Today we continue our new series entitled, “Expecting the Word to Work!” This is part 11.
We have been looking at the Parable of the Sower. Let’s get back to it again 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)
In our last message we started looking at the rocky ground. These are the people who, as Jesus said, “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.” In Friday’s message I said, “The boundless potential found in the Word of God actually attracts opposition. Satan wants to stop you before you tap into the potential of the Word sown in your heart. So when the Word comes, get ready, because trouble and persecution will come BECAUSE of the Word.” I will ‘pull the string’ on this thought today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- The potential found in the Word of God is boundless and supernatural. God’s Word can change your life forever. So when God’s Word is sown in your heart, the power to produce a harvest is there and it is not reliant on your ability. You don’t make the Word work. God makes the Word work. The power is already in the Word. All God is looking for from you is cooperation. For God to operate fully in your life, He is looking for you to cooperate with Him. The three types of soil that did not allow the Word to produce are representative of the people who hear the Word of God, but they then do things that actually stifle the Word from producing a harvest in their lives. Don’t let this be said of you. If you work the Word, the Word will work in your life.
- God goes out of His way to sow His Word into your heart, because He knows that His Word contains His power to perform IN you and to then produce THROUGH you. Never underestimate the power contained in the Word of God.
- One Word from God can turn any seemingly hopeless situation around. Your ability to experience God’s best is connected to your ability to receive Word (instruction and power) from Him.
- Satan knows the supernatural power contained in God’s Word. So when God’s Word is sown in your heart, the Bible says he comes immediately to attempt to snatch it away. The supernatural potential contained in the Word of God actually attracts opposition from satan.
- In general, when satan comes after you he is not actually concerned with you, per se. He is attacking the purpose God placed IN you. Satan wants to frustrate you before you maximize your purpose and potential in the earth. He doesn’t care if you go to church on Sunday or sing songs throughout the week. What scares him is when you actually attempt to allow God to change the world through you. When satan sees that God is actually operating in your life, because you are cooperating with Him, he will attack you in hopes to frustrate you to the point that you give up. Satan knows that he cannot stop God. He also knows that he cannot stop the power contained in the Word of God. This is why he attempts to get YOU to quit. If you get frustrated and you GIVE UP, satan did not stop you, YOU STOPPED YOU!
- God will not operate in your life if you refuse to cooperate with Him. God will not force you to be blessed. So the text says that trouble and persecution come to attempt to get YOU to GIVE UP. If you do, satan did not stop you, God did not stop you, YOU STOPPED YOURSELF by giving upon the Word before it produced a harvest in your life. This is the picture of the rocky ground in this parable.
- Jesus taught us to grow by receiving and responding to God’s Word. Jesus put a premium on hearing from God and living by every Word you can see, hear and understand. If you live this way, the Word of God will produce in your life and you will come to the realization that the only way you can lose is if you quit.
We will discuss this further tomorrow.
Closing Confession:
Father, this is a season of expectation for me. My expectation is tied to Your Word. I meditate and medicate on Your Word day and night. I allow Your Word to produce in my life. I cooperate with You, so You can fully operate IN me and THROUGH me. I keep my eyes, my heart, and my mind fixed and focused on You. I refuse to give up, cave in, or quit. I will remain focused every day of my life, and as I do, You are able to change the world through me! As You are working through me I am unstoppable! When You are flowing through me, stopping me would mean stopping You and You cannot be stopped! The only way I can lose is if I quit… and there is NO QUIT IN ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
