Sermon Tone Analysis

How’s Your Dirt?

(Introduction)

Back yard grass in sad shape.

Some areas grow well, others poorly do to tree shade and roots.

Some areas are dirt.

All the gras was the same.

But some areas of the yard were not conducive to supporting it.

Parable of the sower —>> Parable of the dirt.

The seed sown is all the same, it’s the suitability of the soil that makes all the difference.

Examine your condition and ability to hear and receive the Words of God.

Pray

How’s Your Dirt?

Jesus teaches that not all will hear, not all will receive the blessing of the wisdom of the Kingdom of God.

In vs. 14, Mark says the sower sows the Word.

In Matthew we have a little honing of this: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom” (Matt.

13:19)

What ‘word’ is this, exactly?

It is the description, the call, and the glorification of the rule and realm of God.

It is truth and teaching that points us towards embracing the presence of God and trusting Him to let go of the dependance on this world.

These words are the seed scattered.

They are as a first-person account of the glory of God.

By bible.

By Jesus.

And by each of His followers.

God reveals Himself to us.

When we respond to the Spirits prompting in our lives to live for Him and not for ourselves.

When we have accepted the forgiveness of sin and received a new heart from God.

We have our first glimpses at the Divine presence of the almighty God!

As His Word works in us, is planted, grows and matures, seeds are produced from our own lives.

Words - testimonies - of what God has done in us.

Our own lives, transformed by the goodness of God, are the scattered word too.

As we approach this passage, it asks us to reflect on our own lives.

How is your dirt?

In other words...

Will I remove the impediments to God’s transforming me?

We might be stuck spiritually.

Know what’s next, unwilling to let go of what’s holding us back.

Like where we are and not eager to seek God’s Word

Either way, God has something much grander for you!

He can plant the seeds of miraculous transformation.

The seeds that someone else desperately needs, stored up in your eager obedience.

When we examine our lives and how God is moving and transforming us, we must look honestly and squarely at how receptive we are to that word.

How is your dirt?

What’s the Diagnosis?

What are the things preventing God’s word from flourishing in your life?

As we look at the four types of soil, they represent two things.

The field of evangelism: The hearts of those who hear the good news of God’s forgiveness and how they respond.

The field of the believers heart: How, as followers of Jesus, we are willing to hear, to pursue, to persevere, and value the words of truth in our lives.

As we look at the diagnosis, we will examine the first three soils.

We’ll get to the last soil in the next section.

Footpath - Truth Confusion

The soil on the footpath - Satan takes it away.

(Satan - this title literally means “one who opposes”.

He is an accuser.)

The seed lays on top the soil.

It is not cherished or valued.

The words of Satan carry the same weight as the words of God.

There is no consideration of the words of God, no crack in the ground for the seeds to find shelter.

The purpose of the dirt is business and unproductiveness.

It’s a footpath.

traveling back and forth.

There may be another season when the boarders between fields changes and this section of ground gets broken up and tilled, it’s just not today!

What verse would typify this Diagnosis?

This passage goes on to talk about the very type of confusion of truth and morality we see in the world today.

Rocky Ground - Truth Devalued

The next seeds fell on rocky soil.

There’s dirt, but it’s not deep or rich.

Not much room for roots, quick to dry, easily overheated.

The seed finds its way in to be considered.

And it is recieved with joy!

But, that joy is very fleeting.

Maybe it’s heard because it’s a new thought, But it isn’t life-changing.

With any pushback or hardship, that truth is discarded as unneeded and unwanted.

“That was interesting, but this is a ‘real world problem’”

When we entertain the words of the Kingdom of God as we do the words of a good novel, when we value them so lightly that we are less sustained and less delighted in them than we are a good meal, they will not impact our lives or transform our souls.

You can’t expect a passing interest in hearing God’s words to have a profound impact.

If we value them little, that is the value they will have for us.

Among the Thorns - Truth Unfocused

The third diagnosis is for those who sincerely desire the word of God in their lives, but they desire many things along with it.

It is no sin to enjoy things in the world.

It is no sin to care deeply for others and their situations.

It is no sin to work hard and receive the wages of your labor.

The dynamic at play here is that those in this group can’t, or don’t, differentiate the primary value.

Everything is on the same level in a competition for attention.

Let me tell you, it is easy to let go of the wealth of wisdom and truth God has given and called us to and get busy doing something else.

Often good things.

Choosing to put God in His proper place will never leave you without what is truly valuable.

Choose that portion that can not be taken away.

Desire the Cure.

Reproduce!

The last group is the good soil.

Those in whom the seeds fell on, were tilled under, gave priority to the truth, nurtured and saw the transformation of the seed into a plant, and finally into a harvest.

This is where God blesses and works in His people!

But what does this actually look like?

This is discipleship!

It begins with receiving and results with reproduction.

Every group had the same beginning, but only one the needed result.

All had the seed (word) shared with them.

Commit to the primacy of God’s Word

Primary place of authority in our lives.

We must bury God’s word in the dirt of our lives and heart.