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.
The second aspect of choosing Christ daily is recognizing that it is a continual process. It's not a decision we make once and then forget about. It's a decision we must make every day, in every moment. It's a decision that requires perseverance, especially when the going gets tough. It's a decision that requires us to constantly check our hearts and align our desires with God's desires.
The third aspect of choosing Christ daily is understanding that it involves a personal relationship with Jesus. It's not about following a set of rules or adhering to a religious ritual. It's about knowing Jesus, loving Him, and wanting to be more like Him. It's about inviting Jesus into our lives and allowing Him to transform us from the inside out. It's about walking with Jesus, talking with Him, and learning from Him. Whenever possible, keep this song in mind:
[show video of Muppet Gospel choir singing “Walk and Talk With Jesus].
The fourth aspect of choosing Christ daily is recognizing that it has eternal consequences. The choices we make today affect not only our lives here on earth, but also our eternal destiny. When we choose Christ, we choose life - abundant life here on earth and eternal life in heaven. When we choose Christ, we choose to be part of God's family, to be heirs of His kingdom, and to be co-workers in His mission.
Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:7-10
In the parable of the sower, the seed that falls on good soil, like I said earlier, represents those who hear the Word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. This is what happens when we choose Christ daily. Our hearts become fertile ground for God's Word. His Word takes root in us, grows in us, and produces fruit through us - fruit that lasts. This is the abundant life that Jesus promises to those who choose Him. This is the life we are called to live as followers of Christ.
Cultivating a Responsive Heart
In the parable, we see the farmer scattering seeds on different types of soil. The seed that falls on the path, the rock, and among the thorns fails to thrive. But why? It's not because there's something wrong with the seed. The seed is the same in each case. The difference lies in the condition of the soil. This is a picture of our hearts. The condition of our heart determines how we receive the Word of God, and whether it grows into something beautiful and useful, or into weeds, which are sometimes beautiful as well, but are useless and destructive.
The first condition we see is the path. The seed that falls on the path is trampled on and eaten by birds. This represents a heart that is hardened, unresponsive to the Word. The Word doesn't penetrate, it doesn't take root. It's like water off a duck's back. It doesn't make a difference. It is kicked aside like litter. Whether you know this are not, but this is a choice we make.
Then there's the seed that falls on the rocks. This represents a heart that receives the Word with joy, but the joy is short-lived. When trials come, when the heat is turned up, the plant withers because it has no root. This is a picture of a shallow, superficial faith. It's all surface and no depth. It's a faith that's built on emotion, not on the solid rock of God's Word.
The third condition is the seed that falls among the thorns. This represents a heart that is choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of life. The Word is received, but it's not given priority. It's crowded out with other things. It's like trying to plant a garden in a weed-infested field. The good plants can't grow because they're choked by the weeds. That is what the world, and sadly some of our friends and family are trying to do.
In each of these cases, the problem is not with the seed. The problem is with the soil. The condition of the soil determines the fruitfulness of the seed.
Last summer a surgeon operated on my foot. While rehabilitating from that, I often did exercises that hurt because I knew that working through the soreness would allow my foot to regain its usefulness. On the other hand, the surgeon warned against bicycling, mountain climbing, running, and other activities that might endanger the healing process. Basically, anything that sounded fun, he vetoed.
On one visit I tried to talk him into letting me play golf. “Some friends get together once a year. It’s important to me. I’ve been practicing my swing, and if I use only my upper body and keep my legs and hips very still, could I join them?”
Without a flicker of hesitation, my doctor replied, “It would make me very unhappy if you played golf within the next two months.”
“I thought you were a golfer,” I said, appealing to his sympathies.
“I am. That’s how I know you can’t swing without rolling that foot inward and putting weight on the parts that are trying to heal.”
My doctor has nothing against my playing golf; as a fellow golfer, he sympathizes with me. But he has my best interests at heart. It will indeed make him unhappy if I do something that might damage my long-term recovery. He wants me to play golf next year, and the next, and the rest of my life, and for that reason he could not sanction a match too soon after my surgery.
As we talked, I began to appreciate my doctor’s odd choice of words. If he had issued an edict — “No golf!” — I might have stubbornly rebelled. He left me the free choice and expressed the consequences in a most personal way: Disobedience would grieve him, for his job was to restore my health.
What a doctor does for me physically — guide me toward health — God does for me spiritually. I am learning to view sins not as an arbitrary list of rules drawn up by a cranky Judge, but rather as a list of dangers that must be avoided at all costs — for our own sakes.
I used this illustration to show us that the decision is ours, we can continue to live among the weeds, or we can follow the Word of God and live outside that and thrive in an abundant life.
The Greek word for "soil" in in our opening passage is a common word in the New Testament, used over 250 times. It can refer to the earth, a region or country, or, as in this case, a plot of ground.
In Matthew 13:5, the same word is used to describe the rocky places where some seed fell. In Mark 4:5, it's used to describe the shallow soil where other seeds fell. In each case, the condition of the "soil" determines the outcome of the seed. The same is true in our lives. The condition of our "soil", our heart, determines how we receive the Word of God, and in turn the outcome of our lives.
But how do we cultivate a responsive heart? How do we prepare our heart to receive the seed of God's Word?
First, we need to break up the hardened soil. This means dealing with sin in our lives. Sin hardens our hearts. It makes us resistant to the Word of God. We need to confess our sins and turn away from them. We need to ask God to soften our hearts, to make us receptive to His Word.
Then, we need to remove the rocks. This means dealing with the obstacles that hinder our growth. These could be doubts, fears, wrong beliefs, friends, associates, or family. I know that when I mention breaking away from friends and family may trouble your heart. But in these cases, we don’t need to excommunicate our family from our lives, but we should strive to not do as they do. Sure, we can still attend family functions, hangout with your siblings, but be mindful of where the line is that you should not cross. They could be unhealthy relationships or harmful habits. Whatever they are, we need to identify them and remove them. We need to ask God to help us overcome these obstacles, to deepen our faith.
Next, we need to pull out the thorns. This means dealing with the distractions that choke the Word. These could be worries, riches, or pleasures. They could be busyness, stress, or entertainment. Whatever they are, we need to prioritize God's Word. We need to make time for it, to give it our full attention. We need to ask God to help us focus on His Word, to let it take root in our lives.
In doing these things, we cultivate a responsive heart. We prepare our soil to receive the seed of God's Word. And when we do, we bear fruit. We grow in our faith. We become more like Christ.
Cultivating a responsive heart is not a one-time event. It's a daily process. It's a lifelong journey. It's a choice we make every day. And it's a choice that makes all the difference.
Consequences of Ignoring the Word
As we continue to reflect on the teachings of Luke 8, we turn our attention to the consequences of ignoring the Word. Ignoring the Word, dear friends, is akin to turning a deaf ear to the sweetest melody, to closing our eyes to the most breathtaking sunset. It's like refusing a lifeline when we're drowning. The Word of God is our lifeline, our melody, our sunset. It's our guide, our comfort, our strength. But when we choose to ignore it, we face consequences that can be severe.
Let's consider the first consequence: spiritual stagnation. When we ignore the Word, we halt our spiritual growth. The Word of God is like water to a seed. Without it, the seed can't grow. It remains dormant, never reaching its full potential. We are like that seed. Without the nourishment of the Word, we remain spiritually dormant. We don't grow in our understanding of God, in our love for Him, or in our ability to serve Him effectively. We become like the seed that fell on the rocky soil in Jesus' parable, unable to take root and grow.
The second consequence is a weakened defense against temptation. The Word of God is our spiritual armor, our shield against the fiery darts of the enemy. When we ignore the Word, we lay down our shield. We become vulnerable to temptation and sin. As the respected Christian writer C.S. Lewis once said, "A man who is eating or lying with his wife or preparing to go to sleep in humility, thankfulness and temperance, is, by Christian standards, in an infinitely higher state than one who is listening to Bach or reading Plato in a state of pride." Without the Word to guide us and keep us humble, we can easily fall into a state of pride and give in to temptation.
Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18
The third consequence of ignoring the Word is a lack of peace. The Word of God is our source of peace in a chaotic world. It reassures us of His love, His presence, and His promises. When we ignore the Word, we cut ourselves off from this source of peace. We become like a ship without a compass, tossed about by the storms of life. We may try to find peace in other things – in possessions, in relationships, in achievements – but these are temporary and unreliable sources of peace. Only the Word of God can give us true, lasting peace.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7
The fourth and final consequence is a diminished capacity to bear fruit for God's kingdom. The Word of God equips us to serve God and others. It teaches us how to love, how to forgive, how to show kindness, how to be patient. When we ignore the Word, we hinder our ability to bear the fruit of the Spirit. We become like a tree that is not nourished, unable to produce good fruit.
Church let's not ignore the Word. Let's cherish it, meditate on it, and apply it to our lives. Let's allow it to nourish us, to guide us, to protect us, and to equip us. Let's be like the seed that fell on good soil, growing and producing a crop a hundred times more than was sown. Let's be responsive to Jesus' Word, for in it we find life, and life in abundance.
As we wrap up our time together today, let's remember that the Word of God is not just a book to be read, but a life to be lived. It's not just about knowledge, but about transformation. It's not just about understanding, but about relationships: that of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and your fellow man (remember that love thy neighbor thing). And in these relationships, we find the true joy and purpose that our hearts long for.
Let's not forget that the farmer didn't just scatter seed on the good soil. He scattered it everywhere. And that's our call, too. We're called to scatter the seed of God's Word wherever we go, to whoever we meet. We're called to be farmers in God's kingdom, sowing seeds of love, grace, and truth.
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."
Matthew 5:13
So, as we leave here today, let's go out with a renewed sense of purpose. Let's go out with a heart full of love for God and for our neighbors. Let's go out with a commitment to live out the Word of God in our daily lives. And let's go out with the confidence that comes from knowing that we are dearly loved children of God, chosen and cherished, called and equipped for His purposes.
Let's pray together.
"Dear Lord, thank You for Your Word that guides us, nourishes us, and transforms us. Thank You for the privilege of being Your children, chosen and loved by You. As we leave here today, help us to live out Your Word in our daily lives. Help us to be farmers in Your kingdom, sowing seeds of love, grace, and truth. And help us to remember that we are never alone, for You are with us always. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen."
And now, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all, now and forevermore. Amen.
