The Parable of the Sower
Ryan reports that God was on the move throughout his mission trip to Mexico, Israel, and Ethiopia. The highlight of his trip was the privilege of ministering God’s word in Ethiopia. Ryan marveled that as his host pastor said, “we are witnessing a revival in Ethiopia by the word of God.” It’s the word of God that gives life to a lifeless culture. It’s the Word of God that is exciting men of God to rise up to will and to do of God’s good pleasure.
While the Word is moving In Ethiopia, there are also many false prophets. These charlatans call attention to themselves whereas true prophets give glory, praise, and honor only to God. The false prophets appeal to the crowds who want to see so-called “miracles” of “deliverance.” They deceive the crowds to sacrifice their meager wages to witness deceptions disguised as great and mighty works.
The prime minister of Ethiopia is a born-again believer and God is on the move in the evangelical churches there. In the remote countryside, however, there is heavy persecution of these churches by the Muslim majorities. One of the ways the Muslim leaders persecute the Christians is by charging them exorbitant monthly rents for meeting places. But God is still on the move and working within the hearts of men and women of God.
Mark 4 and Matthew 13 record Jesus’ parable of the sower. This is a story of how God works through his Word in the hearts of men. The question is, what type of soil represents your heart? The seed in this parable is the Word of God. The word of God has the potential to grow, but whether it grows and flourishes depends on the type of soil. The sower went forth to sow. The seed fell on four different types of soil. When the sower scattered the seed, some fell on the hard packed earth. This type of soil represents the hearts of men that are impermeable and the seed cannot penetrate. The birds came and ate the seed before it could germinate. The second type of soil is the stony ground. The seed enters into the stony ground but since there is no depth of soil, the seed quickly springs up but then withers and dies. This type of heart receives the word at first but since there is no depth of root, the word quickly fades away. The fleeting emotional joy of receiving the word doesn’t last. The third type of soil is the thorny ground. This soil receives the seed and it takes root and starts to grow. However, over time the thorns choke out the seedling before it can grow to maturity. This soil represents the hearts of men where the weeds of riches and cares of this world choke out the seed of the word of God so it cannot bring forth fruit. The persecution or the deceitful riches of this world take over and choke the life out of the young plant so that it cannot produce fruit. The purpose of the seed and the seedling is to bring forth fruit, a harvest for the next generation. If the plant doesn’t produce fruit, it’s worthless and is cast into the fire and burned.
The fourth type of soil is the good ground. This soil represents the hearts of men that receive the seed of the word of God and it springs up into life eternal. Jesus Christ himself prepared the hearts of men represented by the good ground. He is the “hound of heaven” that pursues those who are chosen to receive the seed of the word of truth.
Sin is the root of evil. All we like sheep have gone astray and have turned each one to his own way. All men have inherited the sin nature from Adam who disobeyed God’s only command. God told Adam, “on the day that you eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt surely die.” Jesus Christ was God’s plan to redeem mankind from Adam’s original sin. When a person dies in his sinful state without Christ, he is judged by God’s righteous standard of His word. The wages of sin is death….but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. God made a way of redemption through his saving grace. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For he who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Therefore those who accept Jesus Christ are born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever. The seed of the word that falls on good ground brings forth fruit for the next generation, some thirty fold, some sixty fold and some an hundred fold.
God has called us as sowers of the seed. He has called us to plant and water and in due season to bring in the fruitful harvest. When the seed falls on good ground God will give the increase unto the harvest. According to Psalm 1, blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of living waters that brings forth fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael