173 - Parable of the Kingdom 4: Sowing#
173 - Parable of the Kingdom 4: Sowing
(JP Text Group - Ren Wei Compilation)
Matthew 13:1-8:
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. A great multitude gathered around Him, so He got into a boat and sat down; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You. Thank You for starting our new week, for personally watering and renewing us with Your words, igniting our spirits once again. Let us live this new week with Your words. Bless every brother and sister seeking You today, so that we may all gain something here. Thank You and praise You! In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!
Today we share the fourth lesson: The Parable of the Sower.
We are discussing this in reverse; the Parable of the Sower should actually be the first lesson recorded in the Bible. We started with the parables Jesus shared in the house, and after finishing those, we moved on to the parables outside, which may be easier to understand. The mystery of the Bible lies here; no matter where we start, we can clarify what Jesus taught.
Additionally, we need to emphasize that interpreting the Bible must consider the context; we cannot take a single verse and interpret it arbitrarily.
What was discussed in the earlier part of Matthew 13? In chapter 12, Jesus had already begun to preach the gospel of the Kingdom. At that time, the Jews did not accept Jesus Christ; they even said that Jesus cast out demons by the prince of demons, Beelzebub, denying the work Jesus was doing. Faced with such a group of people, Jesus used parables to preach the gospel of the Kingdom.
The Parable of the Sower mentions "seeds"; the "seed" is the word of God, and the truth of God is the "seed." We possess the truth of Jesus Christ, and when we go out, we will sow "seeds" to others. First, we must be a "good seed"; otherwise, we cannot bring anything to others.
The center of the "word" is Jesus Christ; we cannot speak of the truth apart from Jesus Christ. We need to encounter God within the "word." The sower is our Lord Jesus Christ. Today, for us, the sower is anyone who works with Jesus, it is you, it is me; we are all sowers, Hallelujah!
The scripture also mentions different types of soil. This soil refers to the world, and the different soils represent the different responses of people in the world who hear the truth of Jesus Christ. The sower is the same, and the seeds are also good seeds; we are all preaching Jesus Christ, who is absolutely the good seed that can give us the good seed of life. However, after sowing, not everyone who hears will accept it. Because the quality of the soil varies, different people's hearts will respond differently to God's word. When we sow seeds today and people respond differently, we should know which type of person they are. From another perspective, when we hear the word today, we should also reflect on which type of soil we belong to.
Today we share four different types of people and their different attitudes and conditions after hearing the word.
The first type: The seed by the wayside.
The scripture says, “A sower went out to sow, and some seeds fell by the wayside.”
Jesus explained this in Matthew 13:19:
“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.”
This person heard the word of God, but it went in one ear and out the other. The word did not enter their heart; they merely heard it but did not understand. Jesus hopes that we not only hear but also understand. At this time, the "wicked one" comes and takes away the "word" that was sown in their heart. The "wicked one" refers to Satan, the destroyer. Originally, the "word" was sown in their heart, but it did not enter, so Satan came and took it away.
Such a person hears the word of God but is unwilling to believe. We have encountered such people when sharing the gospel with others. They hear the gospel of Jesus Christ but do not believe or accept it. Such a person is not saved. The first type of person Jesus mentioned regarding the attitude of hearing the word is that "they hear but do not understand, just like they have not heard at all." Jesus quoted the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah in chapter 13, which was fulfilled in them, saying: "Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull." (Matthew 13:14)
Last time we shared that Jesus did not wish for them to understand or to heal them; it was they who were unwilling to understand. When we share this good news with others, not everyone will gladly accept it. We tell them about the good news of the Kingdom, but they say, "I don't want to believe in Jesus; what do I need Jesus for?" Although we tell them it is "good seed," they may not see it that way, just like the Jews Jesus faced; He truly wanted to heal them, but they did not believe.
For those who do not believe, the only thing God can do is wait, wait for their hearts to turn back, and then God will heal them. The seed by the wayside refers to this type of person: they heard and saw but did not understand. Is it that Jesus spoke too complicated? It is really not complicated. It is just asking you to believe in Jesus and not requiring you to do anything else; this is not a difficult thing.
When we share the gospel with our friends, relatives, and those around us, we should use the simplest way to help them understand the truth. If they are unwilling to believe, they are like the seed by the wayside. For us, it is not that they cannot understand; it is that they are unwilling to understand.
The Pharisees in the Bible thought they understood everything; they did not submit to the words of Jesus Christ. Such people are the first type of soil; even if the seed is good, it cannot grow. Because they are by the wayside, what is the condition of the soil by the wayside? It is very hard, trampled by many people. So is the soil by the wayside destined to die? We should not make wrong declarations today! How can the seed that falls by the wayside sprout? There are two ways: either move the seed to another place or turn the wayside into good soil. How to change it? This is not our job; it is the work of Jesus Christ. Jesus can change the hard soil.
The Bible also records that many Pharisees later accepted Jesus. Although they initially resisted, some eventually accepted Him. Paul is one example! Paul initially resisted very strongly; no other Pharisee had as much zeal for persecuting Christians as he did, but later he was changed by Jesus Christ.
So today, we should not make wrong declarations; we should not learn from some people who say, "Oh! You don't know, my father is very hard-hearted." If you keep declaring he is the soil by the wayside, how can the seed get in? The change must start with you, Amen!
We need to declare: "In the name of Jesus Christ, let this piece of land be changed well!" No matter how hard the soil is, God can turn it into good soil. Amen! Always remember: Nothing is impossible for God; we must not make wrong declarations. If we declare it is hard, it will definitely become harder, because if you keep trampling it, the soil will naturally harden.
What can change the hard soil by the wayside? Water, and continually watering! In the Bible, water symbolizes the word of God and the Holy Spirit. When you continually water this land, even the hardest soil will eventually soften with enough water. So we need to start changing with our mouths, Hallelujah! If we want our family and friends to accept the gospel, we must start changing ourselves, so never say they are hard-hearted again.
When Jesus faced the Pharisees, He did not strike them down, nor did He say to them, "You are destined for hell." But in the end, a group of Pharisees did change. What did Jesus say about those who were unwilling to believe?
John 9:39-41:
Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind." Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see,' therefore your sin remains."
Please remember, this is a spiritual matter.
You cannot say "all Pharisees are blind." Because the Pharisees did not understand spiritual matters, they asked Jesus, "How can you say we are blind? We can see!" Jesus said, "Just because you say you can see, you are still blind." Because God was standing before them, and they did not see Him, nor did they believe in God, they were spiritually blind.
If we acknowledge that we know nothing spiritually, that we do not know the direction, and humbly seek God, then God says, "You have a chance." Hallelujah! What is to be feared is when we think we know everything. You tell him, "Believe in Jesus!" He says, "Well, I know Jesus." Then when you ask him if he wants to believe, he says, "I don't believe; I know too much about Jesus." What should we do about such a person who is still by the wayside? We need to continue praying for him, Hallelujah!
1 Timothy 4:1-2:
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.
People on the "wayside soil" have received too much wrong information. From a young age, the words of our friends, relatives, and everyone around us tell us things like "There is no free lunch in the world"; "No effort, no good results"; "It is impossible for God to give you good things for free." We are exposed to such thoughts.
Suddenly one day you go to church, and someone tells you, "God loves you, He loves you so much that He gives you everything you need for free." You would say that person is a liar! It seems too simple because our past hearts have been deeply imprinted by wrong paths, evil spirits, and doctrines of demons, just like that piece of land trampled by many people, which has become very hard. At this point, there is only one way: to truly be willing to let go of everything and admit, "I don't know; I know very little, and I am willing to listen." If you have a heart willing to listen, God can help you, and God can save you. This is what Jesus meant when He said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" If you are willing to listen, you will understand.
Our God hopes that we can understand. If a person does not believe the truth, they will believe in falsehoods; it is either the truth or falsehood. Today, there are deceptive spirits and doctrines of demons in this world, which are not the truth, but many people have already believed in these things. In 1 Timothy 4:1-3, the scripture begins to mention doctrines of demons: many forbid marriage and abstain from foods. In today's world, there are religions that require people to say, "You cannot eat this," "You cannot eat that," "People cannot get married"… these are doctrines of demons because the devil particularly hopes that people do not get married and do not have children, so they do not need to tempt people to perish; people will perish on their own. But Jesus Christ tells us: to be fruitful and multiply.
The doctrines of demons and the doctrines of God are always opposed. If you have not accepted the truth, then what you accept is falsehood. Sometimes we also feel it makes sense; someone says, "Look how thoroughly they analyze this food! This thing cannot be eaten because it is not good for the body!" Please remember: this is religion. What does our Lord Jesus say? "All things are clean, and may be eaten with faith." Hallelujah! It is people who classify things as clean or unclean. For us, it is actually all the same; we cannot let food change us. Food cannot bring us life; food has nothing to do with our life itself.
This is the first type of soil: he accepts false doctrines, abandons the truth, and follows the doctrines of evil spirits and demons. The true word of God has not entered his heart.
The second type of soil is "sown on stony places."
What does this type of soil refer to? Jesus also gave us an explanation.
Matthew 13:20-21:
"But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles."
The four types of soil we are discussing refer to those who have already heard the truth, those who have heard the gospel of the Kingdom. The second type of soil hears the truth and immediately receives it with joy. Many people attend revival meetings, feel that the message is wonderful, and immediately say, "I want to believe in God." But do they really believe what they said? When the next Sunday comes, and you invite them to join you for service, they make excuses, saying, "Oh, I don't have time today! I'm so busy!"
We often encounter such people; they are joyful at first but have no root in their hearts. The "word" has not entered their hearts; it only exists in their minds. They analyze the music, the environment, and the videos at the scene… these things impact them greatly, but it has not taken root in their hearts. You might think they truly believe, but when you invite them to church, they say, "I can't go, I can't go…" This is the second type of person.
Which type of person is more frustrating for us, the first or the second? Actually, it is the second.
You have no way to deal with the second type of person. The first type firmly says, "I don't believe, I don't believe… don't bother me anymore." Their reasoning is strong; if one day they accept Jesus, they will believe even more "correctly" than we do! What is concerning is the second type; they just say with their mouths, "I believe, I believe… I believe in my heart," but in their hearts, they are completely unbelieving.
Facing the second type of person is more troublesome for us. They immediately receive the word with joy and respond to God's word at that moment, but their foundation is wrong. They have a thin layer of "soil" on the surface, but underneath is "rocky" ground. The first type is by the wayside, but they are still "soil," just harder. But the second type is different; they are "rocky ground." This type of soil does not just have small stones; the original text expresses that there is a layer of "soil" on top, but underneath is all "rock." Such soil is harder to change.
Every time we invite them to service, they can politely refuse. Such a person only has a superficial layer of soil; the "word" only exists on the surface. When they encounter problems, they will immediately deny this "word." They have no "root," only a temporary belief, and when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, they immediately stumble. When everything is fine, they are good, and everyone is good, but once a little conflict arises due to Jesus, or something unfavorable happens to them, they immediately say, "I don't believe anymore." The superficial layer of soil is scraped away, leaving only rocks.
We have encountered such people; they initially spoke well, but when they faced persecution or tribulation for the sake of the "word," they would push all the responsibility onto Jesus. They would say, "It is because I believe in Jesus that my business keeps having problems," or "It is because I believe in Jesus that my situation is a mess." Did this person accept Jesus? No. "When the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away," meaning they have no life. They heard the word but did not accept it; they do not receive continuous supply because they are not connected to the Lord. They believe based on feelings, and the rocks hidden beneath the thin soil prevent God's word from truly growing in their lives.
To deal with such a person, we must thoroughly dig out the "rocks" beneath them; this is a difficult project. When facing such people, we need to have enduring patience. When we hear that such a person has stumbled, we should comfort them, continually comforting them. Until one day, the "rocks" are completely removed, and they truly connect with Jesus, only then can they truly change.
What do these "rocks" refer to? Some say it refers to the law, but I prefer to explain it as "conscience." Since Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, conscience emerged, and they began to judge everything based on their own standards, which we call "conscience."
The "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" is meant to help you discern certain things. As adults, we all have the ability to discern; even a normal person has the ability to discern, and even children are no exception. If you present two apples to a child, one good and one rotten, the child will choose the good one; even children have discernment, which is conscience. They can distinguish between good and bad, right and wrong. Their standard for distinguishing good and evil is their own.
The person on "rocky ground" uses their own conscience to discern Jesus. If the word they hear benefits them, they believe; if the word does not suit their taste, they reject it. This is the second type of person; in fact, such a person has not believed in Jesus. If you always say, "God loves you," they will say, "Yes, I believe!" But suddenly, when persecution comes, they will say, "I don't believe anymore." Therefore, when their interests conflict with those of the Lord Jesus, they will definitely choose their own interests, because their conscience is there to discern, rather than the word of the Lord Jesus as the discerning power; this is conscience, or we can say their own law.
They judge their faith based on their own standards. They think believing in the Lord is good, but they see it merely as a spiritual support. We know today that Jesus Christ is absolutely not just a spiritual support. Have you encountered such people? They say, "I will never stop you from believing in Jesus, but don't take it too seriously." Such people also think believing in Jesus is good, but they believe it should not be taken too seriously; it is just a form of spiritual support, and they should not spend too much time on it. When their faith conflicts with their interests, they will decisively abandon their faith; this is the second type of person.
Let’s share about the third type: The one sown among thorns.
Let’s see how the Lord Jesus explains this.
Matthew 13:22:
"Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful." (Matthew 13:22)
The third type of soil refers to those who have already accepted Jesus; they just cannot bear fruit.
The third type of person has already accepted the gospel; they have roots but cannot produce fruit because they have heard a mixed gospel. Simply put, they have heard a gospel mixed with law and grace.
Such people deeply desire to receive the rewards of the Kingdom, to gain God's approval, to receive God's delight, and to obtain God's rewards, but they use their own methods, resulting in increasing exhaustion and a reluctance to not believe. They struggle greatly in their faith; such people rely on their own efforts, using worldly methods rather than living by God's grace. They often doubt God's word and are uncertain because the result of mixing is confusion. Such people do not bear fruit.
Do you know what confusion is? Let me explain:
The doctrine mixed with law and grace is the kind of doctrine that has "thorns" in it; what kind of living state does it bring to people?
First, they particularly hope that God loves them, and they also want to love God, but they hope to please God through their own actions. As a result, they find that their actions are not so good, so they deny God's word. They might say, "I have believed to this extent; I guess God does not love me anymore." This is denying God's word. They are uncertain about God's word; they mix their own thoughts and the law with it, feeling that grasping God's word is so far away. On one hand, they believe that the grace given by God is freely given and easily obtained; on the other hand, they feel that receiving God's blessings is so difficult in life.
This is the third type of soil, sown among thorns, filled with many things that should not exist. Over time, such people will think that grasping the world is more suitable. Imagine, on one hand, they come to church, and we tell them that God's grace is abundant; they say, "I believe." But once they return home and see the reality, they say, "I don't believe anymore; when will I be prosperous?" In the end, they say, "I will stick to reality; I will grasp the world, so my friends won't laugh at me, and I won't have to say how many blessings I have in Christ; I will be more practical…"
Such people begin to have worldly cares and become deceived by riches. Please remember: People who are deceived by riches generally want to be deceived themselves, and then riches have the opportunity to deceive them. Worldly cares are the same; if you do not think about these things, they will not capture you. This is the result of the mixed doctrine: in Christ, they cannot bear fruit.
You will find that there are people who have already believed in Jesus, but they absolutely will not share the gospel. I know someone who once said to me, "Ren, if I had not met you, I would never share the gospel in my life; I would rather believe by myself." He said he had believed in the Lord to the point of suffering greatly; how could he hope his friends would join him on the "thief's ship"?
Believing in the Lord to this extent is truly pitiful! He feels that after believing in the Lord, he must get up every morning to pray; if he does not pray, God will not bless him that day. He must also pray at night; if he does not confess his sins at night, God will not let him sleep well. He must attend service on Sundays; if he does not go, his whole week will be ruined. He is bound by many rules and tightly grasped by "thorns," and in the end, he cannot do anything, so he is unwilling to share the gospel. He does not feel that believing in Jesus is so good; the blessings he receives are merely that he can enter the Kingdom of Heaven after death, and that is all. While he is in the world, he still has to rely on himself. This is the third type of person; they have "thorns," which prevent them from receiving God's blessings.
Let us first think about a question: Where did thorns first appear in the Bible? They first appeared in Genesis chapter three. After Adam sinned, God pronounced a judgment on them: "Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the herb of the field."
From that time on, Adam no longer relied on God's freely given grace; from that moment on, Adam needed to rely on himself to remove those thorns and thistles. This is the beginning of the curse! Please remember: thorns and thistles are the result of the curse. In other words, before Adam sinned, there were no thorns or curses in the world. It was only because they sinned that the whole earth was cursed, causing thorns and thistles to grow. These things are ever-present, accompanying us until today. Their vitality seems to be more vigorous than that of grain sprouts.
What do these thorns refer to? They actually refer to our inherent concepts, our inner selves. If we do not remove them, we will not be able to fully believe in God's grace. Thorns do not need to be deliberately planted; they will sprout on their own. This is the result of the curse; please remember this is not what God wants to give us. What God gives us is the freely given grace that Adam enjoyed at the beginning.
The first result brought by thorns: worldly cares. Cares can be understood as worries, as if they are innate; everyone has them. Whether you are poor or rich, you will feel worried. The poor may wonder when they will have money and become prosperous; the rich will think about when they can be even richer. Both the poor and the rich have worries and concerns. Worry is something that people in the world cannot escape. If we live in worry, we will not be able to bear fruit, and we will not be able to see God's blessings.
Matthew 6:27: "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?"
This is Jesus' personal exhortation. We know that a cubit is about fifteen minutes. Which of us can add fifteen minutes to our lifespan by worrying? — Even if we worry hard, we cannot increase our lifespan by fifteen minutes. We clearly know that we should not worry; worrying is useless, yet we still worry.
Matthew 6:31-34:
"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Here it mentions "the kingdom of God" and "the righteousness of God." "The kingdom of God" is God dwelling in your heart; now Jesus Christ is already dwelling in your heart, and the righteousness of Jesus Christ is already upon you. When you believed in Jesus, these two things were already given to you, so what you need has also been provided!
Yesterday someone asked me, "Ren, Jesus said that unless you become like little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Why does Jesus want us to become like children?" I said, "One characteristic of children is that we adults cannot achieve; children completely trust their parents." A one-year-old child would eat a piece of poison without hesitation because they cannot discern; they completely trust their parents. But when a child turns twenty, if you give them something they do not understand and tell them it is good for them, they will ask you, "What is this?" Why do they ask? Because they have worries. That is why Jesus said, "We must become like little children and not worry."
Today, our simplest way of living is to rest in Jesus. In life, we must believe that everything we need has been prepared by God; we only need to simply believe, just like a child believes in Him. When we live like children, we will find that children are carefree; they trust their parents so much that they do not worry about whether there is food or rice at home; they only need to ask their father or mother.
If we have already accepted Jesus, God hopes that you live this way, simply believing in Him and not worrying anymore; our worries are useless. Worrying is different from planning; Christians should not worry, but they cannot be without plans. Not worrying does not mean "live one day at a time, do not plan for tomorrow, and do not go to work; after all, God will provide." This is not planning. A worried person will be concerned, saying, "What will happen tomorrow? What work will my boss assign me tomorrow?" "What if I cannot do the work my boss assigns me, and he gets angry?" This is worrying. God does not want us to live in worry.
Why does the third type of person, who has already believed in Jesus, still have worldly cares? — Because they do not believe in the Father's provision! It is not that they are not saved; they are already saved, but they do not believe in the Father's provision. The Bible mentions a particularly special type of person, which is the Israelites in the wilderness; they were all saved people, but they particularly liked to worry. They worried about what to eat, drink, and wear. They worried about the same things that Gentiles worry about. However, during their forty years in the wilderness, not one of them starved, not one of them thirsted, and not one of them was naked and ashamed. God provided for them. The reason they had worldly worries was that they did not believe in God's provision.
We should not be like such people. I hope that brothers and sisters will start believing that God provides for us this week. In times of lack, God will supply us. We are not among those living in "thorns"; we do not look at the environment. If you see thorns all around you, if you see only negative things, you cannot live. You must look at God's provision. The troubles of one day are sufficient for that day; you must believe: even if there are troubles today, God will make a way for you.
Another type is "the deceitfulness of riches." People are deceived by riches because they have a heart that desires to get rich quickly, a greedy heart. God does not want us to have a greedy heart. The Bible does not say, "You should not think about being wealthy"; God hopes that we are prosperous, but He does not want us to be "greedy for wealth."
1 Timothy 6:10: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
Some people say, "Christians should not seek wealth, should not seek to be rich; being rich leads to falling away from the truth, and you will pierce yourself with many sorrows." This is a clear distortion of the Bible. The Bible says, "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil," not "having money is a root of all kinds of evil."
I used to give this analogy: You pray, "Lord, if you let me earn ten thousand yuan a month, I will be content." God says, "Okay, I will give it to you." Do you really think that when you have ten thousand a month, you will be content? Most people will say, "Lord, it seems not enough; give me twenty thousand a month." Then they buy a bigger house and say to God, "Lord, twenty thousand is not enough; I have so many rooms and many things I cannot buy!" This is called greed.
God does not want us to have a greedy heart; He wants us to be prosperous. In our daily lives, God does not want us to live like "Lazarus," sick from head to toe, lying at the rich man's gate hoping for something to eat; this is not our life. God not only wants our hearts to be prosperous, without a beggar's heart; He also wants our material lives to be prosperous. What God gives us, we can enjoy.
Solomon was a very wealthy man, but in the end, he said: "The most blessed thing for a person is to enjoy the fruits of his labor each day; this is his blessing." Many people can earn money, but they cannot enjoy the money they earn; what use is money to them? For us, what God gives us today, we can enjoy, and that is a blessing. God gives us a healthy body, allowing us to eat whatever we want; this is a form of prosperity. This cannot be bought with money. How many people cannot eat whatever they want; they can only look at it; this is not prosperity.
The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil; many people are greedy for money, which is why they are caught by riches. There are many money-making schemes in the country, various loan platforms that tell you making money is easy; you only need to invest ten thousand yuan, and they will return five thousand a month for six months. If you are tempted to say, "This deal is too good," this is the greedy heart. When you encounter such investment opportunities, the wisest way to handle it is not to invest, to avoid being trapped and entering the deception of riches.
"Some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." They did not gain anything before; instead, they brought themselves a pile of troubles. People do not believe that they are prosperous in Christ. If your heart is prosperous, then money will not bind you. We must first have a prosperous heart; we believe that everything we need has been provided by God, and we are prosperous, so we will not be "greedy."
Proverbs 23:5: "Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven."
The world believes that money has wings; one moment it is in your pocket, and the next moment, you do not know whose pocket it has flown into. So do not fix your eyes on the vanity of riches; fix your eyes on Jesus Christ. If we fix our eyes on Jesus, He can give us all prosperity. This is what we are talking about with the third type of soil.
The fourth type of soil is good soil.
"Good soil" has a very good explanation.
Luke 8:15:
"But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience."
The seed is good, the soil is good, and there will definitely be a good harvest. We believe that the grace of Jesus Christ is absolutely good; we only need to ensure that our hearts are willing to receive it. The good soil is one that hears the word and understands it.
Matthew 15:10: Jesus called the multitude and said to them, "Hear and understand."
I do not wish to share too many profound things; I hope that after I speak, everyone can understand and apply it in their lives. For me, this is the best teaching. When we understand this truth, it is very important to keep it in our hearts, to keep it in a noble and good heart. The word "keep" here has a time element. The word is not just heard for one day, and then it does not matter whether you go to church or listen anymore; it is not like that. Good soil is willing to hear God's word, willing to continue listening, willing to place the word in their hearts, and willing to live according to God's word.
It is definitely not a momentary impulse or fervor; they will bear fruit with patience. What is patience? If you believe "by the stripes of Jesus, you have been healed," and you make such a declaration today, but the next day you start complaining, "Why is my illness still here?" This is not patience.
In fact, the best way is to continue praying, continue declaring, and wait for the time of complete healing to come; this is bearing fruit with patience. Patience means: when we encounter circumstances and adversity, we need to be patient. Patience means we are resisting things that should not exist within us. For example, there are voices telling you, "Jesus is fake; there is no God in this world." You think there is a God, and then another voice tells you, "You have prayed for so long; why hasn't God healed you?" As a result, you start to feel, "Maybe it is true! Is there really a God?" You begin to doubt.
When faced with these two voices, which one should you choose? You should choose to be patient and wait for God's results to come. As long as we are willing to continue believing, good soil will surely bear good fruit. The scripture tells us it will yield a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.
How to be patient? Many churches teach, "You need to have a patient heart; just endure, and it will pass." To be honest, if someone told me that, I would respond, "Put this on yourself; would you be patient?" Today, when we see the news that Wang Baoqiang is getting divorced, many people criticize him, saying, "Why didn't Wang Baoqiang have a patient heart? Why couldn't he calmly deal with his marriage?" One netizen replied, "If this happened to you, could you remain calm?" Many times, we deal with problems in a human way, which is really "standing and talking without pain."
What we mean by "patience" is not relying on our own efforts but relying on the patience of Jesus Christ. What is the patience of Jesus Christ like? It is like today when we plant seeds; we will patiently wait for the day of harvest to come. In autumn, we sow wheat, endure the cold winter (we must be patient during this time), and then endure the hot summer (we must be patient during this time), and we welcome a bountiful harvest.
When we go through the cold winter, we think that next year there will be a great harvest; this is why people say, "A timely snow promises a good harvest," this is "patience"! When the wheat is about to mature, the weather is particularly hot, and there is no rain, the temperature is particularly high; this is the happiest time for farmers. Farmers will hope that it does not rain because the sun is crucial at this time. Although the weather is hot, the farmers' hearts are filled with joyful hope; this is patience.
1 Corinthians 15:58:
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
Today, we endure for a soul, hoping they can bear fruit. We know that the work we do for the Lord is not in vain; one day, God will give us a great reward. When we are sure we have sown good seeds into good soil, we still need to be patient. How much more do the first three types of soil require greater patience? Everything we do in the Lord is not in vain. Even if there are no results now, God will still reward you. So, be positively and joyfully expect good things to happen! This is the hope of Christians; the patience of Christians is the hope for a beautiful ending to come. You must believe in God and enter into a beautiful expectation.
Some people always say, "Ren, I am also expecting, but there is no movement; my financial situation has not changed; my debts are still there; my marriage has not changed!" Please listen carefully; the Bible tells us: We walk by faith, not by sight. If you see, you do not need faith; it is precisely because you see nothing that you still believe God is working, and you expect good things to happen. Just like planting wheat, you cannot plant it for a week and then say, "Why hasn't it grown yet?" This takes time; although you do not see the wheat sprouts, you believe they will grow; this is the patience of Christians.
When we share the gospel with others, we need to have such a patient heart. Never expect that if they hear you talk about Jesus today, they will joyfully follow you to church tomorrow, saying, "I will never leave Jesus for the rest of my life! I want to work in Thailand! I want to preach to the whole world!" There are no such people! Jesus did not even encounter such disciples; He trained them for more than three years, and when Jesus was crucified, they still ran away. How can you expect your ability to be greater than Jesus? Please remember, in the matter of sharing the gospel, we need to have a patient heart. Even if you do not see results, you still need to wait patiently with a positive attitude and full of hope.
How do farmers wait? They actively expect the arrival of the harvest. So how do farmers care for the seeds? — Three things: watering, weeding, and loosening the soil. The three types of soil mentioned earlier all require us to do some adjustments. The dry soil needs watering; the thorny soil needs weeding; their cares are too many, and we need to pour more of Jesus Christ's grace on them, helping them understand their identity in Christ, and once the weeds are removed, the crops will naturally grow healthily; for the rocky soil, we just need to loosen the soil and remove the rocks.
We must often meditate on God's word, meditate on God's promises, and refuse to accept negative, pessimistic, and condemning words. Every morning when we wake up, we should actively expect good things to happen to us; this is something each of us needs to face, regardless of whether you believe in Jesus or not. A negative mindset tells you, "You cannot succeed," "You still have debts; you cannot pay them off." If you want to remove these weeds, you need to declare: "God, I believe You are a faithful God; I rely on You, and I know You have prepared the best outcome for me." This is how you protect your seeds, allowing them to grow healthily!
Isaiah 40:30-31:
"Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."
Every time the devil attacks you like he did Eve, he makes you doubt God and not believe in God's promises. Here I tell you, "You must believe in God's promises; believe that God is a just God." Between these two, you must choose to believe in God's promises, continuously believe in God's promises, regardless of the environment. You still need to believe and expect good things to happen because those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. This is the promise God gives us; running in God's promises does not make you weary or faint. When the time comes, God will give you the best blessings at the right time and place. A hundredfold, sixtyfold, or at least thirtyfold harvest is the expectation of all Christians.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You. Thank You for giving us such words today; You tell us that the word of Jesus Christ is the good seed, and we are also sowers. Jesus, You first sowed the word in our hearts, allowing us to become sowers. Let us become good soil in our lives; we do not strive to become good soil; we are willing to simply believe in You, and You will change our land, placing the best seeds within us, allowing these seeds to take root and sprout naturally, resulting in fruit.
What You want us to do is simply believe in Your provision, believe in the supply of the Holy Spirit, believe in Your correct guidance every day. When the time comes, we will surely bear abundant fruit, thirtyfold, sixtyfold, a hundredfold. Even if we do not see results now, we still believe that Your promises are faithful, and we still believe that this beautiful outcome will happen in our lives. Hallelujah! Thank You and praise You! In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!