The Parable of The Sower

Part of Synoptic Gospel study

What Happened To The Seed

● Path● Did nothing● Birds took it

● Rocky soil● No Root● Withered away

● Good Soil● Grew● Produce grains

● Among Thorns● Grew● Choked

What it means

Sower : Witnessing The GospelSeed : The Word of God

Soil : ResponseBirds : The Enemy

Withering Away : In the face of temptationThorns : The cares and riches of the world

Growth : Spiritual GrowthFruit Bearing : The Fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22)

What It Really Means

● There are four types of hearts– Unbelieving– Shallow– Worldly– Spiritual

● There are four conditions towards a receptive heart– Unbelief– Temptation/Tribulation– World Influences– Spiritual Growth

What It Really Means

● There are four types of hearts– Unbelieving– Shallow– Worldly– Spiritual

1.So what?

2.What else would we do beyond “Saved / Not Saved” debate?

3.How is this beneficial to us?

What It Really Means

1.We could examine our own hearts

2.We start to see why others responded the way they did

3.We know what to watch out for

● There are four conditions towards a receptive heart– Unbelief– Temptation/Tribulation– World Influences– Spiritual Growth

Unbelief

“The first step toward getting somewhere is deciding that you are not going to stay where you are.” - John

Morgan

Believing is an act of will, but it is not immune to influences and perspectives

If you have more than one perspectives, then you truly have a freedom to believe

Old Self vs NewEphesians 4:17

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18They are darkened in their

understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19They have become callous and

have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

20But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22to put

off your old self,f which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Temptations / Tribulations

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for

apart from me you can do nothing.”John 15:5

Believing is to say yes to a person's statement.

Trusting is to say yes to a person's promise.

Temptations / Tribulations

“The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to

God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds

in Christ Jesus.”Philippians 4:6-7

What will guard our heart?

World Influences

“1Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for

whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no

longer for human passions but for the will of God.”1 Peter 4:1-2

Loving the world is a way of thinking.

We as Christians, always have an alternative.

Spiritual GrowthTruth #1: We cannot grow without the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:9 However, as it is written:“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard,

and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

10 The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of

God.

Spiritual Growth

Truth #2: We cannot grow without the Word of God

1 Corinthians 3:4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?

5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I

planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only

God, who makes things grow.

His Fruits Not Mine

“22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have

crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”Galatians 5:22

Who would not love a person bearing such fruits?

We Christians, are attractive because He is in us.

Now What?

● Belief involves will● Witnessing is sharing

Perspective

● Christ is the vine● Power Source● Guard our hearts

● A Receptive Heart● Holy Spirit + Word● The Fruits of the Spirit

● Christ's Way of Thinking● Not Passions for the world● But it is God's will