A Heart For The Word

Title: Hearing and Giving the Word

Theme: To show how God can use us to share the word.

Text: Matthew 13:1 -9, 18 – 23

Power of the Word

Preparation for the Word

Placement of the Word

Opening Scripture:

Matthew 13:1-9 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. (2) And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. (3) Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. (4) And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. (5) Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. (6) But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. (7) And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. (8) But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (9) He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Community Clusters at Langley Pond

Introduction

This is one of the only parables that Jesus speaks and then turns around and gives the explanation for. The disciples were confused as to why Jesus speaks in parables. As the them of this parable is, Jesus was reminding them it is a matter of the heart in understanding the parables.

Some people will get it because they are ready, some people will not.

Anyway, I believe there are some principles we can learn from this parable that will apply to our lives.

“This parable has two applications. Primarily, it speaks of how we hear the Word. Secondarily, it gives understanding about how we share the Word. In verse Mat_13:9, Jesus says, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear." Tune in! Think through. Listen up!” – Courson

Jesus gives us the answer to the parables in the same chapter.

Shortage of the Word

Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread (word of God), nor a thirst for water (spirit), but of hearing the words of the LORD: 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

Importance of the Word of God

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful (active), and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit (laying to bear where our soul will rest and who controls our spirit), and of joints and marrow (cuts to the bone), and is a discerner of the thoughts (mind) and intents (motivations) of the heart.

Hebrews 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of

Him to whom we must give account.

We need this word, why to expose us.

Matthew 12:34 For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Indifferent - Wicked one

23 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower: (19) When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

“word of the kingdom” – This is the key to everything. It is the word of the kingdom. It is a word from God. God can use this in many ways. I told you that there are two Greek words for “word” in the scriptures. 1) logos word – written word (John 1:1 “the written word” 2) rhema – word (Ephesians 6:17 “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word (rhema) of God”

“does not understand it” – gives the impression that the person is not willing to understand it. Not willing to even try. Could be they are only listening for what they want to hear.

Devil “steals” (snatches it away) the word.

How?

1) Bitterness

2) Unforgiveness

3) Lack of trust

4) Worry

5) Fear

Christian: Don’t give a place to the enemy.

Rootless - shallow

(20) But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; (21) yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

“stony places” – trying to stay

“receives it with joy” – there is excitement, maybe even a heart touched.