The Parable of the 4 Soils (Intro)

Are there people in your life that you are desperate to see come to Christ?  If so, the next several blog posts will be incredibly important. 

In Mark 4:1-20, we find Jesus discussing the parable of the 4 soils.  Each soil represents a condition of the human heart and its receptivity to the Gospel message.  After teaching on this subject for a number of years, leading people to Christ, and watching their development after repentance—I believe this parable could provide the greatest insight into God’s process of redemption.  When you understand His process—it enables you join Him as a personal witness instead of trying to push Christ on others.

When I first became a pastor in 2000—I was appalled by the statistics of Southern Baptist Churches.  While Southern Baptist are one of the most evangelistic groups, and have more than 40,000 churches across America—over 50% of these churches did not see a single person come to Christ in an entire year.

• 20,000 churches without a single convert
• 20,000 pastors didn’t lead at least 1 person to Christ.
• Average 3 deacons in each; 60,000 deacons who didn’t lead someone to Christ
• Average 3 Sunday school teachers; 60,000 teachers of the Word who didn’t lead someone to Christ
• Average of 80 in each church; 1.6 million Bible believing, church going, evangelical Christians who did not lead a single person to Christ.  It almost sounds like a bad joke?  How many Christians does it take to lead 1 person to Christ?  I don’t know, but apparently more than 1.6 million.

A church is considered to be in the top 1% of all churches if they baptize 30 or more people a year. 

When I first heard those statistics, I determined that our church would not become one of those churches.  When I got to the church in 2000—they had not baptized a single convert in 7 years.  The baptistery was storing lawn equipment and Christmas decorations.  One of the first things I implemented was that the first Sunday of the month—we would have a baptismal service.  People thought I was crazy.  “Who ya gonna baptize?”—was the common opinion.    

I taught about witnessing from the pulpit, I taught on witnessing in small groups, I took our people out to witness on a daily basis.  As God as my witness—we had pastors from other area churches who would send their people to our church in order to get trained on evangelism, and we would take their people out on visitation with us.   We were radical about salvation.  We knocked on doors, disrupted dinners, snuck up on unsuspecting people, and hunted them down weekly until we found them.  We were like the Green Beret’s of Evangelism. 

But all of our effort seemed to pay off.  In 2000—we saw more than 130 people pray to receive Christ through the evangelistic efforts of the church. In 2001—we saw more than 120 people pray to receive Christ through the evangelistic efforts of the church.  Our church was gaining a reputation for being a “Soul Winning” church. 

On the surface—everything looked great.  The Baptist association was excited, our people were excited, I was excited, I thought God was excited, the waters of baptism were being moved, and I felt like we were accomplishing the goal.  For two years—we did not have a single month were there were not people to baptize.  Praise God—we were not a statistic.

But one day, after the 2^nd year—curiosity got the best of me.  If we had seen 250 people pray to receive Christ in 2 years—where were they?  I knew that some people moved away, and some people came to Christ while visiting from another city—but what about those who lived there?  Where were they?  I was shocked to see that after 2 years of getting people to pray prayers and go through the waters of baptism—there was only a handful still in church. 

Something was wrong!  You don’t get over Jesus that easily.  I started talking with pastor friends and they had experienced similar results.  Yet for some reason—churches were still satisfied with the idea—“Well—at least they prayed to receive Christ.”  But the Great Commission was not, “Go and get people to pray prayers;” it was “Go and make disciples.” I kept wondering, “God—what’s wrong with the harvest?  Where have we missed you?”  More than half of the churches aren’t fishing for men, and the other half have a hole in the net.

In the summer of 2001—God took me on an amazing spiritual journey through Scripture that helped me see our part as a witness for Christ, and Christ’ part as the Savior of the world. 

Over the next several posts—I’m going to share some of what God taught me in 2001 as well as some of what God has taught me in the last 3 years about effectively sharing Christ with others.  You will need your Bibles for this endeavor, so find your Bible and follow along.

Let’s begin.  When the Bible speaks of salvation—the most common analogy is that of farming.  We no longer live in an agrarian society—so we need to shift cultures before we can really delve into the text.

Our goal through these posts are (1) To become specialists in good soil [I want us to see where God is working and join Him there], and (2) I want us to recognize the four basic ways that people respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

There is no question that some people are more open to the Gospel than others.  If you have shared Christ with 3 or more people in your life—you will know that some people are very close to faith, and others are very standoffish. But that does not mean that some who is closed to the Gospel today, might not be open to the Gospel tomorrow.  The goal of sharing the Gospel of Christ is not to “close the deal” with every encounter.  The goal is to submit our actions to God’s process, and trust Him to call them within His timing.

And the end of the day—salvation is 100% in the control of God.  You and I cannot save anyone, but you and I can confuse a lot of people.  I’ll share more of what I mean by that as we go further. 

Henry Blackaby said it best. “Find out where God is working, and join Him there.”  That is great advice for all areas of life, but especially in the area of being a personal witness.  When we take Blackaby’s advice, we can sow in the fields that are barren, water in the fields that are dry, and reap in the fields that “are already white for harvest” (John 4:35b).

I said a moment ago that our first goal is to become specialists in good soil.  Where in Scripture do we find a basis for this goal?

John 4:35-38 says, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’?  Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!  And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.  For in this the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’  I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

There are 5 truths we can learn from this passage:

1.   Without the guidance of God, there is a tendency to underestimate the spiritual readiness of those around us.  “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest?’”

2.     Jesus wants us to be observant of the condition of the fields around us.  “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields...”

The word ‘behold’ speaks of a more than a casual glance.  It is a lingering stare.  He says, “Stare at, look at, lift up your eyes and look at the fields.”

3.   The fields spoken of in this passage are symbolically referring to humanity, and specifically addressing the theme of eternal life.  “And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life...”

4.   Sowing and reaping work together in the harvest of God.  “...Both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together...one sows and another reaps.”

5. The ultimate purpose of understanding the harvest is not for theoretical speculation, but for practical application.  “I sent you to reap...”

John 4:35-38 is a graphic picture of the condition of the world around us.

• God wants us to rely on Him, and He will show us the spiritual receptivity of those we meet. 
• God wants us to look at the fields around us—not with a casual glance, but with an intentional gaze. 
• God wants us to work together in sowing and reaping.
• God wants us to keep in mind—that He sent us to reap.

We are to become specialist in good soil.

Another passage that helps us become specialists in the good soil is Mark 4:26-29.  It  says, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seeds on the ground.  He sleeps and gets up night and day while the seeds sprout and grow, although he doesn’t know how.  The ground produces grain by itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.  But when the grain is ripe, he immediately swings his sickle because the harvest time has come.”

There are 4 primary truths that we can learn from this passage:

1.     We begin by scattering seeds on the ground around us. 

“The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seeds on the ground.”  The first question that comes to mind is, “Exactly what are the seeds spoken of in this passage?”  While this passage does not specifically indicate the identity of the seeds, we do find other Scripture references that help clarify the mystery. 

In Mark 4:26-29, Jesus gives the parable of the soils.  We find a man scattering seed on the ground, and Jesus clearly identifies the seed.  “Now this is what the parable means.  The seed is God’s word.”  Therefore, if we are going to practically sow seeds on the ground around us—we must find a way of sharing the Word of God. 

A second passage, in James 3:18, gives even more clarification on the identity of the seeds.  “Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” This is a verse that has confused people for years.  The difficulty of the passage is that farming practices speak of sowing seeds, not fruit.  This passage specifically addresses sowing “fruit of righteousness.” 

Warren Wiersbe addressed this concept by saying, “There is a vast difference between man-made results and God-given fruit.  Fruit is the product of life, and fruit has in it the seeds for more fruit.  Usually it is the seed that is sown, but here it is the fruit that is sown.  As we share the fruit of God with others, they are fed and satisfied, and they in turn bear fruit.”

The fruit of God is God living through us.  A good list to help would be the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23.

When all of this information is taken together, we see that a believer who walks in the wisdom of God will have “good conduct” (3:13) that results in “the fruit of righteousness . . . sown in peace” (3:18).  Therefore, by our lifestyle we are constantly sowing “the fruit of righteousness” that will not only minister to a person’s immediate needs, but it will also plant seeds in that person’s life that will be later cultivated by the Spirit of God.

For a year and a half, our church held another service for a homeless population at the corner of Tropicana and Decatur.  It was either on our 4^th or 5^th week I asked the group, “What do you want in life?”  One of the ladies said, “When I would come to your church—it seemed like everyone was happy.”  She said, “That’s what I want.  I want to be happy.” 

I told her that we all have problems like anyone else, but it’s God who give us joy because of our relationship with Him.  I then shared that God’s goal for everyone’s life is that they know Him.  I shared John 17:3.  “And this is eternal life that they may know you.”  When our focus is on knowing Him—God can bring joy regardless of the situation. She said, “That’s what I want.”  I was able to share the Gospel with the group and 4 people prayed to receive Christ on that Sunday.

Two things have just happened.  First of all, due to people expressing joy at a church service—the “fruit of righteousness was sown in peace.”  God used our actions to sow seeds in her life. Secondly, when I answered her question, I shared Scripture—John 17:3.  At that moment, God took the fruit of righteousness and the seed of the Word, and I became like “like the man who scatters seeds on the ground” (Mark 4:26).

By allowing the Holy Spirit to lead the conversation, there were no uncomfortable feelings of trying to force a presentation on someone.  I was simply answering a lady’s question.  God allowed us to join with Him in sowing seed, and He brought about salvation.

Quick Review:  What is needed in practically sowing the seed?

• The Word of God. (Luke 8:11) (Bible)
• The Fruit of Righteousness. (James 3:18) (Behavior)

The first truth from Mark 4:26-29 is by far the most intensive, but necessary for a clear understanding of what God requires of His people.

2.     We can also see that scattering seeds on the ground is part of the normal lifestyle of this individual.  

“He sleeps and gets up night and day while the seeds sprout and grow. . .”  If we are to be a personal witness for Christ—it is imperative that our witness is a natural and normal part of our daily lives.  When Jesus gave the Great Commission to the church (go and make disciples)—the phrase is better translated—as you go, make disciples.  As we go about the normal activities of life—God will bring people into our lives who He is drawing to Himself. 

I call this focused patience.  Christians tend to run to either extreme.  We are either not focused on the lost people around us or we are so eager that we would witness to a rock. If you have to be on one side or another—witness to a rock.  But there is a Scriptural balance that needs to be seen.  Keep praying for those that are lost.  Keep asking God to save them.  But take your cues from God.  When you seen Him working—join Him. 

3.     There are definite stages of development that take place in the maturation process of the seed. 

“The ground produces grain by itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.  But when the grain is ripe . . . the harvest time has come.”  Why did the farmer NOT harvest the grain when it was only a stalk?  Very simply—the plant had not progressed to a mature level of development.  Sadly, through eagerness to reap the harvest, and not waiting upon the promptings of the Spirit of God—Christians are “swinging the sickle” at people who are not ready for salvation.  (Side Note:  When fruit is ripe, you don’t have to tug to get it off the vine.  A simple touch from a gentle hand will cause the fruit to break free.)

It is interesting to note that “soil preparation” and “plant growth” are both solely in the hands of God.  Scripture clearly indicates that believers are to plant seed, water seed, and help harvest in due season.  However, we find no mention of “the Christian plow” or the “soul-winner’s shovel.”  The soil of a person’s heart is strictly prepared by the Spirit of the Living God. 

Likewise, the spiritual growth in that person’s heart is also a work of God.  While Christians are called to supply nourishment, God alone is the giver and sustainer of life.  “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6).  Pay close attention to the exact words of Jesus in Mark 4:27.  “He sleeps and gets up night and day while the seeds sprout and grow, although he doesn’t know how.” 

Why doesn’t the farmer know how the seeds sprout and grow? 

Answer:  Because plant growth is not his department.  Growth is simply the byproduct of life, and life is in the hands of God.  Therefore, the only reason growth is taking place is because the Spirit of the living God “gives life” (John 6:63).

4.     The man demonstrates keen observation, and persistent evaluation in connection with the harvest. 

“He sleeps and gets up night and day while the seeds sprout and grow . . . but when the grain is ripe, he immediately swings his sickle because the harvest time has come.”  The man in this parable was looking for and waiting on the exact moment of the harvest.  His mind was focused.  His actions were repetitive.  His response was immediate.  As a result, he was ready to be a part of the harvest.  It is impossible to be ready for the harvest if we are not intentional about the process.  God uses people who are willing, ready, and prepared. 

At this point, the table has been set.  In the following posts, we will take one soil type at a time and understand it from God’s perspective.  I know the intro was long.  You may need to read over it several times.  However, the more this information sinks in, the better equipped you will be for sharing Christ with friends and family.  Check back in a couple of days for the next post.