Having A Heart For Jesus

Welcome, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, to this hallowed gathering where we come together as a family, united under the banner of our Lord Jesus Christ. We come not as strangers, but as members of one body, each one of us a unique, cherished part of the divine tapestry that God has woven together. It is always a joy to gather with you in this sacred space, where we can share, learn, and grow together in our faith.

[Title: Having a Heart for Jesus]

In our time together today, we will be turning our hearts and minds to the Gospel of Luke, where we will use the parable of the sower to see a snapshot of our hearts. Now I use the word snapshot because it is associated with an instance in time, and later in life there will be another snapshot, and I only hope that it shows us better than we are today.

This is a passage that speaks deeply to the condition of the human heart and the choices we make in our daily walk with Christ. As we approach this passage, let us hold in our hearts the words of J.I. Packer; an evangelical theologian, who once said, "Knowing God is a relationship calculated to thrill a man's heart." It is this thrilling, life-changing relationship that we will be focusing on today.

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: “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. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. 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 8:4-8

In our time together today, we will be considering three main points from this passage: Choosing Christ Daily, Cultivating a Responsive Heart, and the Consequences of Ignoring God’s Word. As we consider these points, let us remember that we are not simply observers of this text, but participants in the story that God is writing in our lives. Know this, God wants your willing participation.

Let us pray: "Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word, which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We ask that You open our hearts and minds to Your truth today. Help us to understand Your Word and apply it to our lives. May we choose You daily, cultivate responsive hearts, and heed Your Word, so that we may bear fruit for Your kingdom. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen."

Dear friends, as we embark in this message, let's remember that the Word of God is not just a historical document or a book of moral teachings. It is a living, breathing testament of God's love for us, His children. It is a guidebook for our lives, a love letter from the Creator of the universe, and a mirror that reflects our hearts back to us. As we open our hearts to the Word today, let us do so with humility, eagerness, and a sense of holy anticipation for what the Lord will reveal to us.

Choosing Christ Daily

When we look at the parable of the sower, we see a farmer scattering seeds. These seeds, as we know, represent the Word of God. The different types of soil they fall on represent the different conditions of our hearts. Now, the seed that falls along the path and gets trampled on, or the seed that falls on the rocky ground and withers for lack of moisture, or the seed that falls among thorns and gets choked - these represent the varying degrees when we fail to choose Christ in our daily lives. While the seeds that fell on good ground represent those who accept the Word of God willing, and in so doing become a fertile field that spreads the Word to others.

Choosing Christ daily is like preparing the soil of our hearts to receive the seed of God's Word. It's about making the conscious decision, every day, to open our hearts to God's Word, to let it take root and grow. It's about choosing to listen to God's voice, to seek His will, and to follow His ways, no matter what.

The first aspect of this is understanding that choosing Christ is not a passive act. It requires effort on our part. It's not enough to simply hear the Word of God; we must also act on it. This means making the choice to obey God's commandments, to follow His teachings, and to live out His love in our daily interactions with others. It means choosing to turn away from sin and to turn towards God. It means choosing to seek God's kingdom first, above all else. It all boils down to making the decision to accept Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Once you bow down to that, Jesus takes a lot of the hard work of following God’s commands by giving you hope, by giving a sense of purpose, by giving you the Holy Spirit who will help guide you through your day-to-day activities.