Listen-Up, Your life Depends on It

“Listen-Up, Your Life Depends on It”

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Are you a good listener? One of the first things kids learn in kindergarten is how to listen to their teacher. Listening is super important in every area of your life.

It is important in your marriage to listen well to one another! Tess will be talking and I will be seating next to her. And most of the time I am focused and listening…but sometimes my mind will wander. And somehow she knows, it is creepy, and she will say; are you listening to me? I heard you! Then comes the next question; what did I say? Well I heard some of what you said; give it to me again. Sometimes I get…well forget it, it wasn’t important! And I say…no, no, I am sorry, I really want to hear about it. Don’t you wish you could DVR your wife, so when you missed something you could rewind her and hear it again?

You can’t have a good relationship, without listening to each other. We need to learn to listen to our spouse: being a good listener makes for good friends, and a strong relationship.

Listening is important in marriage, it is important in family life, parenting; we want our children to listen and obey.

Listening is also important for your spiritual life! If we are not listening to what God says to us through his word, we would never have spiritual life, or bear spiritual fruit.

Jesus is very, very concerned about how we listen! In this first major parable in Luke’s Gospel, the longest parable so far, Jesus emphasizes our need to hear his word. Not to hear his word as background noise, like a vacuum cleaner running; but to really hear, receive and respond to his word from our hearts. This parable of the sower; is about hearing receiving and responding to the word of God.

A parable has been called, an earthly story, with a heavenly meaning. The word parable means, to throw alongside. Jesus has a great spiritual truth he wants people to understand, so he throws along beside that truth a common illustration that people would understand. A spiritual truth illustrated by an everyday experience. Jesus is going to use the everyday experience of a farmer sowing his seed, to talk about the way people hear/receive the seed of the word of God. Jesus tells the story in V:5-8, it would be a very familiar sight to the people Jesus spoke to. A farmer with a bag of seed on his shoulder, going out in the field and broadcasting his seed. As he sows the seed some falls on the path and the birds eat it.

Some falls on the shallow dirt, springs up and then dies because it has no roots. Some seed falls among the thorns, and the thorns choke it out. And then some falls on good, plowed, soft ground and comes up and bears fruit. Then were told V:8-“when he had said these things, he cried, he that has ears to hear, let him hear”. Jesus uses the word hear 9 times in this parable. Jesus is very concerned about how we hear. Now you have to assume, that most people that were listening that day, had ears on the side of their heads. But notice Jesus said, he that had ears to hear, let him hear. Because though they all had ears; not all of them had ears to hear. It is possible to hear; without really hearing!

The disciples asked Jesus in, V:9-“what does this parable mean? They got the earthly story part, they understood a farmer sowing a seed; but it was the heavenly part, the spiritual message they needed Jesus to explain to them.

V:10-“unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parable; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand”.

Jesus is quoting from , in the context of Isaiah’s ministry, people had rebelled against God’s word, and as part of God’s judgment against their sin, they were hardened in their unbelief.

Those who receive the word of God, were given more of the word of God, and brought forth fruit to the glory of God. But those who refused God’s word, lost what word they had received; they became blind and deaf to the word of God.

V:18-Read.

Jesus had been teaching and preaching to the people, his disciples, the crowd, the Pharisees and scribes. Many people were receiving the word of God, in different ways; but the religious leaders would not accept the word of God. They closed their ears and eyes to what Jesus did and said.

Jesus said, okay, since you don’t want to receive what I’ve offered to you, I’m withdrawing it, V;10.

There is a spiritual truth you need to never ever forget; God does business with those that mean business! God speaks to those who want to hear! You need to be very careful with the truth you hear! Coming to church, and sitting every week and hearing the Bible taught and preached; is a very serious, and dangerous proposition.

When you hear the word of God and understand it, and don’t receive it, and you don’t live it, or obey it, God will take away that truth that you already have! You cannot put God’s truth in the refrigerator to save for later, V:18, as a person refuses to know the truth, they lose their capacity to know the truth. As you hear the truth you must receive it, use it, or lose it. But, as you receive the truth you increase your capacity to get more truth.

You cannot be neutral when it comes to listening to the truth; once you hear the truth you must respond to it; that’s what this parable is all about, hearing and responding to the word of God.

There are three basic symbols in this parable of the sower: There is the sower, the seed, and the soil.

This parable is an allegory, because these three symbols illustrate a spiritual truth. You have to be careful with allegories; we know these symbols stand for something, because these verses tell us they do. You must be careful when you read a parable, or prophecy; that you don’t attempt to make everything stand for something; that can be very dangerous. (Mid-evil commentaries, on Matthews 100, 60, 30 fold fruitfulness said:

Hundredfold-martyrs, 60 fold- monks, 30 fold obedient wives. They didn’t get that from the Bible.

The main things are the plane things; and the plane things are the main things.

· The sower.

V:5-“A Sower went out to sow his seed…

The sower is Jesus, he’s the one that sows the seed. But not only is Jesus the sower, anyone who shares God’s word today is a Sower.

We who have the word, are responsible to sow the seed of the word of God. So whether it’s through a sermon, are witnessing to a friend, or writing a note, or even a song, if it contains the word of God it is seed being sown.

· We must sow the seed plentifully.

-“He that sows sparingly, shall reap also sparingly; but he that sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully”. The more you sow the seed, the more souls will be saved.

· We must sow the seed passionately.

-“He that goes forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall no doubt come again with rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him”

We need to water the seed with our tears if we expect to see a harvest. We don’t need to be cold, calculated in witnessing; but burdened, tenderhearted, warm, concerned and broken over the lost.

· We must sow the seed persistently.

-“be persistent; the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patients for it…

You don’t sow the seed today, and reap a harvest tomorrow. You sow the seed, you pray, you water it with your tears, and you wait on the Lord of the harvest to save that person.

Paul said, -“I have planted, Appollos watered, but God gave the increase”

We are laborers together with God.

-“Do not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not”

· The Seed.

V:11-“The seed is the word of God”.

As Jesus begins to interpret the parable, he starts with the seed; by telling us the seed is the word of God.

The seed doesn’t sow itself; so there must be a Sower. But there’s no detail given about the sower; is he tall or short, skinny, or large? Sowers come and go; but the word of God endures forever!

We’re not to get enamored with the sower! We are to be enamored with the seed; which is the word of God! The ministry of the sower, is the word of God!

The Bible is like seed in that it has life in it:

-“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever.

The word of God is alive, and it imparts life! The word of God is powerful like a seed; I’ve seen concrete crack because of the seed.

Several years ago when the pyramid of King tut was opened, archaeologists found many artifacts. One of the artifacts was a vase that had seeds that were 300 years old. They took a few of those seeds and planted them, and they sprang to life. Seeds have life in them; and this book the Bible has life in it, and gives life. When this Bible is preached week-end and week-out, month in and month out, year in and year out life is produced in the people who receive it.

-“Receive with meekness the implanted word of God which is able to save your soul”.

When the word of God gets into a good heart and takes root it springs forth into life, and spiritual fruit is produced. This book is alive and able to produce life today just as it did when it was spoken!

Jesus said, -“The words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life”.

But the word like seed, must be planted to do any good. Which leads us to the third symbol found in this parable:

· The soil.

The soil illustrates the heart, V:12-“takes away the word out of their hearts…

The target of the seed, is the heart; God’s word to bring life and fruit must get into the heart! We are to listen with the inner ear and receive God’s word deep into our hearts, if there’s going to be salvation and fruit.

But not everyone is equally receptive to the word of God. Jesus compares four kinds of people to four kinds of soils. Each soil represents a different condition of the heart, a different response to the gospel, and a different destiny. Sadly only one in four hear the word of God and respond in saving faith, and bring forth spiritual fruit.

Let’s look at the different conditions of the heart, and the way they receive the seed of the word.

1. The Calloused Heart.

V:12-Read.

The way side, is the path along the edge of the field where people walked, or road there horse, or pulled their wagon behind their donkey. It was a packed hard walking path; the seed fell on this hard ground but never got into the ground. This hard ground represents the person who has a hard heart, and will not receive the word of God. This person has allowed their hearts to be the path for every dirty foot in this world. Every evil thought, false view, has trampled through their mind, and their heart is as hard as concrete; the seed of God’s word bounces off their hard heart. Jesus warns that your heart can be so pounded down and packed down by the traffic of sin that is completely insensitive, unreceptive, and unresponsive to the word of God. What is it that makes the heart hard? Sin hardens the heart!

Your heart which is made by God to be tender and receptive to the word of God; can become unresponsive and hard by sin. Be careful, be careful not to allow the constant pounding of ungodly shows, filthy movies, materialism, greed, profanity, lewdness, to make your heart hard toward God.

You sit under the preaching, broadcasting of the seed of God’s word and it falls on your ears, but your heart is hard and the seed never penetrates your heart. The seed lies on the surface of the soil of your heart, but never sinks in.

“Today if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts”.

And the devil comes like a filthy bird and takes the seed from your heart. Satan is always on the scene to remove God’s word before it gets into your heart. The problem doesn’t lie in the seed of God’s word; but in the heart of the people who hear it. The devil is your diabolical enemy who will do everything in his power to keep you from thinking about, and receiving God’s word into your hear. Because the Devil, V:12, does not want you to believe and be saved. This person is not saved; and Satan doesn’t want the word of God to make an impression, bring conviction, so that they will be saved.

Satan knows the hearing and receiving of the gospel brings salvation, which is the last thing he wants to happen. The path that was packed hard, was right beside the good soil; here in the service are people with hearts that are packed hard, and people who have soft receptive hearts to the seed of God’s word. Jesus mentions a second kind of heart:

2. The Superficial Heart.

V:13-Read.

The farmer sows the seed but the soul is thin, and underneath is a slab of rock. But because there is no root system when the sun comes up it dies. This represents the person who responds superficially to the gospel. This is the person who very quickly, and emotionally responds to the word of God.

But does not really receive it so that it takes root in their heart. This is a purely emotional, shallow, and temporary response. Jesus is not saying that this person was saved and then lost their salvation. He’s saying that this person was never saved to begin with. It was only a shallow, superficial experience that was only on the surface, but did not take root in their heart. Oh, yes it looks good for a while, but it’s not true, it is superficial, and will not last!

This superficial response is epidemic in our day; and constitutes one of the greatest disappointments of the ministry.

People who walked down a church Isle sometimes with tears streaming down their face; but with no brokenness, repentance in their heart. Others who come and pray, hoping God will rescue them from some situation. Some, feeling like they need a new day in their life, come to join the church, fill a card, and pray a prayer. And the danger is, you can do all those things with a superficial, shallow heart and still be lost! Because underneath that apparent quick response, is an unyielding rock bed of rebellion and resistance to the Lordship of Jesus Christ! No brokenness, no repentance are sorrow over your heart’s condition before a holy God.

V:13-“in time of temptation fall away”.

-“they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while: for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word…

When troubles and persecution comes, the rootless will fall away, but faithful Christians will grow stronger through the pain.

Not everyone who walks down the aisle, prays a prayer, signs a card and gets baptized is really saved! Why is it that some people spring up instantaneously, but then when difficulty and persecution comes they wilt and disappear?

How is it someone like a guy I heard about in Lakeland Florida, named Joseph Franklin.

Who was wanted for a series of shooting in several states; and the article they wrote about him said. He had been an evangelical Christian after that he became a Nazi, and then a Ku Klux Klansman.

The guy was never saved; how do people leave Christianity and become Mormons? They never met the Savior!

Unfortunately, it happens all the time: people who once seemed very excited about Christianity fall away from the faith.

A high school student who was enthusiastic about going to youth group falls in with the bad crowd.

A girl who grew up in Sunday school goes off to college and start sleeping with her boyfriend.

A couple that went to church, got married and were faithful, next thing you know they’re back in the world, party or divorced.

Jesus said, some people who seem to believe never get rooted in the gospel!

Their heart had not been broken by their sinfulness; and they didn’t receive the gospel into their heart!

Jesus mentions a third kind of heart:

3. The Preoccupied Heart.

V:14-Read.

This heart is preoccupied and distracted, and the seed of the word of God is choked out by the cares and riches and pleasures of life.

This person received the word, but the soil of their heart is infested with weeds that choke out the good seed. You are aware that there is rival crop to the seed of the word of God; other things in competition for your ears, and heart!

The cares/troubles of life can so distract us we forget to receive the seed of God’s word. People who spend so much time worrying about their health, family, or work situation they failed to give God, or His word any time or thought.

It’s not just troubles, cares that choke out the word; but also good things like riches and pleasures.

The Bible doesn’t condemn riches and pleasure; but it does warn us that they can choke out the truly valuable things; like being saved, and bearing spiritual fruit.

Many people devote themselves to the pursuit of riches and ignore the true wealth found in Jesus Christ.

Many people who sit in church and hear the word of God, are like the people that heard Jesus.

Some were thinking about food, clothing, how to pay their bills. Others were worried about problems in their lives; and those weeds were crowding out the good seed and keeping them from responding to Jesus and being saved.

Don’t let the word of God be choked out by the riches and pleasures of life! Don’t value, the things of this world, more than you value the Lord Jesus Christ! Will meet a young man in , who chose his riches, above the Lord Jesus.

For a person to be saved, the word of God and the message of the gospel must grip their mind and their heart to bring repentance and faith. So Satan sows the weeds of riches and pleasure in the mind and heart of people so the truth of the gospel doesn’t grip them. There’s nothing wrong with taking a vacation, buying a car, remodeling your home, these things are all good in themselves, but they can easily preoccupy your mind and keep you from receiving the seed of God’s word. Esau, Demas, allowed the riches and pleasures of life to choke out God’s word. As Christians we must not allow the cares, riches and pleasures of life to choke out the word of God from our hearts. There are endless opportunities all around to choke out the word of God. Turning on the TV instead of opening your Bible.

Looking through your phone instead of having a gospel conversation with a friend. The things that we do are not wrong in themselves, but they do not have to be wrong to get in the way of our spiritual growth. None of the first three hearts represented by the first three soils experienced genuine salvation. The proof of salvation is not in listening to, or emotionally responding to the Word. The proof of salvation is in the fruit.

Here are people who gave outward expression to having been involved with the Word of God, but they were not genuinely saved.

There’s one last heart that Jesus describes:

4. The Receptive Heart.

V:15-Read.

Thank God for the “But that on good ground are they…Jesus describes this heart as an honest and good heart. This heart is good in contrast to the other three hearts. It hears, receives the word, keeps the word, and bears fruit.

This heart represents a real salvation experience!

Your relationship with God starts with an honest heart; you admitting you’re a sinner! As the seed of God’s word enters your ears telling you that you are sinner, you accept it, you’re honest, and the Holy Spirit breaks up your heart, plowing deep rows of conviction.

Every clod of self-righteousness, rebellion, is broken up with the plow of Holy Ghost conviction. And your heart is open, receptive to God’s truth; bringing repentance, and leading you to place your faith in Jesus Christ!

Would you be honest with God about your condition today? Would you turn from your sin, and receive Jesus as your Savior today?

People who have been saved, V:15-“bear fruit with persistence…

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell this parable:

Matthew- take heed “that” you hear.

Listen every opportunity you have to receive the good seed into your heart.

Mark- take heed “what” you hear.

Be careful what you listen to, if you plant weeds you will reap a sad harvest of sin. Be not deceived whatever a man sows that shall he also reap. Be careful what you read, listen to and watch.

Luke-take heed “how” you hear.

Give attention to the word of God, sit up, and pay careful attention to what’s being taught and preached. We need the attitude young Samuel had when he said, speak Lord, for your servant hears”. Today if you hear his word hard not your heart.

The proof of the condition of your heart will be the fruit that you bear for God.