The Story of the Seed and the Soils

INTRODUCTION: Turn to Mark 4

We all desire to be successful in our lives. But for Christians – as we grow – we even more want to be successful as people of the Spirit.

Why is this? Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:19-22…
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow-citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22

We belong to another kingdom. We are members of God’s Kingdom.

So – how do we live successfully in God’s Kingdom? What are the SECRETS of the Kingdom?

Jesus lays them out clearly in Mark 4

Let’s read Mark 4:1-9…
“Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered round him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.” Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Mark 4:1-9

This is a story about SEED, SOIL, AND FRUIT (or RESULTS).
Look at verse 10-13…
“When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’” Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?” Mark 4:10-13

You see – we must have ears to hear. We must have eyes to see. We must go deeper than the OBVIOUS and move into the DEPTHS of Spiritual Truth.

PRAYER FOR HEARING AND UNDERSTANDING – I want you to cry out to God for REVELATION.

I. WHAT IS ‘SEED’?

Seed is ‘harvest’ in potential form!

Plant tomato seeds – and you’ve got a harvest of tomatoes – in potential!

Verse 20 tells us that the ‘seed’ in this story is the word of God. And the seed of the Word of God is a HARVEST of righteousness, salvation, maturity, effective ministry service, and spiritual well-being. Your success as a member of God’s Kingdom is absolutely dependent upon you receiving the Word of God – Jesus Christ – into your life!

Now, let’s look at the four soils, four results and remedies to poor soil.

II. SOILS, RESULTS & REMEDIES

Soil #1: ‘hardened path’ v. 4, 14-15

The seed falls on the hardened path. And what happens? “and the birds came and ate it up.”

The results? NO FRUIT!

What does this means SPIRITUALLY? What is Jesus getting at? Look at verse 14-15…
“The farmer sows the word.” Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.” V. 14-15

The Word is sown.
It falls on the hardened path. This refers to the person who is hardened by sinfulness. They are living such a life that they’ve become cynical, jaded, embittered. The word of God is not able to penetrate this outer shell. So they are easy prey for Satan to come along and steal the seed of God’s word. And God’s Word has no fruit – no harvest in their life.

Tragic. Dangerous. And all of us can be susceptible to this.

So, what is the REMEDY?
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;” Ephesians 4:22, NIV.

The word for this is: REPENT!

If you are involved in sinfulness, the only solution, the only way to have God’s Word penetrate you to is to REPENT of that sin!

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” Hosea 10:12, KJV.

There is great danger in delay. For delay creates new layers of hardness. You can hear the Word of God today – respond in repentance.

Here’s the second soil:

Soil #2: “Rocky places” – v. 5, 16-17

“Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.” V. 16-17

The word is sown.
It is received with joy.
There is rapid growth that is quickly destroyed by the harshness of the sun.

Why? Because the seed – the word – wasn’t allowed to go down deep into the soil, so there wasn’t a healthy root system developing. It’s a superficial connection, that is destroyed at the first sign of troubles. “Well, if this is the way it’s going to be, I’m better off without Christ! I thought that when I gave my life to Jesus, that all my problems would go away! I’m out of here!”

And the results: “NO FRUIT! NO HARVEST!”

Frankly – this is where most western Christians are at! And there is only one remedy

REMEDY: Go deep with Christ!
Look at Ephesians 3:17-19…
“so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19, NIV.

A superficial faith will not stand the test of time. Sooner or later – when troubles come – the shallow Christian will burn out. That’s why we’ve got to go deep with Him. We’ve got to let Him move in to the innermost parts of our lives. Rooted. Established. You to move into the power of the Holy Spirit. You need to experience His love three dimensionally. Going deep with Christ enables you to experience His love at every level of your life and as you do, you are filled up with Him!

That’s why you and I need to be in the Word. In Prayer. In Worship. In relationship. That’s why you need to be ‘filled with the Holy Spirit!’

Move out of the shallows. Invest yourself in Him!

Here’s the third kind of soil:
Soil #3: “Thorny” soil v. 7, 18-19
“Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.” V. 18-19

The thorns choke the little seedlings and they are not able to produce fruit.

In the Spirit, Christ is saying that the word is sown, and the word is heard, but the worries this world produces overwhelms and chokes it!

It’s not God’s will that you worry. And when you worry, fret, or get anxious it is a sign that something is wrong.

And there is only one remedy:

REMEDY: “LOOK UP TO Christ!”

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

When I fix my eyes on my problems, my problems become all encompassing. And the only solution is to fix my eyes on someone who is bigger than my problems. If fruit is going to be produced in my life – I must stop worrying and turn my attention to Christ! I’ve got to look up.

Do you know what the promise of God is concerning this?
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6, 7

Are you listening? Are you hearing?

And finally, the 4th soil
Soil #4: “Good soil” v. 8, 20

“Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.” V. 20

The word is sown.
The word is heard.
The word is accepted.
And the word produces a harvest – 30, 60, 100 times over!

Isn’t that what we want?

Right now – God is sowing His word into your life. You are hearing it. The only question is: Will you receive it? To receive the word of God is to EMBRACE it as the key to your life! To receive the word of God is to allow it to INVADE every aspect of your life – body, soul and spirit! It is to allow the word of God to CHANGE you, to REARRANGE your priorities.

To receive the word of God means that not only do you hear it, but you ACT upon it. God speaks. God tells the truth. And God desires a response.

For instance: In Ephesians 5:18 we are told…
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18

Do you get this verse? God is saying: “Don’t look for your thrills through chemicals! I’ll be your thrill! Let me fill you up with my Spirit – that is a thrill ride enough!”

And when you pray to be filled with the Spirit. It is done. It is God’s will that you be filled up with Him. And your feelings have nothing to do with it. If you earnestly seek God – you’ll find God. Period. It’s a promise and it is done as soon as you ask.

And as we walk in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit – there will be FRUIT! 30, 60 and 100 times!

CONCLUSION:
So what you do next determines what kind of soil you are right now.

Jesus say in vs. 9
“Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.””

Hear the word of the Lord.
Take action upon what He is saying.
Become successful in His kingdom!