Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:1-23

While Jesus was with his disciples He went around teaching to all the crowds who came to hear Him, He often spoke in parables. 

  • A parable is a story that Jesus used to explain a deeper meaning about God. So a story with a meaning. A parable isn’t a true story, it’s a story that Jesus made up to teach a lesson.
  • Have you ever heard of the story of Goldie Locks and the Three Bears?  How about the Three Little Pigs?  These stories are easy to remember, just like a parable.  Jesus told them so the people would remember them.
  • The difference between children’s stories and parables is that children’s stories are too make believe, bears don’t talk and live in houses, and neither do pigs.  But while the stories Jesus told weren’t real stories, they were about real life things.  They were for adults and didn’t have cartoons or make believe characters.
  • Parables show us how to act towards others, how to please God, and they teach us things about what heaven is like and how we can live with Him someday.
  • After Jesus told a parable he would explain what it meant.

There are many examples of parables, today we are going to look at the Parable of the Sower.

Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdl30y2Io-Y

What can we learn from the parable of the sower? What is it all about?

In the parable of the sower, Jesus is the sower (farmer) and he sows his seed everywhere, no matter what kind of soil it lands in. He doesn’t hold back and that is also true of God. God generously gives us everything that we need. He tells us everything that we need to know.

We can trust that God is good and will give us what we need. God also calls us to be the same – to give and be generous with others. To be kind and to share. He also calls us to help Him to sow His seed.

But what is His seed?

Jesus tells us that the seed is God’s word. It is the truth about Jesus – the Good News – the gospel. So when I say God calls us to help Him sow his seed, what I mean is that God wants us to tell others about Him and what the Bible teaches us.

The sower sowed by sending the seed out. He threw seed onto the soil. We can send God’s Word out by speaking it, sharing it, singing it, writing about it and more.

But what is the soil that we are sending the seed to?

We are like the different types of ground and situations in the parable of the sower.

  1. The path: snatched by birds. For some people they hear the words of God at home or in church but straight away it is forgotten/snatched away like the birds and they don’t take the Word of God into their hearts.
  2. Rocks: Dried up. For some people they hear the Word of God, but then they stop being excited about Jesus and the Words of God dry up in their heart. They no longer have God’s Word alive in their hearts.
  3. Thorns: Choked out. Some people get so worried and distracted by other things in their lives that the Word of God, the true message, can’t take root in their heart. It is choked out and lost.
  4. Good soil: Grew. If our hearts are like the good soil then we will reap a harvest, 30, 60, 100 times bigger than what was planted. As you plant seeds or look at plants growing in the garden be reminded to ask God to help you to share the Good News of the Bible and to have a heart to hear God.

Which type of soil do you think we need to try and be like?

Is your heart good soil? We can check up on our heart by seeing how we feel towards Jesus, church and the things of God. Are we excited or fed up with the things of God? If we are fed up or bored, we can ask Jesus to help us get our focus back on Him and to get excited about him again.

It is very easy to forget the importance of the Word of God, but we need to try not to.

We need to read our Bibles every day and listen in church so we can learn more about God and His message. We then need to tell people about Him – that he is a God of love, who sent his Son Jesus to die for us so we can have eternal life with him.

In the Bible there are several verses about sowing and planting – to share the Word of God.

  • “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 2 Corinthians 9:6
  • “Do not bedeceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, he will also reap.” Galatians 6:7
  • “In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not withhold your hand, for you do not know which will prosper… or whether both alike will be good.”  Ecclesiastes 11:16
  • “Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy!”  Psalm 126.5
  • “I planted, the seed was watered, but God gave the growth.” 1 Corinthians 3:6

We can spread that Good news of the gospel, we can tell people about Jesus in lots of different ways.

What ways can we tell others about Jesus?

  • Inviting a friend to church/Junior church/BB/SCY/Brownies/home group/ Alpha even Knit and natter
  • We can share stories with others
  • Pray with and for others

Two questions to leave you with to think about it:

What kind of things do you want to see in your life?

What must you sow in order to reap those things in your life?

Prayer –

Lord, I pray that we can be excited about you and your message of Good News.

If we have become like the dried up soil, let us spend time learning more about you.

Let us become more like the good soil and share your love with others.

Amen


Category: Sermons , The Bridge

Tags: ,