Four attitudes of receiving the Word
Mat 13:1-9 and 18-23
I Introduction
This parable of the sower always reminds me of the garden in my dad’s backyard. Remember how I’ve spent hours there preparing the ground. Sowing the seeds, chasing the dog, the cat, the birds – you name it—and then in the end how my mother would come pick the vegies and give it to the neighbours. I couldn’t understand it then but years later it become more clear to me that the joy of giving outweighs the joy of receiving.
Jesus uses this as a parable of the sower.
Let’s study this parable and trust the Lord to help us to be honest with ourselves when the Word speaks to our hearts.
We’re going to learn about the sower, the seed and four different attitudes.
II Body
1. Matthew 13:3 Behold, a sower went out to sow;
A sower is any one send by God to preach the Word.
2. Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
Seed Word
3. Our hearts being portrait as different areas where seed fell
I call it attitudes
It’s clear to me that all these places received the same seed from the same sower. (V3)
·So there is no problem with the sower or the seed – it’s the same for everyone!
·Just as I’m preaching the Word here.
·Everyone in this place will hear the same message and the same scriptures.
If there is no problem with the sower or the seed where is the problem then?
Let’s look at the attitudes:
1. Wayside attitude
2. Stony attitude
3. Thorny attitude
4. Good attitude
1. Wayside Attitude:
Matthew 13:4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
Identification of Waysiders:
These kinds of people never grow in their Christian life.
Notice: There is no mention of growth here.
They are drifters, jump from one church to another.
Always looking for new sowers.
You can’t satisfy these people.
They’ve got their own plans.
General remarks from Waysiders:
“I know the Word”
“I’ve tried praying it takes to long”
“The Bible is to difficult”
“I don’t like your kid of worship”
Biblical view of waysiders:
Matthew 13:19 When any one hears the word of the kingdom, and understand it not, then comes the wicked one, and catch away that which was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the way side.
A Waysider’s biggest excuse: “I can’t understand it!”
You can only understand it if you spent time with it.
I understand my wife better than 17 years ago (I hope so!) because I’ve spent time with her.
It’s your duty to understand the Word.
Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
II The Stony Attitude:
Matthew 13:5-6 Some fell upon stony places, where they did not have much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
[6] And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
Notice: where they did not have much earth
There were some earth but not much!
Reason for this is that there are too many stones that occupy the land.
They did not take all the stones out like:
Isaiah 5:2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it
should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
It hurts to take stones out and they leave these big holes in the ground.
I’m talking of stones of unforgivness, anger, and jealousy.
Hearts so full of other stuff that there is no place for the Word of God.
General remarks from Stone hearts
“I forgave them but I can’t forget”
“The Bible said the I may become angry”
Biblical view of Stone hearts:
Matthew 13:20-21 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word, and anon with joy received it; [21] Yet hath he not root in himself, but duress for a while: for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by he is offended.
God don’t want Stone hearts:
Ezekiel 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give
them an heart of flesh:
III The Thorns Attitude:
Matthew 13:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
Identification of Stone Hearts:
There is no difference between them and the world.
Do same things as the world.
Compromise.
Never looses love for pleasures of the world.
General remarks from Thorn hearts:
“Holiness is an option”
There is too much tho miss in the world”
Biblical view of Thorn hearts:
Matthew 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
Eventually the Word will choke.
IV The Good heart attitude:
Matthew 13:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold.
Identification Good ground
They bear fruit.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Hear Word spent time in it and understand it!
General remarks from Good hearts
“I can do all things through Christ”
The Word is a mighty tower for me.
Biblical view:
Matthew 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that hears the word, and understands it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
This is some one who hears, understand and do what the Word teaches
