“The Sower Soweth The Word
II”
Some people hear the word of God and believe but
the sufferings of this life and persecution keep them from continuing to follow
the Lord. Jesus said this happens because they have no root in them. Let’s
consider some other verses in the Bible that use the word, “root.”
Romans 15:12, “And again Esaias saith, There shall
be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him
shall the Gentiles trust.” Revelation 5:5, “The Root of David” Revelation
22:16, Jesus said, “I am the root and the offspring of David.” Ephesians 3:17,
“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, ye being rooted and grounded in
love,” Colossians 2:7, “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the
faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” Jesus is
the root of David. If you do not have the root, you do not have Jesus and you
are not grafted in with Israel.
So there are two possible applications to hearts
of stony ground. 1. These people were never really saved at all and that is why
they are offended when afflictions and persecutions come or 2. they are baby
believers which have no root because they have not learned the word of God and
how to live by it daily and not by bread alone.
Jesus said abide in me and I in you. It’s
important to learn the Word of God, both the Old Testament and the New
Testament. It is true that the Bible says the law was given by Moses but grace
and truth came by Jesus Christ. And if you had a choice between having only the
New Testament or the Old Testament you might choose the New Testament. But both
the Old and the New Testament have their
importance in the faith of a Christian.
The New Testament teaches us about the life of
Jesus on this earth, heaven, future events coming at the end of the age, and holds
many great promises and reveals the mysteries of the gospel, and the New
Testament emphasizes grace.
But once you understand the difference between law
and grace, you can go back to the Old Testament without putting yourself under
law and enjoy all its wonder and precious promises about the Messiah and how to
live the Christian life. The Old Testament gives us the history of Israel. And
every Christian should know about Israel. Jesus is a Jew, and Jesus is the
Messiah of Israel. To know about Israel helps one to have a root in them so
that their heart does not become stony ground. If you look at the word root in
Moultin & Milligan you will see it has to do with ancestry. It’s good to
know the history of Israel so that you can have a root in you. If you are
grafted in then the nation of Israel is an important part of your life.
Mark 4:5-6, 16-17, “And some fell on stony ground,
where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth
of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root,
it withered away.” “And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground;
who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And
have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when
affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are
offended.”
Some fell on stoney ground, they had no root in
them when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately
they are offended. There is a great deal of affliction and persecution that can
come a person’s way in life, and it will come, so it is best to do as Jesus
said, “Abide in me and I in you.” Be rooted and grounded up in the faith. Know
the Word. Live not by bread alone but by every word of God. Give us this day
our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass
against us.
The sower soweth the word and these are they which
are sown among thorns. When I hear the word thorns the first thing that honestly
comes to my mind is the thorns that Jesus wore upon his brow. So, I think of it
this way: why have thorns when Jesus wore a crown of thorns. We shouldn’t have
thorns in our hearts. Colossians 3:2, “set your affection on things above, not
on things on the earth.”
Mark 4:7, “And some fell among thorns, and the
thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.” 4:18-19, “And these
are they which are sown among thorns such as hear the word, and the cares of
this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things
entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”
It really comes down to what you love. You can
love Jesus for dying for you and forgiving you of your sins, or you can love
the things of this world. If you don’t love Jesus, then the cares of this world
and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things are going to
enter into your heart and choke out the word, and you will become unfruitful.
When we think about these 4 types of ground,
remember that there are basically two applications for this. The first is the
condition of a human heart in hearing the gospel. The second is the daily
condition of your heart each day as you strive to not live by bread alone but
by every word of God. Keeping your heart in the condition of being good soil
can be a challenge. If you are saved, it is not likely you are going to fall by
the wayside but it could happen. Do not let Satan come and take the word out of
your heart. The Bible says resist the devil and he will flee from you. Secondly don’t let your heart become stony
ground. This is kind of like saying don’t let the Word go in one hear and out
the other. It’s like a person that goes to church gladly but when they leave
church their religion stays there. If you receive the word with gladness, but
then when persecution or affliction ariseth you are offended then you have a
stony heart. Suffering of any kind is no reason to not feed on, believe, meditate,
and apply the word of God to your life. If it is sown among thorns as a
Christian then it means you are worldly and as verse 19 says the cares of the
world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering
in choke the word, and it becometh
unfruitful. I John 2:15-16, Love not the world, neither the things that are in
the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For
all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and
the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
Maybe yesterday as a Christian you had a heart of
good ground but how is your heart today? Are the cares of the world creeping in?
How easy that can happen. Financial problems, a sick loved one, or even the
blessings of material possessions: all these things and more can easily creep
into your heart in a way where you
start to care about them and think about
them more than God. Don’t let the word be sown among the thorns of your heart
today.
Of course, there is lastly the good ground. The
word is sown and such as hear the word receive it and bring forth fruit. When I think of fruit I think of the fruit of
the Spirit, Galatians 5:22, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such
there is no law. Ephesians 5:9, “For the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness
and righteousness and truth.”
It is easy to tell if you are bringing forth fruit.
If you are, you will have the fruit of the Spirit sowing forth in your life
today.
So who is the sower? Is it just the preacher or is
it any believer that soweth the word? You can sow the word in your own heart
today simply by reading it and believing it and meditating on it and applying
it to your life. All Christians should be sowers of the word. And all
Christians should have hearts that are good ground. Don’t be one of those that
fall by the way side, that have a stony heart,
or are choked by thorns.
The Sower soweth the word. Some fell by the
wayside, some fell on stony ground, some fell among thorns, and some bringeth
forth fruit 30, 60 and 100 fold. If you have no fruit in your life maybe that
is because you are not a believer and what you need is to repent and just trust
in Jesus for salvation.
Why is it that the Parables of Jesus are not
understood by some? Well verse 11-12 tells us. When Jesus said, “Unto you it is
given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are
without, all these things are done in parables: that seeing they may see, and
not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time
they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.” The key is
forgiveness of sins. People that do not have their sins forgiven will not
understand the parables of the Bible.
Repentance of your sins and forgiveness from Jesus Christ is the key to
beginning to understand the Word of God.
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Copyright; 2022 by Bruce Creech
All Rights Reserved