01/16/11 - Parable of the Sower - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore teaches on "The Parable of the Sower" in this Sunday service.

The Parable of the Sower

Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, January 16, 2011

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:

Luke 8:8-15 “4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: 5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
 9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:
   ‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’
 11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 1The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 2The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 3The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 4And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

Mark 4:11 & 13: “He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders…Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables?”

Luke 8:15 & 18 “And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest…So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”

Jesus is teaching the secret (note secret not secrets) to the Kingdom in the parables.  The key (like a map) is the parable of the sower.  If you don’t get it, you will have misunderstanding concerning Kingdom things.

Big Idea: The seed is the Word.  It is the answer for everything in our lives—represented by the 4 different types of ground (4 types of ground not only represent different type of hearers, they represent different areas in our lives. Each of us have these 4 types of ‘ground’ in us).  Don’t settle for a great harvest only in the areas of your life where the Word works quickly.  It will work in every area of your life, even that well-worn footpath of habits and wrong thinking that seems impenetrable.  The Kingdom, and the Blessed Life, starts with the seed of God’s Word.  Looking for answers in other places, shortcuts and temporary fixes, results in the erosion, and eventual destruction, of what the Word has accomplished in any other area of your life.

*   The secrets of the Kingdom—this parable is the “key” parable.
*   2 types of ears: those that hear and those that don’t
*   Those that have, get more.  Those that don’t have, lose what they have.  (Luke 19:24-26  The faithful servant produced fruit—took what he was given and produced more.  The wicked servant just guarded what he had.  Faith involves risk.  Faithful doesn’t mean you protected what you had.  It means you are fruitful.)
*   The seed is the Word.  Seed is the beginning of life.  Seed must be put in the ground. Seed take patience.  Seed must be protected. (Genesis 8:22 “As long as the earth remains, there will be planting (seedtime) and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”)


1.   Allow the devil, darkness, to steal the Word from your heart.  Doubt and unbelief.  What causes us to doubt? What fills us with “un-belief”? (the word means a belief that has been undone—like a button unbuttoned)  Fear.  Logic.  Worldview. (Luke 1:78-79 “darkness and the shadow of death”  Satan deals in shadows.  1 Peter 5:7-9 “as a roaring lion” an illusion. James 4:7 “submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  Expose the darkness, the shadows, the illusions to light—the Word)

2.   No roots.  Shallow.  Skin-deep.  Not really a belief, more like a wish.  I wish I could lose weight.  I wish I could quit drinking.  I wish I could be a better husband, father, etc.  (Ephesians 3:17 “rooted and grounded in love”—focus should be on falling in love with Christ and the Word instead of “trying not to do the areas where temptation gets you)

3.   Cares, Riches, Pleasures.  Immaturity.  A crowded, complicated life.  No room for the Word.  This is a Lordship issue.  Settle that one and everything else will find its proper place.

4.   Honest, good-hearted.  Infers a lack of honesty with ourselves is a root cause for the other 3 conditions.  Hear it (seek understanding), cling to it (endurance), patiently produce (oven vs microwave.  Not trying it, doing it)

Practical application: let's say the Word is working in someone's relationship, strengthening it and causing it to be rich and satisfying.  But that couple chooses to ignore the word in the area of their finances, due to hard times, increased financial pressure, or simply wrong thinking.  Over time that area will begin to infect the healthy areas of their life and eventually finances will become an issue in their marriage, possibly the reason both would cite as the cause of their divorce.  What they had (healthy, word-based relationship) was lost.  On the other hand, a couple who are struggling in their relationship applies the Word to that area and begins to see improvement.  They begin to treat each other the way the word tells them to and their marriage starts turning around.  They have always struggled financially, but decide to go with the Word in that area too because of what they have seen it do in their relationship.  Over time, their finances stabilize, they move from being consistently behind in payments, to on time, to out of debt.  During that same time, spurred on by the effect of the Word in those areas, they make some changes in their parenting styles and work ethics.  They slowly begin to see a more peaceful atmosphere at home and, over the next few years, gain recognition in the workplace as a quality employee, surviving cutbacks and even getting raises when there were not supposed to be any.  The principle: "those that have, will be given more".


Real Testimonies:

-  Denise Thompson Wham

When Karson was home on hospice dying of cancer, Kenny and I kept standing on by the stripes of Jesus Karson is healed and we would speak it over and over. Although, he didn’t looked heal I still believed every scripture that stated he was. It took patience and renewing our mind several times a day with the Word.  We had to keep the Word in us to drown out the circumstances…

-  Stacey Wright Bowden

I have two different perspectives. The first is how I stood and believed for my Dad to have a relationship with God. His whole life he has had major addictions to drugs and alcohol. Because of his sickness he wasn't there for me growing up...