How do you respond to the Bible?
How do you respond to God’s Word?
Our attitudes and expectations affect how we hear
and receive God’s Word.
They also affect how we use God’s Word for our life.
For many years, I saw God’s Word as something that had to be laboured through.
As something that only demanded I do something…and if I didn’t it made me feel bad.
Other times I treated God’s Word as if it needed to meet my expectations,
and would quickly dismiss it as irrelevant if I didn’t understand something.
But over time something changed.
What I was heard in the bible resulted in me developing a thirst to explore God further.
To wrestle with what I was reading.
To explore further what God had been doing and what He was going to do.
One holidays I remember reading one of the Gospels in one sitting.
And as a result saw God not as someone who demanded things from us
But as someone who is generous, who is forgiving, who is loving and wants everyone to have a great future.
And today we are going to explore how our attitudes affect how we receive what God has to say
and a bit about how God goes about dealing with us.
Some quick background to put you in the picture.
Today’s reading is a parable, a story told to explain something about God and about us.
Jesus told this story early in his ministry.
He had selected his twelve disciples.
Individuals had left their jobs to learn from him and be his disciples.
And already he had a huge following.
People had started to recognise there was something special about Jesus.
Mostlikely caused by a number of things
His teaching that often confronted the rigid religious leaders of the time who were so focussed on point the finger at others.
The fact that he had driven out demons.
The fact that he had publicly healed many people.
The fact that he welcomed people as his disciples who others considered as outcasts.
At like today people followed him for different reasons and with different expectations
As so to the crowd he tells the story we heard the Grades 3 and 4’s tell to us.
And this is a story that has now been told to crowds for over 2000 years
And we are part of that crowd.
So I would like you to put yourself in the crowd.
And listen carefully to what he has to say…
3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.” “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
(if we use the dvd Matthew 13:3-8)
What did you hear?
Did you just hear a story about some farmer who was a bit careless and threw seed into places that had no hope of bearing much crop, and one place that did prove very profitable?
As Jesus reveals later to his disciples this story is about how you and me hear God’s Word and also how generous God is.
In verse 14, Jesus says the seed is God’s Word.
The seed is an interesting picture to use for God’s Word.
Hidden in a seed is life.
Life that can grow quite large and sprawling, and produce many more seeds.
For some God’s Word can appear not that important or even relevant
but it always contains life
As Jesus says in John 6 verse 63
The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
And in John 5 verse 26
26 The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son.
And so as we read and hear scripture it is important to ask the question,
How is this part of God’s Word revealing that God is giving me life, now and in the future?
How is this part of God’s Word revealing that God is giving me life, now and in the future?
This is an essential question to ask every time you engage with scripture.
And at times it may not be so obvious.
You may need to read more scripture,
you may need to consult commentaries, bible references, books that help you with cross referencing.
Because at times when we read or hear God’s Word rather than giving us life it cuts us down
None of us like being attacked or criticised
Hebrews 4 verse 12 to 13 reveals to us that
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Ever had this occur.
I have…boy you can feel pretty bad.
But it is actually a good thing.
Whilst most of us are scared of bushfires
Scientists for years have been telling us that the forests need them so new life can spring up.
And when God’s word seems to criticise or attack us
What is happening is our independent self is being questioned
And God’s approach to life is being revealed to us.
And underpinning God’s approach to life is two things
We depend on God for everything
Think about your life for a moment, everything good in your life is the result of God at work.
He not only created everything you have now, but has made your future in heaven possible,
By sending Jesus to earth to pay the penalty for humanity not being perfect.
And the second thing is we will have a more wholesome life when we live a life of loving God and loving others as much as we love ourselves.
Which is what Jesus revealed as what our life should revolve around.
In Proverbs 11 verse 25 God says to us
A generous person will prosper, those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
But as the parable reveals people hear and respond to God’s Word in different ways.
Some people are like a well worn path, and although God’s Word has been thrown their way.
Satan has taken it from them and they see no life at all.
This occurs when people have been so affected by sin that they are not interested in it.
Some think that sin is fun.
Others have been hurt, sometimes even by other Christians.
And when anyone tries to share God’s Good News they stick their fingers in their ear and say lalalala.
Rather than hear the good that God is offering them they hear something else.
Others get to experience a little life when things are going well.
But as soon as some problems occur,
they forget about following God.
The truth is that throughout the New Testament, Jesus and His disciples reveal that being a Christian
Being someone who will inherit eternal life
will not be always easy.
Every Christian will experience difficulties in their life.
As Christians we need a long term view, we need to be focussed on heaven.
In John 16 verse 33 Jesus says to us
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
In other words we won’t always have trouble and in heaven there will be no trouble.
And knowing this is helpful, because when trouble arises it doesn’t mean that God has deserted us.
But instead God is here to help us.
Then there are others who are so consumed with the here and now,
About their life at present, having money, good house, good education, being involved in many things, having the perfect family and everything being good now that God and His Word are squeezed out of their life.
They allow the pressures of today, and there are many,
to be their focus and influence how they approach life.
And yet the truth is when we put God and what He is doing for us as our focus
He puts our life into perspective.
And therefore we will spend time with Him and other Christians so we can deal with the pressures of life
And many of the things that have the potential to cause major stress and worry are not such a big concern.
In 1 Peter 5 verse 7 God says
7 Cast all your anxiety on me because I care for you.
Finally there are those who hear God’s Word, accept that God is their life giver and they produce crops.
In other words being a God follower means we not only hear God’s Word
But it changes us and we too share it with others.
We plant gospel seeds in the life of others through what we say, how we say it and what we do.
Seeds that bring life to other people.
The life that God gives us.
Seeds that don’t just judge but help others see how good and generous God is.
This week what is something good that you are going to share about God with someone you know.
And as Christians the way we share God’s word should be like God.
Not just choosing fertile soil.
Choosing only people who we think may be responsive.
But did you notice how God spread His word
To everyone from the toughest soil through to the most fertile soil.
God doesn’t focus on one group.
God isn’t selective.
He makes His life giving word available to everyone.
God’s whole approach to life is to be very generous with His word
And those who accept it receive life and give life to others.
Be open to God’s word
It brings God reality of His new life into your life
that Jesus has created for you and everyone.
AMEN
