Wednesday
Evening Bible Study
December 13, 2000
Introduction
Jesus is going to tell a story.
When you share the gospel with friends, why don't some people respond like
you did?
:4' And when much people were
gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a
parable:
much people ' 'great crowd'
5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way
side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
sower ' sow ' speiro ' to
sow, scatter, seed
seed ' sporos ' a sowing;
seed (used in sowing)
fell ' pipto ' to descend
from a higher place to a lower; to fall (either from or upon); to be thrust
down
the way side ' hodos '
properly; a way; a travelled way, road; a travellers way, journey, travelling
trodden down ' katapateo ('down'
+ 'tread') ' to tread down, trample under foot, to trample on
fowls ' peteinon ' flying,
winged; flying or winged animals, birds; the birds of the heaven, i.e. flying
in the heaven (air)
We have this flock of crows that live in the church's neighborhood.' They are constantly uprooting our flowers,
dropping nut shell on the parking lot to break them open, leaving messes
everywhere.
air ' ouranos ' the
vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it; the aerial heavens or
sky, the region where the clouds and the tempests gather, and where thunder and
lightning are produced; the sidereal or starry heavens; the region above the
sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect
where God dwells and other heavenly beings
devoured ' katesthio ('down'
+ 'eat') ' to consume by eating, to eat up, devour
:6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered
away, because it lacked moisture.
some ' heteros ' the
other, another, other
fell ' pipto ' to descend
from a higher place to a lower; to fall (either from or upon); to be thrust
down
rock ' petra ' a rock,
cliff or ledge
sprung up ' phuo ' to
beget, bring forth, produce; to be born, to spring up, to grow; to shoot forth,
spring up
withered away ' xeraino '
to make dry, dry up, wither; to become dry, to be dry, be withered; to waste
away, pine away, i.e. a withered hand
lacked ' literally, 'did not have'
moisture ' hikmas '
moisture.' This is the only place this
word is used in the NT.
:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked
it.
some ' heteros ' the
other, another, other
fell ' pipto ' to descend
from a higher place to a lower; to fall (either from or upon); to be thrust
down
among ' mesos ' middle;
the midst; in the midst of, amongst
thorns ' akantha ' thorn,
bramble; bush, brier, a thorny plant
sprang up with ' sumphuo ('with'
+ 'spring up') ' to cause to grow together; to grow together, grow with
choked ' apopnigo ' to
choke; to suffocate with water, drown
:8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an
hundredfold.
other ' heteros ' the
other, another, other
fell ' pipto ' to descend
from a higher place to a lower; to fall (either from or upon); to be thrust
down
ground ' ge ' arable land;
the ground, the earth as a standing place
good ' agathos ' of good
constitution or nature; useful, salutary; good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful,
happy; excellent, distinguished; upright, honourable
sprang up ' phuo ' to
beget, bring forth, produce; to be born, to spring up, to grow; to shoot forth,
spring up
bare ' poieo ' to make; to
do
fruit ' karpos ' fruit;
that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result
hundredfold ' hekatontaplasion
' hundredfold, a hundred times as much
Lesson
The goal is fruit.
This is the goal of the parable, to have a farm that brings forth a great
crop.
God wants you to bear fruit in your life.
:8' And when he had said these
things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
cried ' phoneo ' to sound,
emit a sound, to speak; of men: to cry, cry out, cry aloud, speak with a loud
voice; to call, to call one's self, either by one's own voice or though
another; to send for, summon; to address, accost, call by a name
Do you have ears to hear?
In a way, this is the heart of the whole parable.
Lesson
Are you open to God's Word?
Can you allow the seed of God's Word into your heart to let it grow?
Do you have a hard heart, too hard to penetrate?
Break up the fallow ground.
:9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
asked ' eperotao ' to
accost one with an enquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask, interrogate; to
address one with a request or demand; to ask of or demand of one
:10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing
they might not understand.
mysteries ' musterion '
hidden thing, secret, mystery
seeing ' see ' blepo ' to
see, discern, of the bodily eye; metaph. to see with the mind's eye; to have
(the power of) understanding; to discern mentally, observe, perceive, discover,
understand; to turn the thoughts or direct the mind to a thing, to consider,
contemplate, to look at, to weigh carefully, examine
hearing ' akouo ' to be
endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf; to hear; to understand, perceive
the sense of what is said; to hear something; to comprehend, to understand
understand ' suniemi ' to
set or bring together; to put (as it were) the perception with the thing
perceived; to set or join together in the mind; i.e. to understand: the man of
understanding
People with hard hearts are going to have harder hearts.' Those that want to understand are going to
get it.
:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
word ' logos ' word
:12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and
taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be
saved.
devil ' diabolos ' prone
to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely; devil; Satan the prince of the demons
taketh away ' airo ' to
raise up, elevate, lift up; to raise from the ground, take up: stones; to bear
away what has been raised, carry off; to move from its place; to take away from
another what is his or what is committed to him, to take by force
word ' logos ' word
hearts ' kardia ' the
heart; the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts,
passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavours; of the
understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence; of the will and
character
believe ' pisteuo ' to
think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in
be saved ' sozo ' to save,
keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction
There are people who don't ever seem to quite 'get it' when you share the
gospel.' The enemy has stolen the seed.
:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with
joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of
temptation fall away.
hear ' akouo ' to be
endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf; to hear; to attend to, consider
what is or has been said; to understand, perceive the sense of what is
said.' Aorist active subjunctive.
joy ' chara ' joy,
gladness
receive ' dechomai ' to
take with the hand; to take up, receive
root ' rhiza ' a root
while ' kairos ' due
measure; a measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time; a fixed and
definite time
believe ' pisteuo ' to
think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in
time ' kairos ' due
measure; a measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time; a fixed and
definite time
temptation ' peirasmos '
an experiment, attempt, trial, proving; the trial of man's fidelity, integrity,
virtue, constancy; an enticement to sin, temptation, whether arising from the
desires or from the outward circumstances; an internal temptation to sin; of
the temptation by which the devil sought to divert Jesus the Messiah from his
divine errand; adversity, affliction, trouble: sent by God and serving to test
or prove one's character, faith, holiness
It is used both for a time of 'temptation', when we are enticed by sin, as
well as a time of 'trial', when we go through difficult times to test our
faithfulness.
fall away ' aphistemi ' to
make stand off, cause to withdraw, to remove; to stand off, to stand aloof; to
go away, to depart from anyone; to desert, withdraw from one; to fall away,
become faithless
Lesson
Deep roots in tough times
A plant or tree with deep roots is able to survive the 'dry' times.
(Psa 1 KJV)' Blessed is the man that walketh not in the
counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the
seat of the scornful. {2} But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his
law doth he meditate day and night. {3} And he shall be like a tree planted by
the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also
shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. {4} The ungodly are
not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. {5} Therefore the
ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the
righteous. {6} For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of
the ungodly shall perish.
What do you do during the 'dry' times, the times when it seem like God is
far from you and He doesn't seem to be speaking very often?
If your 'roots' are in God's Word, you can survive.' If you're roots are in things like emotional
experiences, then you're going to be blown away with the dry Santa Ana winds.
:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard,
go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and
bring no fruit to perfection.
heard ' akouo ' to be
endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf; to hear; to attend to, consider
what is or has been said; to understand, perceive the sense of what is
said.' Aorist participle.
cares ' merimna ' care,
anxiety
riches ' ploutos ' riches,
wealth; abundance of external possessions; fulness, abundance, plenitude
pleasures ' hedone ('hedonism')
' pleasure; desires for pleasure
life ' bios ' life; human
existence
go forth ' poreuomai ' to
lead over, carry over, transfer; to pursue the journey on which one has
entered, to continue on one's journey; to lead or order one's life
are choked ' sumpnigo ' to
choke utterly; metaph. the seed of the divine word sown in the mind; to press
round or throng one so as almost to suffocate him
bring (no) fruit to perfection ' telesphoreo
' to bring to (perfection or) maturity; of fruits; of pregnant women; of
animals bringing their young to maturity
It almost sounds as if the issue is that they never grow up.
Too much of the world to be any heavenly good.
Lesson
Choking retards growth
The more my life is filled with worries, concern for money, love for
pleasure, the more my growth in the Lord is going to be held back.
:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good
heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
good ' kalos ' beautiful,
handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable,
commendable, admirable
ground ' ge ' arable land;
the ground, the earth as a standing place
honest ' kalos '
beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful,
suitable, commendable, admirable
good ' agathos ' of good
constitution or nature; useful, salutary; good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful,
happy; excellent, distinguished; upright, honourable
heard ' akouo ' to be
endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf; to hear; to attend to, consider
what is or has been said; to understand, perceive the sense of what is
said.' Aorist participle.
keep ' katecho ' to hold
back, detain, retain; to hold fast, keep secure, keep firm possession of; to
get possession of, take
Lesson
Take possession of God's Word.
Make it your own.'
bring forth fruit ' karpophoreo
' to bear fruit; to bear, bring forth, deeds; to bear fruit of one's self
patience ' hupomone '
steadfastness, constancy, endurance; in the NT the characteristic of a man who
is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by
even the greatest trials and sufferings; patiently, and steadfastly; a patient,
steadfast waiting for; a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance
Lesson
Patience in trials
Hang tough.