Class Lesson May 30, 2021

 

Question 1:

What is something you have completed on your

bucket list?

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

Bucket lists. Checklists of activities or tasks people want to complete before they die. Books and blogs abound with ideas: One hundred places to visit before you die. One hundred books to read before you die. One hundred movies . . . you get the idea. Some people create their lists as fun escapes, while others take it quite seriously.

Few people complete their bucket lists unless the list consists of only “low hanging fruit”—those things that are easy to accomplish. Whether people complete their full list or not, perhaps they should be commended for trying.

One thing that should be on the bucket list of every follower of Christ is to lead others to faith in Christ. That task not only has impact on this life “before you die,” but it also will impact eternity. Unfortunately, although we may do the task, we can’t

always complete it. In other words, just because we share our faith doesn’t mean the person will accept Christ. Matthew 13 helps us see that the full completion of that task is something we leave in the hands of God.

THE POINT

Share Christ in all situations,

but leave the results to God.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Matthew 13:3-8

3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying, “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown.”

Jesus regularly taught in parables, challenging listeners to pay attention to the words He chose, providing illustrations in simple, yet sometimes hidden terms. His parables usually related to common cultural practices, and they were tied to the heart conditions of the people He encountered. What He shared may have confused many in His audience due to their hardened or unreceptive hearts.

It’s hard for a contemporary audience to understand why Jesus would choose to teach such important things in parables instead of simply explaining what He meant. People today might call His parables cryptic, but the people of Jesus’ time were familiar with the way He communicated. The contemporary mind reasons through lists and logic, but the Jewish mind at that time visualized images and examples. Parables didn’t bury the truth; the principle in a parable was “hiding in plain sight” in such a way that those who understood what He was saying would understand exactly what He was saying.

In this parable, Jesus used the illustration of seeds and soil with each type representing people and how they receive truth. We’ll see in the next section how the different soils represent different responses to the gospel, but let’s focus on what the sower did: he spread the seed. He didn’t judge the soils beforehand; he freely spread the seed.

Question 2:

Why is it important to share the

gospel as widely as possible?

Jesus is certainly the model sower! He took advantage of every opportunity before Him. Jesus has private conversations with religious leaders like Nicodemus and with public sinners like the woman at the well. He also had many moments like the one we see in Matthew 13, when He spoke to a crowd. Many times, the crowds came to Him for healing or to be fed, but whatever their motivation, Jesus used the opportunity to be a sower and teach.

Jesus provided a model for us to follow. We can seize the opportunities before us to be proactive and intentional in how and when we share. Our proactive attitude includes prayer: praying for open eyes to see the opportunities God has given us, praying for how we “sow the seed,” and praying for those with whom we share. Wherever we are, we should pray daily and expect God to provide opportunities for us to be His messengers. Though we cannot control others’ responses to what they hear, our chief concern and motivation should be that they hear the gospel.

Matthew 13:18-22

18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path. 20 And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 21 But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

As believers, we would hope that when we share the message, everyone who hears would willingly accept it. Unfortunately, not everyone will readily receive the message we share. Nevertheless, we should never give up on sharing the message of hope. Jesus certainly didn’t. God counts on us to sow the seed of the gospel regardless of the hearer’s response.

In Jesus’ parable, the different soils represent the various ways people respond to the gospel and to biblical truth.

• Hard Soil. The first soil represents hearers of the Word who have hardened hearts. Just as a seed cannot penetrate hardened soil, when seeds of truth hit a hardened heart, they bounce right off, never taking root. Satan’s tactics cause hearers to ignore and reject the message just as the seeds that fall on the road fail to take root, displaying there is no understanding.

• Rocky soil. Some of the soil in the area where Jesus lived was very shallow. The soil may have looked promising on top, but it was just a thin layer over limestone bedrock. This soil would let seeds get in and be warmed by the sun, but when the plant’s roots reached bedrock, they had nowhere else to go. The first hint of foul weather caused them to wither. The people whose hearts are represented by the shallow soil hear God’s Word and “immediately receive it with joy” (v. 20), but they have just a superficial acceptance and belief, and they quickly fall away.

• Thorn-infested soil. Some seeds cast by the farmer began to take root. The plants may have looked healthy for a while, but then thorns grew up and surrounded them, choking them out and depriving them of receiving the nourishment from the soil. Jesus used this soil to illustrate those who hear His word, but instead of letting that word take hold in their lives through a firm devotion to it, they let other things steal their focus: “the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (v. 22).

Question 3:

How do you typically respond when a person is

not receptive to hearing the gospel?

Matthew 13:23

23 “But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”

The fourth type of soil represents true disciples who receive the message, accept it, grow in it, and lead others to grow in it. Ultimately, our desire when we share the message is that all the seed we sow will be “sown on the good ground!” When the truth of the gospel lands on this soil, it produces an abundance of fruit. The good soil is rich for discipleship, for growing in Christ, and for sharing Him with others.

Question 4:

When have you experienced the

gospel landing in good soil?

Up to this point, those in the crowd would have understood Jesus’ references to the sower, seed, and soils. But now Jesus added something highly unusual: the harvest.

Considering the condition of the soil in that area and the way they sowed the seed, farmers typically expected a ten-fold return in their crops at best. It’s more likely they only harvested seven or eight times the amount of seed sown. But Jesus took them far beyond the ten-fold result of a good planting season. Jesus taught that these seeds not only would produce a harvest, but they would do so exponentially beyond the norm. When God’s Word takes root in a person’s life, He declared, it “does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”

We are not responsible for the response of the hearer. That person’s acceptance of the truth will depend upon how open they are to receive God’s message and surrender their lives to Him. As His messengers we do not cause transformation; only God does. But when we sow His message—the gospel—we are a catalyst for transformation.

Jesus is the Sower who has provided us with an opportunity to partner with Him in sowing. He expects His people to continue to share the gospel no matter what, even though we can’t always be sure on what type of soil the seeds might fall. The goal of the sowing is to get the message to as many who will hear it. We sow God’s Word into the lives of others—and we leave the results in His hands.

Question 5:

How can this parable help us

persist in evangelism?

SEED IN GOOD SOIL

What were some of the key seeds that helped you hear and understand the truth of the gospel?

Record those moments below and describe how those seeds “took root” in your heart.

“God’s work done in God’s way will

never lack God’s supplies.”

HUDSON TAYLOR

LIVE IT OUT

What will you do to sow the seed of the gospel? Choose one of the following applications:

• Grow. If you’ve been distracted or challenged in your walk with Christ, renew your commitment to Him. Ask God to work in your life and help you produce fruit for Him.
• Share. Identify opportunities God gives you during the week to “sow seeds” in the lives of others. Pray for boldness and take advantage of the opportunities God places in front of you.
• Care. As you share Christ, “work the soil.” Do more than speak words; show care and concern. Display the love of Christ in your actions; invest time in someone’s life and let God use your words and actions to prepare the soil.

If we’ve got a solid bucket list, it’s likely we’ll never make it to the end before our lives are over. But let’s make sure we keep sowing the seed of the gospel and keep that first on our list of things to strive for.

Teacher's Notes:

Video: Bucket Lists - Checklists of activities or tasks people want to complete before they die. 

Click Play to Watch

 

Forbes magazine recently published an article titled “The Best Bucket List Experience to Plan for 2021 and 2022.” The article suggested that as travel becomes easier and safer again, people will be wanting to travel. Here are some of the bucket-list trips suggested:

 

• Joining a cattle drive in Montana, where you ride with professional wranglers to round up cattle.
• Book a private island in Queensland off the coast of Australia, where you’ll have a personal chef and private masseuse.
• Travel to Prince Edward Island for the annual oyster festival.
• Ride the world’s largest ferris wheel in Dubai, that takes you to a height of 820 feet for a birds-eye view of the city.
• Go camel trekking in Israel, where you ride in the desert before dawn.

 

Say: Everyone’s bucket list is different.

 

 

What's on your bucket list?

 

 

Matthew 13:3-8

Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “Consider the sower who went out to sow.  As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown.”

 

How do you know when the opportunity is right to share the gospel?

 

 

1.   Share the message of Christ wherever you are.

 

 

Why is it important to share the gospel as widely as possible?

 

Jesus provided a model for us to follow. We can seize the opportunities before us to be proactive and intentional in how and when we share. Our proactive attitude includes prayer: praying for open eyes to see the opportunities God has given us, praying for how we “sow the seed,” and praying for those with whom we share. Wherever we are, we should pray daily and expect God to provide opportunities for us to be His messengers. Though we cannot control others’ responses to what they hear, our chief concern and motivation should be that they hear the gospel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew 13:18-22

“So listen to the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path. And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

 

What are some things that may prevent us from having gospel conversations with people?

 

 

2.   Not everyone is transformed by the gospel.

·        Those who refuse the gospel completely or will not allow it to take root in their lives will not realize the spiritual fruit it is able to produce in their lives; the issue is the quality of the soil.

 

 

How do you typically respond when a person is not receptive to hearing the gospel?

 

How can we respond when someone rejects our gospel presentation?

 

Matthew 13:23

23 “But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”

 

Why is important to share Christ in all situations, but leave the results to God?

 

Those who accept the message and follow Christ experience abundance.

·        God does a mighty work of grace in the lives of those who receive His Word and engage with Him in it.

 

When have you experienced the gospel landing in good soil?

 

 How can this parable help us persist in evangelism?

 

 

The point of Jesus’ parable is to show us that we can all hear the same gospel and word from God, but we don’t all respond the same way. Unfortunately, too often we treat this parable as a personality quiz by which we label others. For example. we might see how someone responds to the gospel and think, “Hoo, boy, he is rocky soil.” And we leave it at that. We assume that if a person is rocky soil, he has always been—and always will be—rocky soil. Therefore, we make no further attempts to reach him for Christ.

 

Let me change that faulty perception with another one of Jesus’ parables: And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. He told the vineyard worker, ‘Listen, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it even waste the soil?’ “But he replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. Perhaps it will produce fruit next year, but if not, you can cut it down’” (Luke 13:6-9).

 

Here’s an unfruitful tree, but it’s significant what the vineyard worker did: HE WORKED ON THE SOIL!

 

We don’t look at our own yards in the Spring and say with a sigh of resignation: “I’ve got weeds in the flower bed and a dead spot in the grass. I’ll just learn to live with it.” No, we fertilize and water. We dig and soften the soil. And amazingly, hard soil is softened and grass grows. Weeds are pulled and flowers flourish.

 

Let’s apply the same principle to those in our lives. Water their soil and soften their hearts with gracious words and loving actions. Have ongoing conversations in which you can be a faithful witness to the power of Christ over worries and His abundance over worldly things. When you stay connected, investing in their lives, God uses you to change the soil. Just as the soil in your yard can be changed, the soul of a person can be changed.

 

So, keep sharing Christ. And keep fertilizing.

Wrap It Up

If we’ve got a solid bucket list, it’s likely we’ll never make it to the end before our lives are over. But let’s make sure we keep sowing the seed of the gospel and keep that first on our list of things to strive for.

 

 

Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Sower highlights four different responses to the gospel. The seed is “the word of the kingdom.” The hard ground represents someone who is hardened by sin; he hears but does not understand the Word, and Satan plucks the message away, keeping the heart dull and preventing the Word from making an impression. The stony ground pictures a man who professes delight with the Word; however, his heart is not changed, and when trouble arises, his so-called faith quickly disappears. The thorny ground depicts one who seems to receive the Word, but whose heart is full of riches, pleasures, and lusts; the things of this world take his time and attention away from the Word, and he ends up having no time for it. The good ground portrays the one who hears, understands, and receives the Word—and then allows the Word to accomplish its result in his life. The man represented by the “good ground” is the only one of the four who is truly saved, because salvation’s proof is fruit (Matthew 3:7-8; 7:15-20).

 

To summarize the point of the Parable of the Sower: “A man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.” A secondary lesson would be “Salvation is more than a superficial, albeit joyful, hearing of the gospel. Someone who is truly saved will go on to prove it.” May our faith and our lives exemplify the "good soil" in the Parable of the Sower.