THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER CONT.
MARK LESSON 5C
2. They are hindered by the CARES OF THIS WORLD, v. 19a; Luke 21:34, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” Surfeiting = excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking.
3. They are hindered by the DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES, v. 19b; 1 Timothy 6:9-10, “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
a. Riches have wings, Proverbs 23:5, “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”
b. They are a “sore evil,” Ecclesiastes 5:13, “There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.”
4. They are HINDERED by the LUST of OTHER THINGS, v. 19c. Luke 8:14, “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.”
5. They are HINDERED by the WORD BEING CHOKED and not BEARING FRUIT, v. 19d; John 15:2, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he TAKETH AWAY: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
D. The GOOD GROUND Hearers, v. 20; 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.”
1. The good ground is the HEART that has been PREPARED TO RECEIVE the gospel, Luke 8:15, “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.”
2. They HEAR and RECEIVE the word, Psalms 119:47, “And I will DELIGHT MYSELF in thy commandments, which I have loved.”
3. They BEAR FRUIT with VARYING DEGREES of success: “some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.”
a. We are able to WALK WORTHY of our Lord, Colossians 1:10, “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
b. We are PLEASING to the Lord in our lives, 1 Thessalonians 4:1, “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.”
4. Fruit bearing is CONCRETE PROOF of one’s salvation, John 15:3-5, “Now ye are CLEAN through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch CANNOT bear fruit OF ITSELF, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye ABIDE IN ME. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth MUCH FRUIT: for without me ye can do nothing.”
5. God’s children ARE TO BEAR FRUIT, Galatians 5:22-23, “But the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
a. Fruitful in EVERY GOOD WORK, Colossians 1:10, “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in EVERY good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
b. We are NOT to be UNFRUITFUL in the KNOWLEDGE of Jesus Christ, 2 Peter 1:8, “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall NEITHER be BARREN NOR UNFRUITFUL in the KNOWLEDGE of our Lord Jesus Christ.”