There is a subject that has been on my heart and mind all week and I would like to talk about it today. This subject is so vast that it will take weeks to unfold so come back in the following weeks to get the entire breath of the message. The subject is this “The Parable of the Sower and the Seed”. This parable is so profound, full of so much significance and depth that I do not see how it is possible to cover in a brief blog or even sermon for that matter, not just an entire book could be written about this but volumes of books. Contained in this parable are secrets of the Kingdom of God, the depravity of man, and his affliction. Hopefully by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the Devine Word of the Living God in Christ Jesus I can by the will of God do it justice. The parable that is most often referred to as “The Parable of the Sower and the Seed” is not even about the Sower or the Seed, it is a parable about soils or hearts. Matthew, Mark, and Luke found such significance in this parable that all three included it in their account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:4-15) for reference I will mainly be referring to the account in the Gospel of Mark. I encourage you to read (Mark 4:1-20) yourselves.
The Lord when He taught this parable was on the Sea of Galilee in a boat facing the land with the multitude of people on the land facing the Sea. I said earlier that this is not a parable about the sower or the seed but it is a parable about soils or hearts. Let us meet the Sower, Jesus said: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow” (Mark 4:3). Nothing significant is said about the Sower it is just said a sower went out to sow. What does a sower sow? A sower sows seed; he takes seed and spreads it around on the soil. Later when the Lord explained the parable to His disciples He said: “The sower sows the word” (Mark 4:14). So who then is the Sower? “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature’” (Mark 16:15). The Sower is everyone who has repented and put their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and the Seed is the word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ; from the beginning with the account of creation, to the Law and Prophets, to the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
There is nothing special about the sower. The sower is a slave of Jesus Christ who goes out and does the will of God and spreads the seed of the Word of God and not his own seed. Churches everywhere are always trying to dress up the sower. Building certain buildings with a certain look to attract crowds, give it a decade and that building is behind the times and thus a waste. Churches try to dress up the service with certain music that will appeal to the listener and thus win a crowed and cause the church to grow. Pastors look for the latest style in their dress and preaching to appeal to the listener. Over the last twenty years pastors have gone from wearing suit and tie to tattered and faded jeans and back again all in an attempt to change to the waves of times. The look, style, and manner of the sower doesn’t matter all that matters is that the sower is sowing the Word of God.
The Word of God is perfect, it is all that is required, it doesn’t need to be given in a special way and it surely doesn’t need to be changed to fit the times. The same gospel saves today, that saved 2000 years ago. Churches and pastors are trying to change the gospel everyday that makes it more palatable, more excitable. Do you know what happens when you convert people to a false gospel? You get false converts forever doomed to suffer an eternity separated from God in Hell. Do you want to be on the side of God; then preach the gospel of our Lord? People want to be known for drawing crowds having a large church with lots of converts and that is the true motivation behind all of these church styles, preaching styles, and false gospels. It is not ours to convert people, it is the Lords! I understand who I belong to; I belong to Jesus, He is my Lord and I am His slave. I am not, He is! Preach the gospel, yes only a few are converted but isn’t that what the Lord said “there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14). The gospel is offensive to a depraved world and so be it, don’t try and dress it up for it is the gospel that saves! I don't care that I offend you, I care that you are saved.
This is the gospel of Jesus Christ! You are a sinner, you can do nothing about that, you where a sinner from birth; self seeking, manipulative, lust filled, indulgent, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Despite all of that God loves us. He doesn’t love the things we do, He loves us. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (John 4:10). Jesus the sinless blameless Lamb of God was brutally beaten, murdered on a cross dead and buried. He carried on to the cross all the sins of everyone who would believe, and except Him as Lord. Then three days later He rose from the grave and defeated death. “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Turn away from your old ways (repent) and turn by (faith) to Jesus Christ as Lord. I hope you will! Come and be my brother and sister in Jesus Christ.
Next week I will begin to talk about the soils.
Mike Peek a slave of Jesus Christ
