This morning we continue our series entitled, “Refined Focus”. Yesterday I introduced you to what I call, “The Mother of All Parables”. Let’s get back to it today. Jesus said:
“The farmer is like someone who plants God’s teaching in people. Sometimes the teaching falls on the path. That is like some people who hear the teaching of God. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them.
Other people are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching, and they quickly and gladly accept it. But they don’t allow it to go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.
Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.
And others are like the seed planted on the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce a good crop—sometimes 30 times more, sometimes 60 times more, and sometimes 100 times more.” (Mark 4:13-20 ERV)
We will study this parable line-by-line and statement-by-statement. But before we do, I feel led to share a few thoughts I have been meditating on since yesterday. The more I meditate this parable, the more the Father speaks to me about it.
So what does this mean to you today? As we seek to glean a few golden nuggets from this parable for today, I want you to take a moment to picture God as the sower, His Word as the seed, and YOU as the soil. You get to decide which of the four types of soil you are going to be, but before we get started, you must picture yourself as the soil. Okay, let’s get to it.
1. God pursues you.
a) God is the sower, you are the soil, and His Word is the seed. The soil can’t come looking for the sower. The sower comes looking for the soil.
b) God is always pursuing you. He wants to see you prosper. He wants to see you maximize the purpose and potential He placed IN you.
c) Even when you don’t pursue God, He pursues you. He will never give up on you.
2. God is looking to produce results in and from your life.
a) When the sower approaches the soil, He does not come empty handed. The sower comes with seed. The sower provides the seed that will cause the soil to produce a harvest.
b) God loves you so much that He does not just pursue you. When He comes He does not come empty handed. God pursues you and then provides you what you need to produce a harvest. He sows His Word in your heart. It is His Word that will bring forth change and fruit.
c) The soil does not have to make the seed produce. The seed already has the power to produce IN it. All the soil has to do is RECEIVE the seed. Likewise, you don’t have to make the Word of God produce. The power to produce is already in the Word. All you have to do is RECEIVE the Word when it is sown in your heart.
d) God gives you everything you need to produce a life that will change this world. All you have to do is RECEIVE what He is giving you.
3. God will work with whatever you give Him.
a) There are four different types of soil in this parable. This represents four different types of people and differing levels of maturity in each. But regardless of the type or maturity of the soil, the same sower provided the same seed to them all.
b) If you receive a Word you do not understand, in that moment you are like the soil along the path. Satan will come immediately and steal that Word. If you receive the Word with gladness, but then quickly give up as soon as trouble or persecution comes, because of the Word, you are like rocky soil. If you receive the Word with gladness, but then get consumed with the cares and affairs of this world, you are like thorny soil. If you receive the Word and allow it to produce in your life, then you are like the good soil. But notice how the sower treated all the soils the same. See, God is going to work with you at whatever stage you are in life or even that day. You can be good soil today and thorny soil tomorrow, if you lose your focus. Just remember, no matter how you feel, no matter your attitude, no matter your level of focus, God will always seek to sow His Word (His seed) in your heart, so He can produce a harvest through your life.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016. I am ready to produce fruit. I am ready to allow You to produce a divine harvest in, with and through my life. I declare by faith that I am good ground. I gladly receive the Word You sow in my heart. I don’t get stifled by persecution. I don’t get consumed with the cares or affairs of this world. I keep my eyes fixed and focused on You. My life produces fruit and my fruit remains. Not by my power, but only by Your amazing grace. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.0
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
