Jesus gave the parable of a sower (Matthew 13:1-8, 18-23), that was the depiction of a preacher who sowed the Word of the Kingdom. From the parable we can study the following principles:
1. The duty of a preacher is to sow the seeds of the kingdom and not just convey information about the kingdom (the word of the kingdom not the word about the kingdom) – The word sown are seeds:
a. Seed is life – life will continue to grow.
b. Seed is the future – the congregation has a new future.
c. The seed will bear fruit and the fruit produced will be the same as its seed. The kingdom seeds will produce the children of the kingdom (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43).
d. Seeds will produce seeds – inside the seeds there are fruit. If we have became fruit, there are seeds inside us and the seeds will multiply.
2. When a preacher sows the seeds of the kingdom, the conditions of the congregations’ heart will soon be revealed: (The reason why all this time the heart of the congregations are not exposed is because of the seed sown was not the kingdom seeds and the preacher was not a sower of seeds).
a. Way side heart – do not understand (Amplified Bible translation to understand: grasp = grab, hold, seize, understand, comprehend) – This is a kind of person whose heart doesn’t have a hunger and thirst for righteousness. When word of the kingdom sown he will have difficulty to understand them. Usually he will say: too heavy, doesn’t understand, etc.
b. Stony heart – Immediately responds with joy, seems to understand but does not take roots because there is little soil – This is the kind of person who has heart that is hunger and thirst for righteousness, but not consistent. He grabbed but didn’t hold (grasp) the Word that he already received, so when faced with facts that contradict or people who question him, he immediately let the Word go.
c. Thorny Heart – a person who has a heart that is thirst and hunger for the truth but also thirsty and hungry for fame and wealth – This is the kind of person who has a branched heart, a servant of God but also servants of Mammon. The deceitfulness of riches will choke the Word, and he become unfruitful.
d. A good heart – a person who has a heart that is hunger and thirst for righteousness, consistent and has no doubt – Every time the word of the Kingdom are sown, he grabs, holds, seizes, understands, and comprehends them. He doesn’t just hear but try to manifest the Word into his daily lives. That is what caused the Word became an unshakable conviction in his lives. The word produce fruit that can be enjoyed by him and those around him.
In conclusion, a preacher should convey the word of the kingdom not the word about the kingdom.
Read also: Making The Spirit Of The Lord Continue To Rule Over Us.
