28. Soils 2

[Pastor Ralph]

Please share your thoughts on one or more of the questions in this lesson. 

[Katy]

Q1.Satan is represented in verse 12,by the birds. The seed which is the Word of God falls on the path which is hard because people walked on it, therefore the seed sat on top of the hard soil and didn’t penetrate the soil. Then Satan rushes in to snatch away the seed just in case the seed would take root,  and flourish and the person become a follower of Jesus. The soil represents unbelievers who hear the word of God and are unreceptive and have closed minds.

Q2.These people hear the Word of God and are joyful and are happy to hear and believe but their faith doesn’t flourish, they don’t go on and study and pray so they have no deep roots into Jesus, they don’t get to know Him personally. Unfortunately when times of difficulty and hardships comes into their lives they don’t turn to Jesus and they fall away because they have no roots.

Q3.I think Worries, riches, and pleasure can be equally dangerous because they can do the same thing in peoples lives. If we are taken up with worry and anxiety we are not trusting God to help us, and to walk with us through the problem. We are not keeping our eyes focused on God we are distracted by earthly problems. Riches can also distract us from the things of God. We can become absorbed with accumulating more and more riches . This can lead us to a belief that we don’t need God. We may just be to busy to think of the things of God. Pleasure seeking May lead us away from God ! We may know that what we are doing is not pleasing to God and turn away because of a guilty conscience. We may be so taken us with amusing ourselves that we have no thought of God, and our lives become spiritually fruitless and barren.

Q4.I don’t know. Only God knows. Genesis 18v 25b Will not the judge of all the earth do right? We have to leave these people to God to judge, only He know what is really going on in their hearts. If we feel someone is not doing what is right, we can pray and ask God to help them. 
 

Q5. A disciple who loves the Lord and longs to serve Him in a meaningful way. One who study’s God’s word, daily spends times in prayer,  is faithful to their church and elders, loves to show God’s love to others in practical ways, and who speaks to others about their Lord and Saviour.

Q6.There are two reasons Jesus told this parable: the first reason He told it was to encourage us to be faithful in telling others about Jesus but also to show us that not everyone who hears will immediately believe everything we have told them. Every time we tell someone about Jesus it is like a link in a chain hopefully many links will eventually lead them to accepting Jesus as Saviour. If we understand this it can help us not to be disappointed that someone we think are interested in what we told them, doesn’t make any commitment. The second reason Jesus told this parable was to help us to look at our lives and to diagnose how genuine are we? Are we following Jesus closely, quietly, faithfully, or are we halfhearted, pretenders, or hypocrites! May the Lord help us to genuinely evaluate our walk with Him!

 

[hanks]

1. How is the devil active when seed is sown, according to Jesus? What is the devil trying to prevent, according to verse 12?

The devil is active in preventing a person from understanding the truth of the gospel, and he does this by snatching the message out of their hearts, so that they will not believe and be saved. To have any chance of redemption they must first hear the gospel, have a basic understanding of who Jesus is, and be aware of their sinful state and their need of forgiveness. He snatches these basic truths out of their hearts: that all have sinned (Rom 3:23); that the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23); that Jesus died to pay the penalty for their sins (Rom 5:8); and God’s promise of forgiveness and eternal life (John 3:16). He does this through pride, through doubt, through prejudice, through stubbornness, through the love of sin, through the embarrassment of being identified with Jesus Christ, and through false teachers who attack the gospel. These are hard-hearted and stiff-necked people who are callous with no conviction, no repentance, no faith, and absolutely no interest in the gospel at all.

[hanks]

2. Why, according to verse 13, do some people demonstrate "flash-in-the-pan Christianity"? What is the problem with them?

These people respond emotionally to the message, and then quickly lose interest and do not continue. Perhaps they had heard that following Jesus would magically solve all their problems and that Jesus offers an abundant life. Besides having all their problems solved, they were thinking prosperity, health, wealth, and happiness. At first, they seem to be zealous for the Lord, and even seem to be making rapid progress in the faith. But then, trials and problems hit, and because their faith was based more on emotion than on truth, they have no deep roots into the Word. Consequently, they fall away. They believed for a while, but as Jesus explained their roots didn’t go very deep, so when difficulty comes, they do not persevere. Trials and tribulations can deepen the roots of a true Christian, but it only exposes the shallowness of the false Christian. It’s not that they lost their salvation; it’s that they never truly were saved in the first place. In John 8:31, Jesus said that “If you continue in My word, then you’re My real disciple.” True believers are those who persevere – these only believed for a while.

[hanks]

3. Which of the thorns that Jesus mentions in verse 14 do you think is the most dangerous? Worries, riches, or pleasure? Why do you think so?

These people are the ones that come the closest to salvation, but then the worries, riches, and pleasures are like weeds in a garden that choke out the Word and prevents them from producing the fruit of the spirit. They professes to believe in Jesus, but their heart is divided - they want the best of both worlds – they are still drawn to what this world has to offer. They are not fully committed to seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Instead, they are trying to serve two masters, but in reality they are really serving mammon, not God. I don’t think the Bible condemns riches or pleasures as such, but it does condemn living for riches and pleasures (1 Tim 6:9-10). Personally, I think the most dangerous to our faith, is worry. It can leave you in a state of deep depression and it can fuel your feeling of doubt – it can grip you and leave you powerless and unable to function properly. Alienating you from our Heavenly Father. As a Christian we are taught not to worry or be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Phil 4:6). In Pet 5:7 we are told that God cares for us and we are to turn all your worries over to Him. We are to trust Him fully; spirit, soul, and body, not only for our salvation but also for the direction of our lives (Prov 3:5-6). Scripture teaches us that we should bring all of our needs and concerns to God in prayer rather than worry about them. Even those who truly know Christ must continually pull out these weeds. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them” (1 John 2:15).

[hanks]

4. Here's a controversial, but important question: Can verse 14 describe true believers?

I know that the first soil represents those who are lost (they immediately rejected the gospel), and that the fourth soil represents those who are saved.

But, when it comes to the second soil (those who too quickly accepted the gospel), and the third soil (those who accepted the gospel but fizzled out over a longer period), I’m not so sure that they are all unbelievers. They are not saved, that is born again, for we cannot be un-born that is lose our salvation.

Initially, one finds that the common factor among these first three soils is that none of them bear fruit. Some look promising for a while, but there was no fruit because they were never truly saved and are unbelievers. Perhaps our Lord Jesus was not telling us the parable to distinguish between believers and unbelievers, and it might be a bit harsh in judging them as not being believers. The kind of believer that pleases God is the one that thoughtfully hears the gospel, understands its implications, and then consistently grows and matures, and which bears fruit as a result. So, we should give the third soil (“thorny soil”) person the benefit of doubt as they could be on the journey of salvation and have not yet reached full maturity, being in the process of being sanctified and eventually in the long run, will repent and put their full trust in Jesus and be regenerated. I have heard several pastors say that the churches today have as a majority the “thorny soil” person in their congregation. They could fizzle out over a long period, but how do we know that they have been going through a very rough time and that in the end they will endure and bear fruit. They will eventually reach full maturity and start bearing fruit. We cannot know or judge a person’s heart only God can do that. We don’t know. One could say they have not been truly saved, born again, regenerated, but they are still believers?

[hanks]

5. Even good soil can have factors that hinder growth in various parts of the field, or make some areas grow taller and fuller wheat. What factors make a disciple especially good soil for the growth of the word?

To start with the disciple should have an honest and good heart, made so through the miracle of regeneration. It's all honest and all good with no hypocrisy, no rock bed underneath, and no weeds here. A well-prepared heart with a hunger and thirst after righteousness, and a true understanding of the gospel. In Matthew 13:23 Jesus talks about the good soil and He says, "It's those who hear and understand the Word." The heart is so well prepared that there is a true understanding and acceptance of the gospel, both its message of sin and judgment as well as grace and eternal life.

Besides having an honest and good heart the disciple should not only be hearers but also doers of the Word. They feed continuously on the Word so that it confronts their sin, it challenges their wrong attitudes, and it shows them how to live a life in a manner that is pleasing to God. They do not conform to this world, but are continuously being transformed by the renewing of their mind (Rom 12:2), as they discover the truths of God. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8-9). Jesus told His disciples that He has explained the secrets about God's kingdom to them (Luke 8:10); the wisdom that had been hidden and has been destined for their glory before time began. As it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, No mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:7-9).

Another factor is that of bearing fruit with perseverance. This is the disciple who perseveres under any trial, under any temptation, under any pressure, and under any difficulty. They persevered, unlike the false disciples who showed their unbelief by leaving the Christian fellowship: “They went out from us because they were not of us” (1 John 2:19). True faith always has the quality of permanence, they are truly born again and cannot lose their salvation. Jesus said, "If you continue in My Word then you're My real disciple" (John 8:31), and continued to say that “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). Unlike the Jews who did not know the truth, and were in the bondage of ignorance, error, sin, law, and superstition. Those who truly know the Lord Jesus are delivered from sin, they walk in the light, and are led by the Holy Spirit of God. Of the four soils they are the only ones that bear fruit. This is seen in their attitudes of love, joy, peace, faith, meekness, gentleness, goodness - their love for God, their love for Christ, their love for others, the joy in trials, and the peace in tribulation. Their life will be filled with all the fruits of righteousness (Phil 1:11).

[hanks]

6. Why do you think Jesus told the Parable of the Soils?

Early in His ministry Jesus spoke in simple analogies that everybody could understand, but from this time on He spoke to the crowds only in parables (Matt 13:34). But as soon as you lengthen the analogy and you begin to tell a story, on the one hand you immediately obscure the meaning in the story. The story could mean all kinds of things, and it demands an explanation. So, from now on the teachings of Jesus would be hidden from unbelievers and revealed only to believers. As His ministry moved on, He began to speak in more prolonged stories, prolonged illustrations and analogies, and these He explained to His disciples. This is a monumental turning point which started with the telling of the Parable of the Soils. Judgment has fallen on Israel and that judgment is seen in the fact that they can no longer understand their own Messiah. We see this in 1 Cor 14:21, where Israel had rejected God’s message and had mocked it - He would then only speak to them in a language they wouldn’t understand. Also in Isa 28:11, with foreign lips and strange tongues God will speak to His people who had rejected Him. “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand’” (Luke 8:10). Jesus did not withhold anything which the people were both eager and able to understand. Mark clearly tells us that Jesus taught the crowds all they could handle: “With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand” (Mark 4:33). This Parable gives us an understanding why people respond the way they do to the gospel, and in that way helps us to fulfil the great commission.

[Irmela]

1. How is the devil active when seed is sown, according to Jesus?

What is the devil trying to prevent, according to verse 12?

When seed is sown, i. e. when the Word of God is spoken, be it to one person, or to a crowd of people, that Word falls somewhere. In verse 5 and verse 12 we are made aware of one set of hearers, viz., those where the seed is snatched away immediately. The devil, in this instance, represented by birds, pecks at that seed immediately. It scarcely has time to lie on the hard trodden ground, before it is snatched away. We are made aware that the devil scarcely allows the seed to fall down. It is like an immediate removal of it. The hearer has no chance to ponder on the Word so as to later maybe reflect  on it. It is gone. 

We also have the picture of the seed being trampled under foot. So not only does it get snatched away but also be made to be nothing. Here the picture seems to show the Word to be spoken of but excuses made to try and prove it to be not worth to be taken in. 

[Irmela]

2. Why, according to verse 13, do some people demonstrate "flash-in-the-pan Christianity"? What is the problem with them?

In verse 5 and verse 13 we are made aware of soil that  is above a slab of rock through which roots cannot penetrate. There is no crack through which the root can wend its way. The soil might be a few mm or inches deep, which means the seed would grow a bit, but would then wither and die, because there was no further fertility or water in the soil. This would be eager followers of the Word but because the roots could not get firmly inbedded in the soil they would soon stop their eagerness and forget what was so relevant and important and would leave the seed to die and not bring about a complete change. 

[Irmela]

3. Which of the thorns that Jesus mentions in verse 14 do you think is the most dangerous? Worries, riches, or pleasure? Why do you think so?

Verse 7 and 14 speak about the seed that fell among thorns. Identifying these to be worries, riches or pleasures of this world. I personally think those three elements are very much entertwined.  

If you are beguiled by pleasures, the worry comes hand in hand, how do you pay for that (riches). This then keeps one so occupied that the (Good News) seed that was sown soon gets no chance to develop(by reading the Word and prayer). Instead it gets choked. 

[Irmela]

4. Here's a controversial, but important question: Can verse 14 describe true believers?

That is not easily answered. Who are we to judge. There is fruit, but it doesn't come to maturity and perfection. 

I too am sometimes overwhelmed by cares and worries of certain things. It does feel like i am being choked by these circumstances. It is by God's grace alone that I keep on. 

Ultimately it is He Who decides Who are true believers. I love Him with my whole being. He knows my heart. 

[Irmela]

 

Why do you think Jesus told the Parable of the Soils?

Many people came to listen to Jesus. Basically you could place these hearers in four categories. 

From early on Jesus makes us aware to sow the seed. If it will grow to bear fruit depends on the 'soil' of the listener. The seed remains the same. The hearers are different. 

[Irmela]

5. Even good soil can have factors that hinder growth in various parts of the field, or make some areas grow taller and fuller wheat. What factors make a disciple especially good soil for the growth of the word?

When the Word that is heard is held onto (retained). When the person clings to the Word, when he perseveres in the Word, he is strengthened and surrounded by it. Then the cares, worries and riches of the world cannot penetrate and consume or choke him. 

[Bailey]

Bailey Greeting 7/24/21                     How is the devil active when seed is sown, according to Jesus?  What is the devil trying to prevent?                                         The devil hates converts! His goal to seek, kill and destroy. Like a new convert or saint, they must come willingly and be receptive to what they do with the new seeds of life they are hearing or receiving.  It now becomes do they really want to be planted or just be a weed, if willing they will grow and thrive, if not they will not allow anyone to water them. Their must also be a hunger to learn about the kingdom, receive it and believe it. Do they know that without this food they will truly die.  It is a choose. The devil will try to kill this flower, unless the flower fights back and grows.  It must be strong to fight. We also must remain strong as disciples to help water this flower, don't let it die.  Keep the word ever present and maybe a verse of scripture or a song, words of encouragement.  The final and really final decision will be theirs. Continue to pray for them and bless them.

[Old Jerry]

How is the devil active when seed is sown, according to Jesus? What is the devil trying to prevent, according to verse 12?

 

A. The devil is taking away the seed so that it can’t grow. He is trying to prevent people from seeing the great God that we have.

 

Why, according to verse 13, do some people demonstrate "flash-in-the-pan Christianity"? What is the problem with them?

 

A. The problem with them is that they see what a great God we have but they think that they are being restricted from some of the things that they think are good things in this life.

 

Which of the thorns that Jesus mentions in verse 14 do you think is the most dangerous? Worries, riches, or pleasure? Why do you think so?

 

A. I think that riches is the most dangerous of the thorns that Jesus mentions. Some people will do anything to gain riches and suppress those that don’t have much.

 

Here's a controversial, but important question: Can verse 14 describe true believers?

 

A. It could, but the problem is that they get distracted by the worldly things.

 

Even good soil can have factors that hinder growth in various parts of the field, or make some areas grow taller and fuller wheat. What factors make a disciple especially good soil for the growth of the word?

 

A. One who reads and understands the word of God is able to go out and make disciples.

Why do you think Jesus told the Parable of the Soils?

 

A. He wanted the listeners to know that not everybody they witness to will accept the word of God.

[kreilly]

On 4/2/2021 at 9:33 AM, Katy said:

 

Q6.There are two reasons Jesus told this parable: the first reason He told it was to encourage us to be faithful in telling others about Jesus but also to show us that not everyone who hears will immediately believe everything we have told them. Every time we tell someone about Jesus it is like a link in a chain hopefully many links will eventually lead them to accepting Jesus as Saviour. If we understand this it can help us not to be disappointed that someone we think are interested in what we told them, doesn’t make any commitment. The second reason Jesus told this parable was to help us to look at our lives and to diagnose how genuine are we? Are we following Jesus closely, quietly, faithfully, or are we halfhearted, pretenders, or hypocrites! May the Lord help us to genuinely evaluate our walk with Him!

 

Thank you for this reminder that we need to persevere in sharing the Gospel and not give up.  We need not be upset if we don't see the fruit immediately and we are not the ones being rejected, we just need to be faithful to share the good news!

[Nana Karlsson]

6. Jesus told the parable of the soils for two reasons :

One is to encourage the seed sower ( believers) to share the good news of the Gospel by faith and also to have an understanding that the word will not grow in all those who hear it but only in those who receive it eargerly and whole heartedly.

The second reason is to stimulate hearers to diagnosis their own quality of hearing the word. The process of self examination and an attempt at self diagnosis, help us disciples take more seriously our role as hearers and learners, self deceived dabblers in religious matters.

[Godswriter]

Q. How is the devil active when seed is sown, according to Jesus? What is the devil trying to prevent, according to verse 12?

A. I believe that the devil is involved by being the very one who removes the seed of the Word of the Lord and replace it with the love of the world and everything that includes with it.

Q.  Why, according to verse 13, do some people demonstrate "flash-in-the-pan Christianity"? What is the problem 

A. These are the ones who are over emotional that is because they are the ones who are not really thinking about their decision to become a believer because they think they are just going to have an easy life once they become a believer. However they don't realize how bad things are going to be and how it affects them and that as things get harder; they start to question their decision that they made. So then they believe that the Lord doesn't care about their lives and decisions that they make. 

Q. Which of the thorns that Jesus mentions in verse 14 do you think is the most dangerous? Worries, riches, or pleasure? Why do you think so?

A. I believe that it truly depends on each person and their circumstances. I believe this because not everyone has the same situation or experiences that they go through.

Q. Here's a controversial, but important question: Can verse 14 describe true believers?

A. Yes it can because even true believers can and will sometimes allow these things to crowd out their lives with the these things.

Q. Even good soil can have factors that hinder growth in various parts of the field, or make some areas grow taller and fuller wheat. What factors make a disciple especially good soil for the growth of the word?

A.  Their willingness to listen to the Lord and choose to obey the Lord instead of distrust the Lord and not obey Him.

Q. Why do you think Jesus told the Parable of the Soils?

A. I believe it was to remind the disciples that they need to continually rely on the Lord.

[George L]

According to Luke 8:1, what was the content of Jesus' message? The glad tidings of the kingdom of God

Why didn't he skip the smallest villages? Mat 4:43 “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.”

What do you think Jesus' critics said about the women who traveled with Jesus' band continually? They may have whispered in private, but rich well politically connected women are a force today and were then. It would becunwise to bring their ire to oneself. Why do you think Jesus allowed it? Ls.  he was a Rabi anf did not breal the law. Custom was a Rabi  spoke to his wife and women of his family. Do you think he encouraged it? Yes Why? Because they could speak the good news to the women of every town visited.

Why did the women respond as they did to healing? In their culture there was little care available to them. Many of their isdues became unclean conditions and so they were essentially cast out of their own society.

What was the women's chief motivation for contributing financially to support Jesus' mission? It encased them in protective covering to continue the termendous effectual ministry to the women by their wittness and the word.

How can we be responsible to save for retirement and still give generously to Jesus' work? The whole is the seed planting principle. Plant seed into ministries God puts on your heart. When the 30, 60, 100 fold increase comes, continue to bless and reinvest in God’s kingdom work. Full corn in the ear uf corn mot wheat id 12 to 20+ rows of 50 or more fully formed kernels. So 600 : 1 is a low yield in God’s true plan.