5/10/09 Parable of the Sower1. MotivateWhat do you do to keep your house plants alive?- water- plant food- sufficient light- protect from the cold - give them enough potting soil (not root bound)- talk to them, say nice things- buy plastic plants!2. TransitionJesus uses an object lesson about plants and farming.- He makes a spiritual application- What makes for good spiritual growth?3. Bible Study3.1 Truth Offered to AllListen for different kinds of treatments which affect plant growth.Mark 4:3-9 (NIV) "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. [4] As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. [5] Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. [6] But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. [7] Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up andchoked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. [8] Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew andproduced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." [9] Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Who do you think Jesus was implying for the meaning of the symbol of the farmer?- preacher- teacher- someone who shares the gospelWhat do you think the “seed” symbolized?- the gospel message- the good news of salvation- Truth about who God is, what He wants to do in your lifeInto what various places did the seed fall?- along the path- rocky places- among thorns- good soil15/10/09 Parable of the SowerWhat happened to the seed in these four locations? - seed along the path, birds ate it- seed on rocky places, not much soil, sun scorched, withered the young plant- seed among thorns, young plant choked, didn’t bear- seed on good soil, grew up to produce healthy cropYou have not heard the gospel message before and someone comes and givesyou the good news of John 3:16. Why has this “seed” been snatched away?  you cannot understand this language (Malay)Consider that even if people speak English, we sometimes use religious jargonwhich has little meaning to the hearer.What other events snatch the “seed” of God’s words away before they can even make an impression on one’s heart and mind?- distractions when someone is listening to a sermon (crying baby, cell phone goes off)- distractions when you are reading the Bible (kids, telephone)- interruptions during a service- a “quiet time” that ends up being noisy- difficulty in reading/understanding the words on the page (eyesight, lighting)What are some “thorns” that tend to choke out a person’s faith in the words of God?- worries about finances, economy- worries about children, grandchildren, aging parents- interest in getting more stuff- pursuit of hobbies- drive for climbing the corporate ladderWhat circumstances have a tendency to “scorch” someone’s trust in scriptural Truth?- ridicule from peers- depression- discouragement- loss of loved one- illness3.2 Insight when You Seek TruthListen for why Jesus spoke in parables.Mark 4:10-12 (NIV) When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. [11] He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables [12] so that, " 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and everhearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'" 2“Karena Allah begitu mengasihi manusia di dunia ini, sehingga Ia memberikan Anak-Nya yang tunggal, supaya setiap orang yang percaya kepada-Nya tidak binasa, melainkan mendapat hidup sejati dan kekal.”5/10/09 Parable of the SowerHow did the disciples respond to the Parable of the Four Soils?- they asked Jesus about the parables- they wanted an explanation- from Jesus answer, they may have also been wondering about why Jesus used parablesHow did Jesus defend His use of parables? - this is how knowledge of secrets of God’s kingdom is communicated- you hear, listen, understand, heed and understand even more- those who rebel do not, they understand less and less- their understanding actually declines, the more they rebel, the more they reject TruthHow do stories and illustrations help us to understand more clearly the message of the Bible?- more than just theological facts- we see it in context- we see how it applies to real life situations- easier to pay attention to a story- the story can accomplish a confrontation without being obviously confrontationalWhy do you think Jesus considered Isaiah’s words relevant to His preaching about the kingdom of God?- this was a timeless reality- God has always made Truth available- people respond to it in a variety of ways- ultimately, they either accept or rejectKnowing that most of the men in the crowd were farmers and Jesus used an illustration from farming, why did many in the audience not understand His message?- all they saw was the basic story- they did not get the implications behind the story- they were listening with skepticism- the Truth went right over their headsWhy do you think Jesus explained the “secret” only to his disciples and not to the crowdsin general?- they were open to Truth- they would be on the giving or preaching end of the situation in days ahead3.3 Growth when You Receive TruthListen for the symbolism of the story explained.Mark 4:13-20 (NIV) Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? [14] The farmer sows the word. [15] Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. [16] Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. [17] But 35/10/09 Parable of the Sowersince they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. [18] Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; [19] but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word,making it unfruitful. [20] Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." According to verse 13, what problem did this exchange bring up? - you have to see God’s Truth in the meaning of the parable- this parable is about this very concept,