Sampling the Soils

Introduction

Good morning. If you will, open your Bibles with me to Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13. And as you’re turning there, consider that as we are moving on with this year with quote unquote Easter Sunday in our rear view mirror, a time at which many people are thinking about spiritual things, certainly around Easter time, the world or certainly America is focused on to some extent the resurrection of Jesus. But this morning I’d like to focus on if we are going to be followers of Jesus, are we concentrating on what that means? If we are going to believe in Jesus, if we are going to say that Jesus is our everything, that He is, as He claims, the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through me.

If that is true, this morning I’d like to check with a very perhaps well known bit of scripture. Am I with Christ? Am I in Jesus? Am I doing what God wants me to do? This morning I’d like to consider the parable of the sower, or the parable of the seed, or as the title slide says, the parable of the sower and the seed. And Matthew chapter 13, beginning in verse 1, Matthew writes, That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea, and great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables, saying, A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.

Other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears let him hear. Of course, this parable spawned the amusing question from the disciples in verse 10, why do you speak to them in parables? And why did Jesus speak in parables? It was so that his word would be understood. Thankfully, with this parable, if we just continue on into the chapter of Matthew chapter 13, Jesus explains this parable.

We don’t have to think about it. We don’t have to postulate what may or may not be Jesus’ meaning, his intent, or the definition of what he implied here. In Matthew chapter 13, if you’ll note with me, all the way down to verse 18, he says, Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of God, the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty. Suffice it to say, this is a pretty good summary of how you can respond to the gospel of Christ. And when we see how Jesus explains this parable, the key is that the seed that is being sown, the seed that is being spread, a point that we’ll get back to towards the conclusion of the lesson this morning, the seed is the word of God.

1. The Wayside Soil Does Not Understand

And of course, we know that the word of God gives us all that we need to have eternal life. The word of God teaches us about Jesus. It is the words of Christ in John chapter 12 and verse 48 that will judge us in the last day. The word is everything. If we’re not sowing the seed, if the seed is not truly the word of God, it is pointless, it is vain, it is vain, and we will not be able to be with our Lord. So certainly understanding that the seed is the word of God is important. But let’s talk about the various soils before we make some applications this morning. First of all, we see that the wayside soil is described by Jesus in verse 19 as someone who does not understand.

Look back at verse 19, and we’ll try to understand what Jesus says about those who do not understand. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. What is this path soil? It is soil that does not even take in the message. In fact, it is because of that that the message is able to be snatched away, able to be devoured by the evil one by the devil. When you think about what this means, this is somebody who rejects truth, somebody who hears the word but does not do them. How many times did Jesus say, hear these words of mine?

He who has an ear, let him hear. The idea is not just to listen to what Jesus is saying, but to accept his words of life as the life-giving message that it is, the dependent message that allows us to be one with our God who makes it possible. This is a powerful truth, a powerful understanding that Jesus is giving to the disciples, to the crowds, and of course to us this morning. And we need to see that we do not want to be those who hear the word, who know what God says to do, but just does not do it. You can blame the devil, you can blame those who would come and snatch away the truth. But the truth is it is the soil which is unwilling to receive the seed and unwilling for it to bear fruit.

2. The Rocky Soil Has No Root

Secondly, we saw that there was a rocky soil, and perhaps this is interesting because this isn’t really what we think. When we get to the rocky and the thorny soil, we don’t like to think about these types of people too often. But note the rocky soil in verse 20. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

This is someone who hears the word. You see that language in verse 20 and does what with it? Immediately receives it, that’s great, with joy. This is someone enthusiastic. They’ve heard the word, they’re going to apply the message, they’re going to commit to Jesus. This is a wonderful thing that deserves our expression of joy. Rejoicing because someone has heard the words of life and responded to it. The problem is in verse 21. He has no root in himself. And of course, as is the case with soil and seed, is the case with those who come to Jesus. If we have no root in ourselves, we will endure for a while. But when tribulation, when persecution arises on account of the word, what happens? Immediately he falls away.

If we’re going to avoid being the rocky soil, we have to be ones who have root, who have depth, who don’t just receive the surface teaching, but understand that when Jesus says, pick up your cross and follow after me, it’s not a slogan to get going. It is a life sacrifice. Is a total commitment to giving of ourselves and allowing Jesus to live in us. That’s a very different message than just say these words, say this prayer, do a couple of these things, and you’ll have eternal life. Unfortunately, that’s the gospel message that’s taught. And that is not the gospel message. That is a false gospel. That is man made, not God delivered. If we’re responding to the seed that is the word of God, we will allow it to take root in our lives and change us, much like the good soil does.

3. The Thorny Ground Chokes the Word

But when we come to the third type of soil, the thorny ground, perhaps this is the most distressing, and perhaps the best of a gut check we might have this morning in verse 22. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. Perhaps this is the one that brings us the most self-reflection. The time that we have to stop and think a little bit. In verse 22, am I the one who hears the word and basically have a plant there? But do I allow other things to choke it out? To choke what? The seed. The seed that’s that is the word of God.

This is a pretty easy question to ask. Do I allow my time to be spent doing the Lord’s work, focused on changing myself, bearing fruit for God, as the good soil does, as we’ll see in just a moment? Or am I preoccupied, caught up with things of this life? Because the thorny ground is the one who, yes, takes in the seed. But the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke it out. What a terrible, sad, sorrowful fate. But the good news is there is good soil. There are those with a good and honest heart. I hope you’ll look with me in Luke chapter 8. In Luke chapter 8, we see the parable of the sower being told from Luke’s perspective and recording in Luke chapter 8.

4. Which Soil Am I?

But note the application for those in the good soil. I like the way he puts it so clearly. In Luke chapter 8 and verse 15, as for those in the good soil, they are those who hearing the word hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with patience. We all know this is the soil that we want to be. And when you think about a room full of Christians this morning that are likely here, we say, that’s us. We are the good soil. Let’s examine that this morning real quickly. Which soil am I? If I am wayside soil, I am rejecting God’s will. It’s not quite as obvious as it might seem. This isn’t someone who’s just some sort of pagan atheist who outright rejects God, although that qualifies.

Perhaps there’s a bit of God’s will that we know and understand, and we just don’t submit to it. We hear the word of God, we have listened to the words of life, but we don’t apply them. This morning a lesson was given with John chapter 12, but I hope you’ll turn there with me again in John chapter 12. Perhaps you might highlight this verse that is a powerful, important truth that is taught here. When you see who Jesus is interacting with in the midst of all his life, all his miracles, all his healings, all that Jesus had done, both in his teaching and his fulfillment of prophecy, and of course those miraculous, wondrous signs that he did with the power that was his and God’s alone.

In John chapter 12, note that even those who opposed him believed in him. In John chapter 12 and verse 42, nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him. But for fear of the Pharisees, they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. Can I show you from this text that you can know that Jesus is the Son of God, that he alone brings eternal life and still reject him? It is possible to know, to understand, to have heard the words of life and to reject it. I have no doubts that in our probably 200-plus member assembly this morning, we have plenty of Christians who are good soil, who are bearing fruit.

But I also have little doubt that there are those here who are not Christians, who have not responded to the word. And consider how these authorities looked in verse 42, even though it says they believed in Jesus. But because of fear of the Pharisees, they did not confess it. Because they love the glory that comes from God, from man more than the glory that comes from God. What a terrible truth. And Jesus teaches that there will be a divide. There will be those who are lost. In Matthew chapter 7 and verse 13 and 14, he describes the two different ways. He says, Enter by the narrow gate, which is leading to life. Why does he warn us of that? Because there is a broad path. He wants us to avoid that broad way that leads to destruction.

Don’t take that path, but many will. Let’s not be in that many. Let’s hear the words of life and do them. If Jesus says, Come, follow after me, our answer is now. Yes, Lord, thy will be done. As Jesus responded to God’s own will. As we think about this, I have to ask the question of everyone, including myself, is there a piece of God’s word that I just don’t like or that I just haven’t done yet? Perhaps a big thorn, if I can use that expression in the side of many, is this thing about baptism. Of course, in Acts chapter 2 and verse 38, Peter tells those who had crucified the cross, the Christ on the cross. He said, Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.

In Galatians chapter 3 and verse 26 and 27, yes, it is faith. It is necessary to have faith in Jesus who has now come, but we are baptized into the Christ. And so being sons of faith. If Jesus says to be baptized, if his inspired word revealed from God, the word of God is planted in someone’s life. Wouldn’t they just do what he says? Wouldn’t we just say, God, your will be done? I’m afraid that’s a little bit different than our life. But for those of us who do believe, for those who do say that Jesus is Lord and I’m going to do that, I have to wonder, am I the rocky soil? Am I who I confess to be? And Romans chapter 6, consider there another passage about baptism.

But look at the strength of baptism in this passage. It’s not just about a one-time forgiveness of sins. It’s not just about being made one with Jesus, which are true, which are powerful truths. Look in Romans chapter 6. If you are a Christian, this is your faith. This is your life. This is your confession. In Romans chapter 6 and verse 3, Paul’s reasoning with them, do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Skip down to verse 12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sins as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law, but under grace.

The soil that immediately receives the word with joy, but then falls away because I have no root. The rocky soil is someone who confessed that Jesus is Christ, lived out that confession by being baptized, by being buried with Jesus in a death like his, was raised to walk in newness of life, and said, I am a Christian, I will share in what God has done for me. And my life looks nothing like that anymore. If you think back to when you were a Christian, when you first tasted the fruits of the heavenly spirit, the idea that we can be forgiven of our sin. How exciting was that? How joyful is that to know that God has made salvation possible, that we can be cleansed from our unrighteousness.

Does our life look like that type of zeal now? Do we show that type of enthusiasm for God? Have we said, no matter what God says, I am going to do it, and I’m going to do it right now because I need God. What was the problem with the rocky soil? It would endure for a while, but when would it fall? When temptation and persecution would come. When you think about when the storms of life are going to come, and they will. We have to consider what is it that God wants us to do. We need to plow deep. We need to think about the words of life and be so filled with them that when temptation comes, we say, No, that is not God’s will.

And that when the time to do right comes, we say, Yes, that is my service. That is my all. I am dedicated to Jesus, my Lord. There’s a powerful difference. And those who stand against temptation and those who fall away immediately, as described with the rocky soil. But consider a third group, and maybe this is the most distressing, is those who let the world distract me. We are talking, of course, about the thorny ground. We are choked out by the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches. First John chapter 2, verses 15, 16, and 17 show us clearly we are not to be caught up and destroyed by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We need to be focused on God, because these things of this life are not from Him.

We need to hate the things of this world. But consider in Mark chapter 9, how strong this should go. If we are not doing what Jesus says, we are the thorny ground. Because the only reason to not do what Jesus said is because we don’t think it’s best or necessary, or because we want something else instead. Mark chapter 9 and verse 42 shows the epitome of the links at which Christians should go to, to be one with Him. In Mark chapter 9 and verse 42, whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.

It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell to the unquenchable fire. Look at verse 45. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And look at verse 47 and 48. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. I think this is the frightening soil because we like to think of ourselves as the good soil. And that would mean, of course, we’re bearing fruit.

But beyond that, we would have eliminated the obstacles. We would be committed to doing what Jesus said every single time. To what extent? To what point? And verse 43, if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. Verse 45, if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. Verse 47, if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. There is no room for unrighteousness in the kingdom of God. There is no room for the world. And the pride of life, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes in the kingdom of God. We have to be dedicated solely, entirely to God’s will. And what that means is heavy sacrifices along the way. There is no good seed that shows us that all you have to do is say a few good words or do a few good things and you have eternal life.

The seed that was planted is the word of God. And the words of life, the words of Jesus our Savior say, if something’s in your way, cut it off, even if it’s your hand, your foot, or your eye, because life is worth everything. We get distracted. Let’s be honest. It’s easy to say that my job, my school, my team, my friends, these are important. That I need to be there. That I need to do that. That I just can’t help someone today. I can’t be at the assembly this morning. Because these things are important. But when you look back to Matthew chapter 13, and you look at Jesus’ explanation of what the thorny ground is, in verse 22, as for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but that the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches.

Choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. We do not know better than Jesus does on what it takes to be his disciple. If we sacrifice along the way, if we don’t give our everything to him who first gave us his everything, how can we stand in the day of judgment and say, We have done your will, Lord? This is a powerful, uncomfortable truth. If we’re not sacrificing, you can see from the scriptures, we’re not doing it right. What are you sacrificing? Am I sacrificing my time? Am I sacrificing what God has blessed me with financially, monetarily? Am I sacrificing my will to his to wake up and say, How can I please God today? That’s a different life than how can I fit in God to what is left with my life after I’ve committed it all.

I think if we’re honest, we’ll see that this is tricky ground. Because yes, the seed can go down. Yes, something could be there. The seed could sprout. But it is that danger every single day that we do not snip away the thorns that will choke out God’s children. This is scary. This is frightening. And by the way, if I am good soil in Ephesians chapter 5 and verses 15 and 16, we see that we are dedicated to knowing what the will of the Lord is, and we will redeem the time. That doesn’t just mean spending our time wisely, although that’s a crucial, obvious explanation. But this season, this opportunity of life that we’ve been blessed by God, we are not just going to have a good heart, we’re not just going to be honest people.

We are going to bear fruit for Jesus. In fact, what did he say in his explanation? These were those who bear fruit a hundred times, some 60 and some 30. If I am good soil, what fruit am I bearing? If I look at my life and I don’t see that fruit, if I don’t see the impact of a light shining for Jesus, then perhaps I see myself in one of these other grounds. Only I can answer individually for myself and you individually for yourself can say, Am I rejecting a part of God’s will that’s clean and clear and plain and clear? I am no longer who I confess to be. Only I can answer for myself. Do I have the zeal? Do I have the love for God that inspired me to make the life, changing life altering commitment to Him who alone offers salvation?

5. We Need to Be Sowing the Seed

Only I can decide if I thorny ground letting the world distract me. But I can tell you one thing. This doesn’t have to be relying upon my heart here. I can check my calendar. I can check my bank statements and see where my emphasis is. Is it in helping others? Is it in studying the word? Do I live a life committed to prayer? Or do I live a life where I try to slip in God in the cracks of both my time and my budget and my family? If I am good soil, I can look and I can see fruits of the Lord. But consider a couple of final applications with me this morning as we move to wrap up. We need to be sowing the seed.

The majority of this influence of this lesson is about influencing ourselves to be the good soil, changing to be who God wants us to be, to hear the word, accept the word, and grow up from it, knowing that God’s words lead to life. But certainly we should not leave this without saying that we need to be sowing the seed, and that’s obvious. Jesus in his great commission told the apostles to go into all the world. But can I add something to that? All the world includes everybody. At this day in time, perhaps we face no greater threat than that of terrorist. And if you think of a terrorist, you’re probably thinking of someone who is zealously religious. Someone who, maybe or maybe not, is taking their holy book out of context, out of what it truly is meant to say.

But if we think of a terrorist, let’s be honest, we often think of those who are committed to some God. But the truth is in the New Testament there was a terrorist who was leading Christians to death, and you know him by name. His name is Paul the Apostle. In Acts chapter 9, it was Jesus who said, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? The disciples were afraid of him, and even after his great changing commitment, when he was faced with Jesus, when he was taught by Ananias, he changed his life. He lived out the confession of his faith in Jesus from there on through his life, even when brethren were afraid of him because of what he had done. Saul turned. And yes, we know as Paul the great apostle, but remember, he was a devout Jew, one who was dragging Christians off to prison and even watching over as Stephen was stoned to death.

Saul changed, so anybody can. And the Old Testament, when you think under the law of Moses, even perhaps my favorite Bible story is that of King Manasseh. And if you look at 2 Chronicles chapter 33 and you read those first eight verses, you will see one of the most wicked kings to ever reign in Judah. And in fact, if you look at the 2 Kings account, you only see the wickedness of Manasseh. And yet when he was humbled, when he was taken away into Assyrian captivity, what happened? He humbled himself, he entreated the favor of his God, and God heard his plea and delivered one who turned to him. If we think about somebody who would not listen, we think of those who are ruling a country who are anti-God or have a different God.

If we think of someone who will not listen to the gospel message, you think of a terrorist from a religious organization that rejects or distorts the gospel of God. And yet the Bible shows us these very individuals turned to righteousness, turned to God, and more importantly, God forgave them. And if God can forgive them, then how dare I ever withhold the gospel from any, thinking they won’t listen, they won’t understand, or they won’t change. If you note about the parable of the sower in Matthew chapter 13, the sower, giving the words of life, sowed the seed on all kinds of ground. Any farmer would know that the seed wouldn’t work on the wayside soil. It would not take root in the path. That just doesn’t work.

And yet the seed was planted there. If we are here and we are God’s creation and we are working for him, if we truly believe that Jesus changed our life, we’re going to tell everybody about it, and we’re not going to decide who is worthy, who might change, because we know God has shown us that everybody will change. And here’s the truth of the matter. If I can be saved, if I can trust in the resurrection of Jesus, anybody can, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That starts with me. That starts with you. All of us were guilty. All of us had committed sin, the wages for which are death. Who are we to judge? We need to sow the seed to everybody, no matter what we think they might say.

Conclusion

And the truth of the matter is to have that good and honest heart, to bear fruit, to bear fruit with patience, as Luke chapter 8 and verse 15 concludes. Being good soil takes a total commitment. It’s easy, it’s fun, it makes you feel good to say, you know what? I’m not like the wayside soil. I’m not like the rocky soil. I may have some problems with thorns every now and then, but I’m doing a good job taking out those thorns. I must then be the good soil. The only ones within the body of Christ who are good soil are those who are truly within the body of Christ. Those who have committed themselves entirely to the will of the head of the church, the head of the body, Jesus, our risen Savior.

If I am the good soil, that means my every day is spent committed to Him, saying, Jesus, thy will be done. This parable is one that we’ve known very well, and you’ve heard undoubtedly many times. But in Matthew chapter 13, consider as Jesus concludes in verse 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields. In one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty. Which soil am I? The good soil is committed to Jesus. The good soil follows in the footsteps of our Lord. And Jesus would sow the seed to anyone who will listen. Am I sowing the seed? Those who are following after Jesus, do whatever the will is, that whatever the will of the Father is, as Jesus did.

Am I doing whatever Jesus has told me? Am I submitting to the inspired word of God? Consider this morning if you are not a Christian, that you are rejecting the will of God. You cannot be the good soil and reject God’s word. That cannot be. Make things right with Jesus today. The Word of God reveals that if you believe in Him, you can have everlasting life. If you repent, you turn from your life of wrong. You confess that Jesus is the Christ. You live out that confession, being baptized, sharing in his death, burial, and resurrection, and rising to walk in uness of life, letting sin no longer have dominion over you. You can do that today. Don’t be rebellious. Be submissive to our King. Perhaps you’re a Christian and you have not been submissive.

You’ve allowed the world to choke in, to choke the word, to choke the message. No longer love the world or the things in the world. Love the Father, who is beyond this world, who wants our best interests. Trust in God today. If we can help you in any way, come forward as we stand and sing the invitation song.