The Quality of your Hearing
Matthew 13:1-8, 18-23
Luke 8: 18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: …
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Matthew 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
75% of those who hear the Gospel will never receive it to their enduring profit.
Our job is to make sure they have a clear opportunity to become fruitful hearers!
I. The Impenetrable hearer vs.4, 19
The only message that will do any spiritual good is the Gospel! It is sown in the heart.
Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Jesus’ point is that natural men are as capable of living a godly life as “Dogs,” and “Swine!” Spiritual expectations imposed upon them can only breed hostility.
Does He look upon them with contempt?
Does He reject them?
Does He have any compassion for them?
Luke 15:4-7 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? (5) And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. (6) And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. (7) I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Matthew 9:36-38 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. (37) Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; (38) Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
1 Peter 2:6-7 … Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (7) Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
The Impenetrable hearer never seriously considers his need or Christ’s sufficiency!
II. The Shallow hearer vs.5-6, 20-21
Abraham Heschel wrote, “In the realm of theology, shallowness is treason.”
“Christianity Light”
Hosea 6:4 O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.
Matthew 11:6 … blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Luke 9:23-25 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (24) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (25) For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
III. The Occupied hearer vs.7, 22
Genesis 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
“Respectable Christianity”
Your God will not be an add-on, a supplement in your heart!
Not… Philippians 3:7-9 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. (8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, (9) And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
Precious—”Of great price, costly, valuable, very dear, highly esteemed, expensive.” People and things are said to be precious to us; yet, how much more precious to us should things of a spiritual nature be. Peter loved to use the word, “precious” in his epistles. Note Peter’s precious treasures.
1. Precious Trials—”That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth” (I Peter 1:7).
2. Precious Blood—”Redeemed…with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Peter 1:18,19).
3. Precious Corner Stone—”To whom coming, as unto a living stone…chosen of God, and precious…a chief corner stone, elect, precious” (I Peter 2:4, 6).
4. Precious Lord—”Unto you therefore which believe He is precious” (I Peter 2:7).
5. Precious Faith—”To them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (II Peter 1:1).
6. Precious Promises—”Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (II Peter 1:4).
7. Precious Death—”Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15). This last verse is not from Peter, but should be included in the list of God’s precious things, serving, as it does, as the final evaluation of the things of this life. It is a precious, comforting thought to know that “to be absent from the body (is) to be present with the Lord” (II Corinthians 5:8).
Matthew 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
The Occupied Hearer is not a fruitful hearer!
IV. The Prepared hearer vs.8, 23
Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (5) Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:22-25 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: (23) Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (24) For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: (25) But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
1. It is inspired: “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).
2. It is truth: “The sum of Thy word is truth” (Psalms 119:160). It makes free: “...If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
3. It produces faith: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17, NASB).
4. It judges: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).
Fruit includes: (1) a Christ-like character, (2) a life characterized by good works, (3) a faithful witness, (4) a pair of lips that praise God, and (5) a generous giving of one’s money.
Love is the key. Joy is love singing. Peace is love resting. Long-suffering is love enduring. Kindness is love’s touch. Goodness is love’s character. Faithfulness is love’s habit. Gentleness is love’s self-forgetfulness. Self-control is love holding the reins. Donald Grey Barnhouse
• Fruit John 15:2
• More Fruit John 15:2
• Much Fruit John 15:5
Excellence is to do a common thing is an uncommon way. Booker T. Washington
Haggai 1:3-10 Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, (4) Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? (5) Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. (6) Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. (7) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
All excellence involves discipline and tenacity of purpose.”
The Pursuit of Excellence, Ted W. Engstrom,
Edwin Bliss once said, “The pursuit of excellence is gratifying and healthy. The pursuit of perfection is frustrating, neurotic, and a terrible waste of time.”
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The work of Japanese painter Hokusai spanned many years before his death in 1849 at age 89. But toward the end of his life, the artist dismissed as nothing all the work he had done before age 50. It was only after he reached 70 that he felt he was turning out anything worthy of note.
On his deathbed Hokusai lamented, “If heaven had granted me five more years, I could have become a real painter.”
Just because you are older you have no excuse to sit around just waiting to die!
Just because you are young, you have no excuse for failing to produce fruit for God!
