I. God established the principle of sowing and reaping.

A. Some basic principles.

1. To reap, we must sow.

2. To sow, we need good ground.

3. Reaping always follows sowing.

4. We reap what we sow.

5. We reap where we sow.

6. We reap in proportion to that we sow

7. We, most often, reap more than we sow.

B. Some basic Scriptures.

"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease" (Genesis 8:22).

"For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear"  (Mark 4:28).

II. The Significance of the Word. (THE SEED)

See: Significance of the Word

A. God created the world through the Word. "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" (Hebrews 11:3).

B. We may receive healing through the Word. "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions" (Psalms 107:20).

C. We are to live by the bread of the Word. "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).

D. We are born again through the Word. "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (I Peter 1:23-25).

E. We are built up and receive our inheritance by the Word. Paul said, "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified" (Acts 20:32).

F. We receive faith through the Word. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).

G. When we mediate on the Word, others can see the benefit in our lives. "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all" (I Timothy 4:15).

H. We are to drink of the milk of the Word so that we may grow. "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (I Peter 2:2).

I. We are to grow into maturity though the Word. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (II Timothy 3:16-17).

J. The Word can give us more understanding that all our teachers.  "I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation" (Psalms 119:99).

K. The Word can make us wiser than our enemies. "Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me" (Psalms 119:98).

L. The Word can give us more understanding that our ancestors.  "I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts" (Psalms 119:100).

III. Preparation to receive the Word.

Introduction:

God is the sower and the Word is the seed that is sown and WORD is sown on four different types of ground. The sower, in one sense, may seem to be blind because he sows on all four types of ground. In one sense the parable of the sower maybe should be titled the parable of the grounds.

NOTE: We as Believers are also to sow the seed of the Word of God and again, it also may fall on any for the 4 types of grounds that we are to look at. The mystery is that many times, we just don't know what type of ground that we are sowing on. God does not always the type of ground to us.

In the day of Jesus, the property of people would have often been divided by what we would call a fence line. Today in here in Texas we often have a line of ceder fence posts about 8 to 10 feet apart with welded wire or with barbed wire strung between the posts. The fence keeps your neighbor's cows out of your pasture. However, in the time of Jesus, it may well have been a row or mound of rocks that divided one man's  property from the property of another man. There are three reference to this parable Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 12.

A. BEATEN PATH. (way side) People didn't want to trample on their crop, so they would walk at the edge of the property near the fence line and thus pack the ground making it hard and unusable unless it was plowed. In the modern world of farm machinery, it is called a turnrow. I have worked on a farm and the ground around the edge of the field that is packed by farm machinery becomes almost as hard as a rock.

"When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side" (Matthew 13:19). "And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts"  (Mark 4:15). "Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved" (Luke 8:12).  I highlighted the word "heareth" for emphasis.

*** I see the beaten path like people that are so busy in life that though they have some exposure to the Word of God, they don"t have time to stop and listen and understand it. The busier that an individual becomes, the wider the path becomes until it takes up the whole field. Note: Satan quickly steals away the Word from the heart of the individual. This can be true of both of believers and unbelievers. If you don"t t have time to spend listening to and taking time to understand the Word, the devil will come and steal it from you. Since faith comes through the Word, you may also have some major struggles in your life because of the lack of faith. You need to take time to plow up the beaten path to receive the seed. The ground needs to be plowed with big deep running breaking plow or moldboard plow. 

"Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you" (Hosea 10:12).

B. THE THORNY GROUND. Each year birds or wind might bring seed that would produce thorns or thorny weeds in the field. The thorns would grow along with the grain. In the day of Jesus, after the harvest each year, the farmer might burn the stubble to get rid of the thorns. If this didn"t happen, the field would be full of thorns when the farmer came to sow his field the next planting season. 

"He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful" (Matthew 13:22). "And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful" (Mark 4:18-19). "And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection" (Luke 8:14).

* Now this is like people who hear the Word, but become so concerned with everyday cares of life, the deceitfulness of trying get rich, the lust for other things, and the pleasures of this life, that their time and energy is used up and choke their time to spend in the Word. Therefore, the plant may began to grow, but soon the plant is choked out and the fruit, if any, dies on the stalk. The thorns can be: Sports, working all the time to get rich, family affairs, television, internet games, Facebook, and even ministry. This is not to say that we are never to watch television or be on Facebook.

"For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns" (Jeremiah 4:3). We can't have two gods! Jesus said that we would love one and hate the other. 

The Good News: Here is an Old Testament reference to the new Covenant that believers have in Christ. "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you" (Ezekiel 36:25). We can repent and God will cleanse us. 

Jesus called the church of Laodicea (the church age of today) to repent. "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent"  (Revelation 3:19). The church said that it didn't need anything, but didn't know that it was in need of everything.

C. THE ROCKY GROUND I have personally plowed ground on rocky fields. My Uncle had such a field that I helped work. It would seem that one year I would carry off rocks, but the next year, other rocks would surface as though the field would be growing rocks. If the rocks are not removed from the field, the field would become unfarmable. 

"Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended" (Matthew 13:21). "And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness. And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended" (Mark 4:16 -17). "They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away" (Luke 8:13). 

* We are all faced with tribulations and been tempted to be offended by trauma experiences and the way that other people treat us. Jesus said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Some of us are mocked, made fun of, and persecuted because we believe in the Word. If we get our feelings hurt and become offended, our hearts become harden like a rock. We may also loose faith in God and His Word. We need to break up the big rocks and remove them out of our lives. We also need to rooted in the WORD of God. When I counsel, I generally start with some basic foundational truths from the Word and am amazed at the people who think that they are grounded in the Word, but their roots are shallow. They uprooted when even the slightest tribulations come. 

We need to be rooted in Jesus and find our identity in Jesus. The good news is that Jesus is come to heal broken hearted and those who have had blows to their identity. (Luke 4:18-19). God wants to replace our hard heart with a tender heart, one that is sensitive to the feelings of others. However, we must obey the Word to forgive those who have offended us, seek forgiveness ourselves for our own unforgiveness, and kick the enemy out, and receive healing.

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26).

D. GOOD GROUND. Every farmer that has any common sense would want good ground at the time of planting. It would be ground that had been plowed and been cleansed of thorns and cleansed of rocks. It would be ground that would readily receive the seed to be planted. 

"But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (Matthew 13:23). "And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred" (Mark 4:20). "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience"  (Luke 8:15).

Looking at the various Scriptures: good ground would be individuals.

1. Hears the Word and understands it.

2. Hears the Word and receives it.

3. Those who are honest (good) and have a good heart.

4. Those that hear the Word and keeps (hold fast to) it.

5. Those who have the patience to bring forth fruit. (We don't plant one day and expect a harvest the next.)

These bring forth some thirty fold, some sixty fold, and some one hundred fold. What kind of ground are you???

IV. Eight steps of growth through the Word. (Found in the Beatitudes).

A. "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). This is coming to the end of self and giving our life to Jesus as Lord. 

It is the first step; however, many people never take the first step. Why? The first step is to acknowledge that we are needy. There are three D's. The first D is destitution. Everything is falling apart than can fall apart. The second D is detachment from self. This means that we have come to the end of our rope and there is nothing left to hold to. The good news is just around the corner. The third D is dependence. When we will let go and depend upon God, we enter into kingdom living.

B. "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:5). This is crying out to God for emotional healing.

I grew up in a denominational church which camped on the first step, but little or nothing was said about the second step. The second step speaks of emotional healing. It is essential to get the first step down, but we should move on to the second step. Jesus indeed came to save the lost; however, there are things which accompany that salvation. Where there is discomfort, there is pain. Jesus also came to heal the brokenhearted. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18-19). Although, I was saved at the age of nine, it was not until about thirty three years later that I learned about the healing of emotional wounds. I often work with individuals who have accumulated wound upon wound for many, many years. They need emotional healing. The promise is that they will be comforted. We all need healing! The Healing For The Emotions

C. "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5. This is learning to submit to the authority which God has set over us.

To have authority, one must submit to authority. Meekness is not weakness, but strength submitted to authority. I think of a big stallion with rippling muscles that will turn with the gentle tug of the reins. Maturing is a process of learning to submit to the authority. "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake" (Romans 13:1-5). Even Jesus exhibited the trait of meekness. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11:29). Look at what Peter says, "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time" (I Peter 5:5-6). Nebuchadnezzar, the king, had to learn this lesson the hard way. (Daniel 4:1-33). God warned him, but in pride, he said, "Look at this great kingdom that I have built for myself." He was driven from his kingdom and became a wild man living in the wild with the beasts of the field. His hair grew out like eagles' feathers and his fingernails like eagles' claws. Then after 7 years, when he came to himself, he looked up to God and submitted himself to the authority of God. God then gave his kingdom back to him and even added to it.

D. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). This is being motivated to do right.

We NEED to recognize we should live a righteous life, but also realize that we can not accomplish that in and of ourselves. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (Isaiah 55:1). This is  a picture of God's GRACE. ***To mature is to recognize that our righteousness comes by faith in Jesus, the Righteous one. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (II Corinthians 5:21). We, as Believers, need to see ourselves as being made righteous. A second aspect of this is to get a clear conscience. Paul asserted, "And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men" (Acts 24:16). Paul made sure that no one could point their finger at him and say, "You have wronged me and haven't done anything to make it right." A third aspect is to learn to live a righteous life by the grace of God. "And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them" (Ezekiel 36:27). The expression "they shall be filled" speaks of being satisfied to the fullest.

E. "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7). This is a positive change of attitude toward others.

As the Believer continues to mature, he begins to recognize that he needs to depend on the mercy of God.  He sees the mercy that God has extended toward himself. Mercy is receiving less punishment than that what we deserve. David said, "For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell" (Psalms 86:13). Jeremiah wrote, "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23). The Believer then also sees that the mercy that he received is connected with the mercy which he extends to others. "With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright" (Psalms 18:25). This is a sign of maturing in the spirit. Furthermore, it is a blessing in return when we fail and God shows His mercy toward us. "Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble" (Psalms 41:1). When we have mercy upon the poor, God blesses us.

F. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). This is an inward change by bringing every thought captive.

This step toward maturity goes a bit deeper. It goes from the outside down into the inside where the thoughts originate. Look at the words of Jesus: "And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man" (Mark 7:20-23). When there is a stronghold in our thoughts, it is difficult to see God clearly. Therefore there is a need to tear down any inward strongholds of the enemy. "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (II Corinthians 10:4-5). We can begin by asking God to show us where the strongholds are: "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts" (Psalms 139:23). See: Prayer of Discovery.

G. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God" (Matthew 5:9). This is bringing peace to others or witnessing.

Once we have peace within, then we can more toward having and sharing that peace with others. Jesus is our peacemaker. "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us" (Ephesians 2:14). On the day of the resurrection Jesus met with the disciples and showed them his hands and side and spoke to them. "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you" (John 20:21). Jesus was saying that the peace offering with God had been made for you and I. However, it goes beyond that. It is peace on the inside. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). When Asa did what was right, commanding the people to obey God, and casting down the strongholds, then God gave him peace both within and without his borders for ten years. (II Chronicles 14:7). See: Taking A Spoil. Once we have peace within, we are free to share the good news of peace with others. "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" (Ephesians 6:15). All too many Believers are still fighting with flesh and blood rather than sharing the gospel of peace. When we come to share the gospel of peace with others, then other people begin to recognize the change in us and call us children of God.

H. "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10).

Paul instructed the young minister, Timothy, "This last Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (II Timothy 3:12). This is a test of our faith!!! Are we willing to suffer for righteousness' sake? "But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ" (I Peter 3:14-16).

I. "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake" (Matthew 5:11).

Again, if we are willing to suffer persecution, then we can see God work in the situation as we put the battle into God's hands. Remember Jehoshaphat when he put the battle into God's hands and saw God turn the three enemies upon themselves. It took Jehoshaphat three days to gather up all the possessions that his enemies left behind. I have found a Biblical principal that when the enemy comes to attack, it is an opportunity to take back a spoil. Remember David and Goliath? The Philistines came to attack the Israelites and take all their possessions, but David, knowing his own covenant relationship with God, looked to see what he could gain from killing Goliath. See: Taking A Spoil.

J. "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (Matthew 5:12). 

This is learning to endure to the end. We shouldn't be surprised at being persecuted for being Believers. We will have a great reward in heaven. Jesus is our example. "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds" (Hebrews 12:2-3).

1. The incorruptible crown for purity. I Corinthians 9:25.

2. The crown of life for being a martyr for Christ. James 1:12.

3. The crown of righteousness for living a righteous life. II Timothy 4:8.

4. The crown of glory for shepherding. I Peter 5:4.

5. The crown of joy for soul winning. Daniel 12:3, Philippians 4:1.

(Then we will honor Jesus by casting our crowns at his feet)

V. Some factors in bearing fruit.

A.  To produce good fruit, we must abide in him. To abide in Him, we must also abide in His Word! This requires Bible study. We can not give to others what we don't have. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15). We need to learn to study and to properly interpret the Scriptures and apply the Scriptures. 

B. We also need to meditate on the Word. Meditation, in one sense, is like holding up a diamond to the light and turning it just slightly to see each of the facets. We are to hold up the Word of God to the light of the Holy Spirit and let Him show us each of the facets of truth. "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success" (Joshua 1:8). Here, God promises as we meditate and obey the Word that He will give us both prosperity and success. Paul wrote to the young minister, Timothy, "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all" (I Timothy 4:15). When we meditate on the Word and apply it in our lives, others will see how much God is blessing us. 

C. Furthermore, when we bear fruit by the spirit of God, the Father is glorified! "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall yebe my disciples" (John 15:8).

Bearing spiritual fruit is also a discipline. It demonstrates the CHARACTER of the individual. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).

1. LOVE (ἀγάπη) = It is a selfless love expressed toward others who may seem to be unlovable, even as Christ so loved us. 

2. JOY (χαρά) = It is choosing to be cheerful and to rejoice in the Lord in the presence of others even in difficult circumstances.

3. PEACE (εἰρήνη) = It is an inward calmness exhibited to others coming out of being focused upon God even in the midst of a storm.

4. LONGSUFFERING (μακροθυμία) = It is a willingness to be patient toward others and endure suffering for an extended time even as Jesus did for us.

5. GENTLENESS (χρηστότης) = It is a moral excellence expressed in acts of kindness that is a benefit to others.

6. GOODNESS (ἀγαθωσύνη)= It is a character trait demonstrated in the beneficial act of giving to meet the needs of others as God gives to us to meet our needs.

7. FAITH (πίστις) = It is being securely established in trusting God and personally expressing that same Godly character of being faithful toward others.

8. GENTLENESS (πρᾳότης)= It is strength that is humbly submitted under the authority of God expressed in gentleness toward others.

9. TEMPERANCE (ἐγκράτεια)= It is self-control over one's own fleshly desires that is demonstrated to others by submitting one's self to the will and power of God.

D. To produce good fruit, we are to abide in the LOVE of Jesus. "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love" (John 15:9). How do we know that the Father loved the Son???

1. The Father birthed Jesus by the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:35).

2. The Father affirmed Jesus at his baptism. (Matthew 3:17).

3. The Father gave Jesus the power of the Holy Spirit to minister. (Luke 4:18).

4. The Father protected Jesus. (Luke 4:28-30).

5. The Father guided Jesus in every way. (John 5:19).

6. The Father even gave to Jesus the words to speak. (John 14:10).

7. The Father communed with Jesus in every situation. (John 5:30).

8. The Father gave Jesus his identity. (John 17:21).

E. Jesus wraps the fruit in our divine, God given, purpose. "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another" (John 15:16-17). Fruit is not just for ourselves, it is for others. Our fruit is meant to minister to others. This comes often through everyday divine encounters. Bruce Wilkinson wrote and excellent little book, "You Are Born For This" about divine encounters.

See: Ministry Principles