What Happens When You Hear God’s Word?

Introduction

Have you ever been having a conversation with someone and that person is clearly hearing you, but they aren’t really listening you? They are looking at you. They are talking to you… but they aren’t listening to the things you are saying because whenever the conversation is over, it’s obvious that nothing landed. Teachers, you know this feeling, don’t you? You teach a lesson as clear as possible, your students heard the whole lesson, but then come questions like “How do I do this?” because they weren’t actually listening! There is a difference between hearing and listening - hearing is natural, listening is intentional.

Couples, you hear your spouse when they are talking to you… but you know there’s a difference between hearing and listening because you can hear without engaging. You can hear instructions without listening closely to know what to do.

This even happens at church. We hear lots of things. We hear about God’s grace. We hear one another sing about God’s power. We hear the pastor preach about God’s Word. But are we actually listening? This morning, we’re in Luke 8:1-21 and we’re going all going to hear what Jesus says in His Word… but only you can choose to actively listen to God’s Word. This morning, let’s see what God’s Word produces in our lives

Luke 8:1–21 CSB

1 Afterward he was traveling from one town and village to another, preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary, called Magdalene (seven demons had come out of her); 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others who were supporting them from their possessions. 4 As a large crowd was gathering, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, he said in a parable, 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky devoured it. 6 Other seed fell on the rock; when it grew up, it withered away, since it lacked moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground; when it grew up, it produced fruit: a hundred times what was sown.” As he said this, he called out, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.” 9 Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?” 10 So he said, “The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that Looking they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. 11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. Having no root, these believe for a while and fall away in a time of testing. 14 As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit. 15 But the seed in the good ground—these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, produce fruit. 16 “No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see its light. 17 For nothing is concealed that won’t be revealed, and nothing hidden that won’t be made known and brought to light. 18 Therefore take care how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.” 19 Then his mother and brothers came to him, but they could not meet with him because of the crowd. 20 He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” 21 But he replied to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear and do the word of God.”

The seed in this story is God’s Word, and every time we read God’s Word, God’s Word goes to work. It challenges and convicts us. It comforts and changes us. Today, let’s ask Jesus to help us respond to His Word faithfully, let’s pray.

Jesus uses a farming example here for us, and thankfully He explains what it all means. This isn’t just about seed and soil, this is ultimately about God’s Word!

God’s Word Produces Something (1-15)

We just left off in Luke’s Gospel with Jesus forgiving this woman at Simon’s house. We pickup here in chapter 8 with several other women joining in supporting Jesus’ ministry. Luke is giving us our setting here and this is significant. Jesus didn’t just heal people and forgive people, although He did. He also taught them. He was a preacher who proclaimed a message that genuinely changed lives, and a message that continues to change lives today. The people here in these opening verses had been changed by Jesus. And because they had been changed by Jesus, they wanted other people to be changed as well. See, Jesus was able to draw a crowd through His teaching. Rich and Poor. Men and Women. Jew and Gentile. Everyone wanted to see and hear Jesus - Luke chronicles that these women and others gathered around Him, and Jesus taught a famous story: The Parable of the Sower.

Now, have you ever wondered why Jesus taught in parables? Jesus told these stories and we see that people in the Bible had a hard time understanding what those stories meant… and sometimes, we have trouble with this too! Why did Jesus teach in parables? See, parables reveal the heart. That is Jesus’ point in quoting Isaiah 6. He speaks plain truth… but some people have hard hearts and they don’t understand the Word. Have you noticed that in our world, some people just have hard hearts, and it doesn’t matter what you say, that person is going to be a thorn? I hate how polarized our world is… but we have to remember that this is still the case, church. Some people have hardened hearts, and you and I cannot change a heart of stone, but there is One person who can, and our job is to tell them about Him!

So Jesus gives us this story, in verses 5-8… but then He graciously gives the explanation, because even His disciples were a little confused. Don’t you love it whenever Jesus explains exactly what He meant by something? Miscommunication is a major problem in our world - and sometimes we don’t bother clarifying to make sure that we truly know what someone meant. Jesus didn’t run the risk of a miscommunication here, He broke this parable down and made it as easy to understand as possible!

Jesus says in verse 8 “Let anyone who has ears to hear, listen.” Listening can be hard because there are so many distractions! Today there is so much noise. Social media. Podcasts. News. Phones. Listening was also hard in Jesus’ day. In Acts 20, we read a wild story! Did you know that Christians used to meet for more than 1-2 hours on a Sunday? Paul is gathering with Christians in Troas and he starts preaching in the evening and doesn’t stop, Luke says this, “He kept on talking until midnight!” Can you imagine a sermon going on for 6+ hours? While he’s preaching there’s a poor teenager named Eutychus… Eutychus is a brave student and he’s sitting by the window, and Paul’s preaching literally put him to sleep and he fell 3 stories down, and died! Think about how embarrassing that would be. Yes, he was raised back to life… but you fell asleep during the sermon, you didn’t just snore, you fell, and Luke documented it and we know about it 2000 years later!

Sometimes we fall asleep physically - some of you work long shifts, and you get here on Sunday and staying awake is a battle! I heard this story about a pastor in our state that a few years ago gathered for Sunday evening service, and it was himself and say 5 other people in the sanctuary… and one by one, they began to fall asleep while the young pastor preached. Eventually, all 5 of them were sleeping. I’m not sure what you do with that as a pastor - do you stop? Do you take a photo for proof? I’m not sure! But sleep is a reality and staying awake can be hard - it can be hard for the young parents who didn’t get any sleep the night before because of a sick child. Sometimes it’s our schedules, sicknesses, sometimes, let’s be honest, it’s the sermon the monotone voice, eyes looking down the entire time, that would put anyone to sleep! But there’s a greater danger here when it comes to listening than sleepy bodies, and that is sleepy souls. A soul that cares more about work than God’s Word. A soul that cares more about fitting in with society than being found faithful by their Savior. A soul that delays obedience in order to indulge in sin.

Jesus says, “Let anyone who has ears to hear, listen.” Listening is step one, doing is step two. Hearing the Word is important because faith comes by hearing the Word - Romans 10 - but hearing isn’t the end. We are to be people of action. This is what Jesus taught us just before in chapter 6

Luke 6:47–48 CSB

47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built.

We hear and we do… but sadly, not everyone does this. There are some who hear the Word, but they don’t act on the Word. Jesus says before that this is the person who built his house on a bad foundation. Here in this parable, Jesus diagnoses the problem further. The heart of our sin problem is the problem of our sinful heart. The reason that we don’t act on the Word is because we are in rebellion with the God of the Word! Jesus shares that some people have a hard heart. Others have a shallow heart. Some have a crowded heart. These 3 hearts all lead to the same result: Destruction. There is a spiritual war going on all around us, and it is eternally important for us to see where we’re at today so that we can make sure that we’re in line with God’s Word. Let’s see how Jesus breaks down this parable with a call to listen and act

Hard Hearts - Path

Shallow Hearts - Rocks

Crowded Hearts - Thorns

Changed Hearts - Dirt

If you are indifferent to God’s Word, you’re exactly where you need to be! You need God’s Word to wake you up before tragedy does. This is Rosaria Butterfield’s story. She was an outspoken critic of Christianity. She didn’t ignore the Bible, she knew it well and rejected it. The Word was heard, but it never penetrated the soil. But then she made a friendship with a Christian couple while doing research against Christians. This pastor and his wife talked with her about the Bible. Lived a life of grace while speaking the truth. And over a long period of time, God used this couple to plant Gospel seeds, and years later, those seeds began to take root in her life instead of bouncing off the pavement. God softened her hardened heart, and changed her. Friend, if you know someone with a hard heart, the best thing you can do is pray for that person, continue talking with that person about the Bible, and continue living a life that points them to Jesus because ultimately, only God can break through a hard heart!

Maybe this isn’t you, though. Maybe you’re more like the next person. The seed that lands on the rocks initially rejoice, but then the life is sucked away. In Jesus’ day, the sun could easily help the seed sprout quickly, but because of the shallowness of the soil, the seed’s roots don’t get planted deep, and it dies. Have you heard of camp conversions? You know the person goes to camp, and at camp there is a powerful message and the speaker asks everyone to bow their head and close their eyes and if they want to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, raise their hand. What happens? Hundreds of students raise their hand. They walk an aisle. They repeat some words. They are excited! But what happens a week later? A month? They’re not at camp anymore - life happens. School stress resumes. Relationships cause conflict. Work schedules make them miss church. And before you know it, they fizzle out. When suffering strikes, they don’t turn to God. Here’s why: the Gospel pumped them up, but didn’t penetrate their heart. Almost saved is altogether lost. Do you see the danger of this soil? Do you see the prevalence of this in our country? You ask someone: Is Jesus your Savior? And everyone says yes! I repeated a prayer. I walked an aisle. I said some words. But you dig deeper: Is Jesus your Lord? Has He changed your life? Do you look more like Jesus? Do you love Jesus? This person says no because they heard the Word, but the Word didn’t penetrate their heart.

Maybe this isn’t you, though. Maybe you’re the next person. The seed lands in with the thorns. This seed grows down, and then up, but then it hits opposition. Before fruit can be produced, the existing thorns kill the seed. Jesus says that these thorns are “life’s worries, riches, and pleasures.” What could this be? It could be existing sins in our life. It could be pride that we’re not willing to lay down. It could be gossip that we’re not willing to stop participating in. Or it could be good things that we don’t align with God’s Word: Money, possessions, and jobs. The problem for this seed is that it lands in an area that is divided. This is the person who tries to play the church game on Sunday, and keep up with the Jones’ on Monday, and climb the corporate ladder on Tuesday, and win the social media like contest on Wednesday. This person is lost because they’re trying to serve too many masters, and Jesus says this is an impossibility. They look really good on Sunday. They start out well… but they love the world, and they worry about what others think so much that they eventually give in to sin. We could say that this person test drive’s Jesus, but returns Him to the dealership. They listen to and try out God’s Word, but this isn’t Christianity.

Then we get to the fourth soil, and friend I pray this is you today! Jesus explains that the Word that lands on the good soil stands and perseveres. God’s Word doesn’t bounce off this person. It doesn’t immediately flourish and then wither out when temptation arrives. It doesn’t have a divided ownership. This person has a heart that submits itself to the Word of the Living God and is radically changed! It produces a harvest that we could call the fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22–23 CSB

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.

And this person not only bears these fruits, but uses these fruits to do good works as Ephesians 2:10 instructs us to do! Notice what we see in the good soil: Fruit and Endurance. I have had so many friends backslide and think that they’re fine because they checked the box when they were a little kid. Hear me: you aren’t saved based on your grip on Jesus, but based on His grip on you. You understand that don’t you? It’s not about perfection, because it is was we’d all be lost! But you have to examine your heart and ask yourself the question: Do I delight in God’s Word? Do I see evidence of God at work in my life? Am I producing fruit consistent with repentance? Have I been changed by Jesus? Do I love what He loves? Do I hate the things that He hates? Because these are things that born-again, blood-bought Christians do.

How does this start? By listening to the Word. Friends, this gathering matters!

Romans 10:17 CSB

17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.

This is why we preach Jesus - because He changes lives! We hear the Word and we DO what the Word tell us to do - because we belong to Jesus. God’s Word produces something in every person - for some it hardens their heart, for some it reveals who is on the throne, for others it radically changes them. Today, hold on to God’s Word and allow the Word of God to do the Work of God in your life!

God’s Word Provides Light (16-18)

We move from listening to light in verse 16, and this can feel like an abrupt shift that doesn’t make sense, but Jesus is diving deeper into this theme. He is still talking about hearing the Word. Think about what light does. Light reveals things. Light doesn’t necessarily add to what is there, it simply tells you what is already there. Without light, you don’t know what’s around you, and that can be a hopeless feeling.

This story helps us feel the weight of this: Back in 2010 there was a story that captured the attention of the world as 33 miners were trapped nearly half a mile underground in Chile for 69 days. They were in complete darkness in this mine for over 2 months! Can you imagine that? No sunshine. No idea how long you’ve been stuck. Plus, they didn’t even know if the outside world knew if they were alive. Several of the miners said that the darkness made things nearly unbearable, not only physically because they couldn’t see, but also mentally. They had no concept of time. They grew worried. They were anxious. And, they couldn’t see. But then, something incredible happened! A drill broke through and shined a tiny beam of light into the chamber they were trapped in. This tiny light lifted their spirits! They still couldn’t see well, but they knew help was coming. From hopeless, to hopeful! This is what God’s Word does in our lives. Ephesians 2 tells us that before Jesus, we are walking in darkness as children under wrath - this isn’t a hopeful picture, but it is a necessary one. We stumble around. We don’t see clearly. We feel lonely, anxious, worried - maybe today this is you. Listen to what Jesus shares, take care how you listen… God’s Word, just like a beam of light, reveals what is around us. It tells us of the danger in this world. It tells us that God has sent His Son to rescue us from something far worse than being stuck half a mile underground in a mine… He came to save us from our sin!

How do we know this? By knowing His Word. Look at what Jesus said about this:

John 17:17 CSB

17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

God’s Word gives us hope because it reveals what is true. There is a battle in our world today for truth. Is truth subjective - feelings based and changing? Is truth objective - facts that don’t rely on personal feelings? God’s Word reminds us that there are things that are objectively true, regardless of our feelings. We need God’s Word to help us because sometimes our feelings don’t align with the facts. Have you been there before? Have you ever read something in your Bible that you didn’t exactly like? Let me give you two examples of verses that I didn’t particularly like whenever I first read them

Romans 3:23 CSB

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

Luke 9:23 CSB

23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.

These verses remind me that I have sinned - that I can’t earn God’s favor myself because I fall short, and that to follow Jesus requires me to die to self each day. These are hard things to do! These are things that we don’t always want to do. We might not feel like repenting of our sins and following Jesus, but it doesn’t change the fact that this is what we must do! God’s Word provides light in a world hidden in the darkness and it tells us what our response must be… the question we have to ask is this: Am I listening to God’s Word? Jesus cautions us here and says “Take care how you listen.” We listen to lots of things - think of what you listen to regularly. You listen to your spouse, teacher, parent, kids. You listen to the news, social media, podcasts. We listen to lots of things and these things shape us more than we realize. We’re like a sponge - absorbing the things that are around us. If you’re around clean water, guess what that sponge will absorb? Clean water. If you’re around sewage, guess what that sponge will absorb? Sewage.

God’s Word is a light. And whenever we listen to God’s Word, that light changes us and it shines through us!

Now, we’re Baptists and if there is any denomination that gets to claim a buffet, I think it’s us. Starts with B. Includes lots of good food. Think about a buffet. Your favorite foods. Desserts. Everything you could need is right in front of you. But you can arrive, sit at your table, and leave an hour later just as hungry as you were before… because you never got up and grabbed a plate and went through the line. As my dad would say, “If you leave hungry, it’s your own fault.” God’s Word is like this buffet of spiritual food that satisfies and provides for us… but so many people claim Christ but live spiritually malnourished lives and they might blame their church, their pastor, their teacher, but often times the problem isn’t with those things because the church stands on the Bible, the pastor preaches the Bible, and the teacher teaches the Bible. If that’s the case, the problem isn’t with the Word. The problem isn’t with the church, pastor, or teacher, the problem is with the person who isn’t ready to eat! You can hear sermons. You can own a Bible. You can post verses. But until you learn to eat your Bible, you won’t be ready for feeding time. We must know the Word to understand the Word. We must understand the Word to be changed by the Word. We must be changed by the Word in order to share the Word with others. And we won’t know the Word unless we spend time in the Word. God’s Word provides light, and we desperately need this light!

God’s Word Prioritizes Obedience (19-21)

So, we listen to the Word. We let the Word light up our lives. What happens then? What happens whenever you listen to the Word and you do what the Word says? Jesus gives us an answer in this final section that might sound a little strange. Jesus has this large crowd around Him, and His mother and brothers come to Him, but they are blocked by the crowd. Word reaches Jesus and His response is this, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear and do the Word of God.” Some hear this and think that Jesus is extremely disrespectful to His family here. Jesus doesn’t mean disrespect, instead Jesus redefines relationships and belonging. Think about how we define relationships today - based on biology or based on proximity and familiarity. This person is related to me biologically, therefore we’re family. This person shares similar interests with me, therefore we’re friends. Maybe the more things that we have in common, the closer we are with this person! Jesus comes in and raises the stakes. It’s not about having the same last name. It’s not about blood. It’s not about shared interests and preferences… who are we truly related to? Those who hear and obey God’s Word! Those who are saved and changed by God’s grace. Those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. This is what Romans 8 tells us

Romans 8:14–15 CSB

14 For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”

All led by God’s Spirits are children of God. Who is this true of? Jesus answers who His brothers and sisters are: Those who hear and obey. Those who repent and respond. Those who have been changed and saved. And whenever this happens in your life, whenever the Word of God changes your life, your relationships start to change. There is a bond that exists inside the church that is stronger than biology. Have you experienced this with your church family? Can I be honest? That sounds too good to be true when I hear that with my flesh, because I’ve been burned by people who claim Christ. People who claim to be your friends - only to hurt you, and ghost you. Maybe you’ve had that experience too… if you have, let me encourage you with what I’ve learned and what I’m still learning: Not everyone who claims Christ, knows Christ… and even the best Christian doesn’t always do what they should do.

Some of you know this because your biological family doesn’t believe in Jesus. They share your name, but not your faith. Friends, we are adopted into a family and this family is strong. If you’ve been a part of a family that is broken, take heart today: In Christ, you receive brothers and sisters and spiritual fathers and mothers who love Jesus, love us, and stand on His Word. This is why we need the local church. The church isn’t perfect… but it is God’s Plan A for His people!

Today, do you enjoy this gathering? Have you seen God grow your relationship with your brothers and sisters who listen to and obey God’s Word? We need these relationships! Because, hard truth: Many people want Jesus as Savior, but not Jesus as Lord. If Jesus is my Savior who saves me from my sins, then I can keep living the way that I want to live with myself as the boss and authority in my life… but if Jesus is my Lord, then I have to live under submission to Him and do what He says to do because He is my Master! When the rubber meets the road, what do you do? When you listen to God’s Word, and you come across something you don’t like, who wins? Yourself or God?

See, many people gladly choose heaven over hell, but not many are willing to chose heaven over earth! Today, who are you living for? Are you satisfied? Or, are you craving more? The greatest lie the devil has successfully sold is not that hell > heaven, but that earth > heaven. Don’t waste your life, hoping for 70-80 good years here, when you have an entire eternity awaiting you after this!

Our responsibility today is to listen to the Word, and to obey the Word. This means that our job as Christians is exactly what our mission statement at South Gate reminds us of: We are to Exalt our Savior and Engage our Society with the Gospel! We are to tell others the truth that Jesus Christ Saves Sinners. We can’t control outcomes, but we can control obedience! God’s Word calls on God’s People to share the Gospel far and wide because there is no neutrality. A growing lie in our world that billions believe is that most people are ok, and don’t need saving. That’s the lie of the opponent. Our job is to let our light shine, yes with how we live, but most of all with what we say. The Gospel message changes lives and lights up our world with the Light of the World - so we proclaim Jesus and we pray for people to respond to Him in faith!

“God’s Word never leaves anyone unchanged—it either hardens the heart or bears fruit.”

Friend, don’t just hear the Word today—listen, look at your heart, believe in Christ, and follow Him. Trust that Jesus can and will do more with your surrender than you can ever hope to do with your strength!

Responses:

Non-Christian: “Is this true, and what does it require of me?”

New Christian: “I want to grow—help me learn to listen.”

Mature Christian: “Where are the thorns, and who needs me to sow?”

Fake Christian: “Either I’m exposed and I repent—or I defend my illusion.”