A Note from the Pastor: January 13, 2025

Yesterday, we looked at the Parable of the Sower. In reality, it should be called the Parable of the Soils, as the central focus is how the soils respond to the seed. Even though each one “hears” the word, only one receives it and produces fruit.

The soils correspond to the human heart. As we share the gospel with others, we can expect one of four responses, reflecting the heart condition of the hearer:

• The seed that falls on the path represents the hard heart.
• The seed that falls on the rocky soil represents the superficial heart.
• The seed that falls on the thorny soil represents the strangled heart.
• The seed that falls on the good soil represents the receptive heart.

One aspect I love about this parable is how it invites self-reflection: Which soil reflects my life? Self-examination can be uncomfortable because it forces us to look inward and ask hard questions. However, one of the marks of a disciple of Jesus is the willingness to examine your life in light of scripture (2 Cor. 13:5). If you look inward and don’t like what you see, that’s likely a good indication you have a receptive heart. It’s hard to imagine someone with a hard or superficial heart even bothering to reflect.

That said, if you notice “weeds” and “thorns” choking the Word, take heart. Jesus is a master gardener. Run to Him and ask Him to root out the weeds. His grace is more than sufficient. All who come to him are never turned away.

As His followers, we are called to bear fruit for this glory. When we do so, we not only glorify the Father, but also prove that we belong to Him (John 15:5-8). There are many ways to bear fruit, but it starts with being united to Jesus and allowing Him to work through us by His Spirit. At the end of the sermon, I highlighted three way we can bear fruit for God:

• Repenting of sin (Matt. 3:8)
• Doing good works (Phil. 1:9-11; Eph. 2:10)
• Developing godly character (Gal. 5:22-23)

Of course, all of this is a result of his grace.

After studying this passage, I’m particularly struck by the second soil. This represents those who sprout up quickly but fall away when faced with tribulation and persecution. Interestingly, the Greek word translated as “fall away” is scandalon, from which we get the English word “scandalous.” These individuals are offended by being identified with Jesus and abandon their faith after making a profession of faith. Sadly, I’m sure you know people who fit this profile.  

In the sermon, I mentioned how, over the past 25 years, 40 million people have left the church in the U.S. That statistic should give us pause. I recently came across a fascinating Gospel Coalition talk by Jim Davis and Michael Graham, authors of The Great De-Churching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Leaving, and What It Will Take to Bring Them Back. I’ve posted the link to their talk below. If you’re interested in church trends, data, and what’s going on in the culture, I highly recommend watching it.

Bottom line: Of the 40 million who have left, millions say they are willing to come back if they find a good church. The key ingredient, according to the authors, is relationships and community. Getting to know our neighbors, inviting them into our homes, sharing meals, welcoming them, and extending personal invitations to church can go a long way. People are hungry for real community.  

I find this to be encouraging and motivating. We don’t have to try to “sell” the faith or make it culturally relevant by watering down the truth. We just need to be the church, remain faithful to our calling, share Jesus, and let God do the rest. God uses the broken, the feeble, and the imperfect as His instruments to accomplish His purposes in the world. He is the one who cultivates the soil beforehand. He is the one who causes the seed of the gospel to germinate, take root in the soul, and bear fruit. As long as we are faithful in scattering Word, He will build his church!

Thankful for you all!

Spencer