Today is another milestone for my “Folks Listen” blog. Today is my 1200th post and I am using post #1200 to review week two in our current Touchdown Jesus message series as we study the parable of the sower, also called the parable of the four soils, seen in Matthew 13. As we have already seen, the parable of the sower involves three elements.
The sower, which can apply today to anyone who faithfully proclaims the message of Jesus (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).
The seed which is the Word of God (Luke 8:11; Mark 4:14).
The soil which represents the heart of man. There are four soils and each soil represents a different heart toward the Gospel.
In this series we are looking at what this parable may have looked like if it would have been told in a football setting.
The sower would be the quarterback.
The seed would be the football.
The four soils would be four receivers or four pass plays.
In week one of this series we looked at the seed that fell beside the road (v4). In football terms, we call this the interception. This is the indifferent heart. This soil represents one who hears the Word but does not understand it (Matthew 13:19) due to a hardness of heart (Matthew 13:15).
In week two we looked at the seed that fell on rocky places (v5-6). In football terms we call this the incompletion. In the parable, some seeds fell on rocky places speaking of beds of rock and limestone just under the surface of the soil where the plow could not reach. The seeds sprang up quickly but the roots of the plants could not penetrate the rock that was just below the surface and absorb the moisture and nourishment needed. As a result, when the sun and heat came, these plants quickly withered away.
We could call this the impulsive heart or the superficial hearer. This soil represents the person who hears the gospel and seems to immediately receive the Word with joy on the surface (Matthew 13:20). But because their faith has no root, the product seen is only surface and only endures for a short while (Matthew 13:21). This type of soil produces a temporary religious experience but not genuine salvation. When tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, they immediately stumble (Matthew 13:21). This persecution can be external, such as criticism. It can also be the reality of discipleship. Either way, this is not a touchdown! This is not conversion.
The sower, which can apply today to anyone who faithfully proclaims the message of Jesus (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).
The seed which is the Word of God (Luke 8:11; Mark 4:14).
The soil which represents the heart of man. There are four soils and each soil represents a different heart toward the Gospel.
In this series we are looking at what this parable may have looked like if it would have been told in a football setting.
The sower would be the quarterback.
The seed would be the football.
The four soils would be four receivers or four pass plays.
In week one of this series we looked at the seed that fell beside the road (v4). In football terms, we call this the interception. This is the indifferent heart. This soil represents one who hears the Word but does not understand it (Matthew 13:19) due to a hardness of heart (Matthew 13:15).
In week two we looked at the seed that fell on rocky places (v5-6). In football terms we call this the incompletion. In the parable, some seeds fell on rocky places speaking of beds of rock and limestone just under the surface of the soil where the plow could not reach. The seeds sprang up quickly but the roots of the plants could not penetrate the rock that was just below the surface and absorb the moisture and nourishment needed. As a result, when the sun and heat came, these plants quickly withered away.
We could call this the impulsive heart or the superficial hearer. This soil represents the person who hears the gospel and seems to immediately receive the Word with joy on the surface (Matthew 13:20). But because their faith has no root, the product seen is only surface and only endures for a short while (Matthew 13:21). This type of soil produces a temporary religious experience but not genuine salvation. When tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, they immediately stumble (Matthew 13:21). This persecution can be external, such as criticism. It can also be the reality of discipleship. Either way, this is not a touchdown! This is not conversion.
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