Matthew 13:1-23 Parable of the Sower

That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea....And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow;  and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.  Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.  But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.  Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.  And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty....When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.  The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;  yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.  And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty." [Matthew 13:1‭-‬23 NASB]

It was announced in my local church recently that over 600 people have accepted Jesus as Lord this year for the first time. Amidst all the rejoicing over saved souls, I looked around, and saw that there are just as many seats filled now as there were 6 months ago. So I ask myself, where did they all go? If 600 have received Jesus in just this year, the church should be bursting with people and flowing out into the streets.

I think the answer - at least in part - lies in this parable.

Most people who attend a church service for the first time do so at the invitation of another. They see the joy and feel the energy of worship, they hear the message, but they don't really understand what they see or hear. They may even raise their had at the end of the service indicating that they have accepted the Lord, but because they don't understand what they are doing, it has no meaning. They go home, shrug it off, and go about their business.

Next, there is the person to whom the Holy Spirit has granted understanding. He hears the preaching of the word, and joyfully receives Jesus as Lord. You will see a person with great zeal and enthusiasm, ready to serve - for a while. When somebody makes a joke about his faith, or dismisses it as worthless, he shuts down. The joy has been robbed, the emotion is gone. Without the emotional high to sustain his faith, he falls away.

Or, perhaps, it is his own fleshly temptations that pull him away. When the old self pulls him away into sin, he cannot reconcile his actions with the holiness of the Spirit. Faced with a choice between his desires and total surrender to Christ, he chooses his desires.

Then there's the person who understands the preaching and receives Jesus as Lord. He doesn't need the emotional high to maintain his faith, and is able to rejoice at the taunts and jeers of the world. But, ultimately, he is unable to integrate his new found faith into his life. He has to work, pay bills, and plan for his retirement.

We know that worry opposes faith. Jesus said, "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'...But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." [Matthew 6:31‭, ‬33 NASB] Worry is a hard habit to break, and is not easily let go. Some worry so much about how to survive, that they worry themselves right out of their faith.

Worry is only one side of a coin. Success has its own pitfalls. Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” [Mark 10:25 NASB] There is a sentiment that I have heard expressed more than once. "I know that God is blessing me because He has blessed me with money." There is a trap in that line of reasoning. It is entirely possible in this world to make a lot of money by hard work and ingenuity. There is nothing wrong with that unless you equate wealth with God's blessing. By that reasoning Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk would be two of the holiest men in America. Wealth is a subtle deceit. The rich Christian spends more and more time accumulating wealth, believing himself to be more and more blessed by God. And slowly, his thoughts turn away from God and towards making more money, or buying a bigger house, or buying a showier car. Until God is no longer in his thoughts at all.

Finally, there are those who receive the word and grow in the faith. They are the ones who settle in and begin to faithfully do the work of God.

So what we see in the local church is a trade. New people come and go. Some stay, others leave. Hopefully, more will stay than leave.

When we who are experienced know of a new Christian we should encourage them as much as possible, and be available to answer questions, helping them to grow in Christ. Ultimately though, their faith is in their own hands. Jesus has called them, the Holy Spirit has drawn them in, but they need to provide the fertile soil for His word to grow.

As for you, encourage new believers, but don't get dragged back into the world with them. As Paul said, "Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted." [Galatians 6:1 NASB]