TEXT:

‘Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!’ – Mark 4:8 NLT

THOUGHT:

Jesus told His disciples that understanding the parable of The Sower was the key to understanding all the other parables – Mark 4:13. Reading this passage again I was stirred by it to send out this Today’s Teaching.

When Jesus explained this parable to His disciples, He made clear that the seed was God’s Word. The question is simply this, “What effect is God’s Word having in your life?” Where’s the fruit?

The parable of The Sower reveals four types of ground that corresponds to the spiritual state of a person’s heart.

• No Understanding – ‘The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts’ – Matthew 13:19

We can talk for hours to people about Christianity but if there is no understanding it cannot do them any real good. Every gospel seed you are trying to plant the devil is able to snatch away if it is not understood. It needs a revelation by the Holy Spirit so it can be planted. When Peter said, “You are the Christ!” Jesus replied that it was because the Father had revealed it to Peter that he was able to understand and believe who Jesus really was”. The Good News is that God does not want to stay hidden but wants to reveal Himself to anyone who really wants to believe in Him. This is why Paul prayed that God would give to the church at Ephesus the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him – Ephesians 1:17.

Engage Saltash has designated a month of prayer for January 2018 and we will be praying along those same lines for those in the church and Saltash residents.

• No Root – ‘The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word’ – Mark 4:16-17 NLT

During our time living in Saltash we have seen a number of people make a decision to become a Christian, yet have not continued in their faith. The reason is there is no deep root. The Bible reveals the need for believers to be, ‘Rooted and grounded in love’ – Ephesians 3:17. During our evangelism we have come across many who claim to be a Christian, but are not in church nor have any desire to meet with other Christians, let alone read their Bible, pray or share their supposed faith. Their root has withered, for one reason or another, whether due to trouble or persecution, and they have given up on their faith. The joy they experienced when becoming a Christian is now only a distant memory.

To anyone like that reading this teaching I would urge them to repent and return to Christ and let His living water give life to that withered root.

• No Fruit – ‘The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word,¹⁹ but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced’ – Mark 4:18-19 NLT

If the devil cannot stop God’s Word from being planted and taking root, he will try to nullify its effectiveness. We will produce no fruit when we are taken up with the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the desire for other things. These enter into our life and choke God’s Word so that it cannot bear fruit. When the Christian’s life displays no real difference to the unconverted, then there will be no fruit of the kind that God is looking for.

• Fruit 30, 60 or 100 – ‘And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!’ – Mark 4:20 NLT

Good seed in good ground will always produce a good harvest. There will always be different levels of fruit-bearing. Do not worry about how much fruit you are producing. In John 15:1-16, Jesus taught that the goal of the Father is that we produce fruit, more fruit, much fruit and fruit that remains. God knows how to increase fruit-bearing through careful pruning. What a joy and privilege to be able to produce something that is of lasting value and very precious to Jesus!

Jesus taught another parable about an unproductive fig tree – Lk 13:6-9. The owner complained to his gardener that it ought to be cut down as for three years it had produced no fruit. The gardener pleaded for one more year promising to do his best to help it produce fruit. Failing that he would cut it down.

It’s the grace of God that prevents unproductive Christians from being cut down prematurely. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all ready to help us bear fruit if we will ask for their help.

Jesus does not want to end 2018 with just you. He wants you and the fruit He has produced through you. Help Him to help you into fruit-bearing so that this year will produce a bumper crop!