Scriptures: Matthew 13:1-9, 13:18-24, 1 Peter 1:23

Among the most difficult and sensitive topics a pastor can teach his congregation is evangelism. The truth is, the vast majority who call themselves Christians find it difficult. We know we need to do it, we know others need to hear the Gospel, and yet we don't share Jesus. And we feel stressed out, inadequate and guilty for not doing it. But what if our responsibility with respect to sharing our faith was much more simple and straightforward than we make it? In fact, what if it is simply our job to sow the seeds of faith, and God's job to bring people back to Himself. In this sermon, Dr. Merritt helps us understand what it means for us to effectively sow the seeds of faith, and through the parable of the sower know that our effort will fall on hard ground and rich soil.

"What mattered was not how the sower scattered the seed, but that he scattered the seed. The success or the failure of the seed doesn’t depend on the sower’s technique at all. Sowing seed was a very low tech operation. The sower would simply carry a seed in the fold of his outer garment and he would walk along the fields and cast it around. Some would hit hard ground, some would hit rocky ground, some would hit thorny ground and then some would hit good ground. It doesn’t take skill or training or education to scatter seed. What matters is not how it is scattered, but that it is scattered. Why? Because it is not the expertise of the sower, but it is the quality of the soil that determines the harvest. Our part is to just go and sow. Our part is sowing the seed." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: missing, person, evangelism, witness, share, Gospel, Jesus, Christ, disciple, soul winning, disciple making, purpose, surrender, call, will, God, Savior, sower, seed, plant, message, farmer, parable, Pacey Cohen, Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers, lung cancer