Sowing On Good Ground

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

July 17, 2023

in Spritual Growth

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July 16, 2023

7th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Readings: Isaiah 55:1-5, 10-13
Romans 8:9-17
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Scripture today speaks to us about ourselves. They may be explained to us in an agricultural manner because it talks about how we are to grow and how God has intended our lives to be. The Parable of the Sower- Jesus teaches His disciples on how to receive this message. The Sower is Jesus or Ministers who sow the Word of God. The seed that is sown is powerful. It is living and abiding. It is the Word of God and it is imperishable. Colossians 1: 5-6 “because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which is come unto you; even as it is also in all the world bearing fruit and increasing, as it doth in you also, since the day ye heard and knew the grace of God in truth.” The Word of God works constantly. It should cause us to change from glory to glory. 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

The Seed comes from Him and is perfect. It has the power that gives us the ability. The problem is not the seed but the ground. Proverbs 24:31 “Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.” This is showing the heart of a man who has neglected the Word.

Jesus shares 4 different kinds of ground:

The Highway Ground – there are gaps in between the road, and the soil becomes very hard. When the heart of man hardens, he cannot receive the Word of God. These are people who go to church for the wrong intentions.

The Stony Ground- there are stones and rocks on the ground, and the roots are not deep. The seed does not grow because there is no soil underneath for nourishment. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 “but examine everything; hold firmly to that which is good.”

Hebrews 6:4-6 “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” We are the soil. And if we are not properly prepared, we will not produce. If the soil is shallow, the seed will not grow. We may think things are going well, but since we do not have enough depth, we will find difficulty when we are faced with problems. Philippians 1:12 “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

The Thorny Ground- where the weeds are and they will choke out the seed and not cause it to grow. The roots should be uprooted and be replaced with the roots of the Kingdom. The thorns represent the many concerns of man. Hebrews 6:8 “But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.”

The Good Soil – God’s Word will not return to Him void. It’s our responsibility to be faithful and maintain the soil, so that we can produce life and grow. This is what the Word can do if we put our confidence in God. The seed planted is meant to bring forth fruit. Faithfully we are here to have an understanding that our hearts should be prepared. If our soil is healthy, we will yield a harvest. We are the recipients, therefore we have the control. It all depends on us as the recipients. 1 Corinthians 12:4 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.”

We have been given gifts so that we can use them to share with others. We are workers with Christ. We help Him plant and sow the seed on deep ground, making sure the principles are what God wants us to have. When we’ve conquered in one area, then we move on to another area to conquer. We need to establish ourselves in the nourishment of the Seed of God.