Sermon Tone Analysis

Be strong - be empowered, receive strength, to increase in strength.

The only way that we can increase in strength is in the Lord.

We have no strength of our own, our strength comes from God and God alone.

Remember that we have two natures wrestling within us:

The NLT says “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants.

And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.

These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.”

The only way that we combat this, the only way that we are able to stand in the time of testing and trials is that “we have to be strong......not in our own power, not in our own ability, not in our own attempts of being strong, but to be strong in the Lord!

We simply have to be in the LORD!!! Wrapped up, tied up, tangled up in Jesus.

Be in the Lord and let the Lord be in you!

Keys to being in the Lord:

First thing that is required is “love”.

Secondly, we must keep the word of God.

The notion of keeping is obeying the word of God.

However there is also a secondary function to keeping God’s word.

To keep also means to guard, keep the eye upon, to detain something.

When we guard a thing, or we keep the eye upon something, it means that what we are guarding IS VALUABLE!!! Sadly, we are living in a time which many do not think that God’s word is valuable.

One of the worst things that we can all agree on is the fact that when we share something valuable with someone and they don’t listen or take it to heart it hurts and or upsets us.

Jesus is telling his disciples that the words I have given you, the teachings that I have taught you.......first of all guard it.

Why?

Because of this scripture:

So Jesus gives them parables.

Who is Jesus talking to?

ANS: He’s talking to a multitude (verse 1).

Jesus was healing the sick, forgiving sins, casting out devils, and preaching repentance.

So large crowds were following him.

There was a time in which the his disciples asked him “why don’t you talk plainly so the people can understand?”

Matt 13:10

Jesus replies:

He tells his disciples, his true followers, because everyone in the multitudes weren’t really followers.

Some people where there to be entertained, some people where there so that they could benefit from Jesus, some people where there to watch Jesus and see if he did something wrong so that they could conduct a smear campaign.

WHY ARE WE SERVING GOD? WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE OF BEING HERE?

Jesus told his disciples (true followers) “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.”

Then Jesus says:

“To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge.”

Hearing vs Listening

What is the difference between hearing and listening?

Hearing- Merriam-Webster defines hearing as the “process, function, or power of perceiving sound; specifically: the special sense by which noises and tones are received as stimuli.”

A noise is made, you hear the noise......but you may not know what the noise is.

Listening- Listening, on the other hand, means “to pay attention to sound; to hear something with thoughtful attention; and to give consideration.”

You hear a noise, your not sure what you hear so you listen again with the intention of being able to identify the noise that you hear.

For those who are musically inclined.

If you can sing, then you are musically inclined.

You may not be able to play an instrument, but you can listen to different pitches and be able to identify the pitch and then sing it back.

When you are not musically inclined, you hear noise, but you can’t identify the pitch, you try to recreate the pitch but do so unsuccessfully, because you hear it, but your ear are unable to identify it or process it.

Jesus when he taught, people heard what he was saying, yet, they could not process what he was saying.

Why?

Because he taught in parables.

Even his disciples couldn’t process what Jesus said a lot of times.

But then we see the difference between Jesus’s disciples and the multitude.

The disciples stuck around.

They stuck around Jesus because Jesus just said something important and we don’t understand it, but we want to understand it.

The multitude Jesus just said something, but we don’t know what He’s talking about, I’m just here to see miracles, I’m just here because I need Jesus to do something for me, I’m just here because I want to be entertained.

I WANT TO BRING FOCUS BACK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE.

Just to make sure that we get our bearing and not get lost.

We are talking about Eph 6:10

We are talking about “how to be strong in the LORD” or “How to be in the LORD”.

We ran cross-references of scripture and we found where Jesus told his disciples:

and also John 15:4

Abiding in the Lord:

Love Jesus.

Keep his words.

Now back to Matt 13:11-13.

Jesus is talking in parables often times to the multitude.

They hear Jesus, but they don’t understand Jesus.

Often times, when Jesus would heal or perform miracles, he would also teach.

After Jesus taught, they heard but they could not process what was said.

After Jesus taught and the multitude didn’t understand, they went on about their business.

But the disciples, stayed behind and they began to ask Jesus questions.

When they asked Jesus questions, Jesus knowing their hearts, and the sincerity that they wanted to learn, Jesus began a discourse to them about what the parables meant.......and THE LISTENING PART BEGAN.

They heard a sound, but they wanted to identify and understand the sound so they began listening carefully.

Jesus then says in verse 12 (NLT):

“To those who listen to my teaching.”

To those who listen with thoughtful attention, consideration, and application.

More understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge.

Abundance of what knowledge?

The knowledge of the Kingdom of Heaven, the knowledge of God and his will, the knowledge of the things of God.

But then Jesus says:

“But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”

In other-words, they will hear but because they didn’t pay attention, because they did not give it careful consideration, what little they did understand, it will be taken away.

I don’t know about you, but when God speaks, Lord help me to listen.

Don’t just let me hear it, help me to listen, to understand it, to consider it, and to obey it!

The four types of hearers and listeners:

The hard ground.

Represents those who hear the message of the Kingdom and don’t understand it.

It goes in one ear and out of the other.

It is like going outside, getting a seed distributor, and sowing seed on the street.

Their heart is hardened, the word of God does not take root.

Their heart can be hardened because of unbelief, because of sin, because of bitterness.

They flat out reject God’s word.

The evil one, comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.

The rocky soil.

This is the ground that has some soil there yet is rocky underneath.

It is the driveway with the cracks in it.

Seed is sown, and it actually takes root, it even grows.

Yet Jesus says, these are those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.

But since they don’t have deep roots, that joy, that word, it doesn’t last long.

Jesus says “They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.”

Problems, temptations, trials, shout Sunday, Thursday you’re in despair.

Yes on Wednesday, temptation comes Saturday and we’ve folded.