The Parable of the Sower

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Lesson 7 The Parable of the Sower
2
The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The Sower
• The sower went forth to sow, as was common in
  those days
• Initially, the sower represented Christ, who went
  out teaching and sowing the Word.
• In application and principle, it is the
  responsibility of every Christian to be the
  sower, sowing the seed of the kingdom (cf. Acts
  84).

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The Sower
• Some Truths for the Sower
• He must sow the seed and leave the increase to
  God (Isa. 5510-11 1 Cor. 36).
• He must sow at all times, not waiting until
  everything is favorable (Ecc. 114-6 2 Tim.
  42).
• He must sow, realizing that others may reap the
  harvest (John 435-38).
• He must sow on all kinds of soil (Matt. 133-8).
• He must sow with the right attitude (2 Tim.
  224-28 Eph. 415).
• He must believe in the seed he sows (Rom. 116).

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The Seed
• The seed was dispersed by the sower.
• The seed is the Word of God (Luke 811).
• The seed, representing the Word of God, is that
  which contains life (John 663 1 Peter 123).
• The seed always produces after its kind (Gen.
  111 Gal. 67).
• The seed produced Christians only in the first
  century and will produce the same today.
• The seed can be mixed (Mt. 1324-25 Ga. 16-9).

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The Soils
• The soils denote the various sorts of attitudes
  that men have towards the gospel.
• The success of the sowing depends upon the soils
  into which the seed falls.
• Hearts must be prepared to seek and receive the
  Word (2 Chron. 193 3019 Ezra 710).

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Wayside Soil
• (Matt. 133-4, 19 Mark 415 Luke 85, 12)
• Hard path that is fertile, but packed unplowed
• The seed makes contact, but because the soil is
  so hard, it cannot penetrate.
• The wayside soil represents
• One who does not believe, because (Luke 812)
• He has chosen not to understand, because
• His heart has been hardened to the truth,
  because
• He is not interested in the gospel (Matt. 1319)

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Wayside Soil
• (Matt. 133-4, 19 Mark 415 Luke 85, 12)
• The birds symbolize Satan (Matt. 1319)
• Satan comes immediately (Mark 415) and snatches
  the seed away (Matt. 1319)
• Satan only takes the seed after the soil has
  rejected it
• Satan is ever happy to cooperate with those who
  reject the truth (John 1327 Matt. 274 Acts
  53-4)
• If the Word dwelt in the heart long enough for
  faith to result, salvation could follow (Luke
  812).
• What methods does he use to snatch the Word away?

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Wayside Soil
• (Matt. 133-4, 19 Mark 415 Luke 85, 12)
• What are some reasons hearts are hardened?
• Pride (cf. Prov. 1618)
• Prejudice, come with idol in heart (cf. Ezek.
  141-5)
• Fear of giving up things (cf. Luke 1818ff)
• Worldliness (cf. Eph. 417-18)
• No love for truth (cf. 2 Thess. 210)
• Continually resisting the truth (cf. Ex. 819-20)
• Habitually practicing sin (cf. Heb. 313)

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Wayside Soil
• (Matt. 133-4, 19 Mark 415 Luke 85, 12)
• Do you know any wayside soils?
• Hear the Word with their minds already made up
  (cf. Acts 1721)
• Hear but think the truth applies to someone else
  (cf. John 833)
• Hear but go out and live as they did before (cf.
  Jas. 122-25)
• Hear but have allowed the world to trample hearts
  so long that they are untouched (cf. 1 Tim. 41-2)

10
The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Stony/Rocky Soil
• (Matt. 135-6, 20-21 Mark 416-17 Luke 86, 13)
• A thin layer of soil overlying a solid ledge of
  rock fertility is not the problem, depth is
• Plants spring up immediately (b/c lacks depth)
• The stony/rocky soil represents
• One who lacks any strong convictions /
  earnestness
• One who is an emotional, superficial, impulsive
  hearer
• One, possibly, who is won to Christ on basis of
  frills
• One who sees only pleasant elements of
  Christianity
• One who does not count the cost (Lk. 1425ff
  923)

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Stony/Rocky Soil
• (Matt. 135-6, 20-21 Mark 416-17 Luke 86, 13)
• The seed has no depth, therefore no root, without
  which no plant can survive Christians must be
  rooted in Christ (Col. 27 Eph. 317)
• One cannot afford for his faith to be shallow.
• Faith must grow inward (and deeply) and not be
  merely outward.

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Stony/Rocky Soil
• (Matt. 135-6, 20-21 Mark 416-17 Luke 86, 13)
• Thus, when the sun was risen (tribulation and
  persecution arose because of the Word), the
  shallow soul folks immediately fell away
• Those who respond to the Lord impulsively are
  prone to quickly fall.
• The sun (tribulations/persecutions) destroys the
  shallow-rooted person, but makes stronger the
  deeply rooted Christian (cf. James 12-4).
• Though these believed for a while (Luke 813),
  they fell away. A child of God can fall away and
  be lost.

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Stony/Rocky Soil
• (Matt. 135-6, 20-21 Mark 416-17 Luke 86, 13)
• Do you know any stony soils?
• Hears the Word, obeys the Word quickly, and then
  falls away.
• Have emotions stirred and make sudden impulse
  decision.
• Obey without counting the cost commitment
  involved and all one must endure.
• Some people are easily excited, always starting
  projects but never completing them. Sometimes
  describes some Christians.

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Thorny Soil
• (Matt. 137, 22 Mark 47, 18-19 Luke 814)
• The soil is fit/fertile, but its crowded.
• The seeds of the thorns were already in the
  ground, implying inadequate preparation.
• The thorny soil represents
• The pre-occupied hearer
• A divided heart with divided loyalties (cf. Matt.
  624)
• One who is so busy with other things he cannot be
  busy for Christ

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Thorny Soil
• (Matt. 137, 22 Mark 47, 18-19 Luke 814)
• Thorns The cares of this world (Mt. 1322)
• These are the distracting anxieties/worries of
  this life
• Day-to-day worries about living can distract
  (Prov. 308-9 Matt. 625-34).
• Worry and anxiety in the example of Martha choked
  out the good part (Luke 1038-42).
• Sometimes we allow the lesser important to choke
  out the most important (Luke 2134-35).

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Thorny Soil
• (Matt. 137, 22 Mark 47, 18-19 Luke 814)
• Thorns The deceitfulness of riches (Matt. 1322)
• Riches promise happiness but they do not and
  cannot deliver (Ecc. 510-13).
• Preoccupation with wealth leads to other problems
  as well (1 Tim. 69-10).
• If materialism was a curse upon the church in the
  first century for Jesus to present a lesson on
  thorns, how much more is it a curse on the church
  today?

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Thorny Soil
• (Matt. 137, 22 Mark 47, 18-19 Luke 814)
• Thorns The desire for other things (Mark 419)
• There are many things in our lives that can (and
  often do) take precedence over Christ family,
  educational pursuits, desire for popularity,
  career goals, etc.
• Even things that are not intrinsically wrong must
  take a second place to the Lord (Matt. 633).

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Thorny Soil
• (Matt. 137, 22 Mark 47, 18-19 Luke 814)
• Thorns The pleasures of this life (Luke 814)
• Christianity does not take the joy out of life,
  but it does demand that we put first things
  first.
• Earthly pleasures cannot produce true happiness
  (Ecc. 2).
• Hobbies, recreation, our down time, etc., are
  first with too many today (cf. 1 Tim. 48).
• Again, some of these things may not be wrong in
  and of themselves, but placed foremost in our
  lives will leave no room for God and His Word.
• Those pleasures that are sinful must be
  avoided!!!

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Thorny Soil
• (Matt. 137, 22 Mark 47, 18-19 Luke 814)
• Do you know any thorny soils?
• Those who are in the church but are controlled
  (seemingly) by the things of the world, thus are
  unfruitful in their Christian endeavors?
• They appear to be Christians (to man), but their
  choices and lifestyles make them lukewarm at best
  (cf. Rev. 315-16).
• They confidently expect heaven but are allowing
  the thorns of life to choke out God and His Word,
  thus being deceived regarding their true
  condition.

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Good Soil
• (Matt. 138, 23 Mark 48, 20 Luke 88, 15)
• The good ground hearer
• has an honest and good heart (Luke 815).
• He accepts and serves with whole-hearted and
  honest devotion because he prepared his heart to
  seek the law of the Lord (Ezra 710).
• Honesty is a characteristic that is essential,
  not only in becoming a Christian, but in living
  the Christian life.
• We are to provide things honest in the sight of
  all men (Rom. 1217 2 Cor. 821), think honest
  things (Phil 48), live honestly in all things
  (Heb. 1318).

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Good Soil
• (Matt. 138, 23 Mark 48, 20 Luke 88, 15)
• The good ground hearer
• hears the word (Matt. 1323).
• It is essential to hear the Word of God aright.
• So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by
  the word of God (Rom. 1017).
• And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed
  and were baptized (Acts 188).

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Good Soil
• (Matt. 138, 23 Mark 48, 20 Luke 88, 15)
• The good ground hearer
• hears and understands (Matt. 1323).
• To understand means to perceive, to grasp the
  meaning of, to know. One understands by giving
  undivided attention and ceasing not to think
  about it.
• Understanding is both possible and essential to
  please God.
• Do you understand what you are reading? (Acts
  830)
• When you read, you may understand (Eph. 34).
• Understand what the will of the Lord is (Eph.
  517).

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Good Soil
• (Matt. 138, 23 Mark 48, 20 Luke 88, 15)
• The good ground hearer
• hears and accepts/receives it (Mark 420).
• He takes it in and it becomes a part of him.
• Compare Acts 812 814
• they believedand were baptized (Acts 812)
• Samaria had received the word of God (Acts
  814)
• The Bereans received the word with all
  readiness (Acts 1711).
• James tells us to receive with meekness the
  implanted word (James 121).

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Good Soil
• (Matt. 138, 23 Mark 48, 20 Luke 88, 15)
• The good ground hearer
• hears and keeps/holds fast to it (Luke 815).
• He holds on to the Word (cf. 2 Tim. 113).
• He practices the Word in his life.
• He hears these sayings of Mine and does them
  (Matt. 724).
• He is a doer of the Word, and not a hearer only,
  one who looks into the perfect law of liberty
  and continues in ita doer of the work (James
  122-25).

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Good Soil
• (Matt. 138, 23 Mark 48, 20 Luke 88, 15)
• The good ground hearer
• hears and bears fruit w/ patience (Luke 815).
• He does not expect a harvest overnightthe seed
  is sown and it takes time to grow.
• The farmer waits for the precious fruit of the
  earth, waiting patiently for it until it (James
  57).
• The fruit-bearing Christian is the only one
  pleasing to God (cf. John 151-8).
• It is not enough to produce one crop and then
  fall into unfruitfulness. One must persevere.

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Good Soil
• (Matt. 138, 23 Mark 48, 20 Luke 88, 15)
• The good ground hearer
• produces in varying quantities.
• Some are more fruitful than others, but the fruit
  born is the same.
• Some have more experience.
• Some have more ability.
• Some are converted earlier in life than others.
• Some have families and others who are more
  helpful.
• Nevertheless, God expects us to bear fruit, doing
  so with and by His almighty helping hand (John
  15).

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The Parable of the SowerThe Narrative
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• The SoilsThe Good Soil
• (Matt. 138, 23 Mark 48, 20 Luke 88, 15)
• Do you know any good soils, who differ from
• From the wayside hearer in that he understands
  the Word and does not allow Satan to take it
  away.
• From the stony ground hearer in that he does not
  allow temptations to overcome him, but he
  overcomes them.
• From the thorny ground hearer in that he does not
  allow the cares, riches pleasures to choke the
  Word.
• From all classes in that he alone bears fruit to
  God.

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The Parable of the SowerLessons Learned
Mt. 133-8, 18-23 Mk. 43-8, 14-20 Lk. 85-8,
11-15

• We must be the right kind of hearers.
• There is no salvation apart from the life-giving
  Word.
• Seed has no power until it is sown.
• Christ wants everyone exposed to the gospel.
• Bad influences must not harden us to the truth.
• We must resist Satan.
• We must avoid impulsiveness.
• We must act with sober deliberation.
• Persecution must be viewed handled properly.
• A child of God can fall away from the faith.
• Trust in the providential care of the Lord.
• Avoid the dangers of materialism.
• Always put Christ first in your life.
• Fruitlessness will be punished.
• God is no respecter of abilities.
• Not all hearers will obey the Word and be saved.
• Soil preparation is key for the seed to be
  received.