Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-07-12
Observation-Disclosures
The Sunday H
School Lesson
SUNDAY SCHOOL LEssoM'FoR
JULY II, 1872.

SUNDAY SCHOOL Lesson ron
''' JULY II, 1912.
THE SEED IN THE FOUR KINDS OF
D. SOIL. u"
Golden Text-Receive with meek.
ness the engrafted word, which is able
to save your souls.--James1:2 81.
Lesson Text--Mark 4:l-20. Commit
v. 20.
Time-Autumn A. d. 20.
Place-By Sea Of Galilee near Ca.
pernaum.
Exposition-I. Jesus as an Open
Air Preacher, I, 2. This like every
other great sermon recorded in the
Bible was preached In the open air.
Jesus went to the seaside because that
was where he would get the crowd.
Jesus began to preach when the crowd
collected duke $40, but he was not
above preaching to an audience OF
one Ono. $40. But the multitude
loved to gather to hear Jesus N1att.
81; 1882; Luke 8:45). 1t is not hard
to tell why. Jesus always saw In
great crowd call to preach the gos-
pei Matt. 9:36-38; Mark 2:2: $50.
Jesus began at this time to adopt the
parabolic method Of teaching. which
reveals truth to those who love 1t and
conceals It from those who have no
appetite for It Tvs. II, 70: Matt 1910.
10; 2 Thess. 2:1O.12).
II. Hard-Hearted Hearers, 3, 1, IL.
Jesus represents himself as a sower.
The word Of God is seed duke SID;
1t has life! It brings forth fruit (Col.
1:b, 81. There Is more ultimate value
In one grain OF wheat than In the
largest diamond ever found: for that
grain sown, and It's fruit sown, will in
time NIL the earth with its increase.
So with . word Of truth sown in the
heart; It converts one, he many; each
one he converts, many more, In ever
widening circles. There are four
kinds OF soil or classes Of hearers.
The first class are like the trodden
path over which the feet and wheels !.
Of the world have gone until there Is
no receptivity for the word of God.
The seed sown in such hearts Is
snatched away by the devil through
his ever-present emissaries, fowls Of
the air." The devils greatest aim in
life is to keep men from believing the
word and being saved duke S:12).
There are men who are actively SYM
pathetic with the devil In this pur.
pose. The devil doesn't let the grass
grow under his feet; he comes as soon
as the seed is sown.
III. Shallow-Hearted Hearers, 8, 6,
16. II. The second class of hearers
are like the thin soil on an outcrop-
ping ledge OF rock. They hear the
word, and Immediately, without re-
Election upon its real import and the
cost Of acceptance, receive 1t with
Joy duke s:13). There is response
to the truth in this case. 1t takes
hold upon the emotions. but not upon
the great ,deeps of the will. A deep
work is better than swift one. These
have no root and the young plant
soon withers. The scorching sun is
circulation or persecution because OF
the word" II the seed were we'll
rooted the sun would make 1t grow
and ripen; SO do tribulation and per-
secution when the word is we'll rooted
The Galatians were rock soil-bearers
(Gal. AIS; 81; 6:12).
w. Half-Hearted Hearers, 7, 8, 10.
The third class Of hearers are like
rich, promising, but pre-occupied soil.
There are already thorns in the soil
and the seed sown falls upon these
They grow up with their rank, luxuri-
ant growth. and the good seed Is
choked and the early promise comes
to nothing. In this case there has
been real attention to the word and
appreciation Of 1t ". 22). It has
taken some hold upon the will, but
there has not been whole-hearted sur
render to It, They are capable of
bearing fruit If they would only cast
out. the thorns; but they won't. So
there is no fruit. This is most SOL
emn. 1t pictures many, very many,
in the church today. The thorns are
(1) THE cares of the world" In how
many business man and housewife
the word of God Is thus choked. (2)
THE deceitfulness Of riches" How
many a man grows goddess as he
grows rich. 60 Pleasures Of this
life" duke s:14), dance, theater card
party, etc.. etc. ~ "Lusts of other
things" Out with the thorns.
V. Whole-Hearted Hearers. s, 20.
But there is fourth class, good
ground" They % hear the word"
They appreciate Its value and give
good heed. (2) They understand" it
They take in its meaning and its price,
(s) They accept It" 'in an honest
and good heart" duke s:15, not mere
ly hear but take hold. 90 They hold
It fast" duke 8:15 r. W. They will
not give it up at any cost. These
bring forth fruit ("with patience'),
thirty, sixty, an hundred-fold. So 1t
is with our preaching. How discour-
aged we get over the apparently vast
ed seed. Don't! You will strike the
"hundred.fold" man some day. + But
let all take heed how they hear duke
s:1s).
Leading Questions - What great.
thought have we here about the value
Of the world? What lesson about how
to hear? What lesson for discouraged
teachers Of the word? What are the
things that damn the soul?
CLEAN MATrlNa