PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM – THE FIRST - THE SOWER OR RATHER THE SOIL – Part 3 of 5
Last time we finished thinking about the good seed that was wasted on the barren pathways and beside the roadway. There was nothing wrong with the seed, but the reception was nil because men closed their hearts to the message of the gospel, and therefore the devil could easily snatch the seed away.
May I say that when the gospel is not all that palatable to the unsaved person, I sense that some ministers and evangelists try watering the message down so it is not so challenging and therefore more acceptable. That is an evil thing to do. You don’t sow contaminated seed in the hope of getting more responses. That is so dishonouring to God and you will be accountable if you do not preach the full gospel.
In the parable of the Sower there are four soils or locations on which the seed fell. In today’s message we examine the second soil and begin the third one.
[B]. THE SECOND RESULT – THE SHALLOW SOIL AND TOO ROCKY
{{Matthew 13:5-6 “Others fell upon the ROCKY PLACES where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up because they had NO DEPTH OF SOIL, but when the sun had risen they were SCORCHED, and because they had NO ROOT THEY WITHERED AWAY.”}}
{{Matthew 13:20-21 “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and IMMEDIATELY RECEIVES IT WITH JOY, YET HE HAS NO FIRM ROOT IN HIMSELF, but is only temporary, and when AFFLICTION or PERSECUTION arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.”}}
{{Mark 4:17 “and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary. Then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.”}}
{{Luke 8:6 “Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it WITHERED AWAY, because it HAD NO MOISTURE.”}}
{{Luke 8:13 “Those on the ROCKY SOIL are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy and these have NO FIRM ROOT. THEY BELIEVE FOR A WHILE, AND IN TIME OF TEMPTATION FALL AWAY.”}}
In studying this second group, the ones in the rocky soil, we are looking at the synthesis of these passages just quoted.
All refer to rocky soil, rocky places and all follow the same outcome. Expressions are used for the seed sprouting – “no firm root; no depth of soil; no moisture.” There is great emphasis on the soil, not on the seed. The fault lay, not with inferior seed or any such thing, but the fault was with the soil. As I said earlier, this is not really a parable of the Sower, but a parable of the soils.
All supply reasons why there was failure. I give these only briefly because I delve into them later on. “Scorched; withered away; affliction, persecution, temptation”. These suggest that failure occurs because of poor soil and preparation, and the lack of addressing that matter.
It stresses me in the happy-clappy churches all is hype with little serious teaching on commitment, and endurance, and persecution that comes to true believers.
EXPANDING THE THOUGHTS FROM THESE PASSAGES
The second group represented by the rocky soil was composed of those who had ears to hear but the ears were shallow; awfully constricted. They had no depth, and this expression “a person having no depth in his life,” comes from this parable.
These folk received the word with joy. Part of them could relate to what was being preached so it had some impact but not a life-changing one. Unlike the genuinely convicted, these are they who go forward at crusades not quite knowing why. They have a feeling of well-being as if they had done the right thing in making some sort of response to the challenge of the gospel, but the word had no depth because it had not been accompanied by saving faith or true repentance. I have known some who make responses to please their spouse or their parents. The depth is not really there.
(a). TRUE BELIEF AND SPURIOUS BELIEF
True belief is a life-changing experience - it is not an imitation, nor is it of piecrust depth. Luke adds that there was no root. That of course explains everything. There was something there in the first place that caused the seed to absorb water, swell, put down the embryo of a root then shoot up, but alas, the realities of the real world would soon burst forth and the root was found to be horribly deficient. The root was deficient because the soil was thin, like the Martian landscape.
I don’t like exposing too many churches but I do it sometimes because of the damage being done. Please don’t attack me over this, but I must name the church. Some years ago before all the strife they entered into, Hillsong in Sydney, Australia, used to boast approximately 3 000 a year being saved. However, their numbers never really rose. Why was that?
The reason is simple. 3 000 may have come in the front door, but 3 000 left by the back door. Why was that?
About 5 years ago there was a dramatic event in Australia that resounded around the world. A very godly Samoan Rugby Union player (probably the best in Australia) was given the boot by Rugby Union Australia because he quoted a verse in his private blog that had nothing whatsoever to do with football. This was the verse – {{1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God,”}}
The biggest sponsor of Rugby Union was/is QANTAS, (the airline) and the CEO of QANTAS then was a man surnamed Alan Joyce who was a militant homosexual. He forced Rugby Union to sack Israel Folau, that godly Christian from Samoa, because of QANTAS sponsorship. That is one of the most blatant satanic acts I know of.
Now we come to the answer of “WHY WAS THAT?” three paragraphs back. Well, when the Israel Folau incident happened, the head minister of Hillsong, Brian Houston, went public and said something very similar to this – “We should not speak about hell or that. All we should do is speak about the love God has.”
That then is why 3 000 leave by the back door. The gospel is spurious. Just telling people of the love God has with no reference to repentance, commitment and true belief, will save no one. Hell can not be dismissed from our teaching. People get caught up in the hype of Hillsong music but are not saved. Many may not like me for saying this, but I think churches should not enter into “music” from Hillsong, Elevation and Bethel. That music falls on the rocky soil. It promotes a spurious gospel.
Temptation plus affliction and persecution will in time burn and kill off any mere profession. These hearers are only temporary. They fall away and go back as a dog to its vomit and count for nothing. All they can point to is some nebulous religious experience. I suspect this group is larger than we realise.
(B). EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION IN SOUL WINNING
A word of extreme care must be added to those engaged in soul winning capacities such as camp work or crusades, even preaching the gospel in churches. The honorable desire to see souls won for the Lord can create subtle pressure for decisions, even pushing beyond the boundary the Spirit may set in a leader’s or speaker’s heart.
A child, wanting to do the right thing or to please his superiors and parents, can so easily make a type of profession or feel pressured into it. Then, back in the real world, the whole lot crumbles and that person’s exposure to Christianity may have scarred the heart forever. It behooves those in leadership capacities in these fields to be spiritual enough to ascertain what the exact will of God is in each situation. The work of the sower is an exacting one.
This second group showing great initial enthusiasm could not make first base and can not be considered as having ever been saved in the first place. It is such a shame, but it is not the fault of the good seed, the bible, but the fault of the rocky soil. We need the ploughers, the weeders, the harrowers, the levellers, the rakers, the shovellers to prepare the soil so it is not rocky. (These get mentioned right at the end).
That ends the consideration of the second class of hearers, and the second soil/ground.
[C]. THE THIRD RESULT – THE ACCEPTABLE SOIL DESTROYED BY TESTING
Because of length, we can only do the first half of this third group, the thorns, and continue it in Message 4.
{{Luke 8:14 “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are CHOKED WITH WORRIES AND RICHES AND PLEASURES OF THIS LIFE, and bring no fruit to maturity”}}
{{Matthew 13:7 “Others fell among the thorns and the thorns came up and CHOKED THEM out,”}}
{{Matthew 13:22 “The one on whom seed was sown AMONG THE THORNS, this is the man who hears the word, and THE WORRY OF THE WORLD AND THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES choke the word and it becomes unfruitful”}}
{{Mark 4:18-19 “Others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns. These are the ones who have heard the word, and THE WORRIES OF THE WORLD, AND THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES, and THE DESIRES FOR OTHER THINGS enter in and CHOKE THE WORD, and it becomes unfruitful.”}}
The first thing you notice again is the great similarity between Matthew and Mark, but Mark adds “and the desires for other things”. All three Gospel writers speak of no fruit to maturity and no fruitfulness. No fruit means no proper salvation and no conversion. As blunt as that might seem, it lines up with scripture. I grant it could be considered that the parable is looking at fruitfulness and not just salvation.
Another thing to notice is that no mention is made about the quality or depth of the soil, but I am concluding that the soil was possibly good. The problem lay with what the soil produced. In case 1 there was no soil; case 2 the thin soil produced very quickly with no substance. In case 3 the soil became mutant, producing ruinous plants.
All the problems – worries, riches, pleasure, seeking desires for unprofitable things, all these come from within. The problem lies with the old nature that may or may not have the new nature present. When a man does not belong to the Lord, he may strive to live a Christian life but it ends in failure because he does not possess the Holy Spirit. We shall look in more detail at these matters.
EXAMINING THIS THIRD GROUP MORE CAREFULLY
It is difficult to formulate conclusions about the third class of hearers. These people began well, continued well, but gradually got overcome by circumstances. I think it is not so much salvation that is in view here, as the outcome of salvation, which is fruitfulness. This group has no presumed fruit, never reaching maturity in the parable and I think it is also rather common. There is no substance. Every case is an individual one and the Lord knows the people. We must be careful about judging others as to whether they are saved or not.
The fact that nothing resulted from profession (no fruit at all) must lead us to conclude these in the third grouping are not members of the universal Church. They may appear to be but they are not. It is difficult. Did any make a genuine conversion? Only God knows the state of the individual’s heart. As I have already said, individual salvation must rest with God alone.
The writer once knew a man who was very active in the church, took a leadership role and even served on the local diaconate. He was counted as a valuable member of the local evangelical churches he served in, and his Christian profession spanned considerable years. Then out of the blue I heard that he had abandoned what he believed and had slipped back possibly becoming involved with another woman.
There is another who comes to mind. This man had a magnetic personality and attracted young people in particular. He was very active in the local church and was respected by all the saints. There was the potential there to exercise a widespread ministry especially in young people’s work and leadership. I worked in ministry with him. Alas in a matter of time this person had gone back and had broken all links with Christian fellowship and had become unprofitable.
Both these examples underscore the operative word “choked”. It is a slow strangulation of the life which was apparently energising the person. The thorns were ugly, tearing, and growing prolifically, ever gaining the ascendency, and represent all those things in the surrounds that are in opposition to the Christian life. Those “things” could even have a legitimate value to them, but they grew to monstrous proportions and strangled the life so it became feeble and useless.
It is this third group that causes grief for the saints generally, and awkward relationships with those in the church who would regard the “choked” ones as defectors, or letting down the side. Some Christians can be judgmentally harsh. Questions arise and Christians are left wondering why. Why did someone who walked so well for so many years suddenly decide to continue no longer? The word “suddenly” is not the true picture. Usually there is one crisis that causes the final cataclysm but frequently there was a build-up of incidents even over many years.
Luke says these in the third class “heard” i.e. they comprehended and received the word. They joined in fellowship with the saints. Again the significant word in the passage is “choked”. There had been suitable soil but with the wrong associations. There had been growth and progress but the good seed had succumbed to cancerous growing companions, all the devil’s weeds and thorns.
Thorns belong to the curse – {{Genesis 3:17-18 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’, CURSED IS THE GROUND because of you. In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. BOTH THORNS AND THISTLES it shall grow for you and you shall eat the plants of the field.”}}. Satan does all he can to curse God’s people, and is strong in his onslaught against new Christians.
Jesus was cursed for us, for cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree. He took the curse that we deserved and made it his own so we can be acquitted from all that the curse represents. They placed on His sacred head a crown of thorns, symbolic of the curse He wore for us.
The third soil type, the thorny ground, will continue in the next message – Part 4.
