“HE WHO HAS EARS, LET HIM HEAR” (Outline)
July 18, 2010 -
Pentecost 8 -
MATTHEW 13:1-9; 18-23
INTRO: Listening to God’s word is absolutely vital to and for our Christian faith. The trouble today is that we are no trained to listen very well. If we do not pay attention we can always find the information we need in books or on the Internet. "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the mes-sage is heard through the word of Christ" (ROMANS 10:17). Believers come to know and believe in the Triune God by hearing the word of truth. Children know their Savior long before they can read. Verse 9 serves as our theme:
“HE WHO HAS EARS, LET HIM HEAR”. We pray to the Lord to help us have hearing ears so that we may pay close attention, listen, and hear: I. Not in neglect, II. But for respect.
I. MAY WE HEAR – NOT IN NEGLECT
A. Verse 3. Jesus teaches in parables. Parables compare two things side by side.
1. Jesus uses parables to explain the spiritual with the earthly (extraordinary with the ordinary).
2. Everyone was well acquainted with planting seeds. Jesus compares sowing seed with faith.
B. Verse 4. Along the path the seed is eaten before taking root. Verse 19. The devil snatches away.
1. Verses 5,6. The seed in shallow soil grows quickly as the soil is warm. Too warm in heat.
2. Verses 20,21. Emotional hearing lasts only a short time in the face of trouble. A shallow root.
C. Verse 7. The seed among the thorns gets the chance to grow up and mature. Thorns choke it out.
1. Verse 22. The seed is unfruitful. Worries and wealth have choked out the fruitfulness.
2. None of the seed in these first three examples produced any fruit. Seeds need good soil.
D. In this parable the Lord God Almighty reminds each of us about the “unholy trinity”. Now, we are familiar with the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What about the unholy trinity? Jesus said the “evil one snatches away what was sown”. This can be anything that is evil and stands opposed to the divine will of God. Remember the source of all evil is the evil one: Satan. Satan is alive and well. Satan seeks to destroy our souls forever in hell. The devil is a formidable foe. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 PETER 5:8). Our enemy is ferocious. Satan is also sneaky. Satan often disguises himself as an angel of light. There are many today who focus so much on angels that they are distracted from focusing on Christ alone.
E. Next in this unholy trinity are ourselves. Our own sinful flesh constantly opposes God’s will for our lives. It is a constant struggle for every Christian. We are born as enemies of God. By grace the Lord God reaches down and snatches us from the very jaws of hell itself. Still, we often look to ourselves for the answers for this life. We tend to want to know the explanation for that which cannot be explained. Such is the thinking of our “know-it-all” human race. The experts offer their advice and wisdom. It changes quite often. Even religious leaders strive to do that which the world would accept instead of what God would want. Our faith needs to be rooted on the Rock of our salvation. "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming" (EPHESIANS 4:14).
F. How often the world distracts us with all of its attractions. The purely, earthly desire for fame, power, glory, honor, and wealth can consume us. The world around us constantly offers fleeting material possessions as the source of happiness. Ask those who seem wealthy if they have enough money. Ask yourself if you have enough. It always seems that just a little more will be just right to make us happy enough. But then we need a little more and a little more. "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (1 TIMOTHY 6:10). Remember money is not evil. The sinful love of money is what easily distracts us. Daily the devil, our own sinful flesh, and the world try to drown out the words and very voice of God.
“HE WHO HAS EARS, LET HIM HEAR”-- not in neglect but for respect.
II. MAY WE HEAR – FOR RESPECT OF GOD AND HIS WORD.
A. Verse 1. “That same day” is explained in chapter 12. Jesus had been busy healing and teaching.
1. Jesus’ family came to see him. The house was too crowded. Jesus goes down to the lake.
2. Verse 2. Jesus cannot escape the crowds. He is almost crowded into the water.
3. Jesus enters a boat. From there he teaches. The water amplifies his voice. Thousands listen.
B. Jesus begins teaching the people with parables. He wants them to understand the deep things of God.
1. The seed and the sower seem hopeless at first. Three types of soil produce no fruit at all.
2. Verse 8. This seed on good soil takes root, grows, and produces fruit. Verse 9 – Listen!
C. Verse 23. The good soil is the believer who hears and listens, believes and understands.
1. The yield is simply amazing: 100, 60, 30 times what was sown. This does not amaze us.
2. At Jesus’ time these yields were very, very rare. This is the impressive power of God’s word.
3. These words spoken on a lake 2,000 years ago are still very full of meaning for us today.
D. Planting and sowing, reaping and harvesting are such simple terms for all to understand. With these simple, naturally understood examples Jesus leads us to the deeper things of believing. Just as we come to know the importance of good ground for the good seed so we now ready ourselves to hear. "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you" (HOSEA 10:12). Our Father reminds us to prepare our hearts and minds when we come near to listen. It takes work and practice in our day and age when listening is sometimes a lost art. “He who has ears, let him hear”.
E. God reveals to us his holy word through the Bible. The power of the seed to spring up and bear abundant fruit is the power of God’s word in our ears and hearts and lives. Rejoice that the fruitfulness of the seed is based on our connection with Christ. It really is the connection that Christ makes with us that is all the difference for us in this world (and finally forever in heaven). "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (JOHN 15:5). God’s word connects us to Christ. Connected to Christ we bear much fruit. In Christ and through Christ and by Christ alone the believer bears fruit in God’s kingdom. “He who has ears, …”.
F. What is the crop that a believer brings forth from the word of God living in our hearts? The fruitful-ness of the Christian life stands in opposition to this world’s values. There are various lists of the believer’s fruit-filled lives. Read Galatians 5:22,23 or Ephesians 4:19. "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere" (JAMES 3:17). How opposite this sounds to the attitude of the worldly around us!
CONC: “He who has ears, let him hear”. With these words Jesus impresses upon every believer the vital importance of listening to what God’s word says. We daily need to ask God to help us hear what he says. We daily need to pray that Satan, our own flesh, or the worldly worries of wealth would not fill our ears and lives with worthlessness. "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life" (GALATIANS 6:7,8). “HE WHO HAS EARS, LET HIM HEAR”. May we hear God’s word with believing hearts and lives. May we always hear not in neglect but always for respect for God and his word! Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
PENT. 8 rdgs:
DEUTERONOMY 30:9-14;
COLOSSIANS 1:1-14;
LUKE 10:25-37;
(PSALM 25)
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