Sowing the Word of God

Last night I heard a sermon about the parable of the sower.  I have heard this message before in the past but what was different about this message is that it spoke to me personally.  I have always looked at it as just sowing the word of God by witnessing but as I listened last night I realized it was for the Christian as well.  Let me explain.

Jesus said in Matthew 13:3-8, “Behold, a sower went forth to sow;  And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:  Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:  And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:  But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Now the first part talks about how some fell by the way side and the fowls came and devoured it.  This talks about the word is preached but people don’t receive it and it doesn’t help them because they don’t take it in. Now he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word, and anon with joy receiveth it and perhaps he starts to go to church, but he doesn’t read the word of God for himself and then other things start to cloud his mind; such as a job or finances or others stresses and he quits the church.  Or perhaps he goes to church for a while but then he gets offended by someone at the church, or he doesn’t like the preacher, or feels convicted in his sin by the sermon and doesn’t want to turn from his sin, so he quits going.  

The other part talks about he that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.  He might go to church his whole life but he allows things to come into his life that occupy his mind; and so he doesn’t do anything for God: such as witnessing or teaching a Sunday school class or sing in the church.

I believe a majority of Christians fall into this last category.  They allow their jobs or careers or education to interfere with their service for the Lord.  I know a person has to work for a living but it is when we devote all our time and attention on gaining riches and luxuries of this life, that is when we need to reevaluate what we are setting our affections on.  Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”