Communicating With God 2 Series

Hearing God’s Voice – 6

“Communicating with God – 2”

Luke 8:5-8, 11-18

Luke 8:5-8

5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. 8 But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried,“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Luke 8:11-18

11 “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. 14 Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. 16 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but setsit on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.18 Therefore take heed how you hear.”

Last week we started talking about “Communicating with God.” The first thing we discovered was that in order to be effective and productive, we must be able to communicate. I don’t want to get into a big review this week so if you missed last week get online and download a sermon or buy one at the back.

From this parable that we have read, Jesus explains that the seed is the Word of God and it is very important how we hear. This passage isn’t so much about us speaking as it is us listening. Listening is very important in communication. You can have a serious breakdown of communication if you don’t listen. You can have serious problems in your marriage if you don’t listen. You don’t know how many times this week my wife has said, “Troy, you need to listen.” That’s after I just get done saying to Austin, “Austin, you need to listen.” So, last week we started talking about four ways that people listen and we are going to finish up on that this morning.

Last week we learned that:

I. SOME PEOPLE DON’T LISTEN AT ALL

II. SOME PEOPLE LISTEN BUT FORGET

➢ These are people who plant their gardens in a gravel pit. They are quick to hear but also quick to forget.

Luke 8:6, “Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.”

Have any of you ever tried to plant a garden in gravel? You can throw the seeds out in the rocks. They will spring up when they get some moisture, but if they don’t have a strong root system they will not last. Shallow soil makes weak plants. A shallow hearer makes a weak believer. We are to study the Word of God, we are to meditate on the Word of God, and we are to put it into practice if we are to be strong believers.

James 1:22, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.”

➢ The United States Air Force did a study and found that we forget 90-95% of everything we hear within 72 hours.

For some of us it doesn’t even take that long. Sometimes I forget what I hear from the recliner to the kitchen. I am all the time asking Denise, “What did you ask me to do?” The reason that happens is because my mind is occupied with other things. If I am asked to do something, and I think about it until it is done, then it gets done.

Doesn’t that happen to us all the time with the Word as well? It is so easy to let our minds get flooded with other things and forget that God is trying to speak to us through His Word. Remember, the #1 way God speaks to us is through His Word. I don’t just preach Sundays because it is my job. I want to see lives changed by the power of the Word. I do see that from time to time, but not enough. God wants to change us.