Mark 4:3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
The first focus from the parable of the Sower is that the parable is not about the sower but about the seed and how the seed is received. The Sower is only a means to spread the seed it is the seed that is the main attention in the parable. The second focus is that the seed is a symbol of the Word of God. The Third focus is that the soil as the heart of the receiver of the seed. The parable is centered on the seed and the soil as the Word of God and the heart of the listener of the Word. This parable is a perfect picture of the Heart of your church towards the Word of God. As the Word of God is spread throughout your church the Heart of your church will determine how it will be received.
There are Four Types of Heart your church can possibly have.
The Indifferent Heart: The Sower spreads the seed that falls to the way side and then devoured by the birds is illustration of the Church with an Indifferent Heart. The Church that just shows up, but no real interest in the Word of God as it is being spread to them. They are attending but not paying attention and the Devil and his demons snatch away any opportunity of that Church of recovering anything that was taught them.
Mark 4:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
Luke 8:12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
The Shallow Heart: The Sower spreads the seed that falls to the stony soil is an illustration of a church with a shallow heart. They received the emotional teachings of the Word of God that is spread to them, but not the deeper things of God that last forever. When asked to do the hard things of ministry they fade away.
Mark 4:5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
Luke 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
The Preoccupied Heart: The Sower spreads the seed that falls to the weeds that chokes the growth of seeds is an illustration of the church with a preoccupied heart. The cares of their own selfish desires choke out the Word of God that is spread to them. Things, emotions, and significance become more important than the things of God.
Mark 4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
The Disciple Heart: The Sower spreads the seed that falls to the good soil is an illustration of a church with a Disciple Heart. When the Word of God is spread to them, they allow it to take root. The seed falls on good hearts willing to produce a rich harvest.
Mark 4:8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
Luke 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.