CLUE FOR SUNDAY SERVICE SERMON

DATE: 12th July, 2020

THEME: WALKING IN STEP WITH THE SPIRIT

SCRIPTURE READING
Isaiah 55: 10-13
Romans 8:1-11
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

PSALTER: Psalm 65: 1-8

INTRODUCTION
Jesus Christ was the master teacher! He had the unique ability to take scenes from everyday life and use them to teach profound spiritual truths. Such is the case with the passage we have read today. As Jesus sat by the seaside teaching, He began to talk about an image with which everyone present was familiar.

He talked about a man taking seed into a field. He pictured that man casting the seed upon the earth. This seed fell upon the ground and landed upon differing types of soils. Some of the seed brought forth fruit, other seed did not.
Jesus used this common image to teach those who heard Him about the condition of human heart. Here, we see that the sower is the Holy Spirit, the seed is the Gospel of grace and the soil is the human heart. From His words, we learn that the human heart is like soil. It can either receive the seed of the Gospel and produce a harvest of spiritual fruit, or it can be unprepared and produce nothing of value for the glory of the name of God.

BODY
I. A SOWER
In the work of the Sower, there are three lessons that become clear.
a. There Is A Lesson In DEVOTION – The Sower must be absolutely dedicated to his work. He knows that if he doesn’t sow, there will be no harvest.
b. There Is A Lesson In DISCIPLINE – The Sower must discipline himself to the work of sowing. There will be days when he doesn’t feel like going into the field, but he goes anyway. He knows that without him going forth and sowing, that, the field will never become the harvest.
c. There Is A Lesson In DISCOURAGEMENT – As the Sower scattered his seed, he must have known that only about 25% would grow up to bear fruit. Yet, he continued to go forth and sow the seed. Our duty in the church is to go forth and obey the Lord’s command to spread the Gospel, Matt. 28:19-20. GROWING the CHURCH is the Lord’s OBLIGATION. If we will do our part and sow, He will do His part and bring the harvest in its time!

II. SOME SEED
There are THREE quick lessons to notice about the seed.
a. Its WORTH – The seed is the Gospel, Luke 8:11. When we go forth and bear the precious seed of the Gospel, we are caring the most important message the world has ever heard. It is a living, powerful message! It is a message that the world needs to hear!
b. Its WEIGHT – The message of the Gospel has tremendous power! Just as seed can transform a barren field into a place of live and blessing, the Gospel can transform a dead and dry life into something that can bless men and glorify God. Anyone who hears the GOSPEL and meets the MASTER will be forever CHANGED.
c. Its WORK – When the Gospel seed lands in good soil, it will do it work! It will change every life it touches! By the way, it will work the same for every man!

III. THE PLAN OF THE SOWER
▪The sower in this parable is a man who goes into his field with the intention of raising a crop and gleaning a harvest. He expects to reap a profit from the crop he is sowing.
▪Such is the case with the Lord God. He sent His Son into the world to die and He sends His Spirit into the world to convict lost people of their sins so that He might reap a spiritual harvest to the glory of His name, John 16:8.

IV. THE POTENTIAL OF THE SEED
a. Every seed that was sown by the sower had the potential to produce much more seed. Verse 8 and 23 bear this out. One little seed had the potential to multiply itself 3000%; 6000% and even 10000%. Plant one corn seed and watch it produce a plant that will yield several ears, each containing many rows of fresh seeds. The seed had the potential to reproduce itself many times over.

b. Such is the seed of the Gospel of grace. When it is sown in a ready heart, it will germinate and reproduce itself over and over again. The seed has the potential to begin small and to reproduce much.

V. THE PROBLEM OF THE SOILS
▪As the sower sowed his seed, it fell upon four distinct kinds of soils. We should mention that each of the soils was good soil, but the condition the soil was in when the seed landed upon it determined its potential for producing a suitable harvest.

▪A look at the four types of soils mentioned here by Jesus is very revealing when it comes to understanding the human heart and why people respond to the Gospel as they do.

One of these soils is going to paint a perfect picture of your heart. See if you can identify what kind of soil you are as we look into these verses today.

a. The Hard Soil – v. 4, 19 – The “wayside” refers to the narrow footpaths that ran beside and through the fields. These were the roads of the day and the soil on them had become as hard as concrete from the feet of the travelers that had walked upon them. When the seed fell on the footpath, it could not penetrate the soil and it remained there in the open, only to be devoured by the fowls of the air.

We are told that this speaks of the person who hears the Gospel, but who doesn’t “understand it”. This person has a heart that is not prepared for a work of grace leading to salvation.

b. The Stony Soil – v. 5-6; 20-21 – These stony places are common in Palestine. Often there will be an outcropping of limestone rock covered by a thin layer of topsoil. This soil looks like it is ready to be sown. This ground looks good and productive and seed cast here will germinate and quickly spring up into a promising plant. But, because there is no depth of soil, as soon as the sun beats down on the tender plant, it withers and dies without producing any fruit.

This kind of soil speaks of that heart that makes an emotional response to the presentation of the Gospel. Whatever their motive, they make a profession, but it is a shallow one at best.

c. The Thorny Soil – v. 7; 22 – This soil looks like it is ready to be sown also, but underneath the surface are the living roots and seeds of thorns and weeds. When the seed falls here, it also quickly springs to life and gives every indication that a good harvest will follow. However, the same ground begins to produce the thorns and weeds that were already there and they soon choke out the tender plant. This plant withers and dies without producing any fruit at all.

This is a picture of a heart that tries to have the benefit of the Gospel while still clinging to the thorns of sin.

d. The Good Soil – v. 8; 23 – Finally, some seed fell onto good ground. This ground had been worked and prepared. It had been plowed and tilled and it was ready to receive the seed when it came. The seed germinated within the heart of the soil and the plant began to grow. When the plant reached maturity, it began to produce fruit that brought honor and gain to the farmer.

This a picture of the heart that has been plowed deeply by the Word of God.

Please notice that the only difference between these soils was fruit. On the hard soil, the seed did not penetrate, but it disappeared, being removed by the fowls. In the other three, the seed disappeared within the ground. In the last three soils, a plant resulted, but only the good soil brought forth a harvest!

REFLECTION
What kind of soil are you today? Has the Gospel message found a lodging place within your heart and life? Are you bearing fruit to the glory of God as you should?

CONCLUSION
Did you know that there will never be a harvest unless the seed is actually sown into the ground? The farmer can have the most fertile soil, the best of seeds and the best intentions, but if he never actually gets out into the field and sows the seed, no crop will ever be produced!

Have you had a glimpse of your heart today? What kind soil are you? ENJOY THE SERVICE. Stay BLESSED

PREPARED BY
VERY REV DR. SAMUEL DUA DODD
CALVARY METHODIST CHURCH
ADABRAKA, ACCRA