PLANT

 “This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: “Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭4:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Primary

Learning

Aligning

New Testament 

Theology

God has revealed His plan for us through many great themes and stages in His word. One such theme is the opposing Kingdoms of Light and Darkness. The Kingdom of Light is holy and righteous, but the Kingdom of Darkness is pure evil in all its forms.

According to scripture, we are born into the kingdom of darkness, but what is the process of transferring our citizenship into the Kingdom of Light?

“There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” …  Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” … Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’” ‭‭John‬ ‭3:1-3, 5, 7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus’ words, “born again” inform us that the Kingdom we are all citizens of from the start is the Kingdom of Darkness, but further into the New Testament we see that a change in citizenship is not only possible, it is preferable.

“We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:11-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The question still remains, how do we join the Kingdom of Light?

The answer can be found in the stories Jesus told to illustrate His mission. The parables reveal the plan God has to bring us all into His glorious Kingdom. 

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This should be a familiar parable, so we won’t retell the whole story here. The point of the story is the representative meaning of each image. The farmer, the seeds, and the places the seeds land are paramount to understanding how our citizenship transfers from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light.

“The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:14-20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

These parables were a primary, or first level, training course for the disciples. Jesus told them:

“You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13:11-12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Listening and learning to apply the message, principles, and authority of the Kingdom of God in our daily lives will advance, grow, strengthen and establish God’s purpose in us and on Earth. We study to understand and apply the New Testament theology to every area in every situation we face. Planting is an active process. The soil has to be ready to receive the seed.

In the parable it sounds as if the Farmer just went out and tossed the seed as far as he could throw it, but think about farming. It’s an intentional profession. I can’t think of any farmer wasting seed by just tossing it away. Picture a field in your mind. They are always surrounded by field roads, hard, rocky, unprepared ground, and sure some seed may fall there by accident, but that’s not where the farmer invests the majority of the seed. There is almost always wild growth around the outskirts of the field, but generally the farmer works at keeping those areas cut back, and does not toss his precious seed into those areas.

We need to dig into the primary lessons of Jesus’ bedrock teachings, learn to align our practices with the truth of New Testament theology and expect God to bring growth to His Kingdom. This year’s theme at my current home church is, Back to the Basics. What is more basic to understanding the way God has revealed Himself than the teachings Christ offered His disciples?

Theology is the study of Who God is and what He has done. Before we can learn to PLANT, we must allow God to develop His root system in us. Before we can plant, we must be planted in sound doctrine or correct theology.

“Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.” ‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4:7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Have we allowed ourselves to be planted in God’s word? Only then will we be given the good seed to plant in the lives of others.