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Lesson Eight: The Parable Of The Seed 2

Matt. 13:10. Then the disciples came and asked him, "Why do you speak to them in parables? 11 He answered, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 6

The Parable Of The Seed 7

Mark 4:26. He also said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come." 8

What this Parable teaches: 1. The germ of life resides in the seed. 2. Man sows the seed, but germ of life is IN the seed. 3. It is NOT in the power of the sower or the soil. 4. Man sows the Seed, the Word of God in the heart of men, but the Living Power is in that Seed itself. 9

I Cor. 3:6. I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that plants any thing, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase. Isa. 55:10. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 11

The Kingdom Of God Is Like Seed Sown On The Earth. 12

The Seed of the Kingdom is the WORD of God. Luke 8:11. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 13

No Seed- No Harvest- No Resulting Kingdom 15

I Peter 1:22. Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away: 25 But the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. 17

The Seed MUST Be Sown. 18

Mark 4:14. The sower sows the word. Rom. 1:16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 19

Gal. 1:6. I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed. 20

The seed (the Word of God) must be received by the hearer. 21

Luke 8:11. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. 22

We must sow the seed and leave the results, the harvest with God. 24

I Cor. 3:5. Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that plants any thing, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase. 8 Now he that plants and he that waters are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are laborers together with God: you are God's husbandry, you are God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds thereon. But let every man take heed how he builds thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 25

Isa. 55:10. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 26

We cannot make seed germinate, but we can provide proper conditions for it to grow. If the seed is dead, it will not germinate. Neither can we make people obey the Gospel of Christ. 27

What can we learn from this? 1. The seed might not be sound. 2. The condition of the soil might prevent the seed from germinating. 3. The seed might be dead. 4. The soil might be dead or like rock, impenetrable. 5. The condition of one s heart may prevent their acceptance of the Gospel or truth. 28

The Germination Of The Seed Is A Mystery To Man 29

Mark 4:26. He also said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 30

Man Sleeps At Night The Seed Sprouts On Its Own Schedule 32

Man may sow the seed of the kingdom, but we cannot fully understand its power or germination in the hearts of men. 33

We must have faith in the word. II Cor. 5:7. (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) Rom. 1:16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Isa. 55:10. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 34

We must leave the results with God. I Cor. 3:6. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 35

The Process Of Nature Is Orderly: First the Blade Then the Ear Then the Grain 36

First The Blade Then The Ear Then The Grain 37

Mark 4:28. For the earth brings forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest is come. 38

Many hear the word and weigh the consequences 39

They count the cost and eventually obey the Word of God. 40

II Pet. 3:17. You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 43

II Pet. 1:5. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and selfcontrol with endurance, and endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. II Thess. 1:3. We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing. 44

The grain ripens and then comes the harvest. 45

The Final Reaping Will Be At The Second Coming Of Christ46

Rom. 2:5. But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 For he will repay according to each one's deeds: 7 to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 47

Our Next Lesson: The Parable Of The Tares 48