Plowing Up Hard Ground Sowing Good Seeds Hosea 10:12 tells us, Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you. In the parable of the soils, told by Matthew, Mark and Luke, only one soil produces a continuous, growing yield. Every other soil either abruptly stops producing or fails to produce at all. Seed & Soil - According to Jesus own explanation, the seed is the word of God. The soil represents the minds, attitudes and hearts of those in whom the word is sown. The seed or word takes root, grows and produces fruit - or not - depending upon the state of the soil and whether or not it is suitable for production. Even when it might look like reasonably good soil, thorns and weeds can grow up among the good seed and choke it out. Understanding - The three synoptic gospel writers present this parable through slightly different frames, depending upon their respective audiences and thematic emphases. Matthew s version seems to yield something rather obvious that I had not previously considered: in Matthew 13, the key distinction Jesus draws between soil which yields good crops and that which does not, is understanding. Jesus explained that when someone hears the message of the Kingdom (the word) and does not understand it (Matt. 13:18), the evil one (Satan) snatches it away. But when someone hears the word and understands it (Matt. 13:23), a lasting, fruitful crop can then be produced. Thus, any particular soil either does or does not have the capacity to understand the word. Mark and Luke do not use the word understanding (that is, its Greek equivalent.) Mark states that good soil is that which accepts the word. This accepting seems to carry the idea of one actively internalizing and believing the word, which again incorporates understanding. Luke, here in chapter 8, equates good soil with those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. The Biblical idea of the heart carries a deeper meaning than merely the emotions or even the attitude it includes the will, the mindset and the purpose. So again, Luke s description would seem to imply that soil signifies the recipient of the word in all human aspects, including understanding. Putting all three synoptic accounts together, we find that when the word of God interacts with good soil, it is accepted with understanding and patience; it is valued (held) in an intellectually honest way with intentions of the will that are good, grateful and well placed. We find in this good soil a continuing growing process in which roots are sunk deeply and in which understanding increases over time. Page 1
The parable seems not to be saying that the word of God is to be dropped at random on the contrary, a good planter will pick out some promising soil, rather than squander good seed and/or scarce planting time (see also Matthew 7:6 & Mark 6:11.) Applications - It seems a valid application of the text to say that the soil (our minds, wills, intentions and attitudes towards the word of the kingdom) is well worth tending, even and especially after seed is planted. After all, we don t plant one time and then forget about the farm any farmer worth his salt seeks more, better, bigger crops ahead. Farmers tend soil carefully and consistently if they want to maximize the yield and the quality of the crop. How are we to tend the soil in which the word of God grows? How can we nurture, guard and till our minds, hearts, and attitudes so they are suitable for increasing acceptance, understanding and discernment, so we keep on growing in God s word? Are we irrigating the soil properly with prayer? Are we preparing it with meditation? Are we building up the soil with study of the Bible? Are we assembling ourselves together to till the soil with encouragement and teaching? Do we read history, theology and other subjects to help us develop our minds and attitudes in the understanding of God s word? The production of good crops is not something we can simply take for granted. Constant, diligent work on the soil is required if we are to bring in robust crops and build production. It has always seemed odd to me that when Jesus originally told this parable, His closest disciples did not understand it! They might have exemplified the first kind of soil, from which the seed blew away - but wait! Jesus did some cultivating - He did a little hoeing and fertilizing right on the spot. By teaching them and explaining the meaning of the parable, He prepared the soil so His disciples would be able in time to understand, persevere, and bear fruit. The entire New Testament bears witness to the effectiveness of Jesus cultivation of this soil. His disciples went on to do great things in advancing the Kingdom, as they carried out the Great Commission in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the known world. As Christ s present day ambassadors and Great Commissioners, we are responsible for hoeing, weeding, removing rocks, and fertilizing soil so that the ones in whom the word is sown might be able to understand it, hold it, persevere in it, and produce much fruit. Of course, we must tend to our own ground before we can help with other people s soil. Page 2
By the way, in v.15 of Mark s version of this parable, Jesus is portrayed as using the phrase, noble and good heart, generous and good heart or honest and good heart, depending on the Bible translation in use. The phrase is used to describe good soil, that is, the person in whom the word takes root and produces well. What is being translated in all cases is the Greek word (phrase) kalokagathia, which to the Greek/Hellenistic mind in the first century meant nobility of character. Consider also Paul s words at 1 st Corinthians 3:15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." This passage seems to suggest the unfruitful believer will not lose his salvation, but he will lose his reward. The point of these last observations is not to assert dogma as much as to encourage us not to define works as the means to salvation. We are saved by grace, not by works, yet when saved we are called to be fruitful and productive. That takes fertile bottomland soil, the kind God can help us cultivate - if we ask Him. Page 3
This week we'll look at a vital spiritual practice to all those seeking to grow in God: tilling the soil of the heart. Jesus spoke in Matthew 13 of two different types of soil hard and soft. God longs for us to till the soil of our hearts that we might be receptive to the seed of his word and bear fruit. May your heart become more responsive to the presence, will, and love of God this week as you cultivate good soil with the help of the Holy Spirit. Scripture: "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:1-2 One of the most powerful tools in tilling the soil of our hearts is Scripture. Each time you open the Bible you're looking at a miracle. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." When you are reading the Bible, you are reading the very word of God, breathed out by him and powerful in its ability to reveal both the character of God and your identity. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind." When you renew your mind through Scripture, you allow the Bible to transform your heart into fertile soil that bears everlasting fruit. So let's look today at a few ways we can use Scripture to renew our minds and allow it to mold and shape us into disciples who are in tune with and receptive to the love and leading of God. There is a wealth of power and wisdom within God's word as it reveals his love and faithfulness to his people. Stories of God's deliverance and provision to an ungrateful people demonstrate not only God's faithfulness then, but also the great lengths he will go to for those ransomed into his family now by the blood of Christ. Page 4
The story of Jesus' sacrifice for our sins is both heart wrenching and life giving. That he would willingly endure one of the most heinous, tortuous methods ever created assures us of the love God has for us. That he would experience separation from his heavenly Father for the sin of the entire world points to the depth of his love for us. Reading stories like these and meditating on their meaning and application will make us receptive to the presence and will of God. They can empower us to live in grateful obedience to his plans and purposes. As Paul wrote in Second Timothy, the Bible is also a useful tool for life-giving correction. Correction from God is an important and wonderful part of being his son or daughter. His correction resembles a skilled gardener pulling the weeds out of soil, making room for seeds he has planted to receive nourishment and thereby flourish into fruit. You see, God doesn't correct out of anger or frustration, but rather out of his rich love, patience, and desire for us to walk in the abundant life he's prepared for us. Proverbs 3:12 states, "The Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights." So, opening our hearts to Scripture like Ephesians 4:29,"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear," is incredibly powerful. Pulling out the weeds of corrupting or negative talk will create space in the soil of our hearts for the nourishment of God's Spirit, yielding the fruit of speech that does indeed "give grace." Page 5
1. Ask the Spirit to reveal an area in which you need correction. Think about something in your life that is hurting your ability to develop good soil and thereby good fruit. Where are you not experiencing the abundant life Jesus died to give you? "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10 2. Now search for Scripture to use for meditation on the subject. If you feel that negative speech is hindering you, a verse like Ephesians 4:29 that we read earlier is a great start. If you feel like lust or another sin is hindering you, search for Scriptures addressing the sin you struggle with. 3. Meditate on the Scripture that you've found. Allow God to apply Scripture directly to your life. When we align ourselves with God's word, we lose the burden of living life apart from the anointing and filling of his Spirit. Giving up things like negative speech, lust, greed, and other sins creates space for that which brings life and abundance. Today, give over anything you feel is crowding your spiritual life, and allow God to fill you with the grace to live according to his word. His word is the perfect guide through every situation, useful for any occasion. Allow the Spirit to speak to you both through the Bible and directly. Till the soil of your heart to be receptive to all that he would do in and through you today. Mark 4:1-25: Tilling the Heart So why does Jesus now tell a story of four soils? (Jesus was explaining that the reason for such varied responses to His message was the varying receptivity of people's hearts. His message is not lacking in power to produce fruit, but requires human response.) Let's read verses 1-20. Who is the farmer? (Jesus) What is the seed? (The word or message that Jesus had been giving: "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news." [1:15]) Page 6
1. Path birds steal (Satan), no germination, no life. 2. Rocky sun scorches (trouble, persecution), brief joy, shallow, no root, good but short-lived intentions. 3. Thorny thorns choke (worries, wealth, desires), alive but fruitless, trying to ride the fence. 4. Good fruitful.do you let Satan keep you from soaking in God's Word? Do you only experience joy and growth in good times? Do you let worldly things seduce your heart? According to the passage, how are we to respond to the word in order to be fruitful? ("Hear" is repeated nine times in verses 1-25. Mark also mentions "perceiving", "understanding", "listen", "turn", and "accept" as proper responses. So the verbs involve both hearing AND acting on the Word.) Summary: As we hear and obey God's Word, truth becomes virtue in our lives. But those whose hearts are hard, shallow or distracted don't gain any lasting benefit from hearing truth. So let's make every effort to make the soil of our hearts receptive to God's Word. As St. Augustine writes: "Work diligently the soil while you may. Break up your fallow with the plough. Cast away the stones from your field, and dig out the thorns. Be unwilling to have a 'hard heart', such as makes the Word of God of no effect. Be unwilling to have a 'thin layer of soil', in which the root of divine love can find no depth in which to enter. Be unwilling to 'choke the good seed' by the cares and lusts of this life, when it is being scattered for your good." [Oden 57] Page 7
Read verses 10-12 and 21-25, where Jesus explains His use of parables. At first glance, verses 11-12 seem to say that Jesus is keeping the truth from people by telling hard to understand stories. Is He really? (Yes and no. He's not trying to exclude the whole crowd, but is only weeding out those whose lack of interest is betrayed by their refusal to really "hear" and try to understand. Their response reveals that their hearts are like the hardened path which does not let the Word of God penetrate. So they bring judgment on themselves for their unbelief, as 2 Thessalonians 2:10 says: "They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." The parables are not meant to obscure the truth, but rather to nurture a hunger for their meaning so that those who truly "hear" will seek God, who alone can speak truth to their hearts. Revelation is not obvious to all, but according to verses 11 and 25, it is "given" by God to those who are receptive to the Word.) What does Jesus say about hiding truth in verses 21-23? (Hiding a lamp referring to Himself or at least His message would be silly. It's very purpose is to spread light around.) Reread verses 24-25. What is Jesus saying about hearing His message? (The more you hear and absorb, the more will be spoken to you. The more you reflect on Christ's parables, the more you get out of them. Those who barely listen will understand little. Jesus seeks to cultivate a hunger for truth by telling stories that take a little work to fully grasp. He doesn't spoon-feed them truth, but in verse 10, He gives more of an explanation to those who demonstrate their hunger by sticking around to ask for clarification.) Page 8
Breaking the Unplowed Ground Article contributed by NavPress While I was browsing in a used bookstore one day, a beautiful set of books caught my eye. The set was an edition of Charles Dickens s complete works. The green cloth binding and gilt lettering were hardly worn, even though an inscription showed the books to be one hundred years old. As I thumbed through some of the books I discovered why they were spotless: In most of the volumes the pages were still uncut, indicating that the books had never been read. Though they appeared impressive on the shelf, the great literature inside had never provided insight or entertainment to anyone. Sometimes Christians resemble those untouched books. They have clean, courteous, ethical exteriors, but they have never used the resources they possess to benefit others. Jesus once compared our responsibility to continually care for those around us with that of a servant put in charge of feeding the household in the master s absence. He completed the parable by commenting, "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns" (Mt. 24:45-46). All of us are surrounded by people who hunger, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Failure to feed them produces results as tragic as the suffering of a hungry child. The prophet Hosea s challenge to the Israel of his day addresses our own complacency: Page 9
Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, Hos. 10:12 We all have "unplowed ground" in our lives that we ve never allowed God to put into productive use. And even when we recognize such fallow ground, we're often slow to break it up. "BUT THAT'S NOT MY GIFT" Misunderstanding the role of spiritual gifts can be a major obstacle to ministry. We naturally concentrate our efforts on activities we enjoy or in which we excel. These areas of our lives are usually well-tilled. But spiritual gifts are given so that we can meet others' needs. When we focus our ministry on using our abilities without regard to the needs around us, we are ministering primarily to ourselves. Paul begins his treatise on spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 by explaining, "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good" (v. 7). This verse contains two important points. First, spiritual gifts are literally of the Spirit, not a matter of inborn talent. Second, they are given "for the common good"; they are a means by which God builds up all believers. Page 10
This is not to downplay the importance of using one s abilities. However, many vital ministries in the church do not require special talent, just a willingness to serve. For example, in my experience with a number of Sunday school classes for young married couples, I ve found an important factor affecting the well-being of each one. It s not outstanding teaching, nor an active social calendar, nor a well-focused ministry outlet, though these are all important. The sine qua non is the simple, humble ministry of the nursery. With a well-run nursery, any group of young marrieds has potential. Without one, new couples are repelled and the fellowship s growth is stunted. The couples who remain are perpetually distracted, and their personal growth is hampered. The gift of administration may be needed for overseeing the nursery, but no spiritual gifts are needed to care for babies every fourth or sixth or eighth Sunday. If there were, only "gifted" people could be parents. Yet without a good nursery, the long-term vitality of any church is imperiled, because it can't attract or hold young people who comprise much of its future. First Corinthians 12 ends with an admonition to "eagerly desire the greater gifts" (v. 31). This doesn't mean that all are to seek positions of leadership or teaching. The preceding verses say the opposite: "Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?" (v. 29). But the admonition leads into an exposition of "the most excellent way" the well-known passage in 1 Corinthians 13 on the supreme importance of love. The "greater gifts," then, are not the most visible manifestations of talent. Instead, they manifest the Spirit s work by expressing love. Page 11
How is this principle translated into ministry? Rather than doing jobs with which we feel comfortable, the highest expression of love may involve doing what doesn't come easily. Rather than assuming prominent roles, love for the body may require that we meet needs through obscure ministries. When Jesus set His example as a servant before His disciples, He didn't point to His matchless teaching, but to His willingness to perform the humble task of washing their feet. Sharing possessions with those in need is another ministry that doesn't require abundant talent or even abundant funds. My grandfather died shortly before the Great Depression began, and my grandmother faced the daunting task of keeping her eight fatherless children fed, clothed, and together. For years she didn't have a penny to spare. Yet it made an indelible impression on my father that no hobo who came to the door asking for food ever went away hungry. She may have had only bread and butter, but she shared it. Sometimes sharing out of scarcity accomplishes more than sharing out of abundance. It cannot be mistaken for anything but an expression of love, a I recognition of the deep value in others. In this way it goes beyond satisfying an immediate hunger; it helps the whole person. Using our talents in ministry is similar to sharing out of abundance. There s nothing wrong with it; it s right and necessary, just as it s right and necessary for the affluent to share with the needy. But rather than picking and choosing ministry opportunities based solely on our talents and interests, we are directed, "Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Cor. 15:58). The picture is of a life that spills over with love and meets a wide range of needs, not of a carefully regulated spigot. After all, it s the ministry opportunities that don't come easily that usually present the potential of unplowed ground. Page 12
CONFUSION OVER GOD'S CALLING How do we recognize the good works God has prepared in advance for us? Some people wait for the Lord to deliver a dramatic pronouncement a Call. When they hear that Call, they plan to apply themselves one hundred percent to whatever it is God wants them to do. They listen so hard for a Call that they screen out the quiet signals He sends every day. The Greek word usually translated "called" in the New Testament means "bidden" or "called forth." It is the word James uses when he says, "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord" (Jas 5:14). It is not a dramatic word, implying a momentous religious experience. It is a simple, straightforward direction from the Lord. All of us have received a call: "to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." Further more, we need to remember that some ministries are not a matter of calling but of commandment. For example, all of us are commanded to share with those in need (Ro. 12:13,Eph. 4:28). This doesn't mean that no one ever receives a special calling. Paul begins his letter to the Romans by speaking of himself as "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God." Here he uses a word that means "invited" or "appointed," set apart for a special task. But, as the book of Acts shows, before Paul became fully aware of this ultimate, overarching call, he had been responsive for many years to the quiet words of the Spirit. Page 13
To learn how God would have us minister, we need to begin by committing ourselves to nourish the physical, emotional, and spiritual hunger of those with whom God puts us in contact, whoever and wherever they are. This requires developing sensitivity to others, so we can recognize those needs that are never expressed. It requires sensitivity to God s Spirit, who quietly points out the opportunities around us. And it includes being open to the possibility that God will lead us to break up some previously unplowed ground, to grow or minister in an area we ve never explored. When God commanded Abraham to leave civilized Haran and "go to the land I will show you" (Gen. 12:1), He didn't tell Abraham where he was going or why. Abraham "obeyed and went," even though he did not know his destination (Heb. 11:8). Because Abraham obeyed, God promised him, "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Gen. 12:3). God may be leading you out of safe, well-tried areas of ministry into the awkward or the unknown. Maybe it will involve a dramatic change in your way of life; on the other hand, He may simply be trying to point out some nearby feet in need of washing. Don't be afraid to discover His plan for your unplowed ground! Page 14
Keeping the Faith And that brings me to reading scripture. More often than not the act of reading scripture each day feels like the hard work of tilling a garden, hauling compost, and sowing tiny seeds. I think we sometimes set ourselves up for disappointment by expecting miracles to happen, angels to descend, or the Holy Spirit to drop in as we read these sacred words. Many times Bible study feels like, well, study. It's not unreasonable to expect God to use scripture in powerful ways, and there are times when words jump off the page and into our lives, bringing renewal and the life of God. However, in the grand scheme of things, I think that reading scripture is a way that God tills the stiff, barren soil of our lives, sows words of life, and then, whether immediately or later, those words will sprout with power and relevance. In other words, we read scripture to get the life of God within us so that the Holy Spirit can water them and bring about new life. It may happen right away, but oftentimes we end up waiting for the benefits to become apparent. Just as a farmer must always till, plant, and harvest every year, we have the same responsibility to continue reading scripture, sowing new seeds, and allowing God to raise up new life. When we least expect it, the seeds of scripture sown into our lives will be brought to life by the Holy Spirit. Whether in my garden, at work, or in town, I have been noticing a powerful connection between the amount of scripture I read and my daily connection with God. God is bringing up stories, verses, and words as I pray throughout the day. It feels like the Bible comes alive in those moments, bearing fruit in ways I could have never anticipated. The Holy Spirit is at work in our prayer lives and in our reading of scripture; however we sometimes must dedicate time to the hard work of letting scripture till and take root as we read it daily. We may not see the benefits right away, but if we can keep up with it, the harvest will be tremendous. Page 15
Scripture Reading: Luke 8:5-8 The man was becoming a celebrity. People were talking about him. Wherever he went, huge crowds flocked to him. Everybody wanted to see what he would do next. They all wanted to hear his voice. He had critics, of course, but he was gaining more fans and followers every day. One day the crowds were bigger than ever. The atmosphere was electric. There was a buzz of excitement in the air. What would happen next? But then came a letdown. The superstar did nothing but tell a strange little story that left the people scratching their heads. Here s what he said: A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than what was sown. When he said this, he called out, He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Luke 8:4 8 End of speech. Was that all? Just a little farming story with no apparent point? Why would Jesus of Nazareth use the biggest moment of his career thus far to tell a huge crowd about different kinds of dirt? What was the point? Everybody was puzzled. Even Jesus inner circle wasn t sure what to make of it. His disciples asked what he meant, so Jesus told them: This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for awhile, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Luke 8:11 15 Page 16
Jesus parable of the four soils isn t aimed mainly at preachers, though. It s aimed at hearers. How well do you listen to God s Word? What kind of soil are you? Is your heart hard, so that God s Word doesn t sink in at all? Is your heart shallow, so that even if you respond quickly and gladly, God s Word doesn t take deep root in you? Is your heart crowded with so many other things that God s Word gets choked out? Or is your heart like deep, good soil, where the Word is understood, received, takes deep root, and produces an excellent crop? Hard Soil The first kind of soil is the path. The path gets walked on constantly. The soil is packed so hard that any seed that lands on it can t sink in. The seed stays on the surface. It gets trampled and then the birds devour it as quickly as they can. This is a picture of what it s like if you have a hard heart. You hear the message of Christ, but it doesn t sink in, and you don t want it to sink in. Some hard hearts probably switched off this program the moment they heard it was about Jesus. Others of you are still listening but you re getting ready to shut it off. That s what you do when your heart is hard. You have no desire for God s Word to get deep into your heart. And even if you keep listening for awhile, your heart may still be hard. You may say to yourself, Okay, I ll hear what he has to say, but when the program is over, you go on to other things without giving God s message another thought. Maybe you do this not just with a radio program but in church. You sit through sermon after sermon, week after week, but nothing you hear really sinks in or produces any change in you. You go to church out of habit or to please somebody else, not because you desire and expect God to produce new life in you. As the gospel is preached, the seed lands on your hard heart without sinking in. Then Satan and his demons swoop in like birds to snatch the Word away from your heart before it produces any new life or godly fruit in you. Page 17
What makes a heart too hard for God s Word to sink in? In some cases, it may be skepticism and unbelief. You see yourself as an educated person. In your years of education, so many different ideas have trampled your mind that you ve become hard and cynical. You re too clever and sophisticated to accept the simple gospel that tells you to confess your sin, trust in Christ, and live a new life through his Holy Spirit. You re not going to fall for this Jesus stuff. Or maybe your heart has been trampled into hardness not by godless education but by lots and lots of religion. Years of rituals and pious talk have made you think that s all there is to religion. If churchgoers you knew were dishonest at work and unloving or even abusive at home, you might think all religion is like that and pay no attention to God s Word. Then again, you might imitate the religion of those hypocrites and become a hypocrite yourself. You observe some rituals out of habit, but your heart is too hardened by dead religion for the real Word of God to sink in and for a living relationship with Christ to grow and produce fruit. If you find the Bible boring, if you can t see why Christ matters in your daily life, if your religion is all ritual and no relationship, you may shrug and think you re okay no big deal. But Jesus says it s a huge deal. Your response to God s Word is a matter of heaven or hell, of salvation or damnation. The hard soil, says Jesus, represents people who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. If your heart is too hard for God s Word to sink in, and if it stays that way, then you will not be saved. Satan and his hideous demons are snatching from you the only Word that can save you. Unless your heart changes, you will spend eternity in the horrors of hell with Satan and his demons. Shallow Soil A second kind of soil isn t so hard, at least not on the surface. The seed is able to sink in and sprout. But the soil is shallow, with rock beneath. When seed lands on rock coated with a thin layer of soil, the results are quick and impressive. The seed sprouts and comes to the surface right away. But when the weather heats up, the seed withers as quickly as it sprang up. If you re shallow soil, you get excited when you first hear God s Word. You may not really understand the gospel message or be quite sure what you re getting into, but whatever it is, it sounds good to you and you re thrilled about it. If an evangelist at a meeting invites you to come forward to receive Christ, you re one of the first to walk the aisle to the front. If you re worshiping in a church, you sing with more energy than anyone. You listen to the message with more enthusiasm, your heart swells with emotion, and your eyes brim with tears of joy. Page 18
You tell yourself, This is it! I ve got such a strong feeling. It s got to be the real thing. You pray and read the Bible more, you enjoy uplifting books, tapes, and programs, and you enjoy a tremendous spiritual high. But then a time of testing comes. People close to you make fun of Christianity and put pressure on you, and you can t handle the heat. Or you have troubles in school or on the job. You face illness and setbacks. Someone you love dies, in spite of prayers for recovery. That wasn t what you expected back when you made that decision for Christ. You expected faith to make you happy and improve your life. You never thought it would make things harder for you. Now that the thrill has worn off and hardships have come, why keep following Jesus? Your Bible reading slows down and stops. Your prayer life dries up. Church becomes less and less appealing to you. Your thoughts and actions become exactly the way they always were. Your life is no different than it was back in the time before you got so excited about God. The shallow soil, says Jesus, represents people who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for awhile, but in the time of testing they fall away. You may think you belong to Jesus; you may think you have real faith; you may think you ve had a born again experience. But are you sure your heart isn t shallow soil? Are you sure your faith isn t phony? You may focus on how you received Christ and had a joyful experience in the past, but here s the real question: Is God s Word alive in you right now? Is it bearing fruit in your life? Don t think you re okay just because you had an emotional religious experience once upon a time. You might say, But if I was saved back then, won t I stay saved forever? Yes if you were really saved. But if your original response to the Word has withered away to nothing, you weren t really saved in the first place. This doesn t mean that everyone who goes through a spiritual dry time isn t saved. Dry times come to all Christians. The plant of faith may seem stressed and start to wither a bit. But even though happiness fades for a time, real faith keeps trusting and seeking God no matter what. When dry weather strikes a plant in good soil, it forces the roots to go deeper to find moisture. So too, if you have real faith and not just a passing feeling, tough times will make your roots go deeper and make your faith more stable and fruitful than ever. But if you re shallow soil, your roots don t go deeper. When the time of testing comes, you just give up on God. Something may have sprouted briefly, but your heart never changed. It stayed as shallow as ever. Page 19
Thorny Soil There s a third kind of soil where good seed doesn t produce a good crop: thorny soil. Seed that lands among weeds, thistles, and thorns may sprout and grow a bit, but eventually the bad plants choke the good. Thorny soil produces nothing worthwhile. If you re thorny soil, you hear the message of Christ but your heart is too crowded to make room for his life to grow in you. Your mind is crammed with worries about your job or your friends, with thoughts of how to make money and where the stock market is heading, with scenes from the movie you saw last night or the party you re planning to enjoy next weekend, or your next tee time on the golf course. Amid that jumble of things, the impact of God s Word is choked by life s worries, riches, and pleasures. Worries can choke your response to God and keep you from eternal life. Riches can choke your response to God and keep you from eternal life. Pleasures can choke your response to God and keep you from eternal life. A heart that is overgrown with worries, riches, and pleasures is too crowded for God s Word to flourish, ripen, and produce good fruit that lasts forever. Life s worries, riches, and pleasures these thorns in your heart are all part of the same nasty cluster: worldliness. A thorny heart is a worldly heart, a heart that cares more about earthly treasure than heavenly treasure. A worldly heart is crowed with worry, worry, worry about stuff, stuff, stuff for me, me, me. Worry grows if you depend on yourself more than on God and when you care more about earthly stuff than God s kingdom. Jesus doesn t say that it s wrong to have fun, and he doesn t deny that you need some earthly stuff to survive in this world. He says that your heavenly Father knows what you need to survive, and he ll take care of it. So even though you need food to eat, clothes to wear, and a place to live, don t worry or chase after such things. Seek first God s kingdom, and God will take care of everything else you need (Luke 12:22 31). If you trust in God and your desire for his Kingdom keeps growing, he will make sure that your needs are supplied, even as his Word grows in you. But if you let worldly stuff crowd your heart and choke out your interest in God s kingdom, you will miss God s kingdom and lose all the other stuff besides. Page 20
Here s what s really scary: these thorns choke you almost without you realizing it. In describing the thorny ground, Jesus speaks of the deceitfulness of wealth (Mark 4:19). Money is tricky. Pleasure is deceptive. If your life is full of fun and games and plenty of money to pay for more, you don t necessarily feel choked. Sure, you have a few nagging worries, but overall you feel great! Your mind is full of business plans or TV shows or next weekend s fun times and the Bible is seldom in your thoughts. Your energy is devoted to getting ahead in life and not to honoring Christ. But you still feel like things are fine between you and God and that all s well in your life. Beware of thorns! Watch out for worldliness! If you depend on anything for your happiness more than you depend on God, if you pour your energy more eagerly into any of these things than into God s kingdom, your spirit will be choked by these thorns. Read Romans 10:9-10 Salvation is a gift for you. Good Soil Jesus talks about a fourth kind of soil, good soil. This soil makes the planting worthwhile. Unlike a hardened path, the good soil is soft, and the seed sinks in. Unlike shallow soil with rock beneath, the good soil is deep and rich, and the seed takes root deep down. Unlike thorny soil, the good soil does not choke out the plants but yields a crop, a hundred times more than was sown. If you re good soil, God s Word produces results in you. The truth and life of Jesus Christ grow and flourish within you, and his Holy Spirit produces an excellent crop. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Galatians 5:22 23). If you are good, productive soil, these Christ virtues keep growing and multiplying in your life. It is sobering to know that there are many hearts where God s Word has no long term impact, but it s thrilling to know that when you listen carefully to God s Word, store it in the depths of your heart, and persevere in truth faith, the results are impressive and eternal. The seed on good soil, says Jesus, stands for those with a good and noble heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. But what if you don t have a good and noble heart? Are you a lost cause? Is there any way to get a good and noble heart if you don t already have one? Well, think about soil. What makes soil soft, deep, and weed free? Preparation! And what makes a heart good and noble? Preparation! Page 21
I grew up on a farm. I know that productive soil is soil that has been prepared. If soil is packed too hard, it needs to be tilled and loosened. If soil is too shallow, with many rocks just below the surface, it needs to be plowed more deeply and the rocks need to be removed. If soil is full of weeds, thistles, and thorns, those things need to be killed out before the seed is planted. Prepared soil is productive soil. Likewise, a prepared heart is a productive heart. An unprepared heart can t be productive. That s why God says in the Bible, Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns (Jeremiah 4:3). Break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord (Hosea 10:12). Rid yourselves of all offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 18:30 31). Only God can plow your heart and make it like a freshly prepared soil deep, rich, and ready to respond to his Word with faith, obedience, and spiritual fruit that lasts forever. God is the great Farmer, and the initiative is his. Jesus says to his people, You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit fruit that will last (John 15:16). What happens when God prepares your heart? Your inner self is plowed with deep repentance. Your hard heart is loosened and softened, and God s Word sinks in. Your shallowness and the stones that cause it are removed. You don t just give a quick, happy response but rather a deep, understanding response to the gospel of salvation through Jesus sacrifice and the call to serve him as your King. Your weeds of worldliness, the thorns that fill up so much of your life, are uprooted to make room for God s Word. Your heart becomes good and noble, not because you re able to make yourself good and noble, but because God s Holy Spirit plows and prepares your heart. This heart preparation is God s work, but you must trust him to do it. God holds you responsible for the condition of your heart and for how you receive God s Word. Jesus urged, He who has ears to hear, let him hear (Luke 8:8). A few moments later Jesus added, Consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him (Luke 8:18). Truth that is not grasped and applied will be lost, but truth that is understood and acted upon will be multiplied. If you sit in church and the message goes in one ear and out the other, don t think you really have something. You re hard soil, and even what you think you have will be taken away. If you had a religious experience once upon a time but have lost interest in the Lord, don t think you really have something. You re shallow soil, and even what you think you have has withered and will be taken away. Page 22
If you have a few beliefs about God but your heart is crowded with life s worries, riches, and pleasures, don t think you really have something. You re thorny soil, and even what you think you have is being choked out and will be taken away But if you humbly read the Bible, carefully listen to biblical preaching, and take God s Word to heart, you have God s truth and will be give more. If you are truly sorry for your sin and accept God s promise of forgiveness in Christ, you have God s mercy and will be given more. If you hate your sin and want God to change your character and conduct, you have God s holiness and will be given more. If you treasure Christ above anything in this world, you have God s love and will be given more. If you are growing and producing the fruit of the Spirit in your daily behavior, you have God s life and will be given more joyful, abundant, productive life that lasts forever and ever. Prepare the Soil of Your Heart Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Matthew 13:3-8 Many times, I ve heard this passage of Scripture referring to reaching out to those who are lost or do not know God. The seed represents the Word of God and the different types of ground refers to the condition of the person s heart who is hearing the words. While this is an accurate interpretation of this portion of Scripture, I wanted to personalize these words and focus on the condition of my heart. Page 23
This is the easy part. If the seed is the Word of God, then I wanted to look at the different ways the Master Farmer sows seeds in my life. Church services and reading the Bible are great ways that His Word is imparted to us, but there are other ways the seeds of His Word are sown into our lives: Bible studies, fellowshipping with friends, being surrounded by His creation and seeing His Word all around us and praying the Scriptures. There are also people God places into our lives to sow seeds of His Word such as pastors and their wives, mentors and ministers. All of these also serve to till the soil of our hearts and prepare it for the seeds that will be sown. Now, for the not as easy part self-evaluation. I looked at the condition of my heart and how its condition helps or hinders my spiritual walk, and ultimately, my relationship with God. The hard soil or hardened heart is where nothing grows, nothing even sticks to this type of soil or heart, and the seeds just roll off. This heart doesn t even want to hear the Word of God. The shallow soil or shallow heart is ground where the seeds that have been cast settle and take root, but the soil is shallow so the roots don t go deep. When the smallest of storms come through, the plant that has begun to sprout is easily uprooted. Here, the Word of God only reaches the surface. Then there s the weedy soil or heart full of distractions. Seeds will take root, but there are so many weeds surrounding the plant that the plant gets choked out. This is like the distractions in our lives that take our attention and push out the things of God. Finally, there is the fertile soil or good heart. Seeds take root, the roots grow deep and the plant comes forth strong and healthy. There s no question, we all want to have a heart likened to the fertile soil, where the seed of God s Word is nurtured and the roots go deep so that we grow and produce good fruit. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The soil of our heart changes and we need to work at it to keep it soft and fertile. Just like a farmer prepares the ground to receive the seed he is about to plant, our Master Farmer prepares our heart for the truths of His Word. Situations, trials and times of rejoicing are all things that can affect the condition of our heart. All can cause us to harden or soften our heart. Life brings many distractions which can grab our attention and pull us away from catering to our fields. It s not long before the things of God take a back seat and all that has been planted is easily uprooted. We must be diligent and tend to the condition of our hearts. Every situation that comes our way, good or bad is an opportunity for us to till our heart and draw closer to God. Every moment we have to enter into His courts with thanksgiving and into His presence is another moment where the condition of our heart is nurtured. Every verse read or sermon heard is another way we grab a hold of seeds and plant them in the soil of our hearts. Then we can harvest a crop full of the fruit that has been produced. Page 24
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23 Hosea 10:12 tells us, Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you. Page 25