Today
we'll look at the story of the Sower of Seeds in Luke 8, and what it should
mean to the church.
While
a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after
town, he told this parable: 5 “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 ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky
ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.7 Other
seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still
other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times
more than was sown.”
Jesus
tells us that it is what happens when we share the Gospel.
The
seed is the word of God. 12 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. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who
receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They
believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 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. 15 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.
It has
a Seed Rejection ration of 75%! To improve on a 25% success rate we must plant
more seeds! We should plant more seeds but according to Jesus our conversions
will remain at the same percentage. My thought is, Why not try to be
more strategic in our seed planting?
Strategic
seed planting would involve working the soil in advance. In other words:
1. Engage in conversation
about your faith.
2. Pray, pray, pray for who
and when we are to share the Gospel with.
3. Live out your faith for
all to see.
4. Know the Word of God and
share it accurately and truthfully.
5. Be sensitive to what
someone is telling you. They might not be saying no, but have question.
6. Continue to be involved
in the lives of new believers.
7. Be ready always to share
the Good News of Jesus.
Let's
plant the seeds of the Gospel in good soil. Amen?
