Sermon Tone Analysis

Secular:

*  Baseball…

*  No effort…

* No trying

* Blaming…

 

Biblical: Luke 8: 4 When a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: 5 "The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up.

6 "Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

7 "Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out.

8 "Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great."

As He said these things, He would call out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." 9 His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant.

10 And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.

11 "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. 12 "Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.

13 "Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.

14 "The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

15 "But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.

… 18 "So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him."

Personal:

*  Grumblers at a movie

* Attacking the trailer

* The Popcorn

* The Service

* The ticket price

* Regardless of what actually takes place

* Pessimistic approach

* Apathetic approach

* I am here… entertain me

* I am here… engage me

Bridge:

* World of victims

* World of choice

* World of me

* The parable is not about the sower

* It is about the soil

* Are we good soil…

 

Body:

This text is both disturbing and comforting… as I serve here… what is my primary job?

To Preach… share God’s Word… declare His attributes… proclaim His Promises… share his Gospel… exhort regarding His commands… speak His Word and Truth…

 

What is your primary call in your life…?

2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

So we are called to live in Christ reconciled to Him… Transformed…

And we are called to be ministers of reconciliation… proclaimers of Christ… His message… His gospel…

 

Luke 8: 4 When a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable…

 

Why proclaim… why a parable… why…

Jesus shares the parable… the story…

9 His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant.

10 And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.

11 "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.

To those transformed it makes sense…

* To hear the Word and understand the Word takes God…

* To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God

* To those set apart… you understand the mysteries of God.

* The truth, the hope, the majesty, the holiness, the awesomeness, the faithfulness, our sinfulness, our helplessness, our salvation, our hope….

* …but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.

* Preaching truth and condemnation

* To those who are called the Word pours into their soul…

* To those opposed to God it hardens their heart…

* The parables shows only 1 out of four soils is receptive to the seed…

* Discouraging… and comforting the same…

* Discouraging because we want one kind of rich soil…

* All souls saved… every word sprouting… every life transformed…

* Comforting… that the seeds do what they are supposed to… despite us… in the soil prepared by the Spirit of God.

* I have never commanded a seed to grow…

* And I have never changed a soul…

* I tend the garden… God makes it grow…

 

It is about constant nurture

* The Word of God is not jut transformational when we first hear and accept the truth about Christ…

* It is an ongoing tool used by the Holy Spirit to grow, strengthen, make wise, comfort, challenge us

* 25%... lands on good soil

 

The parable

5 "The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up.

12 "Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.

*  Not Soil… but hard

* No protection

* No shelter

* No growth

* No hope

 

6 "Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

13 "Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.

* Spring up wit promise

* Blow away at the slightest breeze

* No anchor in Christ

 

7 "Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out.

14 "The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

* Take root… but get lost

* The world competes and wins

* Worries, riches, hedonism

 

8 "Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great."

As He said these things, He would call out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear15 "But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.

* Take root

* Nourished

* Grown

* Weeded… strong

*The Point*

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear

* We have ears… /quick check/

*  All of us Physical ears

*  Good soil…   requires spiritual ears

Receptive heart

*The Purpose*

* Preach hope