The Parable of the Sower – 4
“Wayside Ground”
Mark 4:15
“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.”
As we have stressed through this whole series, God does nothing apart from His Word. Every day in your life, one way or another, God is scattering seed. Every day the Spirit is prompting you, leading you and speaking to you. So, with that being said, every day we need to be in the Word. Every day we need to be in the Word because every day Satan is trying to keep the Word from landing on good ground. That is his objective. Don’t allow him to distract you and keep the Word from your life.
God has not left you helpless! For each one of the ways that Satan comes against the Word, there is a way of escape. God always makes a way of escape and success for you. This Parable of the Sower is of utmost importance for us to understand. Remember these key facts throughout this series:
➢ The seed is the Word. God’s ONLY tool is the Word of God. Everything He does, He does through the Word!
➢ The sower is God. He is scattering seed daily and Satan is trying to pick it up.
➢ The ground is you. The ground determines all the results of the sowing.
Mark 4:15, “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.”
This Scripture does not tell us how Satan took the Word away; it tells you only that Satan came and took it.
➢ The reason we are not told how Satan took away the Word is because he didn’t have to do any work.
The people who were hearing the Word had hearts that were hard, ears that were dull, and eyes that didn’t want to see. We talked about that last Sunday night. When the Word comes and we choose not to accept it, we get no harvest and the enemy doesn’t have to do any work to get your harvest. He just simply walks away with it.
Wayside seed can also be seed that was spread, but no one was listening. No one made themselves available to hearing the Word, so it automatically becomes wayside. Therefore, that’s all Satan has to do is pick it up and walk away with it. If the Word is not received, accepted or acknowledged, the Word will not produce anything. In order for the Word to work in our lives, it must fall on good ground. But if we are not receiving anything, it falls by the wayside. This is how people can come to church for years and never see any change in their life or their circumstances. There is always a way to change.
I. REDEEMING WAYSIDE SEED
What is the answer to redeeming wayside seed, or seed that was thrown on the side of the road? Remember, God always has an answer to our problems. Remember
Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.”
If we do not receive the sower’s seed, then this power that delivers, heals and sets free is not available to us. It is imperative that we not let the seed fall by the wayside.
In order to be good ground and redeem this wayside seed, it is essential to accept and receive this Word. We want to receive the benefit of this Word.
James 1:21, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness (humility) the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (NKJV)
The real reason people don’t receive the Word is because of pride. They say, “I know better. I feel that there is a different path. God’s Word says this, but my eyes tell me this. My experience tells me this. Some expert gave me another direction and some other advice.” We don’t receive the Word because we listened to someone or something other than the Word. As a result, our pride will rise up against what God said and we choose our own way. That’s when we become wayside.
The received Word, the implanted Word, is able to save your soul, which is your mind, will and emotions. This is not talking about the implanted Word saving your spirit man, or causing you to be reborn. It actually says it will save your soul (your mind, will, and emotions). The Word will change your life, your mind, your body, your emotions.
➢ If you receive the Word, you will be able to change your mind and every stronghold that is in your mind. As your mind changes, you will begin to experience God healing your situations and your problems, no matter what you are dealing with.
➢ If you receive the Word, you will be able to save your will, or in other words, you will be able to surrender your will to the Lord’s will and follow His plan for your life.
➢ If you receive the Word, you will be able to save your emotions. You will not act in a stupid manner. You won’t be filled with anger or rage or get caught up in all the drama. Instead, you will be filled with love.
➢ If you receive the Word with meekness, or humility, you will never be the same!
If you don’t receive the Word, you can sit in church every Sunday and nothing will ever change. The life of the person sitting next to you who chooses to receive the Word will be changed forever, but you won’t budge all because you were wayside ground.
Satan’s #1 strategy is to keep the Word from you any way he can. He then tries to plant other seeds once he steals your Word seed. He tries to plant seeds of doubt about the power and truth of God’s Word.
You can have churches filled with people who have the same problems as people who don’t go to church. The issue is not church attendance; the issue is what you do with the Word, both the Word you hear at church and the Word you speak at home.
The Word was never written to be read silently. The Word was written to be spoken out loud.
Some of us are allowing the seed to drop along the wayside. Do you know some of the promises found in the Scripture? Listen to some of the things the Word says:
The Word says: No weapon formed against me shall prosper, for my righteousness is of the Lord. But whatever I do will prosper for I am like a tree that’s planted by the rivers of water. (Isaiah 54:17; Psalm 1:3)
The Word says: No evil shall befall me neither shall any plague come near my dwelling. For the Lord has given His angels charge over me and they keep me in all my ways and in my pathway is life and there is no death. (Psalm 91:10-11; Proverbs 12:28)
The Word says: Great is the peace of my children for they are taught of the Lord. (Isaiah 54:13)
The Word says: I delight myself in the Lord and He gives me the desires of my heart. (Psalm 37:4)
The Word says: There is no lack for my God supplies all of my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
The Word says: The Lord is my shepherd and I do not want because Jesus was made poor, that I through His poverty might have abundance. For He came that I might have life and have it more abundantly. (Psalm 23:1; II Corinthians 8:9; John 10:10)
The Word says: The Spirit of truth abides in me and teaches me all things, and He guides me into all truths. Therefore I confess I have perfect knowledge of every situation and every circumstance that I come up against. For I have the wisdom of God. (John 16:13; James 1:5)
The Word says: I am a new creature in Christ; I am His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. Therefore I have the mind of Christ and the wisdom of God is formed in me. (II Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10; I Corinthians 2:16)
The Word says: I am born of God and I have world-overcoming faith residing on the inside of me. For greater is He that is in me, than He that is in the world. (I John 5:4-5; I John 4:4)
These are just a few of the exciting things that the Word says about us. These are just some of the promises that God has given us. These are just part of the seed that is dropping and looking for good ground to be planted in. Don’t let these words fall by the wayside! Start planting them in your Spirit man and the way you do that is speaking them out loud. The Word of God should create more excitement in us sports game or any thing in this world. This seed is for us! The Word of God is true.
