"And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. 21 And he said unto them, Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, and not to be put on the stand? 22 For there is nothing hid, save that it should be manifested; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light. 23 If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear. 24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you; and more shall be given unto you. 25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. 26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth; 27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how. 28 The earth beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come."
Mark 4:19-29
- THE SEED IS THE WORD OF GOD:
"Sowing the seed of the kingdom" is an encouraging song based on the parable of the sower. It stresses the need for Christians to be sowers in God's kingdom, and not hide the Message of the Lord and our faith. As followers of Christ, we are commanded to be lights in this world of darkness and tell others the Good News of Jesus' Message. God's power for salvation is the Gospel, the Good News about who Jesus is, what He has done for our salvation, and the way of life that He taught. God’s salvation is accessible to all who will believe that Message. No one is forbidden or excluded. God does not show favoritism or partiality in salvation. All humanity can be saved and transformed into the image of God. Jesus was not the Savior of the Jews only, but the Savior of the world. All Christians are compelled to spread and share the Gospel of Christ, the Good News to those who are outside of the kingdom of Christ. We must understand that God will judge us if we do not take full advantage of all that He has given us to use it in service to Him and others.
The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters the seed, hoping for a harvest of salvation, granted that the seed was planted in the right place and had adequate care. He patiently waits until it grows a full head of grain, to the glory of God. You see, the seed of the kingdom is the Word of God. The Word of God has the power to change and transform the heart or soul of men, change their lives and the world. That is why we must be "sowing the seed of the kingdom." The Gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to make things right in our lives that are wrong because of sin. It has the power to bless us, and give us the hope and confidence to live a righteous and godly life for the Lord that we might be at peace and reconciled with our Father in Heaven.
We must give the Word, the seed of the kingdom, the chance to grow and penetrate the hearts of men. We must get God's Word into the hearts of others! When we allow the Word of God to dwell in our hearts, it will produce faith and knowledge in our lives. Learning the Word of God will cause us to flourish like a big strong firm and healthy tree. When we allow God and His Word to work in us, it will cause us to grow and have a strong faith. Such growth will help the kingdom of God to grow. Jesus, our Lord, wants us to be great servants in His kingdom.
The song, "Sowing the Seed of the Kingdom," exhorts us to sow the seed morning, noon and night.
Are you sowing the seed of the kingdom, brother,
In the morning bright and fair?
Are you sowing the seed of the kingdom, brother,
In the heat of the noon day’s glare?
Are you sowing the seed of the kingdom, brother,
In the still and solemn night?
Are you sowing the seed of the kingdom, brother,
For a harvest pure and white?
Are you sowing the seed of the kingdom, brother,
All along the fertile way?
Are you sowing the seed of the kingdom, brother,
You must reap at the last great day.
The chorus
For the harvest time is coming on,
And the reapers’ work will soon be done;
Will your sheaves be many, will you garner any,
For the gathering at the harvest home?
The first stanza tells us when we should sow the seed–morning, noon, and night. In John 9:4, Jesus tells us that we must work the works of Him who sent Him while it is yet day before the night comes, and no one can work. We must keep on sowing the seed always for the sake of the Gospel, just as the apostle Paul did.
"For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel. 17 For if I do this of mine own will, I have a reward: but if not of mine own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. 18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel without charge, so as not to use to the full my right in the gospel. 19 For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. 20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. 23 And I do all things for the gospel’s sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof" (1 Cor. 9:16-23).
Today is the day of salvation for us and for those who will listen.
"For he saith, At an acceptable time I hearkened unto thee, And in a day of salvation did I succor thee: behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2)
"But exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called Today; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin: 14 for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end: 15 while it is said, Today if ye shall hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." (Heb. 3:13-15)
"Come now, ye that say, Today or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain: 14 whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that. 16 But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil. 17 To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (Jas. 4:13-17)
According to the second stanza, our purpose for sowing the seed is for a harvest pure and white. Jesus needs laborers who will work earnestly in His harvest (Matt. 9:35-38).
"And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'"
Jesus wants laborers diligently looking to the harvest around them, for they are white for harvest and ready to be sown and reaped.
"Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work. 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already unto harvest. 36 He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37 For herein is the saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye have not labored: others have labored, and ye are entered into their labor." (Jn. 4:34-38)
God has promised to give the increase when we do the planting and the watering.
"What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him. 6 I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow-workers: ye are God’s husbandry, God’s building." (1 Cor. 3:5-9)
The third stanza speaks of the last great day when we will see what we have sown. Of course, that last great day will be the Final Day of Judgment, when we will all give an account of our stewardship of the Gospel of His Son.
"He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day." (Jn. 12:48)
"The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent: 31 inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31)
"But thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? or thou again, why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of God. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God." (Rom. 14:10-12)
"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire. 15 And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:11-15)
Moreover, on that last great day, we will have the joy of seeing those souls we have led to Christ receive their reward. They will be the fruit of our hard labor in sowing the seed. That is why we must join the apostles and repeat their message, calling all men to "be reconciled to God."
"Wherefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well-pleasing unto him. 10 For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 11 Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest unto God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. 12 We are not again commending ourselves unto you, but speak as giving you occasion of glorying on our behalf, that ye may have wherewith to answer them that glory in appearance, and not in heart. 13 For whether we are beside ourselves, it is unto God; or whether we are of sober mind, it is unto you. 14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again. 16 Wherefore we henceforth know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more. 17 Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new. 18 But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God." (2 Cor. 5:9-20)
Therefore, we must keep on sowing the seed of the kingdom because the Day of Judgment is coming, and if we love the souls of men, we will follow the great and excellent example of our Lord and Master.
CONCLUSION:
Our Lord, Jesus, is the Master who taught His disciples with parables to teach the Truth in a simple and easy way that helps us to remember. The parable of the growing seed (Mark 4:26-29) requires that someone sow the seed and water it. God is the one who gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:6). Jesus explained that the Gospel is the seed sown in the hearts of good and honest seekers. The seed is never wasted when it springs up in good hearts. We plant the seed in the hearts of honest and sincere seekers and wait for God to make it grow. God's Word has life and power (John 15:3). God's Message of salvation is powerful (1 Tim. 3:16). Spiritual growth comes slowly (Mark 4:28). God's harvest results from spiritual growth caused by God's Word (2 Timothy 4:6-8). The Gospel of Christ converts the honest heart to salvation. The Gospel sanctifies only when the seed of God's Word is sown in the hearts of men. An honest and good heart is necessary for conversion (Lk. 8:15).
The process of converting the heart of sin into a heart of righteousness is simple. The sower sows the seed, the seed is watered, and it sprouts in the soil of a good heart. When the Word of God, the seed, is planted in an honest and good heart, it will produce an abundant harvest. The seed will increase. When the Word is preached, it will grow! God's power is in His Word (Rom. 1:16). So why substitute worldly modern-day gimmicks and carnal tactics for the pure seed of God's Word?
"Having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. 24 For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth: 25 But the word of the Lord abideth for ever. And this is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you." (1 Peter 1:23-25)
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." (Matthew 24:35)
We honor God when we obey the Gospel of Christ (hear, believe, repent of sins, confess Christ as Lord, and are baptized to be saved, 1 Peter 3:21 and remain faithful to Jesus). Therefore, let us get busy in the Lord's work and save many souls, for this is God's will!
May we sow the seed of God's kingdom, His Word, in the souls of those who are lost in darkness because of sin. May we sow the seed, water it, and let God give the increase. May we in God's kingdom grow in faith and knowledge and contribute to the growth of His kingdom.
Luci
No comments:
Post a Comment