THE GROWING GOSPEL SEED
By Terry Cheek
McDowell County, NC
Let’s be very honest, spreading the Gospel can be a discouraging thing. Often, it seems like the efforts are ineffective and fruitless. Preachers who preach the inerrant Word of God frequently see little or no response from either saint or sinner. The message of eternal life is often shared with those who are dead in sin and they reject it outright. The light of salvation is given to those in darkness and they prefer darkness to the light. Many of God’s men labor in the Word for hours, seeking the message of God for His people, and then when the message is preached, no one seems to be moved. The glories of Christ and the Bible are preached to those who profess to know Jesus and often they sit there and look at the preacher as if he is sharing the most boring news imaginable. Honestly, this can be very discouraging.
Some of you are actively sharing your faith with your friends, family, and co-workers. When you do, you are often ignored, ridiculed, or even attacked. The people you love and desire to see saved seem as though they could care less about what you have to say to them about the condition of their souls. That too is very discouraging.
Mark 4:26-29 is a parable that offers some encouragement to those who take the time to share the gospel and their faith with others. This parable teaches us that the Gospel has power. It teaches us that, while we may not see immediate results from our efforts, the Gospel will bear fruit in the Lord’s time. When we share the Gospel, from a pulpit or a personal witness, a quiet, unseen process begins to take place. This process is a sovereign work of God. This process is often hidden from the attention of man. Yet, this process when completed results in changed lives and saved souls. Let’s look into these verses and have them speak to our hearts.
From this passage, we see there is a steadfast work involved with spreading the gospel. Jesus pictures a farmer sowing seed into his field. When he has sown the seed, he has done all that he can do. He returns home and goes about his business. The image of him sleeping and rising night and day is a picture of the farmer continuing in his daily life. He places the seed in the soil and then he leaves it to do what it will. For the farmer, this is a work of faith. He does not return to the field every day to dig up the seed to see if it has germinated. He may water the field. He may weed the field. He may work the soil, but he does not bother the seed. Once planted, the farmer has no control over what the seed does. He sows his seed, and he leaves the results in the hands of God. The farmer knows that the growth of the seed is God’s business. Therefore, he sows it and trusts the Lord to make it grow.
In a sense, we are like that farmer. We have been called to sow seed. We have not been called to sow wheat or corn into a plowed field, but we have been called to sow the Gospel seed into the hearts of other people. We are sent into a lost and dying world to tell others about what Jesus has done for us. You don’t have to be a preacher, a missionary, or a Pastor; if you are saved, you have a testimony and you have a story to tell. Telling people what Jesus has done in your life, your salvation may be just what that person needs to hear.
When we share the Gospel with another person, we have no control over the results. In fact, the results are not our responsibility. Our duty is to sow the seed; the results are in the hands of the Lord. To be honest we all worry about our efforts. There is a temptation to check on the seed. We want to help it grow and check on its progress. Our responsibility is to sow the seed, water it when we can, and let the Lord do His work in hearts and lives. Like the farmer in this parable, we should be faithful to tell a lost world about a saving Lord. If you are a witness for the Lord Jesus, keep sharing His story with others. He will honor your efforts. If you aren’t sowing the seed as you should be, then I challenge you to make a personal commitment today to get busy doing what the Lord saved you to do.
There is power in the seed! I recall a story from some time ago, archeologists dug into a pyramid tomb in Egypt. In that tomb, they found several jars of seeds. These seeds had been buried with the deceased person 3,000 years earlier. Those scientists took the seeds they found and planted them in good soil. They watered the soil and waited patiently. After a time, those ancient seeds germinated, and tiny plants pushed their way through the surface of the soil. Those tender plants matured and produced fruit. Isn’t that amazing? When that seed found its way into the right soil, a secret work took place and life came out of death.
Such is the power of the Gospel! If you have never been saved by the grace of God; if you have never trusted Jesus Christ to be the Savior of your soul, you need to know that the Gospel has the power to give you new life. Will you let that gospel seed germinate in your heart and allow the Lord to make you fruitful for His glory?
The application doesn’t stop with the lost. The born-again Saints need to get about the business of telling others about Jesus. This would be a good day for you to put aside all your excuses concerning why you can’t tell others about Jesus. This would be a good day for you to commit to being a witness for His glory.
I believe others are reading that may be a little discouraged because you think your prayers and your witness are in vain. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Why don’t you kneel before the Lord and talk to Him about your concerns? Ask Him to let you see a few sprouts in your field.
Our time this month has come and gone. Until we meet again in person or in print may God richly bless you is my prayer!
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Terry is the Executive Director and broadcaster of The Inspiring Word media ministry. You can contact Terry by email at theinspiringword@gmail.com.
Or by visiting www.theinspiringword.org. Read more good Christian news from Terry here.
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