PARABLE OF THE SOWER

[Albert Finch]

Matthew 13:3-9 3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 Others fell [a]among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 And others fell on the good soil and *yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.” NASB

Mark 4:3-9 3 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6 And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, [a]let him hear.” NASB

Luke 8:5-8 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 [a]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.” NASB

AS THE LORD EXPLAINED IN THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER, WORDS ARE ALSO SEEDS. SEEDS GROW UP TO BECOME PLANTS THAT BEAR FRUIT.

WHAT IS GROWING FROM OUR WORDS? WHAT WILL THE FRUIT OF OUR WORDS BE LIKE?

IF WE SPEAK OUT BITTERNESS, WE ARE PLANTING BITTER FRUIT IN THE EARTH.
IF OUR WORDS ARE FILLED WITH FAITH, HOPE, OR LOVE, WE ARE PLANTING TREES THAT WILL ONE DAY BEAR THE FRUIT OF FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE IN THE EARTH.

Affirmations:

I REALIZE THAT LIKE SEEDS, WORDS ARE VERY LIKELY TO MULTIPLY.

I CONSIDER EACH DAY THAT MY WORDS WILL BEAR FRUIT.

I DETERMINE THAT I WILL ONLY SOW THAT WHICH BRINGS FORTH THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.

Proverbs 18:21 - "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." - ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

We ought to take heed of the things that will hinder our profiting by the word we hear; to take heed lest we hear carelessly and slightly, lest we entertain prejudices against the word we hear; and to take heed to our spirits after we have heard the word, lest we lose what we have gained. The gifts we have, will be continued to us or not, as we use them for the glory of God, and the good of our brethren. Nor is it enough not to hold the truth in unrighteousness; we should desire to hold forth the word of life, and to shine, giving light to all around. Great encouragement is given to those who prove themselves, faithful hearers of the word, by being doers of the work. Christ owns them as his relations. - Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

And, as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; on the road, which was by the side of the field, in which people commonly walked, and so was beaten hard, and the seed lay upon it, and was not received; which designs such hearers of the word, as are not susceptive of it, do not take it in, and have no manner of understanding of it. And it was trodden down; by every one that passed by, as the Gospel preached to such hardened and ignorant hearers, is despised and trampled under foot by them. And the fowls of the air devoured it; who generally flock about places where seed is sowing; and here intend the devil and his angels, that have their dwelling in the air; and frequent places of public worship to hinder the usefulness of the ministry of the word, as much as in them lies. - Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible