There’s an old story about Oliver Wendell Holmes, the eminent Supreme Court Justice. Justice Holmes often traveled to meetings or speaking engagements on trains – a major mode of travel in his day. One day he was riding the train, reading a newspaper when the conductor came by punching tickets. Mr. Holmes searched his coat pockets for his ticket, and then he searched his vest pocket, and then his trousers pocket. Each time, he came up empty.
Finally the conductor, who recognized him, said, "Mr. Justice Holmes, don’t worry. I’m sure the great Pennsylvania Railroad won’t mind if you just send your ticket to us when you find it." The distinguished jurist looked up at the conductor and said, "My dear young man - the problem is not ‘where is my ticket?’ The problem is "where am I going?" 1
In today’s society, there are a lot of folks that don’t know where they are going. They are so busy that they fail to consider the consequences of their life outside of Christ. It is our job as servants of the Lord to point them in the right direction;to show them that Jesus is the way to live now and in the future.
We must sow the seed of the Gospel in their lives and pray it will take root and produce a spiritual conversion.
I-CONSIDER THE PASSIONATE SOWER:
A-Who Is The Sower?
1-Everyone who is born-again is a sower of the Gospel. Notice what Jesus says in John 20:21-Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
2-According to Luke 8:5, A sower went out to sow his seed: Jesus expects us to sow.
3-Can you imagine a person who called themselves a farmer, yet they would not sow the seed?
4-General Eisenhower once rebuked one of his Generals for referring to a soldier as "just a Private." He reminded him that the Army could function better without its Generals than it could without its foot soldiers. "If this war is won," he said, "it will be won by Privates." In the same way, the common, ordinary, one-talent Christians are the very backbone of the church. We have our great evangelists, our super congregations led by dynamic elders, and our wealthy brethren who are able to finance great works. But, if the work of the Lord is to be done, if the gospel is to be taken to the lost, it will be the "ordinary" Christians who will do it. 2
B-Where Is The Sower To Sow?
1-The answer is in Isaiah 32:20 Blessed [are] ye that sow beside all waters.
2-The Church is not the only place to sow, but we are to sow where the people are.
3-Donald Grey Barnhouse, the Philadelphia preacher who was always quick with words, was called to the hospital by a doctor friend. The doctor reported that an avowed atheist was about to die. Barnhouse, recognizing the man's name and remembering that he'd had many heated arguments with the man about his faithlessness over the years, quickly came to the dying man's room. He entered the room, grabbed a chair, sat down and folded his arms and said nothing. The athiest was curious and irritated. He finally said, "All right, Barnhouse, what do you want?" Barnhouse answered, "I've merely come to see what it's like when an atheist goes to hell." He then proceeded to lead the man to faith in Christ.
C-When Is The Sower To Sow?
1-Notice Ecclesiastes 11:4,6-He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both [shall be] alike good. {shall prosper: Heb. shall be right}
2-The sower is take every opportunity to sow, for there is no certain time.
3-Dr. Curtis Hudson tells of a lady who was a member of his Church who had an car accident and was knocked unconscious. An ambulance was called to the scene. And on the way to the hospital she came to and the first thing she asked the the man who was sitting in the back with her was, "If you died today, do you know that you would go to heaven?" She led the man to Christ before they got to the hospital. 3
4-We ought to be sowing everywhere at anytime.
D-Why Is The Sower To Sow?
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
1-We are to sow because people are headed to hell without Jesus, and they needed to be saved before it is too late.
2-IN AN ARTICLE I RECENTLY READ ON THE CRASH OF VALUE JET #592 OUT OF MIAMA FLA. THE WRITER NOTED THAT THE BLACK BOX RECORDER HAD PICK UP THE SCREAMS OF FOLKS WHO WERE CRYING " I'M ON FIRE! " , I 'M ON FIRE!"
3-If we could hear the cries of those in hell, you and I would be more urgent in sowing the seed of the Gospel to the lost.
3-Our job is to sow and leave the results to God. We are be like the farmer in trust. He trusts the Lord for the sun, and the rain. He works the crop but he doesn’t produce the crop, for that is God’s work.
II-CONSIDER THE PRECIOUS SEED:
The seed is the Word of God. Mark 4:15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
This parable is so straightforward (thanks to the interpretation by Jesus) that it requires little explanation. These points need to be made clear to us. The seed is the Word of God.
A-It Is Precious Because Of Its Inspiration:
1-I am inspired by the faith of Abraham, by the purity of Joseph, by the courage of Moses, by the love of David, by the boldness of John the Baptist, but most of all , by Jesus and His Holy Word.
2-Some asked D.L. Moody, how he knew the Bible was inspired? He answered and said, "I could give you many reasons but the main reason I believe the Bible is inspired is because It inspires me."
3-When I am tired, the Bible is my bed; Or in the dark, the Bible is my light; When I am hungry, it is vital bread; Or fearful, it is armour for the fight; When I am sick, 'tis healing medicine; Or lonely, thronging friends I find therein.
If I would work, the Bible is my tool; Or play, it is a harp of happy sound. If I am ignorant, it is my school; If I am sinking, it is solid ground. If I am cold, the Bible is my fire; And wings, if boldly I aspire.
Should I be lost, the Bible is my guide; Or naked, it is raiment, rich and warm. Am I imprisoned, it is ranges wide; Or tempest-tossed, a shelter from the storm. Would I adventure, 'tis a gallant sea; Or would I rest, it is a flowery lea. 4
B-It Is Precious Because Of Its Instructions:
1-The Pony Express ran from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California-a distance of 1,900 miles. The trip was made in ten days. Forty men, each riding 50 miles a day. To conserve weight, clothing was very light, saddles were extremely small, and no weapons were carried. The horses wore small shoes, or no shoes at all. The mail bags were flat and very conservative in size. Letters had to be written on thin paper, and postage was $5.00 an ounce. Yet each rider carried a full-sized Bible. 5
2-That was good and noble but yet, if they did not read the Bible and obey its instruction, it is a sad story.
3-The Bible is such a practical book that is should not be kept in the LIBRARY, but in the LIVING ROOM!Too many Christians never take biblical principles from their HEAD (the library) and put them in their heart (the living room).
4-A man inherited an antique desk. One day by accident he touched a secret spring. A hitherto unopened drawer opened. In it lay a great sum on money! The antique desk was valuable, but the treasure it contained was more valuable!
God's word is priceless and precious. Unknown spiritual riches await those who will search therein for them. "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweater also than honey and the honeycomb." (Psa 19:10) 6
C-It Is Precious Because Of Its Impact:
1-Have you ever notice the power of a seed as it sprouts? We paved our parking lot at the Church a couple of years ago. I noticed a few weeks later, bits of grass coming up and breaking the asphalt.
2-The Bible is a powerful book because it contains a powerful gospel, and if heard and accepted, it can make a spiritual impact upon one’s life.
3- minister visited a nobleman in a Russian prison. He read a passage of Scripture and prayed, but his words met with solemn contempt. Before leaving, the pastor gave the man a Bible and urged him to read it. No sooner had the minister left than the angry prisoner kicked the Book into the corner. He thought, the Word of God, indeed! Why is this God not meting out justice to the tyrants who are abusing me? As the days passed, a terrible loneliness nearly drove him out of his mind. Snatching the Bible from off the floor, he opened it. His first glance fell on these words from Psalm 50:15, "And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee." He was surprised and touched by such a pointed invitation, yet pride prompted him to shut the Bible and drop it. The next day desperation compelled him to seek the only companion of his solitude. This time he began to study its pages. Seeing himself as a sinner, he opened his heart to Christ. His waking hours which were formerly spe!
nt wallowing in self- pity and bitterness now were being given to his newfound Friend. The shadows of death and injustice gave way to new light from another world. 7
III-CONSIDER THE PROSPECTIVE SOIL:
The four kinds of soil represent the condition of the different hearts that hear the Gospel. There are four kinds of soils in this parable that represent the different kinds of hearts that hear the message of the Gospel: (1) The seed that falls by the path which is hard soil and exposed to the birds who eat it; (2) the seed on the rocky soil lacks enough depth; (3) the seed that falls among thorns is choked out; and (4) the seed that falls on the good ground and is able to take root and grow.
A-There Is The Calloused Heart:
1-As the gospel is preached from the pulpits of our churches, on the streets of our cities, or in the living rooms of our homes, some Jesus says, will refuse to receive it. They listen to the message, but it doesn't penetrate the hardness of their hearts.
2-The seed got on it but didn’t get down into it. Is is like a duck shedding water.
3-W.E. Johnson once participated in a hospital visit with a preacher friend. The person they were visiting was the father of a member of his friend's congregation. The person they were visiting was quite lost, and vocal about it. He had stated on many occasions that he had no interest in Christianity. But, for the umpteenth time, my preacher friend was calling on him and witnessing to him. This time, the person's need was great, as he was in precarious health. After a few moments of discussing his health and situation, my friend asked if he could share the good news of Jesus Christ with him. The man responded, "If you want to waste your time, go ahead." To my shock, my friend said, "I don't," and walked away. We later heard that this rough treatment actually made the man think about his spiritual condition for the first time in his life. 8
B-There Is The Changeable Heart:
1-Then there are others who will hear the message, respond emotionally to it. They become excited and enthusiastic, but they are only superficial. The first time things get tough, they revert back to the old ways -- they drop out of church, start hanging out with old friends, doing the old things again.
2-It may appear that they have been saved. But if their response doesn't go beyond just the intellect, and the emotion, all the way down to a surrender of the will, when affliction and persecution come, they will wither away under the heat... why... they had no root. No real commitment, just a surface profession. It reminds me of these two guys I heard about who had been lost at sea for days. The one began to pray: " O Lord, I've broken most of the commandments. I've got some pretty bad habitats... I drink, I cuss, I steal, I treat people like dirt. But if you will spare my life now, I promise that I'll change. I'll never curse again, I'll never..." Suddenly his friend interrupted him. "wait just a minute pal, don't go too far. I think I see a ship!" 9
C-There is the Cluttered Heart:
1-This soil represents the type of heart that responds to the Gospel in a positive manner and gives every indication that it is sincere and valid. However, it isn't long until the desires of the flesh or the cares of the world cause this person to turn from their profession and to return to the world they were to leave behind. This is the type of person who claims Christ, but demonstrates no change of life. 10
2-One man remarked to another, as they watched the funeral possession of a rich man pass by, "I wonder how much he left behind." The other turned and answered, "Why, all of it." Riches are deceitful, in that they often promise happiness, but don't provide it.
Eccl 2:8-11-I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
3-Lord Kenneth Clark, internationally know for his television series Civilization, lived and died without faith in Jesus Christ. He admitted in his autobiography that while visiting a beautiful church he had what he believed to be an overwhelming religious experience. "My whole being," Clark wrote, "was irradiated by a kind of heavenly joy far more intense than anything I had know before." But the "gloom of grace," as he described it, created a problem. If he allowed himself to be influenced by it, he knew he would have to change, his family might think he had lost his mind, and maybe that intense joy would prove to be an illusion. So he concluded, "I was too deeply embedded in the world to change course." 11
D-There Is The Converted Heart:
1-Some of the seeds fall on good ground. It takes full root and produces faith in Christ and service that is glorifying to God.
2-He hears the word, keeps it, endures, and brings forth multiplied fruit. Only one kind of "convert" is a truly saved convert. It a person has truly trusted Christ, God will change Him. 2 Corinthians 5:17
3-In Reader's Digest, a contributor told of an Aunt Ruby and Uncle Arnie who had adopted a baby boy after five years of trying unsuccessfully to conceive. To their surprise, a short time after the adoption, Aunt Ruby discovered she was pregnant, and she later gave birth to a boy.
One day when the two boys were eight and nine years old, the teller of the story was visiting Aunt Ruby, and a woman in the neighborhood came to visit. Observing the children at play, the woman asked, "Which boy is yours, Ruby?" "Both of them," Aunt Ruby replied. The caller persisted. "But I mean, which one is adopted?"
Aunt Ruby did not hesitate. In her finest hour, she looked straight at her guest and replied, "I've forgotten."
When we are adopted as God's children, we quickly come to cherish our heavenly Father's forgetfulness. For he chooses to forget our sins, to forget our wayward past, and to give us the full rights of sons or daughters. He treats us as if we had never sinned.
Conclusion
In 1981, a Minnesota radio station reported a story about a stolen car in California. Police were staging an intense search for the vehicle and the driver, even to the point of placing announcements on local radio stations to contact the thief.
On the front seat of the stolen car sat a box of crackers that, unknown to the thief, were laced with poison. The car owner had intended to use the crackers as rat bait. Now the police and the owner of the VW Bug were more interested in apprehending the thief to save his life than to recover the car.
So often when we run from God, we feel it is to escape his punishment. But what we are actually doing is eluding his rescue. 12
Let us as God children, be about sowing the precious seed, praying it will rescue one from the pits of hell to the palace of heaven.
1-Kevin Tully
2-Bible Illustrator
3-Curtis Hudson
4-Dr. Amos R. Wells
5-Paul Lee Tan
6-Pulpit Helps
7-Bible Illustrator
8-W.E. Johnson
9-Tom Dooley
10-Alam Carr
11-Our Daily Bread
12-Illustrations For Preacher & Teachers
