Ask any farmer or gardener and they will tell you that farming is a collective effort. The success of any garden or farmer is not just dependent on you (and your fellow farm hands or garden helpers) but on God. There is only some much you can do as a gardener and well the rest is in God’s hands.
Paul tells us this is precisely how we should approach spreading the Gospel and teaching others.
The word of God is the seed we sow (see Matthew 13). While we didn’t write it or make it, we can plant it in the hearts of men (see Matthew 13). Now according to Jesus (as we’ve already studied), some hearts are receptive the seed and others aren’t.
Paul gives us a little more insight into the sowing God’s seed. He tells us that it is a joint effort. Some of us are planters – we are the ones that initially introduce the seed to the heart soil. Others like Apollos are waterers – we nurture and care for the seed to help in grow. But none of us can actually make it grow or yield fruit. The increase – the produce or flowers the plant yields – is all God’s work.
So, is Paul saying God determines who will actually listen and obey His word? Yes and no.
🧑🌾 Yes in the way that according to Ephesians 2 God predestined the type of hearts that would be receptive to His word and teachings.
🧑🌾 No in the fact that God is picking and choosing which seeds grow and which seeds die. The soil does that.
God gives the increase through the power of His words. The Gospel is the power of God to salvation (Romans 1). The word of God will grow and flourish in hospitable hearts (Luke 8 ).
So if God is giving the increase – His word is the power to change the hearts of men – then what is our job?
Simple.
🧑🌾 Plant the seed aka spread the gospel.
🧑🌾 Water the plants aka nurture and care for souls.
Are you busy working in God’s garden? #lessonsfromthemastergardener
Adonai's Appeal 