Becoming Good Ground by Apostle Johnson Suleman: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Victory Over the Fear of Evil

Job 17:9 — the righteous shall hold on his way; he that has clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.

1. Live righteously, having no hand in evil. Isaiah 48:22

2. Believe and boldly confess God's promises of his abiding presence. Matthew 28:20, Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 23:4

3. Develop strong relationship and intimacy with God through prayer and the word. 1 Peter 3:12-13

4. Seek and follow divine leading daily. Psalm 32:8, Psalm 23, John 10:11-14

5. Live in honesty, integrity, and a clear conscience.

6. Walk in love, speaking evil of no man. 1 John 4:18, Titus 3:2

7. Live in constant forgiveness, whether people deserve it or not. Ephesians 4:32

8. Control your thoughts in line with the word to boost your faith. Proverbs 23:7, Romans 12:2

God Is the Sower, You Are the Seed

Genesis 3:15, Genesis 22:17 — a biological product is called a seed; when the Bible speaks of a sower, it is a typology of God. The sower's intention is always good — God has nothing bad in reserve for you. Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 139:17

A seed has assignments:

- To possess — Genesis 22:17. To possess is to claim ownership: "sound health is mine, increase is mine, advancement is mine." Not a wish — a possession.

- To bruise — Genesis 3:15. A seed must be ready for spiritual warfare; not every problem is on the same frequency. Matthew 17:20 — "this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."

Some Fell — The Outcome Depends on Where the Seed Lands

The problem was never the sower's intention or the seed's composition — it was the location it fell into. Psalm 51:5

Wayside — chance, not intention

Some things simply happen without plan. Where a seed falls by chance, it attracts spirits that capitalize on error. John 6:63 — "it is the spirit that quickeneth"; a degree profits nothing where spiritual interference is at work. Romans 8:9.

Stony ground — lack of depth, lack of honor

Ezekiel 11:19 — "I will take the stony heart out of the flesh." Stone is symbolic of rebellion; without depth, any shaking overturns you. 2 Kings 19:30, Isaiah 37:31 — root downward, fruit upward.

Honor bypasses another's labor and gives access to their trophy. Genesis 27 — even with a prophecy already spoken over Jacob, Rebecca knew it still required the spoken blessing of a father to take effect. Philippians 2:19-22 — Paul trusted Timothy above others because Timothy served him "as a son with the father," not seeking his own.

Thorns — hardness

Some lives carry a persistent atmosphere of difficulty — what comes easily to others meets resistance at every turn. Matthew 11:28-30 — "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Refuse a life defined by unnecessary hardship; ease is available, not something to be earned through endless struggle.

Good ground — mastery and depth

Men become products of principles, not hard work alone. Whatever you do, learn it well — settle down, study, practice while others sleep. Mastery of a craft is what territory actually means.