MUB
4-3-05
LUKE 8;4-8
4While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."
When he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
INTRO; WASN’T IT GREAT THIS WEEK TO DRIVE AROUND WITH THE WINDOW DOWN, SHORT SLEEVES, TEMPS UP NEAR 70 DEGREES. PTL. MOST OF THE SNOW IS NOW GONE, THERE IS STILL SOME ICE ON SOME OF THE LAKES. AND ONE OF THE GREAT SITES IS THE GREEN MAKING ITS WAY UP THROUGH THE GROUND IN THE FIELDS. WE ALL KNOW THAT IN SHORT ORDER, DEATH GIVES WAY TO LIFE IN NATURE.
JESUS, IN HIS MINISTRY AND TEACHING, USED NATURE TO ILLUSTRATE SPIRITUAL TRUTHS. THIS MORNING WE WILL SEE THIS IN THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARABLES, IT TEACHES US A LOT ABOUT HOW THE KINGDOM OF GOD GROWS.
LET ME REMIND YOU, A PARABLE IS AN EARTHLY STORY WITH A HEAVENLY MEANING. LOOK DOWN TO VS 10. JESUS IS SPEAKING TO THE DISCIPLES; HE SAYS, THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SECRETS OF THE KINGDOM HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOU. THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS SAYING. THIS APPLIES TO US AS WELL. HERE IS THE SPIRITUAL TRUTH, NOW APPLY IT IN YOUR LIFE. THIS APPLICATION IS FOR THE BELIEVER.
HE GOES ON TO SAY, BUT TO OTHERS I SPEAK IN PARABLES SO THAT; THOUGH SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, THOUGH HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND. NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO UNDERSTAND HIS TEACHING. SOME WILL JUST NOT GET IT, OTHERS WILL LISTEN, BUT REJECT IT, IT GOES AGAINST THEIR IDEAS.
LETS LOOK TOGETHER AT THIS PARABLE OF THE SOWER.
BACKGROUND, JESUS TRAVELED FROM ONE TOWN TO THE NEXT, TEACHING THE GOOD NEWS OF THE KGD. THE 12 WERE WITH HIM, SO WERE SOME WOMEN, INCLUDING MARY MAGDALENE, AND JOANNA, AND MANY OTHERS. NOTE VS 3B, THESE WOMEN WERE HELPING TO SUPPORT THEM. SOMEONE ONCE SAID, THE WATER IS FREE BUT THE PLUMBING COSTS MONEY.
A LARGE CROWD GATHERED, FROM MANY DIFFERENT TOWNS, THEY SURROUNDED JESUS, WAITING TO HEAR HIM SPEAK. HE TOLD THIS PARABLE.
A FARMER WENT OUT TO SOW SEED. MOST FARMERS OF THAT DAY, LIVED IN THE VILLAGE AND WENT TO THEIR FIELDS. THIS WAS A COMMON PICTURE OF THE DAY, PROBABLY EVERY PERSON IN THE CROWD HAD SEEN THIS HAPPEN. HE HAS THE SEED BAG OVER HIS SHOULDER. AS HE SCATTERED, HE WOULD TAKE THE SEED FROM HIS BAG, AND WITH ONE HAND HE WOULD TOSS THE SEED. HE TRIED TO GET THE SEED ON THE GOOD SOIL, BUT, NOT ALL OF IT FELL THERE. SOME FELL ALONG THE PATH, THE PATH WAS HARD, AND TRAMPLED ON, THE BIRDS OF THE AIR ATE UP THE SEED. SOME OF THE SEED FELL ON ROCK, AND WHEN IT CAME UP, THE PLANTS WITHERED AND DIED, B/C THERE WAS NO MOISTURE.
OTHER SEED FELL AMONG THE THORNS, AND WHEN IT GREW SO DID THE WEEDS AND THE WEEDS CHOKED OUT THE PLANT. FINALLY, SOME SEED FELL ON GOOD SOIL, AND IT CAME UP AND YIELDED A CROP 100 TIMES MORE THAN WAS SOWN.
EVERYONE WHO KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT FARMING KNOWS THAT WHAT JESUS IS TELLING IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS. WHERE THE SEED FALLS, DETERMINES HOW MUCH CROP YOU WILL GET. IF YOU DECIDED TO PLANT SEED, AND WENT DOWN THE STREETS OF MONTGOMERY, CASTING YOUR SEED ON THE ROAD, WHAT WOULD YOU GET? BUT, THIS IS NOT AG CLASS, AND JESUS IS NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT CORN AND SOYBEANS. HE IS TALKING ABOUT SPIRITUAL TRUTH.
HE TAKES THE DISCIPLES AWAY FROM THE CROWD, AND HE EXPLAINS THE MEANING OF THE PARABLE TO THEM.
FIRST, THE SEED IS THE WORD OF GOD. A FEW WEEKS AGO WE WENT IN TO MENNARDS, TO SAVE BIG MONEY, AND THEY WERE HAVING A SALE ON SEEDS. SO WE BOUGHT SOME STUFF THAT WE THOUGHT WE MIGHT LIKE TO HAVE IN THE GARDEN THIS SUMMER. BUT LET ME TELL YOU A TRUTH, IF WE DON’T GET THOSE SEEDS OUT OF THE BAGS, AND PLANT THEM, WE WILL HAVE THE SAME KIND OF CROP AS THE PERSON WHO PLANTS HIS SEED ON THE CONCRETE. THE SEED IS ONLY USEFUL IF IT IS SCATTERED. THE 5TH PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH IS EVANGELISM. THIS IS THE ONLY PURPOSE WE WONT DO IN HEAVEN. WE MUST SCATTER SEED. WE MUST BECOME THE FARMER WHO WENT OUT TO HIS FIELD TO SOW SEED.
THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT KINDS OF SOIL THAT THE SEED FALLS ON. EACH REPRESENTS A DIFFERENT KIND OF PERSON WHO HEARS THE WORD OF GOD.
FIRST SOIL, THOSE ALONG THE PATH. THEY HEAR, BUT THEN THE DEVIL COMES AND TAKES THE SEED AWAY FROM THE HEART. HOW MANY PEOPLE DO WE KNOW THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. THEY COME TO CHURCH, THEY HEAR THE GOSPEL, THEY DON’T RESPOND, THEY PONDER IT FOR A WHILE, BUT THEN, IN TIME, THEY FORGET. THE SEED IS GONE.
SECOND SOIL, THOSE ON THE ROCKY SOIL. ONE OF THE GREAT JOYS THAT WE HAVE HAD IN MINISTRY WAS TO WORK IN THE BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE IN TAMPA. WE WENT THRU THE TRAINING, AND BECAME AS INVOLVED AS POSSIBLE. DURING THE CRUSADE, THOUSANDS MADE DECISIONS FOR CHRIST. BUT, MANY OF THOSE WERE ROCKY SOIL DECISIONS. THEY HEARD THE WORD, IT TOUCHED THEIR HEART, THEY WENT DOWN TO MAKE A DECISION. THEY ACCEPTED JESUS AS SAVIOR, THEY SPRING TO LIFE. BUT, THEIR DECISION WAS NOT WELL ROOTED, IT WAS SHALLOW, AND SOON, THE SUN COMES OUT, AND THEY WITHER AND FALL AWAY.
THIRD SOIL, THOSE AMONG THORNS. THESE ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE FIRST TWO, THIS GROUND COULD HAVE PRODUCED A GOOD CROP, BUT IT HAS WEEDS IN IT. THE SEED FALLS, THE PLANT COMES TO LIFE, IT TRIES TO MAKE IT. BUT, IT IS CHOKED BY THE CARES OF THE WORLD. RICHES AND PLEASURES. I WANT TO LIVE FOR JESUS, BUT, I WANT TO PLAY GAMES AT THE SAME TIME. THIS SOIL IS DOUBLE MINDED. WANTS TO LIVE FOR GOD, BUT IS PULLED BY THE WORLD.
HERE IS THE JUDGEMENT ON THIS SOIL, THEY NEVER MATURE. THEY ARE NUBBINS. THEY NEVER GROW UP IN CHRIST. UNDERSTAND THIS, IF YOUR NOT GROWING YOU ARE DYING. AS MUCH AS WE LOVE BABIES, WE EXPECT THEM TO GROW, WE DON’T WANT THEM TO STAY BABIES. THAT IS UNNATURAL. THE SAME HOLDS TRUE WITH CHRISTIANS, GOD EXPECTS US TO GROW UP IN HIM.
FOURTH SOIL, THE GOOD SOIL. BACK IN THE MID 80’S I LIVED IN WHAT WAS ONCE CALLED THE BLACK SWAMP. YEARS BEFORE, THIS GROUND WAS UNDER WATER, NOT TILLABLE, THEN THEY FIGURED OUT A WAY TO DRAIN THE WATER. WHEN THEY DID, THE GROUND UNDER NEATH WAS THE RICHEST FARM LAND IN THE STATE. A GUY THAT I KNEW PAID $1,000 AN ACRE FOR THIS GROUND. ALL HIS FRIENDS SAID HE WAS NUTS, BUT HIS GROUND WAS WORTH IT WHEN IT CONSISTENTLY PRODUCED MORE CROPS THAN HIS FRIENDS. I CANT TELL YOU WHAT MAKES GOOD GROUND. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THIS; GOOD GROUND PRODUCES GOOD CROPS. AND JESUS IS SAYING IN THIS PARABLE, THERE ARE FOUR KINDS OF SOIL, THREE DON’T CUT IT, BUT THIS FOURTH SOIL, THE GOOD GROUND, DOES.
THESE PEOPLE HAVE NOBLE AND GOOD HEARTS, THEY HEAR THE WORD, THEY RETAIN IT, THEY PERSEVERE, AND BY DOING SO, THEY PRODUCE A GOOD CROP.
THE JOB OF THE CHURCH IS TO SCATTER SEED. WHEN WE HAND OUT BOOKLETS, WHEN WE DO THE COMMUNITY EASTER EGG HUNT, WHEN WE DO THE MEALS, WE ARE PLANTING SEED. WHEN WE SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH ANY ONE, NO MATTER WHO OR WHERE, WE ARE PLANTING SEED.
NOTICE, THE FARMER IS NEVER CONDEMNED FOR SCATTERING SEED IN PLACES THAT THE SEED DOESN’T GROW. WE SCATTER SEED EVERYWHERE IN HOPES THAT IT WILL PRODUCE A CROP. (ILLUS. FIRST CHURCH, THERE WAS A GUY, HIS WIFE NEVER MISSED, HE NEVER CAME. I WOULD GO AND VISIT HIM FROM TIME TO TIME, THIS GOES ON FOR OVER 5 YEARS. HE NEVER DARKENS THE DOOR. I LEAVE, AND WITHIN 3 MONTHS, HE GETS SAVED, JOINS THE CHURCH, AND BECOMES AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE CHURCH. I SCATTERED A LOT OF SEED IN HIS DIRECTION, BUT WHAT I WAS REALLY DOING WAS WORKING THE SOIL.) LET ME ADD, I BELIEVE THAT HIS BELIEVING WIFE HAD MORE TO DO WITH THIS THAN EITHER ME OR THE NEXT PREACHER.
MY CHALLENGE TO EACH OF YOU THIS WEEK, IS SIMPLY THIS, SCATTER SOME SEED. WHERE EVER YOU GO, SCATTER SOME SEED. LET SOMEONE, LET EVERYONE KNOW WHAT GOD HAS DONE IN YOUR LIFE THRU JESUS CHRIST. OUR JOB IS NOT TO MAKE THE SEED GROW, THAT IS GOD’S JOB. OUR JOB IS SIMPLY TO PLANT SEED.
