Good morning, our book. One more time. Good morning, our book. Great.
This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Amen? A young little boy asked his father, whenever a preacher comes to preach, he normally takes his watch and put it on the pulpit.
What does it mean? A father replied to him. It doesn't mean nothing. They always wanted to speak or finish on time, but it never happens.
Great to see all of you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Whether you are sad, happy or somewhere in between, I think you are in the right place. Thanks for being here. Those who don't know me, my name is Lord in Jacob and I am part of this notebook by the Chappell family.
I thank God for this opportunity to be here this morning and also I am thankful to the notebook by the Chappell family for asking me to share the word of God this morning. May this time of worship be a time of blessing and transformation for each and every one of us. Let us pray. Father, we thank you for bringing us together to hear your word.
As we are going to look at the God's kingdom, open our hearts and minds so that we can understand your word and help us to glorify your name. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. By the grace of God, I had an opportunity to teach at different universities in India, in Ethiopia, in Ireland and in Canada.
One thing I found common in all students internationally. Whenever I ask my students, do you prefer open book exam or closed book exam, they always say open book. That's pretty common. It's not always easy, but that's what my students say told me.
You know, whenever my teacher asked any questions, I'm talking about my high school. Whenever I don't know the answer, I put my head down thinking that the teacher will show some grace and he will not ask any questions. It didn't work out. So what I did, I changed my strategy.
Whenever my teacher asked me a question, I straight away see on his face. That also didn't work. I'm always one of the victims in my class. The title of my message is from seed to harvest, growing in God's kingdom.
I'm going to read Mark 4. Please listen carefully. So it's going to be an open book exam for you. I'm going to read and then I have a few questions and I hope you will answer all those questions before I start explaining it.
Well, Mark 4 verses 1-20. And again, he began to teach by the sea and the great multitude was gathered to him so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. Then he taught them many things by parables and said to them in his teaching. Listen, behold, a sower went to sow and it happened as he sawed that some of the seed fell by the wayside and the birds of the earth came and devoted it.
Some fell on the stony ground where it did not have much earth and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. And when the sun was up, it was scorched and because it had no root, it beowed away. And some seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it and yielded no crop. There was eight, but other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced most 34, some 60 and some 100.
And he said to them, he who has years to hear, let him hear. Verse 10, but when he was alone, those around him with the twirl asked him about the parable and he said to them, to you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to those who are outside, all things come in parables so that seeing they may see and not perceive and hearing they may hear and not understand. Lest they should turn and the sins be forgiven to them.
Verse 13, and he said to them, do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables? The sower says the word and these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.
These likewise are the ones on Stony Ground who when they hear the word immediately receive it with gladness and they have no root in themselves. And so, gend to your only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises from the word sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns.
They are the ones who hear the word and the curse of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things entering in choke the word and it became unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground. Those who hear the word accept it and bear fruit some thirty fold some sixty and some hundred fold. So before I start asking the questions, I'm just going to explain what is a parable.
When we talk about parable, parable is a simple story using concrete imagery to make a single point. In the case of Jesus parables, a single point about the Kingdom of God. Jesus used parable to reveal spiritual truth in a practical way. In other words, parable is a story about earthly things that reveals a heavenly message.
Jesus is using these earthly things to reveal something about the Kingdom of God. Jesus is saying this is what the Kingdom of God is like. So let's move on to the questions now. Who is the sower?
Great answer as any other? Great sower. Word? The seed is the word.
The seed is the word. Yes, yes, yes. Sower, as if everyone, you know, we all sowers, you know, those who preach the word of God, those who tell about the Christ love to others, they're all sowers. Let's go to the next question.
What does the seed represent in the parable of the sower? Word of God? Yes, amen. Word of God.
That's the word of God. That's the seed. Let's move on to the next question. What does the soil represent in the parable of the sower?
Great answer. Soil is the heart of the hearer. Great. Let's move on to the next question.
How many types of soil are described in the parable of the sower? I heard six. That's a great answer. Any other?
Three. All right. Four. And in some account it says six means three good soil and three bad soil.
But I believe it's four. So I'm going to explain about the four soils. All right. What does the field represent?
The world. Excellent. The last question. Who does the word represent in the parable of the sower?
Satan. You all post in the exam. Congratulations. All right.
Before I talk about the parable, I would like to talk about few words about this man. His name is Dr. Sam Hickenbotham. You know, I studied and worked the institution for probably like approximately for 15 years.
So Hickenbotham, he was a former teacher and a servant of God. His story will help us to understand the parable better. He can both of us born in Manchester in 1894 at the age of 20. He migrated to United States.
And he went to Mount Herman School in Massachusetts. Then he attended Princeton University and received his degree in 1903. He had a strong interest in the Christian gospel. And he wanted to become a preacher or missionary in China or Latin America or in Africa.
So finally he decided to come to India. At the age of 29 he came to India and taught economics and biology of Alhabad Christian College. From 1903 to 1909 during this period when he taught biology and economics, he saw the surrounding lands of the area. He noticed that many of the farmers, they were under poverty, they were living under poverty.
And he noticed that the soil surrounding areas was not fertile. So he decided he wanted to help those farmers, but he don't know about agriculture. Then he went back to United States and studied agricultural course from Ohio State University. And he returned back to India and he then started helping to the farmers around that area.
So one other thing is the field if you can see, we call it an Usov land. That means even though it's a fertile land because the farmers, they don't know how to plow those land. If you are not plowing the land properly and pulverize the soil and you cannot be able to get good food or good produce from that one. So the vision and the mission of not a singing bottom, it was deeply touched me.
His vision, sorry, his vision is gospel and plow. So which means the gospel of Jesus Christ preached with power for the improvement in the quality of life of all human beings living on earth. The plow that indicates the technology aspect, this is a mold or plow. So when they move to India, they develop a lot of new implements and they have given those things to the farmers so that they can be able to put it on the field, they can calculate the land and they can produce more goods into that.
So the main thing by showing how faith and forming could go together to help people not just with the crops, but also with the spiritual lives. So he continued his mission in India for 40 years. He helped the farmers, his wife helped the lepers over there with the mission with the gospel and plow. And later he moved after his retirement to Florida and he went to be the Lord in 1958.
Today is India is one of the top producers in the world of agriculture. But the spiritual seeds that sown by missionaries are still growing in darkness. It is growing, everything starts as a seed, I believe it will sprout one day. Let's move on to the next one.
When we look at this parable, approximately 40 parables we can find in the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mort and Luke. It was recorded in three of the four biblical gospels. So this is one of the most important parables and also to understand the kingdom of God. So I would like to give you a little bit of a picture where this was happened so that you will get a good idea of understanding about this parable.
Where you can see, this is a sea of Galilee. And people call is also leprechorias of the lake of Kenorat. And also the Bible scholar says that it might have happened very close to the Sowasco is somewhere around to this place. So most of its water that arise through the Jordan River that flows from Lebanon in the north to Israel and Jordan in the south.
So this is Lake Tiberias and Lake Kenorat, this part and lies within the Jordan Rift Valley. So most of the surrounding areas are filled with limestone. So this is the situation over that area. Jesus said the parable at the Sea of Galilee and near the fishing town of Capernaum.
Jesus used the boat as a platform to address the large cloud that had gathered on the shore. This was kind of a natural amputator like sitting. So it's a natural cove with surrounding acoustics. This helps for the people to hear the voice better.
So this is the one I was talking about the Sowasco. Let's move on to the parable now. So I'm going to focus on three important things. The three components we need to understand.
That's the sower, feed and the soil. These are the three things we need to understand from this. Jesus is telling us here the issue is not the sower. And the issue is not the seed.
The issue is the soil. The issue is the heart. It is all about the conditions of a sinful heart. And it responses to the truth of the gospel.
In that sense, it is a great encouragement against the disappointment of evangelism. Bible says we can plant seeds, but only God can prepare the soil of the heart through the Holy Spirit. This is a key truth. No one comes to me unless the Father draws him.
When God prepares the soil, the harvest will continue endlessly. The Bible often uses the metaphor of soil to represent the human heart. Just as the quality of soil determines its ability to support the plant life, the condition of the heart determines its openness to spiritual truth and the word of God. And when we are talking about the soil here, what does it refers to?
You already answered it. Matthew chapter 13 was 19 tells the soil is the heart. Let us look at the four types of soil. The first one is the pot-based soil.
That is the hot and hot. The second one is the stony soil. The shallow heart. The third is the thony soil.
The divided heart. The fourth one is the fertile soil. The hornest and humble heart. The pot-based soil that refers to the hot and hot.
Verse 15 says, and these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. In the ancient times in Palestine, the popular method of sowing was broadcasting. Formals, they load the seeds in the leather pouch.
They put it on the shoulders and they will start to cross the seeds. If you step into the agricultural field or even in your home to the lawn, you normally notice a wayside where people normally works most of the time. Or the animals most of the times, the soil becomes very hot and hot. The water cannot be able to infiltrate into the soil because of the hardness.
It is called an uncultubated land or it is a beaten path. Here we see the former sow the seeds, some of the seeds that fell on the pathway. And that is the hot soil because it is a footpath and seed cannot be able to penetrate. There is no moisture content.
You know, one other thing you might have noticed when the farmers when they broadcast the soil, the birds also follow the former or the sower because the birds wants to take it immediately, whatever the former or the sower are sowing. Such type of soil are compared to the people they do not want to hear the word of God. They are just hot-hearted like the wayside soil or the pathway soil. The condition of the human heart, the heart of a man or a woman.
In the case of the parable, Jesus is talking about the leaders of Israel in those times, the Pharisees, they are hot-hearted people. We may think that the religious people, they are soft-hearted people, but it is not true. The religious people, they are hot-hearted people. They were impeletrable, unbelieving, Christ-widgeting people.
When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. Those words says, birds of the earth came and devoted. Here the birds are pictured a Satan. They come and snatched away.
They may hear the gospel again and again, but the word of God never penetrates into their hearts. That life is like a wayside soil or a pot-based soil. One thing we need to know is my dear brothers and sisters, whether sometimes we may miss Sunday morning services. One person, he and his team never missus the Sunday morning service.
Who is that person? Jesus, of course. That is one more Satan. Wherever the words of God, whatever the preacher preaching the word of God, whatever there is a strong message, he is not worried about the people that are shallow message.
Wherever he knows that, okay, this particular place, they are teaching the real word of God. He wants to send the strong team to that place because he is very careful to snatch whatever we are listening. So we need to be careful, my dear brothers and sisters. Jesus compared the soil to people who have hard hearts.
They do not understand the kingdom of God because they have become in situ to his works. So talking to them about the spiritual things is like talking to a stone or it's like talking to a brick. It always goes from one year and it goes to the other year. Three men, a doctor, a lawyer and a preacher, they all went for hunting.
I am sure some of you interested in hunting too. So the day came, they went for a deer hunting. So they finally found a deer and they shot the deer. Pretty much everyone shot the deer at the same time.
So they wanted to know whose bullet that killed the deer. They could be able to find it out. So they called the wildlife officer to make sure that to find out who killed the deer. So the wildlife officer said no worries, let me go and take a look.
So he went and took a look and then he came back and he said the preacher's bullet killed the deer. Then they were surprised how come it is possible. Then the wildlife officer said the bullet went from one side of the deer's ear and it came out to the other side of the deer's ear. Alright, it is true.
We all having the privilege of listening the God's word. But the question is how much is going in. We hear the word but we forget it so quickly. We are all living in a world with many commitments.
We have a tight work schedule. We have family responsibilities. Some of you sitting here and thinking how long the brother will take to finish. My wife already told don't go more than 1230.
So we all have list of things to do. We are all easily distracted by the worldly matters. Whenever we hear the word, Satan comes immediately and takes the word that was shown in our heart. What causes this problem?
Well, some people allow their hearts to be hardened by bitter disappointments. Or by press that was not answered for them. In Hebrews 315 it says today if you hear God's voice do not hoten your heart as you did in the rebellion. Let me go to the next one.
The stony soil. The stony soil refers to the shallow heart. Or it's a superficial heart. The second soil Jesus talked about was a soil that was shallow.
Verse 16 and 17 says, these likewise are the one soul on the stony ground who when they hear the word immediately receive it with gladness and they have no roots in themselves and so enter only for a time. The first word when tribulation or persecution arises for the word say immediately they stumble. Some of you I know you lived in Newfoundland. In Newfoundland wherever you go it all rocks.
Even in Israel I never been there but I read that it's everywhere it's rocks. There is a thin layer of soil on the top then underneath of the bedrock is all limestone. It's a rock base. The seeds could not be able to sprout underneath of it.
Because it's having a top soil normally for any good drop if the top soil is good the plant can be able to grow. But if the root wants to penetrate deeper because of the hard rock it cannot penetrate inside. So that was a shallow soil. So the plants would grow deeper it cannot find able to penetrate and it will hit the rock.
So it cannot be able to make a strong root when the plants are growing. The shallow soil over stony ground symbolizes people with shallow heart. Most of the people are attracted to the joy and excitement of the church where much is happening other than the word of God. People sing song hallelujah.
Amen, praise the Lord, everything but only for a short time. These people who receives the word with joy but have no deep roots. This picture is so clear. Here is the person who has shallow faith.
There is no root in this kind of faith when they challenge in their faith. When they are hot shifts getting their life they will say that I'm not going to believe anymore. They say it doesn't make sense to me. External pressures, troubles, trials, persecution.
If the expectation are infilled soon bring that person back to reality. For good growth we need to have a good root system. When it comes to spiritual growth shallow soil just won't do. We need deeper roots.
The third one the thorn in soil that refers to the divided heart. This is the most dangerous category. This is the most dangerous category of the soil type. So called Christians.
Nominal Christians. Immature Christians. Shallow believers fall under this type of soil. What 18 says, now these are the ones so among thorns.
They are the ones who hear the word and the cares of this world. The deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things entering in chokes the word and it becomes unfruitful. Here there is no problem in the depth. The soil is a good soil.
Nothing wrong with the plant. Nothing wrong with the roots. Healthy plant. Healthy seed.
This is a person who attends the church regularly. Well- what is your better in church activities? Help his fellow brothers and sisters. Very humble personality.
He is the man who meditates the word of God. He pays attention on Christian missions. He is a good brother. She is a good sister.
But the thorns come up and the wheat comes up like dandelion and compete with their seeds. Compete with the plant. It takes out all the nutrients. Light and water.
Everything. I had a big research field during my studies. Myself and my boss goes every day. If he sees one single wheat he will shout at me and he will say no.
You had to take it out. And he says, if you don't take it out, all the nutrients you are putting in that seed. In that plant the wheat will take it away. Verse 18, these are the ones so among thorns.
They are the ones who hear the word but unfortunately the thorns are caught up with the cares of this world. Riches and pressures of this life many today appear to receive the word. But when they allow money and possessions to rule their lives the word becomes choked. At chapter 5 we see the story of Ananias and Safira where Thorne ground here.
This is a picture of those who grow well in the beginning but the task of this world and the desires of other things entering in and choke the word. And it becomes unfrobed full. He is said and could not be able to steal the word of God immediately. But in due course of time he crushed the seed by diverting our attention to the worldly pleasures.
Jesus is saying that unless the word takes roots never lives the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of the riches and the desires of other things will choke us. Because we want Jesus plus other things. We always want Jesus plus other things. That's not the gospel.
There are so many believers, preachers with many categories of people choked by the deceitfulness of riches. Jesus said you can't serve God and money but devil says you can serve God and money. That's the saying in this world money can do everything but my dear brothers and sisters God can do everything. No one can serve two masters.
For either he will hate the one and love the other or he will do it to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Matthew chapter 6 was 24. Unfortunately most of the people in this world are blindfolded and comes under in this category.
Satan is hiding the truth from the people. We know in March chapter 10 Jesus meets a rich young man. The young man claims he has kept all the commandments since he was a boy. He asked Jesus what more he needs to do to inherit the eternal life.
Jesus tells him to sell everything and give the money to the poor. The young man lives feeling sad because he has a lot of possessions. The last one the fertile soil. This refers to the harnessed and humble heart.
But these are the ones so not good ground. Those who hear the word accepted and bear fruit some thirty four from sixty and some a hundred four. Fett oil soil is rich in organic nutrients. It's having all micro nutrients, macronutrients, all kinds of nutrients.
The soil represents the people who hear the word accepted and produces good results. Unlike other soil types the soil allows the seed to grow deeper and the roots get stronger. Meaning those people truly accept the word they don't fall away when facing persecutions or troubles. That doesn't mean that we don't have any worries.
This are of wealth or enjoyment or pleasures. It means Jesus is important than all of these and they sum it everything to him. This is what the true Christianity is like. Those who hear the word accepted and bear fruit some thirty four some sixty and some a hundred.
My dear brothers and sisters please do listen carefully to be a fertile soil or have a harnessed or humble heart. It is possible only by the grace of God. We are completely incapable of doing the good we ought to do. The only way our hearts can respond to the world like the good soil or fertile soil if our divine former who cultivate our hearts.
He saves us not as a result of our work but according to his grace and mercy. He died on the cross for your sin and my sin so that we can bear fruit. Four different responses. These are four different responses to the word being preached.
Some hearts are hardened. Some hearts are shallow. Some hearts are divided. Some hearts are receptive.
The question you need to ask yourself what kind of heart you have. What kind of soil are you? Are you like the wayside soil or the pot-based soil? Are you like the stone soil or are you like the thorny soil or you like the fertile soil?
If you find yourself this morning responding like the first three soils then I encourage you to then I encourage you my dear brothers and sisters. Ask God to prepare your heart to receive his word. Only God himself can plow and prepare a heart to receive the word. First Corinthians 2 verse 10 says for those who believe he awakens them spiritually enlightened the minds to the truth.
He say K36-25 says he washes from them clean he removes the thorny heart and gives them a new heart. When we ask God to prepare our hearts the process might be painful. When God removes and wanted things in our life. For example drug addiction, illegal relationship, lust, pride, idoloship, selfishness, anchor, hatred, false belief, false doctrines that might hurt.
Second source all evil things in our life but when the God when the God's word takes the root in our life then we experience the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Today people are confused they do not know what to do many people hearing many people they are heading towards the wrong direction. On the other day I was talking to my friend he told me that early next year I will be going to Vatican.
I asked what for he said there is a holy door over there that opens once in 25 years. I want to see millions of people go there. The last time they opened in the year 2000 and the next time will be in 2025. It is also called the door of Great Pardon.
On the first day of the holy year both strikes the brick wall with a silver hammer and opens it to pilgrims. Many people walk in that door they think that their sins will be forgiven. I asked my friend do you believe in that? He said no he said I won't believe then we are going then he said there are many people going so I am going to.
Second Corinthians chapter 4 was for the God of this age has blinded the minds of the people. So that they cannot see the light of the gospel and display the glory of Christ who is the image of God. Bible clearly says John chapter 10 verse says I am the door. If anyone enters by me he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
In John 14 6 Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through me. We are living in the period of grace. We cannot decide now what type of soil we should have in our life. It is very important for us to find out.
We never know how long this opportunity will be given to us. There are David McDonald he delivered a message on the great flood. That message touched me a lot you know in that arc rather said that the Bible was it is written God shut the door. Once God shut the door no one can able to enter it.
Now we are living in a period of grace. Now we have opportunity we have chances everything but one day we will come God will shut the door then we cannot able to move in. I would like to finish with an illustration that is written in the silver chair novel by C.S. Lewis.
A girl named Jill is wondering in Narnia. This is a novel and just trying to explain it. Narnia is an imaginary you know land of magic people. Jill is extremely thirsty and about to die of thirst.
Finally she finds a stream however a large scary lion in that character is as long as blocking her path to the stream. Jill is terrified and free to see fear. The lion tells her go and drink but Jill is scared. She asked the lion please promise you will not hurt me.
The lion refuses and wants she will die if she doesn't drink. Jill takes a step closer again because she is very thirsty. Then Jill said I must find another stream. Then the lion said there is no other stream.
The only way Jill can reach to the stream by completely surrender and trusting the lion. What does it mean? No contribution from other end. Our salvation is not based on our efforts or merits but solely on God's grace.
Titus 3-5 says he saved us not because of righteous things we have done but because of his mercy. And many of us like Jill are terrified to do so for fear of what the lion might do. In other words many people like Jill are afraid to free summit ourselves. We always want to keep something in our hand so that we can control it.
But we know something we know that something Jill doesn't know. On that night Jesus was arrested. He prayed to God in the garden of Gethsemane. Father if you are willing take this cup from me.
The cup Jesus ruffles to the cup of God's anchor towards the sins of the world. Even though he is asked to avoid Jesus entered his prayer with not mind will yours be done. This means no matter what Jesus was willing to follow God's plan and summit to his will. Earlier in that night Jesus said the hour has come for the son of man to be glorified.
Truly truly I say to you unless the grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone. But if it dies it bears fruit. What is Jesus talking about here? Whenever Jesus talks about the hour.
In his early ministry he is talking about going to the cross. Jesus is saying I am the seed that falls from the ground and by my dying there will be life. What is the fruit that he is talking about? He is talking about you and me at the cross Jesus faced God's wrath to save us from the judgment of our sin as we could be set free.
In Narnia, the Azulan takes the place of the traitor and dies on the stone table transforming the traitor into a king of Narnia. When we look at the cross, when we look at what he has done for you and me, then what we are waiting for? Are we ready to summit him completely? Or do you think you need to stay time or need to have some control with you?
2 Corinthians 521, God made him who made no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus was crushed by free summiting himself to the Father. He was pierced for our transgressions so that when you and I summit to him we find fullness of life. I would like to finish in too many maybe the last slide about the Great Commission.
This parable is a reminder of a Great Commission. The Great Commission includes all of us. Matthew 828 was 18 to 20. All authority has given to me in heaven on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. Batizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Tish them to observe all things that I have commanded to you and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age. Jesus wants to return to this world and put an end to this world of sin.
But that cannot happen until the Gospel goes to all the world. That's why the Great Commission is so important. Last week when I talked to Brother Inchram, he mentioned we have distributed thousands more than thousands of tracks to the people. I praise God for that.
Every Friday evening our brothers and sisters, our brothers, John, and others too, sharing the love of God. To many people those who are coming to our city. Some they are visiting, some they are coming and settling down. It's a great opportunity to share the Word of God.
They are all sharing. They are sowing the seeds. It is our responsibility to sow the seeds. The seeds will grow in dark.
We can't see it, but it is growing. 1 Corinthians chapter 3, I planted the seed in your hearts and Appellos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. So we should not get discouraged. When we sow the seeds, I encourage all of you sitting here to share the love of God to everyone.
May God bless his word, shall we pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. We have a heart and heart. We have a shallow heart.
We have a heavily distracted heart or a divided heart. Plow and prepare our hearts so that the seed can penetrate deep into our hearts, so that we can produce some 40, 60 and 100 fold. Give us the heart to proclaim your word to everyone who never experienced your love in the life. In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.