Stories Jesus told, the Sower and His seeds

I would like to greet the brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ who is holy, holy, holy. May our attitude be right in being here in this service today, so that after God has spoken to us, we will know what we need to do.

Matthew 13:1 – 13  On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

These words touch me deeply. You can come here to each service and listen to the message, the preacher may assume that each listener receives something and understands the message; yet while you are listening, you do not hear or understand. Some leave the service unable to relate what had been said.

I can understand why it was that God taught His children in the early days of revival that they bow their heads and pray, asking the Lord to help them understand what He wants to tell them in the services. The Bible says we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against spirits and principalities in the air, light and darkness clashing with each other. Why do you hear but not understand? It’s the enemy. Some people hear, but you don’t, others see but you don’t.

Verse 10 – 13  And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables? 11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

So Jesus spoke in story format to illustrate what He meant, so that children and adults could understand. And yet often adults still don’t understand what He meant.

What does Jesus compare our faith to? A sower who went out to sow, and the different soils on which the seeds fell.

The first place the seeds fell: along the path. Compacted soil where people walked on. You can take the best seed and sow it along the path and nothing will happen. Why is that? The seed cannot shoot down its roots or sprout, it cannot germinate in that hard place. Dear friend, God’s word is falling upon the soil of your heart. If that soil would have been receptive, it would have been tilled and prepared but now nothing wonderful can happen, because it is hard. Then the birds of the air come, they see the seed easily and that is food for them. They take and eat. Good seed, the Word of God that didn’t fall on a good place.

The heart of man is wicked when it is hardened, it always looks at the next person and criticises instead of looking at itself and asking why is my heart leading me to sin constantly? There was something good that was going to come your way, but because of your hardened heart, you can’t receive it. Do you realise that your hardened heart is causing you not to be blessed and experience amazing things? It is because you prefer to believe the lie to the truth.

Other seeds fell on rocky ground. The seed quickly grew and it looked so promising. There was some soil, but it had no depth. So, the roots quickly reached the rock. As the sun grew hot and the wind blew and the plant withered. The problem was the shallowness of the good soil. Problems in ones life can be the rock underneath.

You see a believer in whom there is so much promise, their lives look good. Everybody is so happy to see that brother and sister and greets them, saying we thank the Lord for what he is doing. You see there is some fruit in his life, he really loves the Lord, is not lazy to come to service, to pray, to read Bible, to sing with other believers. And he looks so diligent and on fire, not wanting to miss out on anything concerning the faith

But after a short while, maybe not even three months, the sun comes in its heat, and then you see that same promising believer wilting, you see the blossoms fall down. And you see even the stem has no strength in it, it wilts and bends down. The roots didn’t go very deep, they were stunted. And now comes the question, what happened to this believer with so much promise?  What happened, child of God?

Something that helped us in the past, and is still helping us, is to forgive. Your forgiveness and your forgiving others, will place you on higher ground spiritually, and in that way remove a possible huge rock.

When you repented there was a song that welled up within you. Is it still like that or has the hot sun wilted you? Do you continue forward, no matter the conditions? Is there anger that wells up inside you now? Ask yourself if there is growth or progress in your life, especially when problems confront you.

Why is it that when you could cry that you were silent? Why did you not cry out to the brethren who wish to support you in prayer? Why is it that you make as if everything is going so well, pretending all fine, but things are not as they should be in your life. There is a place where you can cry out, a place to which you can go, but instead of that you keep quiet, saying things will be all right eventually, I just have to continue. That seed fell on rocky soil and then started growing – then the growth became stunted.

Verse 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.

There are areas where there are many thorns and thorn trees. In these areas the soil is poor, but these thorn trees thrive where nothing else grows. The seed growing amongst the thorns get choked as they grow into plants.

Because of the competition that plant doesn’t grow as it ought. Even nature tell us that, it is like a stone in your shoe, you cannot walk comfortably. In that way, that which is of God and divine cannot thrive in our lives when there are other things competing with it.

You can ask yourself what are these thorns? What are these things that grow up with God’s words, that compete with it, and choke it. The cares of this world. We do not need to beat about the bush, let us just speak the truth, it is sin in your life that is choking it. You have allowed that which is of the enemy, of the world, to come into your life. The Bible says that friendship with the world is enmity with God. If we are friends with the things of the world, that which is of God will not thrive in our lives. Are you surprised why you are like you are. Look at the music you are listening to. Look at the videos you watch, and those things you cannot separate from, from morning till night you are busy with things you cannot part with, as long as you are doing that, things will never come right. And then you think by watching pornography, those videos and photos, can you think that it will go well with you? That is why it is good that we do not deceive ourselves, that we have a good, honest look at ourselves and our spiritual state and see what it is like.

Maybe you are just here this morning because older people, maybe your parents, have said you must come, but of your own accord you would not have come. It ought to be clear where we stand spiritually.

Here are all these thorns, weeds, choking the word of God in your life, hindering your growth. Do you have an agreement with them? Why allow something which causes you not to grow spiritually?

Some people are very stubborn. When someone tries to help them, they don’t hear. Why is that? Because of these thorns which choke everything that is from God. The words that come out are so sharp, they prick and they bring so much destruction and harm that you wish you had never heard them.

See if there are any thorns in your life, choking the seed, the word of God in your life. Different sizes of thorns? When last did you spend time with God’s word and did God speak to you personally through it?

Some of the seeds fell on good soil. It had depth. That seed that fell there found all the nutrients that it needed. It was moist, it was warm, it received the sunlight, and as it landed there it could germinate and grow. Blessed is the one who is still experiencing that, who sees the grace of God in their life and who can say: ‘I see God close to me at all times. God is helping me, I am growing spiritually. I find God helping me to listen to Him, to obey that which He tells me’. Many believers have gone astray, why? Because they fail to listen and obey, even to another person, let alone God.

If somebody comes to you and speaks about something that is building  up and helpful. Listen to all they have to say, don’t interrupt them and cut them off. Child, listen to your parent when they advise and correct you, don’t backchat them. Listen to them attentively. That will help you go forward. And you, dear wife, listen to your husband when he speaks to you (if he doesn’t lead you astray). Don’t just cut him off bringing in your side of the story. Be drawn closer to God through your conversation with your husband.

Verse 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 

When the rain falls it will penetrate the soil, roots can grow down and nothing prevents its growth. The plant should bear good fruit. God’s word tells us that bad soil cannot bring forth anything good. Good soil which is well-prepared, will produce much good. As we are here, what is our spiritual soil like? Let us provide the heavenly hosts with joy with our fruitful, well prepared soil as we read in verse 23.   But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

That is why I ask again, how do you hear God’s word and how to you receive it? When you read God’s word, how do you find it, is it sweeter than honey?

We pray for that type of soil that is soft, receptive, well-prepared, that can receive God’s word, where it can grow and bear fruit where there is nothing troubling you, overcoming you because you are more than conqueror through God’s word.

But let’s confront and part from that which is God’s enemy in our lives.

Nico Bosman

I would like to add to what we have heard. In my Bible it says, “For whoever has spiritual wisdom because he is receptive to God’s word to him will be given more. But whoever does not have (spiritual wisdom) because he has devalued God’s word…” There are few things as terrible as a person who cannot learn. When one teaches someone something today, then tomorrow he makes the same mistake, then you show him again, but he continues, maybe on the third day you don’t even feel like showing him again. But God teaches us each day, the seed is shown each day, we hear God’s word. We read God’s word and can discern that when I did this the fruit was not good, but when I did it like that, the fruit was good.

So it is of utmost importance, fellow Christian, to point your way in the right direction. Just to set your goal and see the direction that you must take. If you make a mistake, learn from it. It is even possible that I make the same mistake, but my goal is to learn what the Lord can teach me, that I can do it better, that I can reach that eternal goal.

When there were thorns, I realised it and experienced what it was like and I avoided it in future as I knew what the results would be. I don’t want to make the same mistake. When the soil was deep, when I studied God’s word, the fruit was good and I learnt from it, I must do it like that. Let us not be like people who cannot learn, who cannot be taught and cannot improve.

Even if I think I am strong, and am standing, the Bible says be careful that you don’t fall.