WEEK 7 | SOIL & DUST
SOIL & DUST
Matthew 13:23 (ESV) — “As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
1 Corinthians 3:7 (ESV) — “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything”
Over the last several weeks, we’ve spent a lot of time looking at how Jesus interacted with people and what that means for us as the sent people of God. Another aspect of Jesus’ ministry lies in the power behind it. While Jesus was God in human form, he also understood that God was the one guiding him, and the one producing spiritual growth
in the lives of other people. In the same way, we must not over emphasize our own role, forgetting the fact that God is the one who works in the hearts of people. In that truth, we can find freedom and hope as we interact with others, knowing that their spiritual growth is ultimately something that is in God’s hands.
THE QUESTION : HOW DID JESUS SAY IT WOULD WORK?
John 5:19 (ESV) — So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing.”
When talking about His own ministry, Jesus talked about His reliance on the power and prompting from God. Even though He WAS God, he still understood the need to be vitally connected to the Father as he went about his ministry.
Why do you think Jesus talked about his need to be connected to the Father? In what ways did Jesus’ life and attitude reflect this dependence?
Does it seem strange to you that Jesus would need guidance from the Father?
How does Jesus’ attitude and actions challenge you and the way you interact with people?
THE EXCUSE : IT DIDN’T WORK
“I’ve tried and failed.” “Nothing’s happening.” “I’m wasting my time.”
Feeling like nothing significant is happening is very common as we interact with people in our lives. One of the main reasons for this is because we are trained to judge our effectiveness on the direct results. If we aren’t experiencing results based on our efforts, then somehow we are either wasting our time or energy. As a result, we often decide not to try or give up too easily for fear of failing.
Describe a time when your actions did not produce the expected result. Did that make you feel discouraged, frustrated, or more determined?
Has there been a time in your life when you felt as though you were discouraged by your interactions with people? Do you think that was a result of trying to do things in your own strength?
THE HOPE : GOD IS IN CHARGE OF THE RESULTS
The hope that we can have in this process is that God alone is in charge of the results. In that we can find rest, as we no longer have to feel like it’s our responsibility to create spiritual growth in the lives of others, or feel like a failure when that growth doesn’t happen. Continually in scripture, we see words of comfort for us as God promises to be present with us, empowering us and guiding us as we seek Him. These statements in scripture give us hope, because we know that we aren’t in control or alone.
“GOD GROWS”
1 Corinthians 3:7 (ESV) — So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
In this verse, Jesus specifically states that God is the agent of growth in the lives of believers. What do you think that means for us as we interact with those around us?
How could the fact that God causes the growth change the way you interact with those around you?
“YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER”
Acts 1:8 (ESV) — But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to…
In this verse, Jesus says that the means for our ability to be His witnesses is the power of the Holy Spirit alone. How does that impact your interactions with others?
If the Holy Spirit is our source of power, how do we stay connected to that power?
“I AM WITH YOU”
Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV) — 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you.
This promise is a very personal one, as Jesus promises that He Himself will be with us always. How does Christ’s presence impact the way you interact with others?
If Christ is with you, how does that change the way you view other people? What about the way you interact and talk to them?
THE CHALLENGE : SOW THE SEED & KNOW WHEN TO WALK AWAY
When we are aware of God’s promises to lead us and be with us, our mission starts to become clear. This mission is to be faithful with the message we have been given, and to be faithful to those whom we have been given. Often times, this means recognizing where the Spirit is leading us, including when he is leading us away from something else. For this reason, we must rely on the Spirit to lead us as we sow the seed of the gospel into the lives of those around us.
SOW THE SEED
READ MATTHEW 13:1-23
While this analogy explains the process by which the seed will grow and flourish, it also details what happens when the seed fails to grow, eventually dying. Jesus goes on to explain this parable as a description of the gospel’s deposit in the lives of people. In this story, each element has significance, and can shed light on our multiplication process.
SEED
In this parable the seed represents the gospel, which is sown in the soil. The gospel is the source of life, from which the plant springs. The plant that springs as a result of this seed could be faith, or spiritual life.
In what ways do you see the gospel relating to a seed that is planted?
Have you seen growth of the gospel in your own life, or the lives of others? What, would you say were the conditions surrounding that growth?
SOIL
The soil in this story is the heart of the person who hears the gospel. The condition of the soil has a large impact on how the message is received, and therefore has a large impact on the health of the plant. In some cases, the condition of the soil is directly responsible for the plant’s health or survival.
Have you ever experienced the seed of the gospel dying because of the condition of the soil? Does this change the truth of the message?
What is the result of the seed being planted on good, fertile soil? Does Jesus say we would know the soil is good?
SOWER
The sower represents the person who spreads the seed of the gospel, regardless of the soil’s condition.
At what rate does the sower sow the seed? Does it seem like he is picky about where it is scattered?
Why don’t you think the sower is careful to only plant the seed in good soil? What does this tell you about his desire to see the plant grow?
TIME
Inherent in the description of a plant growing is the aspect of time. No one can speed up the process of growth by physical means, which implies that time is not only probable but also necessary. In the example of the rocky soil, you could argue that a lack of the time required for growth was the cause of the plant’s death.
Have you ever experienced impatience about the timing of the gospel? What was Jesus’ warning about a plant that sprouts up too fast?
Spend some time praying about what this story reveals about the spiritual growth process, and list your insights in your journal. What do you think is your responsibility? What things are out of your control?
Since our role as the sower is to be faithful in sowing the seed of the gospel, this means that we liberally and actively look for opportunities to scatter the message of the gospel into the lives of those around us. Where we begin to see life sprouting up as a result of that, we invest our time and energy cultivating growth.
Sometimes this means having the ability to recognize and acknowledge where there is no growth, and having the maturity and wherewithal to move on.
KNOW WHEN TO WALK AWAY
Matthew 10:11-14 (ESV) — 11 “Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words…
As Jesus is sending out His disciples, he details different ways that these relationships can end.
What is Jesus preparing them for? What are Jesus’ expectations of the disciples for their journey? How do you think Jesus would define ‘success’ for them?
The healthy natural end to a discipleship relationship is that a person goes out and makes disciples. While this may result in having to meet less frequently, it is a natural process of multiplication.
There is also an unresponsive end when you feel like you are no longer moving forward and your disciple does not seem to be responding or acting on your challenges. In this case, for the time being, you might need to move on.
Jesus does not seem to call either of them a failure on the part of the one being sent out.
Have you ever been discouraged as a relationship began to change? Do you think this is a natural process?
Have you ever felt like God was moving you to “shake the dust off your feet?” What were the circumstances that led you to that conclusion?
THE ASSIGNMENT
Some time over the next month, plan an event at your house and invite the people whom you have been praying for. Ask that the Holy Spirit would guide you as you ask them and invite them into the space of your life. As you interact and talk to them, be praying about where and to whom the Holy Spirit is sending you.
Afterward, spend some time praying about whose life the Holy Spirit seems to be working, and what it will take to invest in them. Rearrange your commitments and see what you need to cut out to make space to meet with someone on your prayer list. This may mean that you need to evaluate relationships you believe God is moving you away from and investing where there is new life sprouting.
Commit to investing in at least one person, whether it be an ongoing meeting to pray, read the Bible, or just talk about their life. In that space, you will begin to see opportunities to sow the seed of the gospel in their life.