Good Dirt

Hard dirt, rocky dirt, thorny dirt, and good dirt, how receptive are you to God's Word?

Tonight we are going to spend some time in looking at Matthew 13:1-23; where Jesus tells his disciples about the parable of the sower, i.e.…the farmer or the planter – whichever makes it easier for you to understand. This is the story that Jesus used to explain what happens after we've shared the word of God with others. Sadly, if you have been a Christian for any length of time you can actually pick out those people from your past who've either been the hard road, gravel, the weedy path or good, black, rich soil.

This passage is out of The Message translation.

At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed the people telling stories.

What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and the birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.

Are you listening to this? Really listening?

The disciples came up and asked, why do you tell stories? Jesus replied you've been given insight into God's kingdom; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories; to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. IN their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till their blue in the face and not get it. I don't want Isaiah's forecast repeated all over again.

Your ears are open but you don't hear a thing. Your eyes are awake but you don't see a thing. The people are blockheads, they stick their fingers in their ears so they won't have to listen; they screw their eyes shut so they won't have to look, so they won't have to deal with me face to face and let me heal them.

But you have God-blessed eyes, eyes that see and God blessed ears, ears that hear. A lot of people prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance.

Jesus makes it clear in the very next passage that we are to actually "Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the Kingdom and doesn't take it in, it just remains on the surface and the evil one comes along and plucks it right out of that person's heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road.

The seed cast in the gravel, this is the person who hears and INSTANTLY responds with enthusiasm, but there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangles what was heard and nothing comes of it. The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the news and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams."

So, not all soils are going to be the same; which is Jesus telling us that not all people are going to be the same either.

What He was explaining to the disciples was that the seed was the word of God and that the soil is actually the heart of the person that the seed falls into. And it's really about how good their dirt is whether or not they are going to be able to produce a plant and then fruit.

HARD DIRT

First off let's talk about the hard soil, as he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and the birds ate it.

When anyone hears news of the Kingdom and doesn't take it in, it just remains on the surface and the evil one comes along and plucks it right out of that person's heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road.

If you've ever seen a path in the woods where people have constantly traveled over it; the ground gets very compacted and hard from all the traffic; so that a seed cannot get through it.

The hardened soil is just like a person's heart that has become hard and resistant. This person has over time just become hard, unbelieving and cynical.

Everything they hear, they doubt. They think they have gotten this life thing all figured out and they turn from God and His words and pursue instead the things that have already proven don't work but they keep on keeping on thinking that somehow things will change for them but they don't. Over time this makes them harder and harder to understand God and His love.

Ephesians 4:18 says they've refused for so long to deal with God that they've lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can't think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.

When a person begins to harden their hearts they make it easy for Satan to start lying to them and they begin to believe it more and more and they refuse to believe that there is anything else out there.

Those with hard, resistant hearts do not have salvation. The shortest verse in the bible John 11:35 - Jesus wept. It shows me that there will be a difference in those who've come to know the living God…you will weep for those things that He wept about.  When we pray for CYM on Tuesday nights and right before we begin in here tonight - one of the things that I pray for is that God would prepare all of the hearts and that He would plow them up so that hearts can be ready to accept the words of His that we teach.

ROCKY DIRT

The second type of soil that Jesus talked about was rocky soil… Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly.

Jesus explained it to them like this… The seed cast in the gravel, this is the person who hears and INSTANTLY responds with enthusiasm, but there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

This person has the good time heart; they hear the word and receive it with joy but they are more concerned with their enjoyment, the atmosphere and having a good time. They might come to church or CYM to meet new friends and be cared for by others which is great FOR AWHILE but they never seem to get past the point where it's not all about them and they can't figure out that now it's their turn to befriend people and begin caring for them.

When others encourage them - and let me explain encourage meaning correction; they move on instead.

This soil – this person is all about the experience and it had better be good.

Sadly though when the good times end so do they.
When the tough times come AND THEY WILL they don't stick around. When church or the people aren't just about the fun times and they realize that this faith thing isn't going to be a perpetual party forever - they skate.

They grow too quickly and fall away just as fast when tough times come. Some go over the top with their Christianity and get all super spiritual…but it doesn't last long because it's not real. This person might look like a Christian, sound like a Christian, but they are not a true Christ follower because Jesus Himself told His disciples that this was not going to be easy.

Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12 that everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Christianity if you read God's word shows us that it's not just a fun experience but sometimes it's going to be really hard and it's going to be a struggle but you can make it if you just keeping going.

THORNY DIRT

A third type of soil is the thorny ground. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds.

Jesus described it like this… The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangles what was heard and nothing comes of it.

This type of person is too concerned with the world and its riches.

Am I making enough money; how much money do I have put away for a rainy day? Am I driving the right car? Hanging out with the right people?

They desire to be confident in all areas of their lives and have all the resources to make it in whichever way they see fit. And this sadly also applies to the next place they are going. They are in the business of controlling their lives and they want to make sure that they have the next act figured out too; to have all their ducks in a row and have this heaven thing all planned out too.

So, they try to do both; to store up riches and still serve Jesus.

To have the hottest girl or guy and STILL follow Him,  or work all hours of the day and night with their careers and hobbies and still try to add him into it and they don't get it that Jesus tells us it's NOT HIM + THINGS, BUT HIM AND NO OTHER THINGS.

They don't understand that Jesus desires to sustain us instead on a daily basis. Our faith in Him is an anchor; we may not know what is coming around the bend but we can do it if we've invested in our walk with Him.

In Luke 12:16-20

Jesus told them this story; the farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself, what can I do, my barn isn't big enough for this harvest. Then he said – here's what I'll do; I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. They I'll gather in all my grain and goods and I'll say to myself, self, you've done well, you've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life. Just then God showed up and said, Fool! Tonight you die and your barnful of goods- who gets it? That's what happens when you fill your barn with self and not God.

This again is another person who might look like they are the real thing, a true Christian but they aren't real. This is just like the story I told you a few weeks ago about the rich young ruler who was keeping all the commandments of God but didn't understand that it wasn't about storing up things for yourself but instead sacrificing them.

GOOD DIRT

 Then there's the soil that Jesus says was good.

Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.

He describes it as the seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the news and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams."

Good dirt = a fertile, ploughed up heart ready to be planted with the word of God.

This is the person who hears the Word of God and is open to it and begins to understand it. They recognize their need of their own salvation and recognize that this is going to be a tough row to hoe but they love Jesus enough to carry on and they recognize and believe that there is no possible other way in which to live .

This is the REAL CHRISTIAN and because of their "realness" they go on to produce much more than just themselves.

Because when you love something… you truly love it and you see its worth – you'd do all you can to tell others to get it too. With me; I know my life is meaningless without Jesus and I need to share the gift that I received when I received Him into my heart and experienced His forgiveness of my sins. I desire to see others experience the love and forgiveness and freedom.

So, to wrap this all up; Jesus himself made a point of discussing 4 different types of soil that represent people's hearts and He asks us to study them…

For us to be good dirt we need to allow God to break up the hard ground of our lives. Give God permission to look into your heart and examine it and give Him permission to begin changing you.

Read God's word. Grow up and grow deep roots. Pull the weeds… Don't get involved with everything that comes down the pike. Spend your time in an area where you will NEVER EVER regret it - on your faith.

And don't fall for the worries, riches and pleasures that this world is always going to offer you.

And someday God willing you will be able to look back on your life as having produced 30, 60 or a hundred times what you've been given yourself.

Be Good Dirt!