Where the Seed Falls

Sermon 30 in Series

Luke 8:1-15

[1] Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, [2] and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, [3] and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

[4] And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, [5] “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. [6] And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. [7] And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. [8] And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

[9] And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, [10] he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ [11] Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. [12] The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. [13] And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. [14] And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. [15] As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.  What exposure have you had to the Parable of the Sower? How does it showcase the wisdom of Jesus’ teaching?
2.  How do vv. 1-4a provide a fitting bridge between the previous passage and the parable? How do they prepare the reader for the different soils?
3.  What role do these women play in Jesus’ ministry? How does the New Testament elevate the importance of women in contrast to other ancient teachers/teaching?
4.  Why does Jesus teach in parables? How do they both conceal and reveal?
5.  How does the first soil relate to apathy, distraction, and pride in hearing the Word? How does it point to the gravity of teaching and the reality of spiritual warfare?
6.  What is unsettling and convicting about the second and third soils/hearers? As we apply this to the Christian life, what does it look like today to become entangled with thorns?
7.  How does Jesus characterize the true believer in vv. 8 and 15? How does the state of the heart point to regeneration?

References: Proverbs 1:20-33 (corporate reading); Romans 6:4; 1 Peter 1:3; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Romans 14:17; Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; 2 Corinthians 4:4; James 2:14; 1 John 2:19; Matthew 7:21-23.