Luke 8 The Parable of the Sower

John 6:29 (NASB95) — 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

What can I learn about being receptive?

Galatians 5:22–23 (NASB95) — 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Patiently persevering

bearing fruit over the course

of your life

• What kind of soil you are

is entirely up to you and

under your control

• The type and amount

of fruit you bear is

up to God (He sows the seed)

Luke 8

Parable of the soils

Context

• Luke Chapter 7

• What is faith?

• Three examples

• Centurion

Getting in the wheel barrow

• Sinful Woman

• Simon the Pharisee

Parable - a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.

Luke 8:4–15 (NASB95)

• Luke 5 (Wine and Wineskins)

• Luke 6 (Log and the speck)

4 When a large crowd was coming together, and those from

the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of

a parable: 5 “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed,

some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the

birds of the air ate it up. 6 “Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as

soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

7 “Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with

it and choked it out. 8 “Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew

up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great.” As He said these

things, He would call out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

9 His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant.

10 And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries

of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that

SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY

NOT UNDERSTAND.

Why parables?

• They are more entertaining

• They engage the imagination

• They invoke known images and situations

• They are dynamic

• They require rumination

The Point?

The listeners are divided into two groups

• Those to whom the mysteries of God are revealed

• Those who perceive but do not comprehend God's

truth because of their unwillingness to value it

Elements of the parable

Seed = God's word

Birds of the air= God's enemy

Four soils=Four responses

Not the right question

On the path-

The word heard but not believed

• The word has no chance

• It is not valued (trampled underfoot)

11 “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of

God. 12 “Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the

devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they

will not believe and be saved. 13 “Those on the rocky soil are those

who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no

firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.

14 “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have

heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and

riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 “But

the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word

in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with

perseverance.

• God's enemy snatches it away

Barriers

• Negative presuppositions

• Unteachable arrogance

Beside the road=Those who have heard but not believed and been saved

• Unwilling to examine

• Resulting in "not being saved"

• Is Jesus' point to communicate the minimum response required to be saved?

• Not responding

• Temptation

Rocky soil-

Those who hear, receive w/joy and fall away

• The word can sink in but there are obstructions

• Respond

• Choked out

Rocky soil=Those who hear, receive with joy, and fall away in temptation

• Sin habits inhibit long term growth

• Temporary change

• It is to emphasize how our receptiveness to the word is directly related to the fruit we will bear!

• With out the obstructions being removed the word cannot flourish

{

How to apply this?

• Resulting in falling away into temptation

• 1) Ask the right questions

Among the thorns=Those who hear, and are choked

with worries, riches and pleasures

Among the thorns-

Those who hear, are choked with worries, riches, pleasures

• The word has strong competition

• Hear and respond

• Fail to prioritize

• Distracted by the world system

• The tyranny of the urgent

• Someday I'll get to this

The goal

• Put comfort before truth

Good soil=The ones who hear, hold fast, and bear fruit with perseverance

• Patient

Good soil-

Hear, Hold fast, bear fruit with perseverance

1 Cor. 12:4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same

Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service,

but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working,

but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at

work.7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is

given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through

the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of

knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith

by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one

Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy,

to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking

in different kinds of tongues,and to still another the

interpretation of tongues.11 All these are the work of one

and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just

he determines.

• The word sinks deep and flourishes

• Hear and respond

• Receptive

• Don't quit when trouble/temptation comes

• Persevere

• Resulting in fruit

• Perseverant

• Fruit bearing

How do I know if I'm good soil?

• Good soil bears fruit