Introduction

In the name of Jesus, risen and alive. Amen.

Last Sunday, we stood at Jesus’ empty tomb, proclaiming, “He is risen! He is risen indeed!” His resurrection broke death’s grip and ushered in a season of hope, and the end of the season of Lent.

That word “Lent” is generally resigned to church use. I wonder how many here know what it actually means. “Lent” is a very old English word that means “springtime.” It’s that season in the Church that carries us from the wise men’s departure at Epiphany through to Easter.

Now robins are returning, finches are singing and and bulbs are breaking through the ground. The air carries the scent of Spring, and the fields begin to whisper promises of new life.

Today, as spring continues to push Winter out, we are launching an eight-week journey called: “Glimpses of Grace in Grain.” We’re going to follow a farmer’s work of: sowing, growing, nurturing, and harvesting. Watching God’s Word sprout from Easter-time through to Pentecost.

If you’re reading through the Bible with us this year, last week Monday you read about David trusting God’s protection in times of danger.¹ David’s heart was fertile ground, ready for the Master Sower. There, at that particular time, David was a good example for us, helping us learn to be that good soil, trusting God’s hand.

Picture a farmer at sunrise scattering seeds across a field. Of course these days we don’t really have that personal touch with each seed planted, but imagine the moment. Each seed holds a promise and hope. That’s just what God’s Word is when planted in us. The words we are looking at today are a record of Jesus’ teaching called: The Parable of the Sower.² A Parable is just an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.

In the message for the kids we saw four type of soil: hard, rocky, thorny, and good earth. Let’s look at this parable Jesus told and see where you find yourself in it.

Section 1: The Sower’s Life-Giving Word

In the Parable of the Sower³ Jesus paints a picture of a farmer scattering seeds that land across four kinds of soil. The hard path loses seeds to birds. The rocky ground sprouts fast but wilts in heat. The ground with weeds and thorns choke the good seeds that fall among them. It’s the good soil that yields a crop of thirty, sixty, a hundredfold. Jesus says the seed is God’s Word and the good soil is your heart.

• The hard path is like the dirt roads around here. Seeds that land there bounce on the hard surface, roll to a stop and are snatched by sparrows. Some hearts are too hard or too busy to hear God’s Word and receive it.

• The rocky soil is like a quick burst of faith that comes with the excitement of something like new or something fun. Even something like VBS. The problem is if it’s not nurtured and transplanted to a good place where it can take root, it is gone by mid-Summer.

• The thorny ground is life choked by worries. Bills stacking up. As farming season starts so does fixing season. It is so easy to see church as something in the way when things need to get done. It is so easy to get into the habit of not going.

• Most of you have turned over that rich, soft, dark soil full of life. Even if just with a shovel in a garden. Worms crawling in it. Good soil, rich and ready, grows: faith, kindness, love, joy and blessings.

God’s Word is to faith like rain is to seeds. It soaks the soil making it ready, making it bloom with life.⁴ Picture a pasture after a Spring shower with dust turned dark and green popping up. God’s Word works that way, softening hard hearts, deepening shallow ones, clearing worries. Last week on Maundy Thursday we prayed Psalm 55. It says:

Cast your burden on the Lord,
and He will sustain you.⁵

God’s Word feeds our faith, making us fertile ground. In Luther’s Small Catechism, in the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed, it teaches the Holy Spirit plants faith through the Word. Have you ever felt like that hard path, trudging through life? Or thorny, fretting over tomorrow? God keeps sowing, patient as a farmer waiting for rain. Wondering how the crop will grow.

I’ve heard folks say, “I’d come to Zion, but I’m not sure I’d fit.” People feel things about churches for all sorts of reasons. I’d encourage you to stop in and give this place a try. You are welcome here. God’s Word is for you here. Take some time this week to read Matthew 13 and Isaiah 55. Let it take root. Then come and grow roots in a good place.

Section 2: Sowing as God’s Fellow Workers

In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul says:

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.⁶

Paul sowed the Gospel in a city called Corinth. Apollos watered it with further teaching. You can be certain in a hedonistic city like Corinth, and it really was a mess, the Word Paul sowed fell on all kinds of soil. No doubt many rejected it and they are people you will never have the chance to meet, but for some God made it grow and you might meet some of them someday because their home and yours is heaven.

Last week you prayed Psalm 19:1-4 which declared:

The heavens proclaim God’s glory.⁷

In our denomination we have a real treasure called the Book of Concord. It’s not equal to, nor an addition to, the Bible. It is an explanation of what we believe from the Bible and why we believe it. It contains several documents. One: “The Augsburg Confession,” says the Holy Spirit sparks faith through Word and Sacraments.⁸ We sow the seeds of faith the same way Paul did. Got a neighbor skipping church? Share a kind word and invite them here. Our Introit,⁹ Psalm 65, praises God’s care, watering the earth to bear fruit. He waters every heart that listens. An invitation is a seed planted.

Some say, “I’d like to come back to Zion, but I’ve been gone too long.” They need to know they are welcome here. God’s Word grows in anyone who hears. Read 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 and Psalm 65:9-13 to see your role in God’s field, His Church.

Section 3: The Sower’s Fruitful Harvest

Let’s return to Matthew 13. Jesus says good soil bears fruit. That fruit is spiritual gifts like: faith, love, and service which provide a full harvest. Have you ever watch a field waiting to sprout? Seeds don’t pop up overnight. It takes rain, sun, and time. God sows His Word in Holy Baptism, preaching, and the Lord’s Supper, growing it through life’s ups and downs. Do you feel like rocky soil right now, like faith is fading fast? Or thorny ground, choked by busy and worry? God’s Word keeps working, patient as a farmer checking his sprouting wheat, knowing the harvest will come.

Over the last couple weeks many commented about how nice it was to have the church packed full, running out of seats. I admit it was nice. I am so very glad so many came. What troubles good pastors is thinking through what we can do to help each one of them see that what we offer here is good for them every week.

Every time I sit down to sort through another message series, and what those messages should contain, I think about all of you here. I also think of those who are here less frequently. I also think about those who haven’t been here yet. What we do here is more than putting in our time, or coming to hear God’s Word. It is also the camaraderie we have, and the support we can give to each other. Life always happens. When we tackle it together we can keep smiling.

Law and Gospel: Hard Hearts, Fruitful Soil

I suppose I could try guilting people into church, but my experience is: At best that can only work for a short time. What we do here, and what I say here, needs to actually matter in real life. Missing that means we’re missing the point of being here.

That said, we can’t make everything chocolate-coated cherries. If what we do here is going to matter in real life it’s got to be real. The real world is we’re all mess up. God’s Word points that out, and we don’t often enjoy hearing it. Probably because it’s true. The Law of God stings. Our hearts often push back against God’s Word. We’re like the hard path, we’re distracted by busyness or whatever else gets in the way. You and I need to hear that often.

That Law is like Winter cold. It’s less fun. There is also the Gospel, the Good News which gives hope. As Spring starts teasing, giving hope of the warm weather to come, we grow to long for it more and more and despise the snow and cold wind. We beg for temps in the 50’s. Then the 60’s. Everyone loves that first Spring day in the 70’s because we know Summer and its warm sun is coming.

That warm Summer sun is the Gospel, the good news of God’s Word that brings hope. God’s forgiveness, like spring rain softens us. Because of Jesus’ Good Friday death and Easter Sunday resurrection, no matter where we’ve been, no matter where we are, no matter what we’ve done forgiveness is given to anyone, to everyone every time anytime.

If you’ve been gone for a while and wonder if you’d be allowed to come back? Come back and find out. You will be welcome. If you’ve never been here, and wonder if you’d be welcome here. Come in and find out. You will be welcome here. If you’ve made mistakes, if you’ve made missteps, if you’ve offended someone here, or been offended by someone here, you might wonder how you’ll be treated. Come back and find out. You will be welcome.

Conclusion: Be Good Soil, Trust the Sower

How do we get that message out there to those who are not here? I can tell people. As I tool around town I often invite people to visit, but I’m only one guy. You do the same. Let people know that they will be welcome here. Then, if you see a stranger in church, make sure they know they are welcome here. It sounds so simple, because it is.

There is only one kind of person I do not want here. Anyone who is perfect. We don’t want perfect people here because this field, this church is a place for messed up people. We’ve got a really good crop of people here just like that. If you’re messed up you’ll be in good company. If you think you’re too good for us, you should go live a little more life before you stop by. Life will remind you where you really stand. Life will get you sometimes.

As we head to into life, let’s be good soil. Good soil welcomes God’s Word, trusting it as a place to put down roots. Just understand that does take time. That’s why you need to be here next next Sunday as we look at “The Sower’s Patience” waiting for faith to grow.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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NOTES

11 Samuel 19–21 – Bible in a Year, Monday April 21