The Sower
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Luke 8:4-15
[4] And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of
every city, he spake by a parable:
[5] A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way
side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
[6] And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away,
because it lacked moisture.
[7] And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
[8] And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.
And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
[9] And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
[10] And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of
God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
[11] Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
[12] Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh
away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
[13] They on the rock [are they], which, when they hear, receive the word with
joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
[14] And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go
forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to
perfection.
[15] But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart,
having heard the word, keep [it], and bring forth fruit with patience.
This parable has given us a wonderful example of what happens in our minds.
When we accept Jesus as our personal savior, the Holy Spirit
comes to live in us and begins to teach us to have the mind of Christ. The promise is
in Isaiah 55:11 "My Word... shall not return unto me me void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." If our thoughts are on God's
Word, the Holy Spirit will use it to cause us to grow. If our thoughts are occuppied on the things
mentioned above (temptations of the eyes, the flesh, pride; cares, and riches, and pleasures
of the world; or even negative things like hate, anger, bitterness, envy, etc.) then the Holy Spirit
cannot work in us because we are thinking evil thoughts. Many evil thoughts can actually control us.
We have the power to choose what we think about until the emotions take control.
Jesus said,
"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." We are our thoughts. Our thoughts become words. Our
words become actions. Our actions become habits. Our habits become our character. Good thoughts
produce good character. Bad thoughts not only produce bad character, it opens a way for satan to come
in and control us. Once he has some control, we lose control. We need to "Seek first the Kingdom of
God and His righteousness" by actively choosing it every moment, every day. Then we will grow
by the work of the Holy Spirit, and we will have the Mind of Christ. We will also grow into the Fruit
of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Self-control.
Here is an explanation of how the Holy Spirit works: 1 Corinthians 2:1-16
[1] And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of
wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
[2] For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified.
[3] And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
[4] And my speech and my preaching [was] not with enticing words of man's
wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
[5] That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of
God.
[6] Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of
this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
[7] But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom],
which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
[8] Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they
would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
[9] But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
[10] But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God.
[11] For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in
him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
[12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of
God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
[13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth,
but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
[14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.
[15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
[16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we
have the mind of Christ.