RCCG HOUSE FELLOWSHIP MEMBERS’ MANUAL 10 MARCH 2024
LESSON TWENTY EIGHT (28)
TOPIC: THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
HOUSE FELLOWSHIP ANTHEM
1. I love this family of God,
So closely knitted into one,
They have taken me into their arms
And am so glad to be
A part of this great family
2. I bless this family of God,
So greatly prospered by the Lord,
They have taken me into their arms
And am so glad to be
A part of this great family
3. I know this family of God,
So deeply rooted in the word,
They have taken me into their arms
And am so glad to be
A part of this great family
4. I see this family of God,
So highly lifted above all,
They have taken me into their arms
And am so glad to be
A part of this great family
5. Come, join this family of God,
So highly favoured by the Lord,
They have taken me into their arms
And am so glad to be
A part of this great family.
MEMORY VERSE: “But he that receive the seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:23
BIBLE TEXT: Matthew 13:3-13
[3]And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
[4]And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
[5]Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
[6]And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
[7]And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
[8]But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
[9]Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
[10]And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
[11]He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
[12]For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
[13]Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
LESSON INTRODUCTION: The parable of the sower is likened to a farmer who scattered seeds which fell on four different types of ground. Jesus, by this parable highlights four different responses to the gospel in the hearts of men.
LESSON OUTLINE ONE
THE SEED
The seed symbolizes the Word of God or the gospel which Jesus Christ came to preach to reconcile man with God-Matthew 24:14.
ii. Just like the planted seed starts to grow, the Word of God starts to deepen and grow within a person – 1 Peter 2:2.
iii. Disciples of Jesus Christ are to sow spiritual seeds across the field of life by spreading the gospel to others and all nations-II Timothy 2:2.
iv. The fruit we produce or bear is determined by the kind of seed sown into the lives of others-e.g. seeds of grace, joy, love, anger, hatred, self-centredness, etc. – II Corinthians 9:10. It is an essential element of transmitting and transforming lives – Heb. 4:12.
vi. It is a spiritual food that produces spiritual and material blessings – I Cor. 9:11.
THE SOWER
i. The Lord Jesus is the Sower.
ii. He sows the words into our hearts to accomplish its purpose – Isa. 55:10-11.
iii. He is sowing for heaven’s harvest, restoration of earth as God’s fruitful realm.
iv. Jesus compares His work on good earth created by God which has become resistant to His reign to that of a farmer who keeps sowing hoping for harvest in the face of all challenges and frustrations.
v. As disciples of Christ, we represent the sower today so that His reign on earth can be established in all corners of the world-Matt. 9:38; Jonah 1:1-2; 3:1-4.
THE GROUND
I. This is our hearts created from the earth by God to bring forth fruits when His Word is planted in them – Matthew 13:15.
ii. As seed remains in the ground over a period of time to bring forth fruits later, so also the Word of God has to abide in us, be well nurtured and rooted to bring forth good fruits.
iii. The ground gives the right nourishment for a seed to grow correctly, while the type of ground sowed into determines the quality and quantity of the harvest.
ACTIVITY: Discuss the four types of soil the parable of the sower mentioned.
SUMMARY: Fashion your heart to always be receptive to God’s word.
CONCLUSION: The way a man receives the Word of God is determined by the condition of his heart. Unless we nurture our relationship with God, we will not grow into the faithful servant or disciple He has called us to be. When we feed our faith through God’s word and earnestly seek Him, our hearts and lives will overflow with abundance of God’s grace and blessings.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Father, please make me fruitful and a bearer of fruits unto repentance.
2. Lord, help the lost sheep to receive Your word with simplicity and faith. 3. Father, help us all in RCCG to be faithful sowers of the gospel.
4. Lord Jesus, make the heart of anyone we will preach to from today a good ground to receive Your word.
5. Father, please do not let the words of your son, Daddy G.O., fall on bad soil.
6. Personal request.
GOLDEN DIET FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY: Isa. 55:10-11, speak His word to someone today. It will not be void.
TUESDAY: John 15:16.
WEDNESDAY: Genesis 8:22.
THURSDAY: Colossians 3:16.
FRIDAY: There are locusts around to destroy the harvest, beware.
SATURDAY: The Holy Spirit makes every seed sown to bring forth fruitful harvest.
SUNDAY: Do not be weary in sowing the seed of the Good news of Christ.
