Sowing the Seed
Mathew 13:1-23; Galatians 6:9

Sort. winning is simply sowing the seed and seeing God bring forth a harvest. Just be a farmer and farm!

A farmer needs to learn how to farm. Christians need to "study to show thyself . . . a workman that needeth not to be ashamed" (I1 Tim. 2: 15). Pastors are to teach "faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (v. 2). It is good training for a beginning soul winner to accompany the pastor or another experienced soul winner on home visitation to see how it is done. Skits, demonstrations and pairing people so they can practice on one another are all profitable. But do train them.

Plowing is hard work and few care for this part of farming. Many Christians become discouraged and quit right here. Face it now, you will not get to first base with some when you try to witness, but you can't quit. Keep plowing and one day you may plant seed there.

Planting the seed in the heart of a man is the actual work of sowing. "The seed is the word of God" (Luke 8:11). Some seed is going to fall "by the wayside" (Matt. 13: 4, 9). Many will not understand it. Some will just shrug their shoulders. In some mysterious way some will with joy receive it (v. 20), and it will appear to have taken root. But in a short while it comes out the profession was not real. The seed that "fell among thorns"-"the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches" which choke the word (v. 22)--will become "unfruitful"; and once again it will seem the labor is in vain, but not so (I Cor. 15:58). It will be worth it all when the seed falls "into the good ground" and "bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (v. 23). Would you stop sowing because some are unresponsive? Keep on! God has a harvest planned.

Don't plant all your seed in one spot. Scatter it. Some have witnessed to the same few for years. Leave them a while and scatter some seed. "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly" (II Cor. 9:6).

Persistence in sowing is essential to a harvest. One must be "instant in season and out of season" (II Tim. 4:2). God says, "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Gal. 6:9).