Miracle Harvesting: Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:1-23
 
Jesus grew up and live in a primarily agricultural society.
Agriculture is all about fruit bearing and hence the parable of the sower is a great way to illustrate the concept of spiritual fruitfulness.
 
We must persevere in bearing fruit because
>  Fellowship with Christ is integral to bearing fruit.
>  Struggles, hardships, BUT abundant grace and joy, are a necessary part.
>  Perseverance in faith is central to redemption and fruitfulness.
 
The Seed is the Word of God).
The Sower (of the Word of God) is an evangelist, Jesus being the original sower (John 1:1).
The Soils are various conditions of the human heart.
>  Only the good soil can help the seed to produce fruit.
>  All the other soils (hard-packed, shallow & weedy) cannot help produce fruit at all.
 
All of us fall into one of these types of soil (state of heart) at any given point in time, and can fall into different states of heart over time.
Hence, we need to learn from the parable:

• What gives rise to a particular soil type (heart condition)?
• How to avoid unfruitful soil (heart condition)?
• How, by God's grace, to be fruitful soil (heart condition)?

Key point: Recognize our heart condition and know how to respond.
 
Good soil and miraculous harvest

1. Good soil is the heart of the disciple in which Christ is fully formed: knowledgeable, obedient, faithful. We become good soil by knowing Christ in our heart.
2. We begin our spiritual life as good (the living truth of God’s word implanted in our hearts)
3. We bear fruit in the form of seed (the living truth of God’s word implanted in the hearts of others);
4. We grow as disciples by discipling others (through Christ in our hearts);
5. This is not a repetitive loop but an upward spiral of faith and learning through obedience
6. Different harvests come from the same good soil indicates that the quantity is not important, but faithfulness in bearing fruit.
   

 
The Holy Spirit is our daily mentor as we seek to grow in fruit bearing.
The purpose of the parable is to prepare for the Great Commission.
Key Point in the Parable: the kingdom of God is realized by proclamation of the Gospel (sowing) accompanied by discipleship (teaching and mentoring) in the presence of Christ (by the Holy Spirit).
 
Keys to fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus:

• Take care of the soil of your heart.
• Be willing to be a disciple (be teachable).
• Be willing to disciple others (pray for them, encourage and mentor others).
• Persevere because Jesus promises: "I am with you always to the end of the age."
• Follow the example of Paul: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead (Phil. 3:14, 14).

 

Come worship with us at this English Service of International Church in Yangon!