1  And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat & sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2  He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: 3  "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.

A. 4  "And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.

B. 5  "Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.

6  "But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.

C. 7  "And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

D. 8  "But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred." 9  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  (Mt13:19  word of Kingdom; Lk 8:11 word of God)

13  And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? (Receptivity)

A’ 14  "The sower sows the word. 15  "And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, (Mt no understand)

Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. (Lk 8:12 lest they should believe and be saved.)

The Word causes us to be born again 1Pt 1:22  Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit for a sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23  having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,25  But the word of the LORD endures forever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

B’ 16  "These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word,

immediately receive it with gladness; 17  "and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.

Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. (1Th 1:6  2Th 1:4; Rm 12:12)

Persecution is Inevitable 2Ti 3:12  Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (Mk 10:30; Rm 8:35; 2Cor 12:10)

Must Establish Roots Col 2:7 rooted and built up in Him & established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

C’ 18  "Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,

C1 19  "and the cares of this world [Cares = divided, distraction, anxiety]

Power, Pleasure, Possessions 1Jn 2:15  Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16  For all that is in the world——the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life——is not of the Father but is of the world.

Power = Security and Significance {worth/value} outside of your dependent submissive rlshp with God; must control your outcomes because not trusting God.

Anxiety = assuming the role of God in your life because you’ve kicked Christ off the throne and crowned yourself lord, but you’re inadequate for the job.

1Pe 5:7  casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.  Phil 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer/supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7  and the peace of God, surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Cares choke the Word when concern for temporary (and even worthy) objectives (worth comes from these) crowd out eternal objectives.

Temporary $ doing well at work; being in shape-looking good (clothes); house/kids looking good; leisure; status symbols; excellence/perfectionism

Eternal: building rlshp with God {word/prayer/BS/SM} and others {accountability} ; ministry {serving/evang/giving}; character dvlpmnt/growth

(Demonic dozen dirty tricks: desire, doubt, deceit, division, discouragement, depression)

C2 the deceitfulness of riches,  [Deceit = promise on thing, deliver another; worth from externals; Major Tool of Satan]

Money can’t buy ya love but costs you contentment 1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1Ti 6:8  And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. Mt 6:31  "Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’33  "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34  "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble

C3 and the desires for other things (Lk 8:14 pleasures of life) entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

1Pe 2:11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, (Rm 6:12;13:14 Gal 5:16)

When we stuff ourselves full of this life, we have no room for the pleasures and delights of enjoying God Himself.  Ps 27:4 Phl 3:13-14

D’ 20  "But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word,

accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

God’s Expectation is Reproduction (Multiplication for the Multitudes) Mt 28:19-20; Jn 15 Gal 5:22-23

Truth begets Truth (soil {heart receptivity}, water {Word}, light {HS}, pollination {influence of other believers})

Practice the Truth 1Jo 1:6-7  if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood…Lk 8:21

Persevere in the Truth Ps 86:11 Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.

Preach the Truth 2Ti 2:2 the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Questions for Discussion/Reflection/Response:

1. What are some of the most represented reasons for lack of reproductive fruitfulness in Christians you have known? Own life?

2. How do you maintain a balance between eternal priorities and temporary objectives?

3. What are some other most tempting care and desires/lusts that prevent the word from multiplying through one’s life?

4. What care/desires are most likely to choke the growth of a: child, single gal, single guy, young married, mom, dad, grandparent?

5. What can you do this week to be receptive to the Truth and ensure that it grows and reproduces in others?