God's Flower Bed

Topic: God plants his word in the flesh of human hearts with various results.

Text:  As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.

Antithesis:  Troubles with my flower beds.  Jesus’ troubles sowing his word in human hearts.

Synthesis1: Seed falls by the road and the birds carry it away.  Someone hears the Word but does not understand, because the evil one carries away the Word.  This is the trouble of the unbeliever.

Synthesis2: Seed falls upon rocky ground, there is immediate growth, but the sun soon scorches the plant.  Someone hears the Word, receives it with great joy, but when trouble or persecution because of the Word comes, the plant dies because there is no root. 

Synthesis3: Seed falls upon thorny plants, the seed grows but is soon choked out by the thorns.  Someone hears the Word, but the cares of the world and the deception of riches soon choke out the Word.

Synthesis4: Seed falls upon good earth, the seed grows and produces a bountiful crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.  Someone hears, someone receives, someone understands and some produces fruit.

Thesis: Where there is faith in the Word, there is growth in the Word.  Each of us is guilty of producing each reaction to the planting of God’s Word.  Not understanding the Word, falling away from the Word, choking the Word.  But the one reaction which Jesus desires is faith in the Word.  Where there is faith, that is when Jesus produces the greatest crop. 

Conclusion:  My brothers and sisters in Christ, our hearts are God’s flower bed.  But what kind of soil will Jesus find in our hearts?  The kind of soil which give him trouble producing fruit, like the kind by the road, the kind by the rocks, and the kind by the thorns, or will Jesus find the kind of soil in which he might produce a bountiful crop?  Will Jesus find your heart is made of stone or thorns, or will Jesus find your heart is made of faith?  Let us this day not only hear the Word of God, but receive the Word of God.  Let us not only receive the Word of God, but let us understand the Word of God.  Let us not only understand the Word of God, but let us believe the Word of God.  Most importantly let us not only believe the Word of God, let us yield a bountiful crop from the Word of God, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  To God be all praises, all honor, and all glory, now and forevermore.  Amen.