The Seed Of God's Word

This is a parable.

Jesus explains: “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man” (Mt 13:37)

• The field is the world, people of the world (13:38).

• And the seed is the Word of God.

The sower throws seed onto the ground. God is speaking to the world.

• The seed falls onto the ground without discrimination.

• The Word of God is preached to all men, no favouritism.

• The Lord says in Matt 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

• God’s desire is to see all men hear the truth and be saved.

Every seed that is sown has the potential to bear fruit.

• Jesus says it can yield a crop 30, 60 or even a 100 times what is sown.

• In order words, God’s Word can change our life.

• It can bring us an abundant and fruitful life, if you receive it well.

In Jesus’ time, a 7-fold harvest was considered to be a very good harvest.

• So a harvest of even 30-fold would have been miraculous, not to mention 60 or a 100-fold.

• God can bless you in miraculous ways, if we would just believe His Word.

The problem is not with the seed.

• The Word of God, if understood and believed, will bring fruit in our lives.

• Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…” NKJV

• Jesus says, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)

The seed can bring fruits. The Word of God can bring a change to our lives.

• Even our faith in God “comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.” (Rom 10:17)

• The Word of God gives us hope in life. We find comfort and peace through the Word of God.

So the seed is good. The Word is effective.

• If we see no fruit, according to the parable, it has to do with the ground that the seed falls on.

• Jesus says it has to do with our response to the Word.

The key to a fruitful and abundant life is with our response to the Word.

• The big difference between a dry and dying life, and one that is fruitful and blessed, is simply this: Our attitude towards the Word.

The seed can fall on the hard and dry path. It is rejected.

• It cannot penetrate the heart. There is no place for God in their lives.

• Rom 3:18 says “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

The Word of God cannot live. It cannot even get started. The Word never sinks in.

• The problem is not a lack of understanding. It is an unwillingness to receive.

• The Lord says in Ezek 3:7 that the people of Israel “are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate.”

The seed can fall on soil full of rocks.

• The Word is received with enthusiasm at the beginning but something happens.

• Hardship and trouble come, as they always do.

• And people cannot understand why God would allow something like this to happen. They become angry with God and turn away.

The seed can fall on soil full of thorns.

• Jesus describes them as “the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things.” (13:22)

• The Word really has no chance to grow.

• Worldly pursuits squeezed it out of the soil. God is pushed out to the sidelines.

• He is not in the game. He is the passive watcher while you struggle through the game of life on your own.

All these describe the different responses we have to the Word of God.

• Are you listening? Are you really listening? That’s the key.

• Jesus says we need to be the good soil if you want to have an abundant harvest; a blessed life.

• The difference between the good soil and the others is that they “hear the word and accept it”.

The way we receive the Word is critical to having a fruitful and blessed life.

The seed is productive only if the soil is receptive.

Our hearts cannot be hard – we must listen, believe and obey the Word.

• We can expect a bumper harvest – 30, 60 or 100-fold harvest – not because we are talented or skilful, because God’s Word is true.

• We have an abundant life today because we heard His Word, and believed it.

• Jesus says, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” (Jn 6:63)