ROOTED

Luke 8:4-15

“And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.”
Luke 8:4-15 - ESV

THE SOWER
    -    The sower is the instrument being used to spread the seed.

THE SEED
    -    The seed is the gospel message
    -    The message of Jesus, the message of hope and salvation.

THE SOILS
    -    The soils are the different responses.
    -    The first soil is the path. 
    -    Seed that falls on the path makes no impact. It is hard and the message is quickly passed them by.  
    -    The second soil is the rocky ground. 
    -    This person seems so hopeful. They accept the gospel with joy! It appears that they are growing, but the truth is revealed when hardship comes.
    -    They have no roots.  
    -    The third soil is among thorns.
    -    Choked away by the cares of the world, the deceptions of personal gain.  
    -    The fourth is good soil.
    -    Those who hear, understand and produce a harvest.  

THE LABOR

“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭37‬-‭38‬ ‭ESV‬‬

    -    Being good soil is both a choice and an unearned blessing.  
    -    Jesus is as much the seed, as He is the sower; as He is a merciful farmer of our hearts. We daily have to submit to Christ and we have to allow him to change our hearts.  
    -    Only God can change a heart. Only a willing heart will accept it.  But might God use us as willing vessels to break up the pathways of the hard hearted. To water the ground with love and faithfulness, dig up the stony ground of hurt and trauma. To help the most vulnerable hold on just a moment longer and a moment longer. May we help those trapped and choked by the cares of this world to be freed by the even greater reality of eternity and salvation through Christ alone and him crucified.