The Sower

Elton DeSilva www.EasTview.org
Matthew 13:1-2
You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,

Elton:
Parables are good stories for children.
He told us stories that his hearers could understand.
1. Generosity.  Farmers were very selective about where they scattered their seed. God is generous
2. The seed was willing to produce. It was fertile.
3. The story is about types of soil.
Path. Farmers left a 3 ft path that got packed. The word cannot sprout in those hearts. We may have been stepped on. We may have had horrible family situations. We have experiences of hurt.
Knowledge understanding wisdom, Brings fruit.
All of us get knowledge but not all get understanding. We need to recognize that the fault is not the seed. The hearts.
Shallow soil. Lives that are unwilling to go deep. It takes energy. We may be unwilling to go deep. What do you do about this message today? Shallow relationships lead to one step forward two steps back. Are you sick of being sick? Dig deeper. God says seek me with all your hearts and you'll find me.
Sow with tears to reap with Joy. You must wait to reap with joy.
Busy soil. We are often too busy. The seed dies. If you had a slightly bigger house I would be happy? I'm okay with a dirty car.
We fill our lives with so many things. FB Twitter and all kinds of things fill our lives and we take no time for God.
Good Soil. How do we get there? It might hurt. The soil has to be turned. Clean up the rocks. Get rid of bitterness and unforgiveness. The sower wants to clean up your heart
Let him.
If we've been hurt and abused and stepped on, surrender everything to God. Stop and let God to help you grow.