THEME FOR BIBLE LESSONS FOR 2ND QUARTER 2019

LESSONS FROM THE WHEAT FIELD

Our theme this quarter comes from Jesus’ teachings concerning the Word of God and the effect it has upon the hearts of mankind. Using many examples from agriculture, He described four basic conditions of the heart by comparing them to different types of ground, compared the stages of growth in the life cycle of grain to spiritual growth, and likened the judgment day to the harvest of crops. There are other grain analogies in Scripture, such as the difference between wheat and chaff and the concept of resurrection illustrated by the process of germination.

Through the spiritual lessons which may be learned from God’s creation and the many ways Jesus applied these concepts to daily life, we can gain much understanding of God and His Kingdom. May God deepen our comprehension of His ways as we study Lessons from the Wheat Field.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

APRIL 7, 2019

THE SEED—THE WORD OF GOD

Matthew 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow.

Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. (Also Mark 4:14.)

Psalm 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Isaiah 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Mark 4:26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

I Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

MEMORY VERSE: Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness. —II Corinthians 9:10

CENTRAL THOUGHT: The scriptures compare God’s Word to an incorruptible and powerful seed, which germinates and grows inside the heart of man, producing the “new birth” and generating spiritual life which grows and develops into a mature plant, bearing fruit unto eternal life.

WORD DEFINITIONS

Matthew 13:3 “Parables”: from pará, (close beside; with; near) and bállō (to cast or put); a comparison of two objects for the purpose of teaching.

LESSON BACKGROUND

Matthew, Mark and Luke each record the parable of the sower which Jesus told while sitting in a ship pushed out a little way into the water as the multitude of people stood on the shore. Evidently, this was the first time He introduced this method of teaching, because the disciples questioned why he did this. His answer shows how effective it was since it revealed truth to the spiritually receptive mind while concealing the “mysteries” of the kingdom of heaven from those who had rejected Him. Later, when the disciples came to ask what the comparisons meant, he clearly told them what each part of the story represented.

In today’s lesson our focus is on the Word of God, which Jesus clearly stated was represented by the seed which the sower threw on the ground. We see that in the Psalms and Isaiah the analogy had also been used, pointing forward in prophecy to the spread of the kingdom of God in the earth by the publishing of God’s Word. In Isaiah the Word is also compared to rain from heaven which waters the earth causing germination of the seed and a bountiful harvest of food.

Another parable, which was given following the parable of the sower, also compares the seed to God’s Word. It describes the growth process of God’s kingdom, both in an individual or in whole groups of people who receive God’s Word into their lives.

Peter declares how it is the seed, the Word of God, which brings about the new birth.

In our memory verse Paul pronounces a threefold benediction upon those who labor by preaching the word of the gospel and ministering deeds of compassion to precious souls.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

DISCUSSION:

1. In Jesus’ parables, the seed is the _________ of ______.

2. According to Psalm 126:5-6, successful reaping—a harvest of souls—happens when the sowing of the seed is accompanied by tears or weeping. What does this mean?

3. In the parable in Mark’s gospel, what are the stages of growth described?

4. In Peter’s epistle, what word is used to describe the spiritual seed, which is the word of God? Which verse describes the process of deterioration of physical seed or plants?

5. In Paul’s epistle, God has promised both to ___________ the seed to the sower and to ____________ it. What else will He do, according to this verse?

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

God’s gift to man from the beginning was seed-bearing plants and trees. The entire concept of seed—of plants, animals and humans, that great miracle of reproduction—was to introduce to man the majestic truth of how His Word germinates new and eternal life within that soul which receives it.

A germinating seed displays powerful force. A tiny bean sprout, shooting up out of the soil, can push up a rock or a penny weighing several times its weight. The truths of resurrection are presented here—Jesus’ resurrection from the grave, spiritual resurrection from sin, and the coming physical resurrection at Jesus’ second coming.

So God’s word has tremendous, life-giving, life-changing power. By believing, receiving and obeying His Word, your soul will be saved from sin in a moment and the growing process begins, the end of which is a beautiful plant, bearing fruit, which will be gathered by the Lord of the Harvest into eternal life.

The point made by the Psalmist is significant: the sowing of the Word must be accompanied by a burden for lost souls which expresses itself in weeping and praying earnestly before the Lord. There will be no harvest of souls, no “bringing in the sheaves,” no rejoicing, without it.

“How can they preach except they be sent?” was a question Paul asked the Romans. Our lesson reveals that God ministers the seed to the sower. When we sow the precious seed, let us make sure that it is God who is inspiring the Word that we share and that we are watering it with our tears and prayers. He waters too, as in Isaiah 55:10; the Word as both seed and water accomplishes that whereto God sends it in the hearts of men.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

REFLECTIONS

The mystery and miracle of life is encapsulated within the seed. It initiates, sustains and perpetuates all life. The reproduction of a single seed is enough to populate the world. A grain of corn is enough to feed the world; and the seed of the gospel is enough to save the world. Each must germinate and grow within the confines of its “tomb” before breaking forth into new life.

The power contained in the seed shows forth the power of the resurrected life. Christ likens his body to a grain of wheat; except it fall into the ground and die it abides alone but if it dies it brings forth much fruit. In this analogy he points to his death, burial and resurrection—the essence of the gospel message. His body represents the type of a seed that is planted, then multiplies to become the sustaining Bread of Life.

The seed is our symbol of hope. We plant it with the expectation that it will produce fruit. The Word of God is the most precious seed known to man. It produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. It is a seed compatible to every individual. It is designed to grow in every part of the world and will flourish under any circumstance or condition, as long as the heart is right.

We have all been commissioned to share the Word with the world—our world. We may not have the privilege of travelling abroad to spread the gospel, but we all have the privilege and obligation to spread it within the world around us. Every person we meet needs this gospel message and the results that it produces, whether they realize it or not. It is our duty to share it.

We are the sowers. The seed is the Word. The Word is Christ. Christ is Life.

—Bro. Darrell Johnson