Last week I started a new series of messages, The Power of the Seed… How many of you were blessed by that message?
Get the soil of your heart ready for the Seeds of God’s Word to take root and grow. Today you’ll leave here feeling extra encouraged because God’s Word is filled with mountain-moving power to overcome each and every obstacle that may come up your way.
Please receive this Word in the soil of your heart and don’t allow Satan to distract you and snatch it away from you.
If you believe in what I’m sowing and you receive it for your life, say Amen out loud! By “Amen”, you are saying “God, please do this because I believe in it”.
I want to quickly refresh your memory on some points from the previous message.
We saw learned through the bible that: God does not answer needs, He answers Faith!
The world is full of needs, but God only answers to those who have faith.
God has many promises for your life, God has miracles for you. He has all the power to perform them and He wants to do it too, but your unbelief can prevent God from performing these miracles.
We also learned about the parable of the sower.
“And Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?”
Mark 4:13 NKJV
Jesus said that this parable is key, and if you don’t understand it you will not understand any other parable.
This parable is a treasure and you need this revelation.
If you don’t understand it, how will you understand any other of Jesus’ teaching?
Today’s Word: How can God’s promises come true in your life?
God’s Word is filled with promises. There are promises of salvation for your family, promises of healing, there are promises of peace, there are promises for guidance, and there are promises for strength. But the real question is: How can these promises ever become a reality in my life?
How can God’s promises become a reality in your life?
All these promises of God are not givens! When teaching the “Parable of the Sower” Jesus reveals the main secret that will lead to the promises of God to flourish in one’s life.
Jesus explains this parable to his disciples and says “The Seed is the Word of God”, “The Sower sows the Word”. This is what I’m doing now! I’m sowing the Word and this “Seed” is powerful.
Let’s read 2 Peter 1:3-4
“His divine power HAS GIVEN US everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV
It was given but you receive the promises through the knowledge (revelation).
Notice He says you might be partakers ! There is a condition attached to this happening.
In other words, IF you act on the Word, IF you operate in faith based on the authority of God’s Word, THEN you will partake in His divine nature.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
It means that it stands in the place of things that you cannot yet see in the natural world!
Things that are ours, things that were promised to us in the Word of God will eventually come into manifestation if you hold fast to your confession of Faith !
“The Sower sows the Word” – That is God’s way of doing almost everything. He sends His Word. The rest us up to us.
Let’s see about healing!
“He sent His Word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions.” Psalm 107:20
God sent His Word and healed them. Whenever God sends His Word, it comes in seed form. Every seed has to be planted.
Let’s see about salvation!
“For, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:13-15 NIV
God wants people to be saved. But the Word of salvation must be preached first before a person can believe and be saved.
““So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
Acts 20:32 NKJV
Paul said the Word has the power to build us up and give us an inheritance among those who are sanctified.
Let’s see how to be set free!
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””
John 8:31-32 NIV
The Word will give you: Liberty, guidance, healing, deliverance, salvation and every other promise that comes to us through His Word. But this is not automatic!
Whenever the Word is embraced, and acted upon, it bears fruit and brings results. When God send His Word it always comes in the form of a Seed.
The sower sows the Word. The Seed is the Word of God. And Jesus describes four different types of soil. The soil represents the human heart.
We are one of these types of soil: exposed to birds, stony grounds, thorny soil or good soil.
Please, listen to me: It was not God who determined whether you’d be a stony, a thorny soil, an exposed soil or a good, fertile soil.
We are the ones who decide the type of soil we will be. You determine what type of soil you will be. I can determine what type of soil I will be.
God want His Word take root and grow in our hearts. The Word doesn’t become fruitful without cooperation.
This parable is so important that it was told in Matthew’s gospel, in Mark’s gospel and in Luke’s gospel and when you see that something gets repeated many times in the Bible it’s because we must pay attention to it.
“Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”” Mark 4:20 NIV
Those who are fruitful accept the Word.
We must have a heart that says: God I accept Your Word as my final authority; even if I don’t fully understand it, even if it seems to go against popular ideas and opinions or against cultural norms.
There are people who listen to the Word, and maybe they like it, but they don’t follow it and they don’t practice it , they rather say: I can do things my own way.
“Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” Deuteronomy 5:29 NKJV
Can you not see the problem is always the heart? You will never be fruitful if you don’t accept it and take it as your final authority.
“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.””
Matthew 13:23 NKJV
Beloved, in the kingdom of God understanding follows acceptance.
We have to accept His Word even if doesn’t make sense to us at the moment. Then as we reflect, meditate upon His Words, illumination and understanding will come.
That’s why Jesus said:
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Matthew 13:9 NKJV
The one who has a good and humble heart will reflect and understanding shall come.
Luke put it this way:
“But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”
Luke 8:15 NKJV
They keep it. That means they hold fast. They cling tightly onto it, refusing to let go.
Why must we cling tightly to the Word?
Because there is an enemy that will try to destroy your faith and he will do it by stealing the Word from your heart.
According to Jesus that enemy, the devil, will do everything to keep the Word from producing fruits in someone’s life.
He will steal it, he will whisper lies. Satan knows if he can snatch the Word before it takes root in your life, there will be no salvation, there will be no healing, there will be no deliverance, and there will be no guidance because God brings those things to us through His Word.
The Devil will do all he can to keep people from being saved , or once they have been saved, to keep them emotionally sick, to keep them as unfruitful, low-impact Christians who miss out on all great things that God had in store for them.
You need to become an attentive hearer who aggressively holds on to the Word of God or the devil will steal it from you!
If he is able to steal the Word from your heart, all the things that God has planned for you will never take place.
You will forever be a weak and fruitless believer and the devil will be delighted to keep you in this defeated spiritual life.
Jesus said,
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 NIV
Notice the order: Jesus first called him a thief. He comes to steal and kill and destroy.
But you know what? He cannot kill you, he cannot kill your dream, he cannot destroy your future, and he cannot destroy your marriage, unless he steals first. The enemy can’t kill or destroy unless he steals from you first.
What he is after? Jesus said: “Satan comes immediately to steal the Word out people’s heart” meaning he comes here where we are. Yes, the devil does attend church.
When the Word is preached, Jesus said he immediately comes after it. Why? If he steals the Word he will destroy your dreams, your marriage, your future and your family.
Jesus said by contrast “I have come so that you might have life and abundantly life”.
Jesus, but how can you do that ? “By bringing you my Word. The Words that I speak to you are spirit and life”.
The other way the enemy tries to stop your fruitfulness is by causing you to stumble.
“But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.”
Matthew 13:20-21 NKJV
Notice: tribulation and persecution arise because of the Word. If he cannot snatch the Word, he will do his best to create trouble or persecution.
I have seen this fulfilled over and over again. I have seen people that come to church and they hear a message, they receive the Word with joy, they get so excited and say: “Yes, this is what I have been waiting for my whole life”. They get baptised, do not miss one service, are committed to Cell Meeting, starts Bible School, take part all prayer meetings.
After a few months, they get discouraged, because troubles come, they stop attending prayer meetings, stop Bible School, stop going to Cell Meetings and at last stop coming to Sunday Services.
Persecution and troubles come because of the Word. Because you accepted and believed in the Word you will be tested, you will be persecuted.
As soon as I born again and started coming to church, persecution and troubles rouse up in my life. But I never gave up.
Persecutions, troubles and storms come so that you may grow in faith! The worst moments of my life, it was where I experienced the greatest miracles.
One day the disciples were in a great storm in the middle of the sea.
“But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.” Matthew 14:24-29 NKJV
Pedro experienced a miracle because he received the Word in the middle of the storm.
Peter did not walk “on waters”, Peter walked “on the Word” of Jesus!
Jesus said: Come! He believed, obeyed and walked on the Word!
When Jesus commands you, obey Him. Jesus told Peter to “come” to Him on the water. Even though it made no sense, Peter did what Jesus asked.
Every time you believe and obey the Word of God you will experience a miracle! But Satan will try to steal the word from your heart through fear and tribulations.
Jesus warned us about these things, he said that when the sower sows the Seed the devil immediately comes to steal it by using temptations, trials, troubles and persecutions.
But if you want to see God’s plan fulfilled in your life and wish to have a fruitful life full of miracles you have to make the determination to hold on to the Word of God, you must be relentless in grasping the Word of God, refusing to let go of it and then it will produce fruit in your life.
Remember that you’re not predetermined to be a thorny or rocky soil. Every person determines for themselves what kind of soil they will be.
It’s about our response to the Word of God when it is preached to us! You can be a fruitful Christian, you can see the Word come alive in your life. Hang on to it, you will never regret having done so.
Next week we will learn practical ways on how to play our part to experience the miracles of God.
May the Lord bless and keep you !