Parable of Seed and Soil

Luke 8:4-15

Introduction

This is a familiar parable. It appears in Matthew and Mark and Luke. And Jesus even explains it Himself. So even a child can understand it easily. It is so simple that we may not take the time to look at it carefully.

But it is both simple and profound.

And it is a very important parable. Look with me at the explanation Jesus gave. He spoke first of all about the seed. Before He talked about the different kinds of soil, and what they signify, Jesus said something vital about the seed that was to go into the soil. He said (verse 11) that the seed is the word of God.

I. THE LIFE IS IN THE SEED IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE TRUE SEED BE PLANTED.

There can be no compromise. No matter how GOOD we are— nor how cultivated and sincere and earnest we may be, until the seed of God's word has been sown by the Holy Spirit within our minds and hearts and lives we cannot grow into Christ-likeness.

[ILLUS: Can you imagine a farmer saying "We're going to make extra effort for a big crop this year. We're going all out.

"We're going to do extra cultivation. We're going to do extra fertilizing. we're going to put in a new sprinkler system and water whenever there is dryness.

"But good seed is so expensive that we're going to plant rye grass instead of expensive wheat." [ IDIOCY! ]

THERE CAN BE NO COMPROMISE ON SEED!

The seed is "unlike" the full plant in its appearance; and we may reject ITS WEAK APPEARANCE; it seems to wrong thing to want to overcome and so to plant the seeds of submission and surrender and confession and the like.

BUT THE POWER OF THIS SEED IS INDOMITABLE.

II. THE SECRET OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS RECEIVING AND HOLDING THIS SEED AS IT GERMINATES AND GROWS

The familiar part of this story is the story of four kinds of soil. We remember: some fell on the path and the birds got it; some fell on rocks and sprang up only to wilt when the heat was on; some fell among thorns and when the wheat grew so did the darnel and so the wheat was choked.

Think with me about this familiar part again:

  1. THE SEED THAT THE BIRDS GOT.

    [People that are "so smart" that God never has a chance to let them know genuine LIFE!]

    The seed never germinated. Never really had a chance. Hardened. Busy, busy place. No reception into incubation. NEVER REALLY GOT THE MESSAGE THAT GOD CAN COME RIGHT INTO OUR INSIDES AND LIVE WITH US AND LOVE US DAY BY DAY!

  2. THE JOYFUL SKYROCKET!

    [People who live ONLY by how they FEEL!]

    Warm reception. Lots of feeling. No real soil preparation; no discipline whatsoever.

    Here is the classic case of perpetual immaturity! We are fond of saying: "Purity is NOT maturity!" and looking the other way when people continue to live on the basis of how they FEEL long after they should be living by what they KNOW!

    Maturity is not usually considered as part of holiness. It is "OK" to stay juvenile— or is it? It is OK to keep wrestling with the battles of identity over and over again (and I AM sympathetic! There is childishness in ALL of us to some extent!) But when do we stop living for hard rock and settle down to breaking up the depths of our souls for Jesus to have us clear to the bottom? Skyrocket goes up like a bullet, explodes like the creation of the world, and then goes out into darkness that seems darker than it was before.

    Maturity is one of the goals of true holiness!

  3. THE SEED THAT GOT CHOKED.

    [People who lose sight of the most important things in life!] Here, to my mind, is a real tragedy!

    A lot of work went into this ground. It was pretty well prepared. Ground that is tender catches more than just good seed, however.

    Gardens have to be tended. No exceptions. RELATIONSHIPS SIMPLY WILL NOT MAINTAIN THEMSELVES! There is an enemy that specializes in sowing tares— darnel, false wheat-and there is enough bad news to go around.

    Jesus said: "As they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, AND BRING NO FRUIT TO MATURITY!"

    And so, finally, all the hard work goes for nothing! If the LIFE that was in the SEED is not manifested, the garden is a failure!

  4. THE NOBLE GARDEN.

    There are reasons for the other kinds of soil. But this is where we need to live! And by God's grace we CAN!

    Jesus says: "These are those who hold the LIFE in an honest and good heart AND BEAR FRUIT WITH PERSEVERANCE!"

    It isn't hard to bear fruit!

    You don't even have to TRY to bear fruit!

What is hard is STAYING OPEN AND OBEDIENT AND GIVING THE CHRIST-LIFE A CHANCE TO GROW WITHIN YOU! If the life is there, and if you hold it with an honest and good heart and don't quit, YOU WILL BEAR FRUIT!

III. WE MUST LEARN TO TRUST THE SEED!

[As James says (Jas/ 1:21) "Receive with meekness the engrafted WORD which is able to save your souls!"]

  1. THE SEED OFTEN DOES NOT RESEMBLE THE MATURE, FULL-GROWN, FRUIT- BEARING PLANT.

    The human way to seek "success" is to focus on HUMAN MODELS. We want to "stick an adult plant into the ground." We look for results, and we look to methods, and to models.

    God's way is to let the LIVING WORD sink down into our hearts and do a miracle that is both unique and powerful.

  2. In our PERSONAL lives: Assurance, soul-winning, growth in grace spring from humility, and openness before God, from confession and weakness before the Lord.
  3. In our corporate life, CHURCH-WIDE: We look for results, for numbers— to 'Pastor Cho' and his church of 200,000 members, we take trips to seminars to see how/what others are doing. (And seminars have their rightful place!)

But healthy, growing, powerful churches are UNIQUE! They spring from healthy seed (the Gospel) in well-prepared ground!

Conclusion

We can be abundantly fruitful, both personally and as a church!

Let's claim the power of John 15:8— which comes right after John 15:7 ! Here is a prayer that cannot fail! All we have to do is pray it honestly and openly—

"By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples." (NASB)

IF in fact the Holy Spirit has planted the seed of christ's gospel, the life of Jesus, within our hearts and beings!

Exalt Him #66 May the Mind of Christ, My Savior