Today we continue our new series entitled, “Expecting the Word to Work!” This is part 4.
“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 about the concept of the sower seeking out the soil and then taking the time to sow seed into it.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
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. God puts His Word inside of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers and He then sends them out to preach and teach the Word to you in a way you can understand.
b) The Bible says, “So Christ himself gave the Apostles, the Prophets, the Evangelists, the Pastors and Teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:11-13). God gave us the five-fold ministry gifts to equip believers in the Body of Christ for the work of the ministry. What do the five-fold ministry gifts use to equip the people? They use the Word. God sends out anointed men and women of God, equipped with His Word to built up His people, so the church (people) make the impact He wants to make in this world. He loves us enough to send specific people to us, who are anointed to build us up with His Word.
d) 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. That’s why He gives you His Word and He also anoints people to teach you His Word in a way you can understand, apply and LIVE!
d) 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 and then BELIEVE it will produce in your life!
d) Check out this amazing process. God sends anointed people to minister to you. God anoints those people to teach you the Word. God uses those people to sow His Word IN you. The Word sown IN you already has the power to produce a harvest in your life. After God works a work IN you, He then works a work THROUGH you. Said another way, God puts His Word, which is His seed, IN you, and after His seed produces IN you, God turns around and then sows YOU as a seed into this world. God sows you as a seed into your family, your workplace, your business, your church, and your community. He does this so the work He started IN you can overflow to everyone you come in contact with. See, God pursued YOU and He then uses you to pursue OTHERS! That’s love!
Closing Confession:
Father, this is a season of expectation for me. You loved me enough to pursue me, even when I was not pursuing You. Your love tracked me down. Your love won me over. I got saved by Your love and grace. You then sent specific people who were anointed to teach me Your Word. Your Word was sown in my heart as a seed. That seed has produced, and continues to produce harvest in my life. Now that Your Word is working IN me as a seed, You turn around and SOW ME AS A SEED. You sow me into my family, my business, my workplace, my church, and my community. I am a seed that will produce a harvest in every place I am sown. I bloom where I am planted, by Your grace and for Your glory! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
