The Dirt Don't Care!

The David Alliance Garth Heckman [email protected]   In the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8) and the lesser-known Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29), Jesus uses sporos. The Sermon Point: The power is in the seed, not the dirt. The Greek Nuance: In Mark 4:28, Jesus says the earth produces crops "by itself". The Greek word used there is automati, from which we get our word automatic. Application: The farmer’s job is simply to plant and get out of the way. We often exhaust ourselves trying to "produce" spiritual growth, but spiritual transformation is an automatic, organic result of God's Word being allowed to dwell in a healthy heart. Some seed was eaten, some burned up, some choked out, some on good soil. It’s not your job to choose which soil… its your job to plant.  And point 2…  THE DIRT DOESN’T CARE WHAT YOU PLANT.   In the 1960s, archaeologists excavating Masada—the ancient mountaintop fortress in Israel—discovered a small jar containing a handful of date palm seeds. Carbon dating revealed they were 2,000 years old. They had survived the Roman siege, the fall of Jerusalem, and two millennia of scorching desert heat. They looked like shriveled, dusty, dead pebbles. In 2005, scientists decided to do an experiment. They took those ancient seeds, hydrated them, treated them with organic fertilizer, and planted them in the soil. To the amazement of the scientific world, one of those seeds sprouted. Today, that plant—named "Methuselah"—is a thriving, fruit-bearing palm tree. For 2,000 years, the life inside that seed didn't rot, didn't evaporate, and didn't expire. It was just waiting for the right soil. The Transition: "When Peter says we are born of 'incorruptible seed' through the living and enduring Word of God, he is telling us that God’s truth has an eternal shelf life. It doesn't matter how dry your life feels, or how many years you think you’ve wasted. When the living Word of God finally hits the soil of a receptive heart, life willbreak through