Mark 4:1-20 gives us a familiar parable on the Sower and different soils …
As we look at this parable that Jesus describes as basic and essential to understanding all the others, note the warnings. We are shown three negative results of His Word being shared. These are three things we must be guarding from in our lives and if we are sharing God's Word with others, we must be guarding them also.
First, we must not allow satan to come and steal God's Word away from people. This is only be prevented through the power of prayer. Have we laid the proper prayer foundation in our lives and the lives of those we are witnessing to. With the proper relationship with God developed through prayer, we will know when to present the Gospel so that it wont be taken away by satan.
Second, do we honestly present the whole Gospel. Often people will say that God will fix your problems and make life better. Yet here we are reminded that if we accept and live by God's Word, trouble and persecution will come. We need to be prepared for this and prepare others for it. When the tough times come we need to stop and evaluate why it's happening. If it is because of our stupidity that's on us. However, if it is because we are living by the Word of God then stand firm and count yourself blessed because you have been found worthy of suffering for the sake of the Gospel. We must be honest when witnessing and tell people that if they live for God others will not be happy with them and persecute them.
Finally, we need to make sure that we and those who respond to God's Word stay focused on the right thing. This last area that distracts people making them unfruitful are the concerns of life and the false promises of things. Now any detail of life can fall into this category if we let it captivate our attention and focus. We need to do what Scripture admonishes, "Keep our eyes firmly on the Author and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus Christ." When we stay focused on Him, He will help us deal with life and it will all work out.
Do we take these warnings and apply them to ourselves? Do we communicate them clearly to others so that we all become and stay the "good soil?" May we always be found faithful in presenting all of Scripture to others.
