This morning, we continue our series on “The Parables of Jesus.” We will seek to glean “Pearls from the Parables.”
Before we get to the parable, let’s look at a scripture we have been looking at all year. This is something I believe the Lord wants us to meditate on.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us.
We have been looking at “The Mother of All Parables.” Let’s get back to it today. Jesus said:
(Mark 4:13-20 ERV)
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.
After almost 10 weeks of teaching this parable, we wrap it up today. This will be the final message about the Parable of the Sower.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. The grace of God does not exonerate you from your personal responsibility in your walk with Christ.
— If you have read or listened to me for any length of time, you know about God’s grace. My mantra is “The Grace Life!” God’s grace empowers us to do what we could never do without God.
— Not only is God’s grace amazing, but it is also FREE! God’s grace is unmerited, unearned, and, most times, undeserved. Thank God for grace!
— When you read the parable of the sower, you see how the soil did nothing to earn or deserve the seed. The sower (God) freely provided seed (His Word) to each type of soil. The sower initiated the contact, He sought out the soil, and He provided the seed. This is a picture of how God pursues us through His amazing and unearned grace.
— The grace of God provided the seed, but the grace of God did not dictate the results. The condition of the soil dictated the results. This is a critical point. The grace of God is made available to all men, but we still have a role in how we respond to God’s grace. The results we experience will be contingent on how we respond.
— God does all He does by grace. However, as His children on this planet, we are NOT called to live by grace. The Bible is clear that we are called and commanded to walk and live by faith. God’s part is grace. Our part is faith. Our faith must respond to God’s grace, no matter how impossible the call of grace is. Faith sees the invisible. Faith believes the impossible. This is how our faith taps into God’s grace, and we experience God’s best. The supernatural becomes natural when we live a life of faith.
— Instead of allowing jealousy to get a hold of your heart when you see God bless others in a way you desire to be blessed, take self-inventory and consider your ways. Paul taught us that we must check our own hearts to see whether or not we are in the faith (2 Cor 13:5). In most cases, if those who are coveting others are honest, they have to acknowledge that they have not appropriated God’s grace in a way that would yield the results they claim they are looking for. So instead of blaming God, take responsibility for not cooperating with Him to the level where He can fully operate in your life.
— The soil’s condition dictates the results. This highlights our responsibility to respond to God’s grace.
Say this: “God provides the grace — which is free, unmerited, and undeserved. I provide the faith. My faith taps into God’s grace. Living this way, I can do all things through Christ who empowers me to do what I could never do without God!“
2. Please don’t waste God’s grace!
— God provides the grace (which comes unearned and undeserved), but you must provide the faith. Your faith taps into God’s grace. If you don’t provide faith, God’s grace will be available, but it won’t work in your life; and it won’t be God’s fault.
— The sower provided the seed, but the soil had to provide the conditions for the seed to cause growth. God is the sower, His Word is the seed, but your heart is the soil. God is doing His part. Are you doing yours?
— In the parable of the fig tree that I shared with you yesterday (from Luke 13:6-9), the owner of the land (God) came looking for fruit from the tree (you and me). He did not find any. The landowner stated that the tree was “wasting the ground” (Luke 13:7 ERV). It was wasting God’s grace. In three of the four types of soil, you can argue that God’s grace was wasted. God provided the seed, and He put the power to produce IN the seed, but He received ZERO harvests on His investment.
— If you look at the parable of the sower literally and you do the math, it means that God is sowing seed into all people, but 75% of the people are not doing anything with His investment. They are wasting God’s grace. And then, with the 25% that is left, only one-third of those see a 100-fold return. This tells me that even within Christendom, most believers don’t hold on (in faith) long enough to see the fullness of what God promised. They get a 30-fold or 60-fold return, and they settle for less than God’s best.
This reminds me of something Paul said in his second letter to the believers in Corinth. He wrote:
(2 Corinthians 6:1 ERV)
We are workers together with God. So we beg you: Don’t let the grace that you received from God be for nothing.
(2 Corinthians 6:1 NLT)
As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it.
— God wants to “partner” with you to perform His will on this planet. Say this, “God is my partner. I am God’s partner. While He is clearly my God, Lord, and King, I also get to partner with Him, to bring about His will on this planet!“
— You are the conduit through which God manifests heaven on earth. He provides you with His grace so you can do what you could never do without Him. Please don’t waste God’s grace! Don’t let God’s grace towards you be in vain!
— God has given You His Word, which is an incorruptible seed. He has given you His Spirit, who lives inside of you every second of every day (if you are Born-Again). He even breathes afresh on you, with fresh infillings of the Holy Spirit as you walk with Him. He has given you everything you need. He is not expecting you to do the impossible. You can’t. But He can do it through you. He lives in you. He will give you the words, and He will perform the work (John 14:10). But you must believe. He has provided grace. You must now provide faith. If you don’t, God’s grace towards you shall be in vain!
3. A few final thoughts about the Parable of the Sower, God’s grace, and our requirement to live by faith.
— God’s grace initiates our journey, but our response influences the outcome. The Parable of the Sower underscores the soil’s readiness as the key to yielding fruit.
— God’s grace is a free gift, unearned and undeserved. It’s the foundation on which we build our faith journey. There can be no faith where there is no grace.
— Grace and faith are intertwined. God’s grace is freely given, but it requires our faith to activate its transformative power on the earth.
— Grace provides the means (God’s power), and faith activates it. This partnership empowers us to manifest God’s will on earth.
— Faith is the channel through which grace flows. Confidence in God’s grace drives out fear and enables us to conquer challenges.
— God’s grace empowers, but our response matters. Don’t waste the grace by neglecting faith-filled action.
— The Parable teaches us to guard our hearts. Let the soil of your heart be receptive, allowing God’s grace to manifest what only God can do.
— Just as the sower pursues each type of soil, God pursues us with His grace. Embrace this pursuit, yielding your heart to transformation.
— A fruitful life is one that yields to God’s grace. Allow His Word and Spirit to shape your heart, producing a harvest that glorifies Him.
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
Your grace empowers me to accomplish the impossible in my walk with Christ.
Your grace is both amazing and free!
My faith comes in response to Your grace; it’s the channel through which I tap into Your power.
I am determined not to waste Your grace; my faith activates its potential.
Just as the sower provides seed and the soil must respond, Your grace and my faith are intertwined.
In my partnership with You, Father, I am committed to fulfilling Your will on this earth.
I am the conduit through which heaven touches earth, and I won’t let Your grace be in vain.
Through Your Word and Spirit, I possess everything needed to achieve the impossible because I am not the one doing it. You are living through me!
I refuse to settle for less than Your best; I will press on for the fullness of Your promises.
I am not a passive recipient; I actively engage with Your grace through unwavering faith.
Through Your grace and my faith, my life yields much fruit!
Living this way, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
