WHAT'S THE CONDITION OF YOUR GROUND?

Bible Study by Pastor Janice L Williams

BIBLE STUDY FOR WEDNESDAY, 

JULY 25th-AUGUST 1st, 2012

Scriptures printed in red are words spoken by JESUS.

 LET'S LOOK AT THE DEFINITION FOR: PARABLE -  a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle

Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed

Matthew 13:1-23 NLT

1/ Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. 2/ A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. 3/ He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4/ As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.

5/ Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6/But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didnt have deep roots, they died.

7/Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.

8/ Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!

9/Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.

10/ His disciples came and asked him, Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?

11/ He replied, You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12/To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. 13/ That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they dont really see.
They hear, but they dont really listen or understand.

14/ This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, 'When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.

15/ For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.

16/ But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17/I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didnt see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didnt hear it.

18/ Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: 19/ The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and dont understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20/ The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21/ But since they dont have deep roots, they dont last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing Gods word. 22/The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear Gods word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. 23/ The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand Gods word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds

Matthew 13:24-30 NLT

24/ Here is another story Jesus told: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25/ But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26/ When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

27/ The farmers workers went to him and said, Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?

28/ An enemy has done this! the farmer exclaimed.

Should we pull out the weeds? they asked.

29/No, he replied, you'll uproot the wheat if you do. 30/ Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.

Matthew 13:34-35 NLT

34/ Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. 35/ This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:

"I will speak to you in parables.
I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world." [reference Psalm 78:2]

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds Explained

Matthew 13:36-43 NLT

36/ Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.

37/ Jesus replied, The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38/ The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39/The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

40/ Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41/The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42/And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43/Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Fathers Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

REVIEW WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY #32

"TRUST IN JESUS"

If the condition of your ground {your heart & mind} wasn't in good shape when you first heard the WORD OF GOD {mine certainly wasn't}, the good, good, great news of Jesus Christ assures us that getting more and more knowledge and understanding of God's Word will fertilize your ground and cause it to bear fruit. Even if we stumble, fall, or backslide, our forgiving, loving, Heavenly Father, won't leave us or stop loving us. He calls us to repent and come back to Him, no matter what we've done.

Our Heavenly Father loves us with an everlasting love. [review WBS #18 "You Are Loved"]

Jeremiah 3:14-15 NKJV * 14/ Return, O backsliding children, says the Lord; for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. 15/ And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

EPHESIANS 4:22-24 NLT * 22/ THROW OFF YOUR OLD EVIL NATURE AND YOUR FORMER WAY OF LIFE, WHICH IS ROTTEN THROUGH AND THROUGH, FULL OF LUST AND DECEPTION. 23/ INSTEAD, THERE MUST BE A SPIRITUAL RENEWAL OF YOUR THOUGHTS AND ATTITUDES. 24/ YOU MUST DISPLAY A NEW NATURE BECAUSE YOU ARE A NEW PERSON, CREATED IN GOD'S LIKENESS--RIGHTEOUS, HOLY, AND TRUE.

 Isaiah 55:7 CEV * Give up your crooked ways
and your evil thoughts.
Return to the LORD our God.
He will be merciful
and forgive your sins.