Farming God’s Way

Farming God’s Way

⁴ As a large crowd was gathering, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, he said in a parable, ⁵ “A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky devoured it. ⁶ Other seed fell on the rock; when it grew up, it withered away, since it lacked moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with it and choked it. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good ground; when it grew up, it produced fruit: a hundred times what was sown.” As he said this, he called out, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”

⁹ Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?” ¹⁰ So he said, “The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that

Looking they may not see,
and hearing they may not understand.

¹¹ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. ¹² The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. Having no root, these believe for a while and fall away in a time of testing. ¹⁴ As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit. ¹⁵ But the seed in the good ground—these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, produce fruit.

¹⁶ “No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see its light. ¹⁷ For nothing is concealed that won’t be revealed, and nothing hidden that won’t be made known and brought to light. ¹⁸ Therefore take care how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.” 
^{Luke 8:4–18 [CSB]}

Who is the sower of seed?

God is, of course…

… but we are as well… and…  we are also the ground—the soil where the seed is sown.

Jesus says, ” ¹⁸Therefore take care how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.“

So, are you listening? Are you speaking? Are you growing? Are you learning? Are you living?

What? No… really… are you living in and with God’s very own Word—the Bible?

But Jesus has re-created a people by Word and Water….by Bread and Wine…by His Words preached, spoken, sung…repeated, meditated upon….

How else do you think God does all this?

How did He create the universe—this planet, the stars, plants and animals…or you?

Tell me how? His Word—He spoke and it was so.

So, how does He make born from above…regenerated sinners… dead in sin humans…into living Christians?

Tell me how? His Word—He speaks and it is so.

I find it weird…unthinkable…surprising…that so many Christians don’t know this…don’t think about this…don’t realize that God created by speaking…and that all things remain in existence because of His Word spoken…

That somehow so many church going people think that God made the universe by some other secret means and method…

…and that He keeps it going by some sort of force or energy…like natural selection and evolution…

Well, simply, NO!

And the surprising fact—yes, people are all too often surprised when told—that we are made into Christians ALSO by His Word spoken…

How do we become a Christian?

By our own decision? Come now….

By reason and deduction? Go ahead and try and find out there a God who will forgive you … as you will find only: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH! So… pay up!

So then… how about by the will and strength of self-determination? That is certainly American!

Well, simply, NO! What does the catechism say: I cannot by my own reason or strength…

It is and was and will be always by The Word of God, just like at the very beginning.

And then we are carried all our Christian lives…kept safe and secure…fed and healed…all by this same Word…

…Words spoken and applied in Water…and nourishing us by Bread and Wine, with His very own Body and Blood…

How? Yes… Again… by His Word, by Jesus Himself… the Word made flesh…speaking…by Human Words…His very own…through Him…to us…through us…

… that same Jesus who had dwelt among us…and still dwells among us even today.

Where two or three have been gathered in His Name…there He is…

And gathered by Whom? The Word. Jesus. He does the gathering. We are the gathered… by Him.

Yes, like tonight. Like on Sundays….In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Connect the dots. That is why we call upon Him in every trouble. He who made heaven and earth.

Who else and how else? By His Word alone. He speaks. We speak and repeat.

¹⁰ he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ ¹¹ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

This is the sowing of the seed of God’s Word and faith in the soil of people’s lives.

What kind of soil are you?

Jesus says, ” ¹⁸ Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.“

Once we have been made alive in Christ…once we have been given that seed of His Word that creates faith…

We have some control. We are to put ourselves where His Word is heard—to hear…so listen…listen to Jesus’ Words:

 ⁵ A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.

 ¹² The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

This is most of the world. People will hate you because you speak the truth. People will persecute you because you are from Him, and speak of Him. Yet, notice we still sow the seed even where we may not think it suitable…where we may doubt anything will grow.

Well… haven’t you maybe… trampled underfoot what He is doing in your life’s soil. Instead, let His Word have its way with you. Even the hard sayings. Don’t let the devil take what has been given you….

⁶ And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

 ¹³ And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.

We will have visitors. We will have some interest. People want to be rescued when times get difficult, but then…when they don’t get what they want, or see the Christian life as a hard one…

They fall away and go back to be part of the world again.

Jesus says to you: Ride the storm out. This too will pass. It is worth it. Trust Him.

⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.

¹⁴ And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

This has been and still is the soil of the west—the churches of America and Europe. We have so much, but care so little about God’s Word, truth, righteousness…goodness and godliness. We are quickly becoming the most unchurched nation in the world…and our churches the most worldly. May God spare us that… here….

⁸ And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.

 ¹⁵ As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

This is you, O dear one of Christ…who are here and are hungry for His Word and His righteousness. Who will hear the hard sayings of Jesus. Who will humble themselves and become children to learn of Him and His Ways. Who live repentant lives. Who yearn for Him and His ways instead of their own sin-corrupted ways. Who love because they are loved. Who give because they have been given too—more than they deserve.

 ¹⁶ No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.

Let your light shine. Speak His Words. Be a sower of seed. Grow in the light yourself.

⁸ And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.

As He said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.“

What kind of soil are you? Do you have the ears that His Word creates?

 ¹⁰ …To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.‘

So, what kind of soil are you?

Have you been putting imitation flowers in your garden? Are those plastic fruit? Do you let His Word go in one ear and out the other? Do you never take up your Bibles during the week? Do you get miffed when He chastises you with His Law? Do you not like the truth He tells you about yourself—that you cannot save yourself, that your are really evil at heart? That your sincerity is all selfishness and self-interest? That all your so-called good works are worthless in His sight? No matter what you have tried to do? No matter what you have done for the church?

Are your ears just fake movie props…stage makeup…pretend?

¹⁷ For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. ¹⁸ Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.

What kind of soil are you? Doesn’t matter. He is here to make good soil of your heart and mind…your life. Right now.

Yes, right now He is planting His seed. Right now He is making good soil so that His kind of Good…His kind of Fruit will grow and yield a hundred fold. This is His good pleasure. He wants to give and not take away what we may have trampled on. What we may have ignored. He wants new life to grow…and to reproduce.

All by His Word alone.

Hear Him? Yes…? Listen to His Call…His Word is speaking to you.

Listen. Read. Consider, ponder, meditate upon…inwardly digest…memorize and then repeat…His Word…this for the rest of your life. 

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Amen.

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