Good Seed & Good Dirt

Text:

Matthew 13:3-9:

3: And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4: And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7: And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

9: Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

 

Romans 8:28:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

 

Theme:

Good Seed & Good Dirt

 

Introduction:

• The Gospel according to St. Matthew, the first book of the New Testament and of the Gospels of Jesus, the Christ, is the book that contains this scripture.
• Matthew, the disciple of Christ, wrote in more detail of the life of Christ and His ministry than any other Gospel writer even though the book was written over 5-10 years later than the rest of the Gospels.
• The text finds us at a powerful point in His ministry.
  • It was important that those who were willing to listen, heard.
  • Jesus was attracting large crowds.
  • In this chapter Jesus was teaching near the sea of Galilee, and so many were gathering that He got onto a boat and pushed a little off from the shore so that he could be heard.
  • However, because of the need for common folk to understand AND the need for powerful people to not be quickly offended by His words, Jesus spoke in parables.
    • The things of God were made more plain and easy to those willing to be taught
    • The things of God were at the same time made more difficult and obscure to those who were willingly ignorant.
  • This parable of the sower addressed this understanding of parables most directly
    • Good seeds were thrown out to all, but only those that fell on good soil or fertile soil grew to produce bountiful fruit.
  • Hence, we are left with the looming question, “What is GOOD SEED and GOOD DIRT?”

 

Body:

• What is GOOD DIRT?
  • Dirt is in and of itself a step below basic rocks. It is a compound that has no life-giving value in and of itself.
  • However, good dirt or soil is fertile
  • Good Dirt can and will produce something
    • A seed planted in fertile soil will take root and grow
  • What makes good dirt, fertile à Good Dirt has many things going on inside of it
    • 1 — Remnants of past crops that have died
      • They leave behind nutrients from the dead plants
      • The dead plants keep the ground loose
    • 2 — Dead insects of parasites that used to inhabit the dirt
      • Their dead bodies become fertilizer
      • Chemicals from their dead parasites keep the ground loose
    • 3 — Moisture critical to the growth of the plant
      • There has to be water for the plant to grow
    • 4 — Seeds of various weeds that are just awaiting the opportunity to grow
      • If the soil is left unattended, they will grow and destroy the plant
      • Good dirt will always produce something…depends on the seeds allowed to germinate within it
    • It takes the good, bad and the ugly to make fertile soil
  • Then we can see ourselves as the dirt when the text says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
    • It is not US but who and what LIVES IN US that makes us fertile
      • Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
    • Good things– Moisture or water to help the growth of the plant
      • God in our lives MAKES US fertile
        • God is that moisture or water
          • As it says in John 4:14, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
        • As the old hymn says,

“What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought

Since Jesus came into my heart

I have light in my soul for which I have sought

Since Jesus came into my heart”

• Ugly things — Dead parasites and plants

1 à You have to be saved from something!

• Luke 19:10, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

2 à The child of God walks in the wisdom of having come THROUGH an ugly past

• Titus 2:14, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

3 à You have to go through some ugly things in life

• As the Gospel song says

“I’ve had some good days, I’ve had some hills to climb

I’ve had some weary days, And some sleepless nights

But when I look around, And think things over

All of my good days Outweigh my bad days

I won’t complain!”

• Bad things — The threatening seeds of various weeds
  • Romans 7:21, “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.”
  • Ephesians 6:13, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
    • It ain’t gonna be easy but hang in there!!
    • Will these threatening seeds overtake the Believer?
      • Romans 8:37 answers, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
    • We have to have a good husbandman to make sure that the GOOD DIRT doesn’t give way to “BAD SEED”
      • Jesus assures us in John 15:1, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.”
      • God is there to make sure that the “True Vine” is protected even in the midst of threatening seed.
    • What is this seed that we as GOOD DIRT or FERTILE SOIL help to grow?
      • Everything that defines the growth of the plant and prosperity of the fruit is in the seed
      • The same spot of ground can be used to produce different crops: beans, potatoes, tomatoes, etc.
      • Within the seed, all is predefined:
        • Type of plant
        • Type of fruit
      • Nothing grows that wasn’t already defined in the seed.

 

Conclusion:

• Jesus is the GOOD SEED that we as GOOD DIRT should be germinating!
  • Galatians 3:16, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”
• We as GOOD DIRT should have the SEED, Jesus, within us and our lives
  • 1Peter 1:23, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
  • The “Seed” is just waiting to grow within us. He is just waiting for us to be GOOD DIRT!
    • Matthew 13:23, “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.”
      • Who hath ears to hear, let him hear
        • GOOD DIRT is receptive to the Word, Will, and Way of God
      • People will do what they WANT to do
        • GOOD DIRT wants to do the will of God
      • You will only do what you believe
        • GOOD DIRT believes in JESUS

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