THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER (Mark 4:1-20)

Starts with a COMMAND: LISTEN!

• Ends with a PLEA: He who has ears to hear, let him hear

 Listening must be ACTIVE

• Faith must SERIOUS, PERSISTENT & PERCEPTIVE

 The Context – The Kingdom of God

 The Components

• The Seed – The Word of God

•  The Sower – God making His Word known

•  The Soil – The hearts of the hearers: Hard, Shallow, Distracted and Good

 The IMPLICATION of the Parable

•  There are only TWO types of soil: UNFRUITFUL or FRUITFUL

The APPLICATION of the Parable

• For those outside the Kingdom – Fruit of Repentance

• For those professing to be inside the Kingdom – Fruit of Ongoing Spiritual Growth