The Sower & The Seed

All right. So be getting into Loop 8 today at Luke 8:4 through 15. Now as I was praying about this. I was reading the difference in the different accounts from Matthew and for Mark and Matthew and Mark they give a lot of details a lot more than but since I was going to go with that but I decided we already had it posted. I don't want to mislead you guys so I was going to stick with Luke but I will be referring to the different accounts from Matthew and for Mark just to give us a little bit more of an understanding of what's going on. So, okay. So what was happening before this point? I feel like I feel like Corey did an awesome job trying to open up this sermon so I won't I won't pray but what happened what is happening before this? Point so we see Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee. We see that he was tempted for 40 days and he get once he's done with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is upon Him goes into Galilee goes into Nazareth and she's even rejected at Nazareth his own Hometown. He's rejected but we can understand that because if you grew up with Johnny down the block and he claims to be the Messiah like no way, you know, there's no way that you're the Messiah because I used to hang out with you to swim in the river together and I Know I Know Who You Are So he was rejected by the people of his own home town and he's so he takes his ministry and like Matthew 4:23 says he went throughout all of Galilee teaching in their synagogues proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom. He was feeling every disease and every Affliction among the people. So his Fame spread throughout all of Syria and spread through all of Judea spread all over. Okay. So people are are seeing their raised up in the Jewish culture and their tot from a very young age to be looking for the Messiah. They're taught the scriptures. They're taught the Old Testament that the to knock their taught that you know, God is going to give us some aside. He's going to save his people he's going to be people in so they're taught to see this and he's going to do these work. What would they finally see it? Jesus is coming and he's healing every disease. He's hella healing demon possession is healing healing the lepers. He's making the the lame walk again. He's he's bringing his he's even raised to the young boy from the dead. So people are like just so eager to see who this Messiah is or who this guy is because he's the Messiah he's doing the things of God in the way. He's teaching the way he's proclaiming at the word. No one's ever taught like this before nobody that we've ever heard. No Rabbi that we've ever heard his folks like this before there's something different about this man. So these these people were eager to see who Jesus was. So you had these people who are coming and looking for the Messiah and him but then you also had the people who were the Skeptics you had the people who were coming to see who does Jesus was because the more and more Jesus chooses family Rose the more popular he got The less and less the Pharisees were the last popular they were so he began the Pharisees begin to come and see they knew that he had Miracles but who was this man? Because they were going to take their followers away from their going to Jesus was just leaving them astray. This was just some crazy man like John John the Baptist, you know, so they're coming in and they're saying they're coming in and they're like man, we're going to find out who this uses and we're going to take him down. So we have the step the skeptical to the skeptical side and we have the people who are coming to him saying this is really the Messiah that scripture that talks about so what we'll do is we'll read a few verses then. We'll stop. And then we'll read a few more and stop and read a few more and stop and then we'll just keep on that going like that. Okay? So that was just to give a background of what was going on before this before we're we're getting into we're saying the two sides that are coming after Jesus even in Luke 7. We see just a few verses before just another example of the Pharisees heart. We see and leave 7 that a Pharisee invited Jesus to his home to have a meal and what happens the lady is Weeping at Jesus feet realizing who he is. And what is the Pharisee say he says if this man was really a profit then she would know who's touching her butt touching him. She's a sinner. So that's just to show the difference between Jesus. How she was he was different from the tradition and the religious heart? Can I start in verse form? Says I want a great crowd was gathering at people from town after town came to him. She said in a parable. This is going to be our fourth pause. So this one verse there's a transition going on. Jesus has changed the way that he's speaking to his crowd to speaking to his followers. She's gone from just proclaiming the truth. Like you was how he said I'm the Messiah he was telling the people of Nazareth how he led the The Sermon on the Mount what we know as the Beatitudes with the way that he was speaking in those ways. He was coming straight up with the truth and he's coming straight out. But now he's he's changed course. He's changed the way that you speaking to the people who are following him now. Why is he doing that? We'll find out find out in the later versus So to you, it has been given. To know that my bad my bad as sower went out to sow his seed and he's told and some fell along the path and it was Trampled Under Foot the birds of the air devoured it and some fell on the Rock and his it grew up at withered away because it had no moisture and sound Philip among the thorns in the Thorns grew up with it and choked and some fell into the good soil and the Gru and yielded a hundredfold and as as he said these things he called out he who has ears let him hear now Jesus's Parables. There's a reason for his Parables. He took he took a practical illustration and apply to spiritual truth to this 5 clue illustration. So he took things that would have been familiar to the people who are following him and say, By throwing alongside a spiritual truth was a parable means to throw alongside. But anyway, so he would take stations and he would say all right, like sowing seed what's going on. Sunburst V. We see agriculturally. What was the what was the Sowers do in ancient Egypt? I mean in ancient Israel. There's a lot of similar to how it is here and Cedar We have the hard ground. Which we see the sower went out to sow a seed and some fell among the path. What when they would go out to stole the see if there was usually throw see if it wasn't anything like a little Taylor, you know, they're go out and they had their bags in there throwing the seeds and after the fact that would go and plow. Now there was some foot traffic that would go alongside the fields and that would get compacted. Just like any path just like a sidewalk. Ever get compacted. Alright, so naturally when they're be throwing they wouldn't be aiming and just going and doing a little bit there be throwing the seat and naturally or get onto the path. So with that this is a non Cloud area. Right. There's a lot of compaction where the seed cannot take root. There's no doubt whatsoever birds come and snatch it up. But in Cedarwood understand the wind would take it before the birds there, right?

So some fell upon the Rocks now, that's exactly like how it is here. This isn't rocks just on the surface. This is rocks. That would have been down in the depths a little bit a couple inches. I've been out digging in my yard and I go to dig and I'm hitting rocks every single swing. I'm hitting clay, you know, I just kind of annoying but that's the type of soil here. It's a week and we can relate to that there's weeds weeds grow everywhere. And I have landscape in my back yard or in my yard and guess what those weeds even grow on my landscape rock like they're going up everywhere. And so if if plants can't go on my rock for weeds can like that telling you something, you know, and then there's a good soil only where the soil where is prepared where the rocks are removed and the weeds are removed is the good soil where it still. Up where its cost. That's a good soil. We're even familiar with these things because they're common their comments was it's something practical that we understand we understand some of us have tried gardening before. So we can relate to this illustration. But maybe the people from Idaho can't relate because every time you tossed it somewhere something grows up, right?

But Jesus is Is Pascal illustration is something more? And the disciples knew that so we seeing in 9 through 10 and when when is disciples asked and what does purple meant? He said to you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in Parables so that they may not see and hearing they may not understand. So is disciples come out to him when they're alone after Jesus is done speaking and he's like, okay, what was that all about? You know you were just speaking directly to us. You would explain the truth, but now you switched up on us. Now you're saying something that's just That you're sowing seed. Why why did you do that but Jesus's response. So we see the disciples response is there they're asking Jesus que but Jesus's response. He starts a quote Isaiah 6 and 9 through 10 state of the people keep on hearing but do not understand keep on saying but do not perceive make the heart of the people Dole and their ears heavy and blind their eyes less. They see what their eyes and ear and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn and be forgiven. So why is Jesus speaking in a parable? She's hiding the truth from those who would not listen to the Holy Spirit those who had the wrong motives going back to verse 4. the crowds that were following him there is a Skeptics and there's those who knew him to be the Messiah. So he knew that when he spoke in the parables are distinguished anybody who has an ear to ear to hear like you says in verse 8, let him hear. Those are the people who had a receptive heart. Those are the people who had the response of heart and we're eager to see more who wanted more who knew that this man wasn't just speaking to speak but he was speaking Spirit of Truth. And he also knew like in the other two accounts Whoever has more will be given whoever doesn't it will be taken away. So the heart that is prepared. The heart that is response will be given more. For those who don't know. Well what you do know is going to be taken away. so this is a double Advantage because he's also saying he's speaking in Parables because we tend to learn from from stories. We remember stories more than we remember very much everything else, right? And then they we got the mind. We're able to take those stories and we're able to translate them into the spiritual truths that Jesus is portraying.

let's continue my reading now the Powerball is this the seat of the word of God the ones along the path of those who have heard than the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved and the ones on the Rock are those who when they hear the word receive it with joy, but these have no root they believe for a while and it is time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among Thorns they are those who hear but as they go on their way if they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life and their fruit does not mature as for the good soil. They are those who hearing the word hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with patients. So we see the seed the seed is the word of God the seed of the Gospel right? As Jesus is translating it. Don Juan says that he is the word. He says that he came. As the word the flesh became the word. So it's interesting, you know that and Matthew and marks account as it goes into a little bit more detail. It talks about when the store sells the word. We know ultimately that God is the store but anyone who sells the word who sells the gospel is the sower so brothers and sisters who sold the word. Are Sowers of the word eyesores of the seed? So we all have from that point. We all have a choice our hearts our hearts are going to be responsive or not.

So we see the soil is our hearts Knight and Genesis 3 since the following God told Abraham that because he ate of the fruit the land was going to be cursed. And what did he say to him? He said I'm going to curse this land or the lands going to be cursed because you guys ate the fruit and guess what you guys have to slave over the land. Now, you guys have to work the land and to me that's interesting because I see that Jesus saying that he's that the word of God is the seed he is now taking that in communicating it with something that's cursed. Now back in Genesis, what did God also say to Eve? He says your seed will crush the Serpent's head. And we obviously know that is Jesus. So he's relating also that. The curse of ground is like our hearts. Our hearts first, right? What is the Bible say about our hearts? It is above off Wicked deceitful and it's deceitful and we start with our hearts daily. It's far from perfect. So he's relating our hearts to the soil. And the seed is the only thing that can change it. So we see the path is the word the word is heard and immediately is snatched up from saying so that it could be more that could be some of you here today.

This is a lot different coming back at night and doing are you know? Let's start here. So the ones along the path of those who have heard in the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts so that they may not believe and be saved. So the path the word is hard they share the word but not anything further than that because guess what though is hard. There is no room for it to take root and immediately Satan comes and snatches it up 2nd Corinthians talks about this 2nd. Corinthians says that Satan the adversary comes and takes up you put the veil over the gospel. So all the unbelievers will not come to know the truth and he comes and snatches it so that there is nobody who will respond to the gospel. So that can be like some of us here today because our hearts can be hardened. To who God is to God's word.

These are people who hear the word with no understanding.

They never give it a second thought as soon as they walk out the doors. They come just on their own with their own pride and their own Prejudice prejudiced. First 13th and the ones on the Rock are the ones who when they hear the word receive it with joy that these have no root they believe for a while and a time of testing Fall Away. So these are the rocky soil that here and they received the word with joy, they're ecstatic about it. They have enthusiasm with it. But as soon as they get outside these walls if they don't they don't water that's that fire or fire that's rooted in them. It gets quenched it Springs up and it gets quenched. Because there is no root whatsoever. So they hear the word and they take it but then as soon as they get out, they don't continue to water they don't continue to abide and there's some underlying heart listener hearts.

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and as for what fell among Thorns there are those who hear but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life and their fruit does not mature. Now these ones. This is what really convicted me because these are the ones that they're in good soil. And they grow they mature. But weeds are growing along with it as well and the pleasures of this life choke it out the desires and the riches of this life and the choke it out. These are the people who come in they gets fed. They grow for a while, but then it as soon as they leave it's like man. I want to do what I want to do. I want to I want to fulfill my own pleasures. These are the people who let the worries of the world gets them. like covid-19

The richness are the richness of the world The Riches of the world chokes it out. Now what do we do when we get to that point we got to move if you're a Believer, you got to move you got to continually be growing got to be continually abiding in the word and we'll get to that right here in this verse. Ask for in the good soil. They are those who hearing the word hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with patience. So the good soil is broken up the rocks and weeds have been removed and they are the ones we see are hearing the word. The other one's heard the word. it says the ones on the path they heard it and then it went away the ones on the Rock they hear the word and they received it, but then I fell away.

Let me see the ones in the Thorns they share it but this is hearing. The verb hearing this is a continual hearing. This is something we're we're continually abiding in God's word is his we let his seed be planted in our hearts and we're continually growing continue letting Kim change our hearts. Like Ezekiel says, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you how Remove Your Heart of Stone and give you a heart of Flesh. So you're allowing the word of God to transform your heart. These are the ones we're producing fruit and Christ ones who are hungry the ones were wanting more.

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like some of us, sometimes we can be like the Wayside. Sometimes we allowed no room for a heart. I mean no room for the word in our life at all. We can be like the Stoney play. Sometimes we have it Suzy azzam and receiving the word but it is quickly burned out. We can be like the soil with the Thorns where the pleasures than riches and the deceitfulness of this world choke out God's word.

So if we find ourselves in these types of soils, it's time that we repent. It is time that we ask God to change our hearts to give us a new heart and a fire to abide in him and to be continually watered by him and let his word grow inside of us and change our hearts. So my question to you is what is the condition of your heart? Every time you hear God's word. What are you doing with it? Are you allowing it to sanctify you? It's saves you. Are you allowing you to think to fire you?

Or is it just being passed on the Wayside and falling on the hardness of your heart?

As I was praying about this. This is by the way, this is like a lot harder Brandon in the morning service. So I'm sorry guys, but as I was talking about this I kept on thinking about like Nicodemus and me and Dan was talking about Nicodemus and I'm like Nicodemus, you know, I still haven't answered on 3 and I'm seeing my you know, what's going on? He's this Pharisee religious ruler and he's seeking Jesus his heart's being pulled towards Jesus and who Jesus is what's happening with him. He sees that people are starting to go away and so he sees ghosts in private at night to talk with Jesus. And so when he gets there, he starts saying how do I inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, you know, and we know how this goes. Jesus says You must be born again. Like how do I am? My mother's womb, you know and he says no you got to be born again. Well anyway, as soon as it goes on that, that's where we get John 3:16 came to love the world not to condemn the world. And and so I was thinking I might okay. What am I? What would I do with this? You know what happened to Nicodemus? I don't think I've ever heard of Nicodemus after this and when me and Dad were talking about Nicodemus, didn't he buried his body after it take from the cross. I like that was Joseph man, like what we talked about so we pulled it up. Yeah. Yeah, you know so that seed that was planted that word does planted took him away from food. She was she had a political stance to hold. She was a religious ruler. I mean she had put people to death for going away from the fade, but now he's breaking his tradition to go after Jesus and allow Jesus to transform his life even to Deuces death and I'm like, woah. Oh, okay. That's what what it is about Nicodemus you want me to see is that those words that were spoken to him. They were planted in his heart and he was eager and he wanted more and he wanted he wanted to grow and uproot. He wanted to abide in him. He knew he was the Messiah.

So, where are we at today? Where is our heart at today?

Is closing a word of Prayer?

Lord Jesus I thank you for your word. I think you.

That is your word is transforming to us that it transforms our hearts God. I pray that our heart will not be hard into you. Can I just pray that your word would ran over anything any I'm distraction?

Father I just come before you and I just pray that you would just get the basis of the message out because it was very difficult sometimes to to preach again, and I'm sorry and I just pray that you would get the core of the message out that our hearts will be transformed by you and you alone that weird abide in you that we would just continually grow continually be moving and not get stuck in the weeds not be choked out. But that we would see that. Your life your death. Your Resurrection is all we need that you paid it all. Do you change our hearts that you give us a heart of Flesh? You trying to send it to say to a same. And I just thank you for that. I pray for protection as we go outside these walls and pray against the adversary. I just pray that we would just want more want more of you and it's your name I pray and ask these things or Jesus. Amen.

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