The First Type of Person is the Person of Immediate Rejection

Photo by Carsten Tolkmit

Scripture: Mark 4:13-15

And He *said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?  “The sower sows the word.  “These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

Insights: These week we are going to examine the four types of people found in the parable of the sower found in Mark chapter four.  The first type of person is the one most of us think we will encounter when we share the gospel.  It is this type of person that sometimes causes us to experience fear, and as a result, we sometimes cower and do not share our faith.  Beloved, several years ago Thom Rainer wrote a book titled The Unchurched Next Door.  In this book he shared that of all their research only five percent of people fell into this category of hostility toward the gospel.  Yet, Satan, has convinced us the majority of our encounters will be with this type of person.  The reason I surmise this type of person is found in today’s verses is because of the immediacy of the removal of the seed.  Notice Satan immediately comes into this type of person and takes the word which has been sown in them.  It is my contention that the speed at which Satan swoops in is an indication of this persons hard heartedness toward the Lord.  It is, therefore, not a far stretch to assume this person is hostile to the gospel.  There is something I want you to notice regarding this situation.  The seed was still sown into this person.  In other words, we need to share Jesus with them even if they are hostile to the gospel.  We need to share Jesus with them even if they assault us.  We need to share Jesus with them because Jesus loves them.  He died for their sins and He does not wish for them to perish and spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.  So, we must share, even if they respond with immediate rejection of the gospel.

Questions:

 1. Have you ever shared your faith and had someone respond with immediate rejection of the gospel?

 2. If the first question has happened to you, then how did you respond?

Prayer: Father, help me to love those who are hostile to the gospel.  Help my heart to feel what You feel when they reject the good news.  Help me to see them as You see them and to understand Your love for them better.  Amen.

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