Soil Searching (Pt 3)

Part 3

“Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful”-Mark 4:18-19

 

Other seed was sown and fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so they did not bear grain. This soil is reflective of those who receive the word, but receive it into a field where they have allowed other things to be planted. Things like the worries of life, deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things. Soon these take root alongside of God’s Word. Each of these dilute and distract us from the harvest God intends for us to reap as the Word gets over taken by the weeds.  

 

I am reminded of a parable that Jesus told about wheat and tares. A farmer planted seed and when it began to spring up there were tares found among the wheat. The servants asked, “Didn’t you plant good seed” He said, yes, this is the work of my enemy.” They enemy had sown bad seed among the good seed. 

 

You better be careful who you allow to sow in your field. God sows good seed. Everything else is a tare. Why is bad seed called a tare, because it will ‘tare’ your life apart. It will literally choke out the good seed sown in your life. According to the passage, you will grow but you will be unfruitful. Meaning that you may grow, but you won’t mature. The harvest God had housed in that seed for you will be choked out and you won’t experience the full harvest stored in that seed. There is, however, one other kind of soil:

 

 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop – some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.’”-Mark 4:20

 

Jesus makes it clear, how we ought to receive God’s word each time we are exposed to it. Hear it. Receive it. Apply it. The harvest will vary, some 30, 60, 100 fold. It doesn’t appear that we have control over the amount of harvest, just whether or not we will have one. It doesn’t say anything about what steps need to be taken to get a 30 or a 60 or 100; instead it focuses on what type of soil will rob you of the potential harvest found in every seed; even today.

 

There is a harvest in the word that you are receiving today! Some will reap a harvest from it, some will not. Some of you need to plow up  some fallowed ground. You’ve been hurt and walked on. Your heart is hard toward God and His word. You need to plow up it up. You need to repent and turn back to God. He will take that heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. A heart that can receive His word. 

 

Others need to let the word of God take root in your life. You receive it with joy, but you don’t let it take root. Your field is shallow because God’s Word isn’t the authority in your life. When trouble comes you abandon the word. 

 

Still others, need to do stop letting the enemy sow seed in your field. Seeds of worry, hunger for wealth, and the desire for other things. It’s choking out your harvest. 

 

If you are only picking up your Bible on Sunday or barely touching it during the week; your heart has either become hard, your soil is shallow or you’re allowing the cares of this life to choke the word out. 

Each day that we brush aside the word of God, we are brushing off the harvest He has in store for us. 

 

It’s time to do some soil searching today! 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church