Jesus is the best teacher we could ever have in life. And in Mark chapter four He is teaching a principle that is necessary for successful Christian living. He talks about four different ways to receive the Word of God. The first three ways are definitely not recommended. But the fourth way is the way to receive and walk in success all the days of your life.
The first three types of ground that we see in this chapter did not produce anything. The first one, heard the Word, but Satan came immediately and took it away. They got the Word in church, for example, and Satan came immediately and took the Word.
Second, they heard the word, received it with praise in their heart, but when a challenge came up, immediately they were offended.
Third, they heard the Word, but they also heard the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, the lust of other things. Those things entered into their heart and choked the Word and it didn't produce either.
Then, the fourth ground the Word was sown on was good ground and it brought forth fruit, some thirty, some sixty, and some hundredfold.
I want you to notice that in all four cases the Word was sown. But only in one case did the Word produce. The Word has to have the right ground to be planted in. Why? Because you plant to get a harvest - a good harvest.
We talk a lot about having a supernatural overflow of blessings in our life. Well that starts with having a heart that God considers good ground. When you hear the Word of God preached you act on it. It may be something that is hard to take, but you take it anyway and you act on it.
You are the one who acts on the Word whether you feel like it or not. You act on the Word when things are going bad and when things are going well. And having a heart like that is what causes supernatural overflow of blessings to be in your life continually.
Put the Word in you and it'll begin to get everything that was wrong back on track, and enrich the ground of your heart. So when you receive the Word of God, a seed is planted inside of you. And now because your heart is right, you will bring forth a harvest.
Scripture Reference: Matthew 13:32; Mark 4:32
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Pastor Sean R. Moore is the Senior Pastor of Faith Christian Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Prior to his induction as Senior Pastor in 2004, he recognized the call of God on his life and attended the Word of Faith Bible Training Center (BTC) where he graduated in 1999 and was later ordained in June of 2000. Pastor Sean has served in campus, youth and singles ministries and also co-pastored a church with Bishop Keith A. Butler in Akron, Ohio.
