Let Him Hear

Matthew 13:1–9 NIV84

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

1. The Seed

The seed is the Word of God

The seed goes to all manner of soil

The Word of God is sown by preachers

Preacher scatter the seed

The seed has life

Jn 6:63 “63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”

The Word of God is living

Heb 4:12 “12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

The Seed has power to transform lives

2. The Sower

Jesus is the sower of good seed

Mt 13:37 “37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.”

Mk 1:14 “14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.”

Preaching

Not every person who heard Jesus preach believed

Don’t feel bad is when you preach some do not get it

Jesus is sending us to preach (scatter the seed)

Jn 20:21 “21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.””

Rom 10:13-15 “13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!””

3. The Soil

The hard heart hearer

They hear the Word but do not understand it

The wicked one snatches the Word from them

You have to go beyond the path

The path is the place that most step on

The path becomes the place without life

The path is following what everyone is doing

Heb 3:7-8 “7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,”

You have to make the right choice—be obedient

The shallow heart hearer

This is also the superficial hearer

Exist only on the surface

The seed got it but it couldn’t get down deep to produce a root

It is what appears to be real but when examined it proves false

Thin layer above the solid rock

Looks fertile but no depth

Superficial—Shallow

You almost had me people

I got chills and almost believed

No sacrifice

The divided heart hearer

The seed fell among thorns

The thorns chocked the seed

This hearer recieved the Word but care of this world killed it

The deceit of riches

This hearer is unfruitful

There are always rival things to do

There are always distractions

You cannot serve two masters

Mt 6:24 “24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil

1 Tim 6:10 “10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

The divided heart can’t sacrifice for Jesus

The sincere heart hearer

Sincere is to be free from pretense or deceit

Sincere is not hypocritical

A similar word could be deep

It is not our job to be successful

Our job is to be faithful

God brings success to those that obey

1 Ki 2:1-3 “1 When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, show yourself a man, 3 and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go,”

Josh 1:8 “8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Gal 6:7-9 “7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Don’t give up your time is coming