03/16/2025 Midtown Church Elk Grove
“Listen Carefully: The Parable of the Sower”
Pastor Christa Armstead
Biblical Background:
Luke 4:18
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim Freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.
Luke 6:17
Large crowds followed him—“his disciples and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region, around Tyre & Sidon, who had come to “HEAR Him” and to be healed if their diseases
Matthew 13:14-15
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes
Luke 8:1-14
After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”
When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,
“‘though seeing, they may not see;
though hearing, they may not understand.’
11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
The 4 Types of Hearers & Their Meanings:
1.You can’t stop God’s plan—just your own chance to be part of it
The Hard Path (Closed Heart)
Isaiah 14:27
For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
2.Shallow Roots Shaky Faith
The Rocky Soil (Shallow Heart)
3.Faith That Doesn’t Choke
The Thorny Soil (Distracted Heart)
Luke 8:1-3
1 Soon afterward, Jesus began a ministry tour throughout the country, visiting cities and villages to announce the wonderful news of God’s kingdom. His twelve disciples traveled with him 2 as did a number of women who had been healed of many illnesses and set free from demonic power. One of the women was Mary who was from the village of Magdala,from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons. Among the women were Susanna and 3 Joanna, the wife of Chusa, who managed King Herod’s household. Many other women who supported Jesus’ ministry from their own personal finances also traveled with him.
Luke 9:24
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
4.Deep Roots, Abundant Fruit
The Good Soil (Receptive Heart)
Luke 7:44-50
44 Then he spoke to Simon about the woman still weeping at his feet. “Don’t you see this woman kneeling here? She is doing for me what you didn’t bother to do. When I entered your home as your guest, you didn’t think about offering me water to wash the dust off my feet. Yet she came into your home and washed my feet with her many tears and dried my feet with her hair.
45 You didn’t even welcome me into your home with the customary kiss of greeting, but from the moment I came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet.
46 You didn’t take the time to anoint my head with fragrant oil, but she anointed my head and feet with the finest perfume.
47 She has been forgiven of all her many sins. This is why she has shown me such extravagant love. But those who assume they have very little to be forgiven will love me very little.”
48 Then Jesus said to the woman at his feet, “All your sins are forgiven.”
49 All the dinner guests said among themselves, “Who is the one who can even forgive sins?”
50 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith in me has given you life. Now you may leave and walk in the ways of peace.”