Mark 4:14-20 The sower sows the word of God, the good news regarding the way of salvation. These in the first group are the ones along the road where the word is sown; but when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. In a similar way these in the second group are the ones on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy but accept it only superficially; and they have no real root in themselves, so they endure only for a little while; then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they are offended and displeased at being associated with Me and stumble and fall away. And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries and cares of the world the distractions of this age with its worldly pleasures, and the deceitfulness and the false security or glamour of wealth or fame, and the passionate desires for all the other things creep in and choke out the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those in the last group are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word of God, the good news regarding the way of salvation and accept it and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much as was sown.”

In the above passage, Jesus explains the parable of the sower mentioned in Mark 4:3-8. First of all, Jesus tells us that the seed being sown is the Word of God. So, anytime the Word of God is spoken, seed is being planted. As believers, we’re all responsible for sharing the Word of God with others. But, notice that Jesus doesn’t elaborate on us being sowers, but rather on how we receive seed that is sown. Listed above are four types of believers.

1. The By Stander Believers

These are the ones who stand by the roadside. They like what they see and hear, but they don’t live it. Satan comes along and tells them that what they’ve heard is great, but then go about their lives the way they’ve always lived it without changing theeir ways. In other words, they listen without actively getting involved with the things of God. Ultimately the seed dies until they hear the next spoken Word of God.

2. The Unstable Believers

Although these are similar to the group above, they stand on rocky ground. They see and hear the Word of God and love it. They want to take it as their own and live it for a little while. As long as things are going great, the Christian walk is a wonderful way to live. But, when things go wrong, which they eventually do, they begin to question the new lifestyle. Friends may question why they don’t do the things they used to do. Maybe a family member becomes ill or they get laid off. Something will come up at any giving time that will cause them to go back to their old ways.

3. The Thorny Believers

This group not only hears the Word of God, but also are very excited about the Believers lifestyle. They love everything about. Some will participate in the church, while others will become leaders. But, they also want everything this world has to offer them. In a way, they want their cake and eat it too. They don’t mind serving in the church, but their motives are usually self gratifying. Eventually, they lose sight of the Kingdom of God and begin to focus on the things around them. This causes them to forget the Word of God that was sown in their heart and begin to live a religious lifestyle.

4. The Solid Believers

The final group listed above is the one that sees and hears the Word, receives it, and focuses their attention on what God wants. These want to live a lifestyle that centers around the Kingdom of God. They begin to grow in the things of God and do what the Word says to do. Eventually they learn God’s will for their lives and the Body of Christ begins to increase.

Now, each one of us has been a member of all four groups of believers at one time or another in our walk with Christ. It’s all a part of growing up in Him. The question I have for you today is, “Which believer are you?”. It is important that we all strive to be a part of the fourth group, the solid believers. As members of this group, we are totally focused on God and His kingdom principles. Who knows what we can accomplish for God as we turn our whole heart to Him. So, let the Word of God be firmly planted in your heart and let it grow and flourish. As we do this together, it just might change the lives of those around us and bring about the soon return of Jesus Christ!