The Bible speaks of believers who have responded to the sower (the preacher) but they are compared to seed on stony ground. Here are their characteristics; 1. They accept the word and receive it with joy (Mk. 4: 16, Amp.). The minister has to be excited about their response. 2. They seem to grow in the Christian faith more rapidly than others (Mk. 4: 5, at once it sprang up). If the minister is not careful, he will put them in leadership positions. 3. They have no root in themselves (Mk. 4:17). They become a burden to a pastor because they are co-dependent. Their joy soon subsides and they have to be sustained by the strength of others. 4. They endure for a little while . . . and they stumble and fall away (Mk. 4: 17). They might be a blessing at first but all of a sudden they are gone. They either quit altogether or they show up somewhere else to wreak havoc and disappointment in another church. 5. Immediately they are offended (become displeased, indignant). It is all about them. They get offended at things people say or what people do. A preacher told me a lady quit coming to church because he looked at her wrong in a Sunday School class. Its a good thing a preacher is not cross-eyed or two of these stony ground types would get mad at him. They live in a constant atmosphere of being displeased. If you try to correct them they become indignant. 6. What can be done? Till the soil. The only seed in the parable that bore any fruit was the seed planted in good soil. It is not a preachers job to change people. That is Gods job. Preach the Word! It is sharper than a two edged sword (Heb. 4:12). Just keep plowing. Permanent fruit will result sooner or later. If the stony heart never responds, there will still be a harvest among others because the soil is ready.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 01:41:26 +0000
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