PARABLE

PARABLE.

Hope you are not going to get too mixed up with my logic here! For we will look at the parables in alphabetical order, except for this one! And with this one, we will first look at the middle, before considering the beginning and the end! Please bear with me, for all will be revealed! (No, that is not a parable!)

The Parable of the Sower is a key parable, not only for its contents, but because Jesus took the opportunity here to explain what a parable is. Hence why we are starting in the middle.

Jesus made several points here that will help us understand the parables better.

1. Nearly all the parables are about the kingdom of heaven and the parables are all about the kingdom of heaven!

2. Knowledge about the kingdom is restricted in its distribution.

3. This knowledge is given on an 'all or nothing' basis.

4. Unbelievers will neither understand the parables, nor the kingdom lifestyle.

5. Those who do understand, and live the lifestyle, will receive a special blessing that would be the envy of many prophets and righteous people from Old Testament times.

We are so privileged to live in a time in history when the secrets of the kingdom have been revealed to those who wish to respond. This has been the case for the past 2000 years.

Today however, we are doubly blessed. For in the ongoing pattern of God since the Reformation, which has seen the gradual restoration of truths (eg. personal faith, believer baptism, Holy Spirit anointing, healing, spiritual gifts, etc.) lost from the end of the first apostolic age (from the time of the death of the apostle John), we are now experiencing the revelation that the kingdom is not only future, but also to be a present reality today.

When I was a boy, before I even believed, I could not understand the Lord's (Disciples) Prayer when it said;

I was taught that it was future, but even then, had my doubts about that. For it seemed, even then in my innocence, to be worded as much in the present as in the future, along with the other petitions of the prayer.

Today, I am grateful (and relieved!) to see that there is a new and growing revelation amongst many, many, dedicated believers that 'the kingdom is for now' too.

This is both a privilege and a responsibility! Yes, there is a great blessing but along with the blessing comes a responsibility to live out the revelation of the kingdom lifestyle.

But if your heart desire is to experience more of your Saviour and Lord;

Amen.

Farming was the main occupation of the Jews of the time. Therefore they would have understood, in the natural, what Jesus was saying, more easily than many of us today do.

Even so, Jesus explained in detail what this parable meant.

Can we lose our salvation? Apparently so. As confirmed here.

We need to nurture our faith carefully, to ensure that our seed is sown in the good soil. We choose our own soil in which to be planted! To produce a good crop we need to persevere in our faith.

What soil are you planted in? Fortunately, in the spiritual, it is never to late to ask for a transplant!

As we saw earlier, Jesus explained what this particular parable meant.

However, this does not mean that there is no more meaning to be found in it. The understanding that Jesus revealed was for the people at the time. This does not mean that his revelation was complete for all time. The Holy Spirit can still bring additional revelation and understanding from age to age.

I would like to suggest to you 2 understandings of the final part of the parable, the crops from the good soil. That is us - believers.

On an individual level it shows that there are of crop production, of fruit, in believers. Not all believers are the same. Some produce more than others. Some display the fruit of the Spirit more than others.

There has been a 'democratic' teaching over the years that all we need to do is to pray the 'sinners prayer' (not found in the Bible!) and all will be well. We can live how we like and we will get to heaven and live there in the same way as the martyr or greatest saint who has ever lived. Easy Christianity - but false. The whole emphasis of the Bible and understanding of the Jewish culture is that we must live what we believe. Judgment will come, for believer and unbeliever alike.

The works we do are recorded in the book of life and we are rewarded accordingly. Some produce 30, some 60, and some 100 fold crops.

Are you a 30 fold, 60 fold or 100 fold follower of Jesus?

In regard to the church, there can be seen a progressive pattern of development. This development is in terms of revelation and understanding the church of a particular time.

Gods pattern is always to work in threes - from Father, Son and Holy Spirit through to faith, hope and love and many, many more.

So it is with the church. There is a 3 fold revelation which relates to the 3 crop yields Jesus talks about in this parable.

So it is with the church. There is a 3 fold revelation which relates to the 3 crop yields Jesus talks about in this parable.

1. 30 FOLD CHURCH: A church, or group of people with the revelation of Jesus, but who choose to stop there. Baptism is fine, but we will not get involved with any more. Often known as traditional or evangelical churches.

2. 60 FOLD CHURCH: A church, or group of people with the revelation of Jesus but who also accept the moving of the Holy Spirit as being of importance to them. These are known as pentecostal or charismatic churches.

3. 100 FOLD CHURCH: A church, or group of people with the revelation of Jesus but who also accept the moving of the Holy Spirit and the lordship of Jesus in their lives. Whose purpose for being is to be obedient to the will of the Father in their lives. This church, which is being revealed today has tentatively many names such as third day, apostolic, tabernacle, the bride, overcomers, and more. It is generally informal, as it consists of people of like mind, with a spiritual unity not found in formal organisations.

Does this excite you? It does me!

To examine the Parable of the Sower in greater depth, please download this free PDF file.

A REVELATION OF... PARABLE OF THE SOWER

.....as we look at further kingdom parables of Jesus.

The 'hundred fold' believer, the 'bride of Christ', the 'overcomers', the 'double anointing'. All terms for the one thing, the sold out disciple of Jesus, the one prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in return for the ultimate gain, to rule and reign with Jesus.

Is this me? Is this you? Jesus is seeking these precious people out.

IMAGES AND ART: Jerusalem

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Crusader Facade

The original Byzantine church was destroyed by the Persians in 614 A.D. Rebuilt shortly thereafter, the Egyptian caliph al-Hakim destroyed the church in 1009 and had the tomb hacked down to bedrock.

The Crusaders rebuilt the church and much of what is standing today is from that time period. The ladder in the upper right window has been there since at least 1860, a testimony to rivalries between the church's factions.