Good Soil to Grow the Seed

Matt 13:1-9

  

1. Do you remember the sermon that I preached on the last Sunday? If you do, you have a good memory. Then, did you accept the sermon in your heart and did it make any impact on your life? If so, you are truly blessed! On the Pentecost Sunday, I preached the sermon entitled “The Community of the Holy Spirit.” And, on the last Sunday, since it was immediately after the Vision Conference, I preached the sermon entitled “The Body of Christ.” What does it mean to be the Body of Christ? First, it means that the church is the possession of Christ. We are the gift whom God gave to His Son. So, we call Him our Lord and we become His faithful servants. Second, it means that the church is united with Christ. Now, we may not claim our independent life. His life is our life. Third, it means that the church is the acting organs and instruments of Christ. We are given to Him to accomplish the glorious Kingdom project to reunify the world under Christ. Did you accept these words and commit yourself to be the body of Christ?  

2. Therefore, the Kingdom of God does not start somewhere else. It is in your heart. This spiritual Kingdom works and expands when you accept the Word of God into your spirit. The central topic which Jesus had taught on the earth was the Kingdom of God, because He came for this purpose, i.e., to establish this Kingdom and unify the world in this Kingdom under Him. So, from today I am going to preach about the Kingdom of God by focusing on three parables of the Kingdom.

3. All of you heard the same sermon on the last Sunday. And why did some of you simply and totally forget it when you get out of the church, while some of you accept it into you heart and commit or recommit your life to the word? On this matter, Jesus gave the parable of the sower on the shore of Galilee Lake, for this is a very important secret of the Kingdom. The Word of God preached on every Sunday is like a sowing seed. It is the starting point of the Kingdom, and whether it works or not is decisive and crucial for the progress of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God does not grow from outside to in but from inside to out. A proclamation of the Word itself is meaningful, but if it does not work out, if it is not sown well, grow and produce the fruits, there is a church and cultural activities of songs and ceremonies but there is no Kingdom of God. So, Jesus said that “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you.”(Luke 17:20-21) As a church and as the community of Christians, we have to serve this Kingdom. Church and Kingdom could be different in some cases. Sometimes, a busy and active church could have nothing with the Kingdom, when they serve only for themselves. The Kingdom of God starts and works in church when the seed is sown well, grows and produces fruits. If the proclamation of the Word is only ceremonial, then the church and its members simply have no relationship with the Kingdom however big it is or how active it is.

4. In this parable, Jesus said that there are 4 kinds of soil on which the seed of the Word falls. Most of all, the Word is the Word of the Kingdom. Therefore, if church sermon does not teach the Kingdom but the interest of their church or secular wisdom, the seed itself is dead and bad and it will not grow nor produce the fruits of the Kingdom. When the Word of the Kingdom is preached, the seed is good and living. So, now soil makes the difference. If the word of proclamation is not easily forgotten or does not get into your inner heart, you have a serious problem. Listen carefully about this parable of sower and identify your problem, and change your heart to be good soil so that the Kingdom of God grows in your soul and bears fruits.

5. First, there are some people whose mind is like the path. The mind of path is not a receptive mind, for it is too hard to accept the seed softly. He or she opened one’s mind to so many worldly teachings and wisdoms. Many people, popular trends, and worldly wisdoms walked on his or her mind without seriously accepting any of them. So, their minds became so hard to get in and they do not really open to any including God. They are so proud of themselves. They think that they know everything. But they know nothing really. They have much information but no genuine knowledge of truth. Such a mind of path cannot accept the Word. It only falls on the surface of heart and stays there. Therefore, they don’t understand the message really and its value. And, “the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.”(19) That is, “the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.”(Luke 8:12) It is the mind where so many thoughts are crossed and counteract the Word. There is no willingness and submission to receive the Word of God. This kind of mind has no hope, unless they open their heart to the Word of God with differentiation from the words of men and worldly wisdoms.

6. Second, there are some people whose mind is like rocky place. The mind of rocky place is a shallow mind without sincerity or endurance. It is a romantic mind without spiritual depth or sincere commitment. It is emotional and mystical. Because the Word of God is the word of cross and life, not simply that of feeling or ecstasy, it accepts the Word but soon it dries out. As Jesus explained, “The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.”(20-21) The Word of the Kingdom is the word of call to follow the way of cross and serve the Kingdom with suffering and even death. Without such understanding and commitment, it simply cannot survive to grow the root. There is not much moisture to grow and it withers soon. The Word of the Kingdom is not a romantic word. It is not like listening an interesting story of others, but it is a call to be and do so. Our emotion and feeling is important, but when it is not accompanied with sacrificial commitment, it will not last long because difficulties and sufferings will come sooner or later for the Kingdom.

7. Third, there are some people whose mind is like thorny place. The mind of thorny place is a mixed mind without cleaning for the Kingdom. They accept the Word of the Kingdom but they are not willing to throw some worldly wisdoms and sinful desires. Such mind is a wasteland of every worldly ideas and deceptive teachings. They simply add the Word of God as one of them. Its sure result is inner conflict, and they become the scapegoat of the inner war. As Jesus pointed out, “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.”(22) Before we sow a good seed or plant a good plant or beautiful flower, we have to take weeds and thorny plants first. If you sow seed without this cleaning, it cannot survive long. Our Lord gave the warning to us that we cannot serve the two lords, the Kingdom and the world, satisfying our flesh and soul, and enjoying both lives.

8. Finally, there are some people whose mind is like good soil. The mind of good soil is “a noble and good heart.”(Luke 8:15) They accepts the Word as God’s Word direct to them, accepts the life of cross for the Kingdom, and clean their hearts only for the Word of Kingdom. When the seed falls on such a heart, it is sown and grows well, and bears fruits “a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”(8)