” (Daniel Radosh, Why Publishers Love the Bible. The New Yorker Magazine, September 23, 2008). World-wide sales of the Bible are more than 100-million every year.
25-Million Bibles are sold each year! That’s impressive until you dig a little deeper and find the results of research done by such reliable sources as Barna and Lifeway show that the majority of all born-again Christians read the Bible only once or twice a week, or not at all.
Obviously Bible ownership does not translate into Bible readership. One survey found that only 18% of all Christians said they read the Bible every day. Although there may be a proverbial Bible on every proverbial coffee table in America it doesn’t mean it is read. Research has found that among non-Christians, 70% do not read the Bible.
The fact is that 93% of Americans own at least one Bible, and most own more than one. Despite these impressive numbers we are Biblically illiterate!
I can’t help but recall when as a youngster attending the Church of Christ in my small east-Texas hometown I first heard and often afterward sang the hymn Wonderful Words of Life. It was a seed planted deep inside my heart that has born the fruit of a love for God’s Word.
The hymn-writer wrote and we sang:
Sing them over again to me, Wonderful words of Life;
Let me more of their beauty see, Wonderful words of Life.
Words of life and beauty, Teach me faith and duty:
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life (repeat the refrain).
Sweetly echo the gospel call, Wonderful words of Life;
Offer pardon and peace to all, Wonderful words of Life.
Jesus, only Savior, Sanctify forever:
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life (repeat the refrain)
Some talk of going through the Bible X-number of times. The real issue is, how many times has the Bible gone through them?
So many Bibles. So few readers. Even while we Christians confess absolute faith and confidence in God’s Word, that it is indeed “Wonderful Words of Life,” something keeps us from genuinely being “people of the Book.” This results in what I have called Bible illiteracy. We own the book but we know little about it.
Let me illustrate:
The story is told of a man who was applying for membership in a church. The church membership committee was interviewing him. He was asked, “What part of the Bible do you like best?” He said, “I like the New Testament best.” Then he was asked, “What Book in the New Testament is your favorite?” He answered, “The Book of Parables, Sir.” They then asked him to relate one of the parables to the membership committee. He hesitated just a bit then began.
“Once upon a time a man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves; and the thorns grew up and choked the man. And he went on and met the Queen of Sheba, and she gave that man, Sir, a thousand talents of silver, and a hundred changes of raiment. And he got in his chariot and drove furiously, and as he was driving along under a big tree, his hair got caught in a limb and left him hanging there? And he hung there many days and many nights. The ravens brought him food to eat and water to drink. And one night while he was hanging there asleep, his wife Delilah came along and cut off his hair, and he fell on stony ground. And it began to rain, and rained forty days and forty nights. And he hid himself in a cave. Later he went on and met a man who said, ‘Come in and take supper with me.’ But he said, ‘I can’t come in, for I have married a wife.’ And the man went out into the highways and hedges and compelled him to come in! He then came to Jerusalem, and saw Queen Jezebel sitting high and lifted up in a window of the wall. When she saw him she laughed, and he said, ‘Throw her down out of there,’ and they threw her down. And he said, ‘Throw her down again,’ and they threw her down seventy-times-seven. And the fragments, which they picked up, filled twelve baskets full! NOW, whose wife will she be in the day of Judgment?’ Upon hearing this the membership committee agreed that this was indeed a knowledgeable and worthy candidate for membership!” (Source unknown)
Then there is the story of the new minister who was asked to teach a boys class in the absence of the regular teacher. He decided to see what they knew, so he asked who knocked down the walls of Jericho. All the boys denied having done it, and the preacher was shocked by their ignorance. At the next deacon’s meeting he told about his experience. “Not one of them knows who knocked down the wall of Jericho,” he said with a look of sadness on his face. The group was silent until finally one deacon who was a seasoned veteran of disputes spoke up. “Preacher, he said, “this appears to be bothering you a lot. But I’ve known all those boys since they were born and they’re all good boys. If they said they didn’t know who knocked down the walls, I believe them. Let’s just take some money out of the repair and maintenance fund, fix the walls, and let it go at that.” (Source unknown)
Now let us really get serious. I want to spend the next few minutes talking about something that is directly related to what I have already said about the Bible: a popular book – the most purchased book – yet one of the least read books and I want to talk about the effect that this has upon our personal lives.
In fact, the scripture that I want us to read, which will serve as the setting for this message, relates a subject that touches the life of every individual – without exception.
It is wrapped up in what the Bible calls a parable. A parable is simply a story. Jesus used parables to illustrate spiritual truths. The New Testament records at least 60 parables spoken by Jesus during his 3-plus years of public ministry.
Of His 60 parables, Jesus takes the time to give the meaning to only one of them. This fact alone lends a sense of importance to what He says. There is obviously something very special, something extremely important about this story because He gives its interpretation – He tells us what it means.
And, in giving the meaning to His disciples, He emphasizes its importance by saying, “If you don’t understand this parable then how will you understand all the parables?” (Mark 4:13 KJV).
Could any story Jesus told be more important than this one? I am in this story. You are in this story. The life we now live, our aim, our goals and our purpose is revealed to us in this story.
One of the beauties of what we are about to read is the fact that it doesn’t take a theologian to understand what is being said. Jesus Himself helps us understand.
READ MATTHEW :13:3-23 (NKJV)
I. This story contains three simple parts:
1. A Sower went out to sow.
2. The Sower sowed the seed
3. The seed fell on the ground
a. The ground is described as four different types of soil.
b. Our mind, emotions, will, decision making process all combine to define the level of receptivity of our hearts to the Word of God.
c. We all respond differently to God’s Word. We hear the same message but each listener receives the same message differently.
d. That’s what is happening now as I speak.
II. In this story Jesus is the one sowing seed. Since His death, burial, resurrection and ascension anyone who shares the gospel in any way is a sower of the seed.
1. The Seed in the Word of God.
2. The Seed is the Gospel.
3. The Seed is found in the Bible.
4. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12 NKJV).
5. “having been born again, not of corruptible (perishable) seed but incorruptible (imperishable), through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Peter 1:23 NKJV).
III. The Four Kinds of Soil. This is the major theme of this parable. Jesus’ purpose is to describe how people respond to the Gospel. He describes the effect or the outcome of our hearing the Gospel either by it being preached from the pulpit, taught in a class setting, from an individual witness or perhaps by reading a piece of literature or book. The seed is being sown into our hearts.
IV. Seed that falls along THE WAYSIDE at the edge of the field. It is the footpath that has been beaten down and is hard. It describes the hard heart.
1. Jesus describes this condition in Matthew 13:15 saying, “For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing. And their eyes they have closed” (NKJV).
2. “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” (Mark 4:15 NKJV).
3. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” (John 10:10 NKJV).
4. “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Cor. 4:3,4 NKJV).
5. Jesus also said that the birds came and devoured them (Mt. 13:4). The “birds” represent the evil influences that rob us of our potential harvest.
V. The second kind of soil is described as being STONY. It is rocky ground.
1. Jesus says this hearer of the Word receives it “immediately with joy.”
2. How much emphasis today in the Church is on “enjoyment, having a good time, etc.”
3. “How do you feel?”
4. “We need to loosen up . . . let go and let God . . . “
5. But there is no “root.”
6. Endures for only a short time.
7. Tribulation or persecution comes and this person stumbles.
8. The Christian life is not a bed of roses. We need to realize this.
VI. The third type of soil may be described as “looking good on the surface.” But mixed in the soil are weeds of various varieties plus there are thorns growing in that soil.
1. I have met people who had a good crop of “thorns.” You can’t get very close to these people without getting hurt.
2. These undoubtedly have some good characteristics. But they may be best described as having a porcupine personality.
3. But Scripture warns: “For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned” (Heb. 6:7, 8 NKJV).
a.They “become unfruitful” because of:
b.The cares of this world
c.The deceitfulness of riches.
d.They “become” unfruitful.
e.Their spiritual life is “choked.” by these things.
VII. Finally, Jesus describes the heart that “receives the word on good ground.”
1. Bears fruit
2. 30-fold
3. 60-fold
4. 100-fold
What is the secret to this fruit bearing?
1. He who hears the word.
2. And understands it.
3. Luke 8:15 describes it this way:
a.Hears the word with a noble and good heart.
b.Keeps the word
c.Bears fruit with patience, i.e., endurance.
VIII. What then is the secret of bountiful fruit bearing?
1. Prayer – Need I site one scripture on this important subject? We all know how important prayer is to the life of a believer. What is your prayer life like?
2. Pruning – John 15:1,2
3. Perseverance – Luke 8:15
Some practical applications:
1. Hosea 10:12 – “Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow (i.e. unplowed) ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you” (NKJV).
2. Jeremiah 4:3 – “Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns” ( NKJV).
3. Proverbs 24:30-34 (Have everyone find and read this passage.)
4. 1 Peter 1:13 -- “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind . . . “ NKJV). This means “prepare your minds for action.”
Conclusion:
We have seen the value of sowing the Word in our hearts (minds). We make a conscious choice to do this. Let’s resolve that beginning today we will be more active in reading the Word of God. It will make a difference.
