The Lord says in Deuteronomy 30:6, “He will give spiritual life.” In Ezekiel 36 and Jeremiah 31, He says, "It’s the Lord’s work to take out the stony heart and give a heart of flesh. It’s the Lord’s work to put the Spirit in the heart.” So humbly, we sow the seed. Humility is the key. We are humble because we know we are not the power in salvation. However, we are obedient because we know we possess the light. That's the point of the Parable of the Sower. You might say, “Well, if it’s all the power of God, then I don’t have any role to play.” That's not true, and that's why this parable is here. Listen to verse 21 of the parable in Mark 4: “A lamp is not brought in to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed?" You are the lamp. You don’t cover up the light. You don’t put the lamp under a basket or under a bed; you put it out where everybody can see it. We are humble because we know we do not have the power to change hearts. However, we are obedient because we know we are the means by which the light comes. How will they hear without a preacher? You are told to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Make disciples. Go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth, because the Spirit of God will come upon you, and you will be empowered for that. We are to be lights in the world, are we not? We are to let our light shine. These are all simple, foundational, basic, and biblical concepts. On the one hand, it’s not within our power to change hearts, but it is within our responsibility to be obedient and let the light shine. And so it’s not only the message that we preach, which is the pure gospel of the cross and the resurrection, but it’s the life that undergirds that personal testimony, a life of light. Jesus is telling us to go to the ends of the earth, scatter the seed, and spread the light. So we go humbly, we go obediently, and we also go diligently. Some people say, “Well, if you’re going to believe all of this is the work of God, that takes the motivation out of evangelism.” Look, you are not the cause of anyone’s salvation. But you are the means. We are humble about the cause and obedient as the means, and we let the light shine. Just how diligent should we be? Here’s the motivation. The usefulness of gospel evangelism is proportionate to the seed sown, which leads directly to eternal reward. Sow sparingly, reap sparingly. Sow bountifully, reap bountifully. So you sow the seed diligently because you know your usefulness is proportional to your sowing. And that leads to divine blessing, which leads to eternal reward. That’s how you purchase friends for eternity. Repent and believe! GTY.org (GTY128) - The Theology of Sleep