Modern day farming methods.
You can tell that we're getting close to farming season because all the farming commercials are beginning to hit the airwaves. Just looking out the windows of our building, you can see that we live in prime farm country. Our soil is the envy of much of the world. Visitors from outside the country are amazed at our huge fields of corn and soybeans.
Farming in central Illinois is a completely different venture than farmingwas two thousandyears ago in Galilee. Today’s farmer drives around in air-conditioned tractor cabs with more horsepower than whole villages had in the past. Farmers are able to choose the latest scientifically designed herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers. Some farmers use computers, satellites, and global positioning devices to be sure that every square foot of land has the very best growing conditions. If any area of a field is not producing well, plans are made to correct the problem the next year. With all of our advanced farming practices, the modern farmer is able to plant one wheat seed and get a yield ofthirty-fiveseeds.
Farming in Jesus' day.
In Jesus’ day, things weren’t quite so complicated. Farmers used simple tools and methods. Each spring, Mediterranean grain farmers simply scattered the relatively inexpensive seed across their fields. This method of planting was used in hilly regions like Galilee, where there were many rocks. With the freezing and thawing cycle, the underground rocks regularly rose toward the surface of the field. The farmers could not be sure from year to year just where the rocks and the fertile soil were located. Finding and removing all of those rocks would have been an overwhelming task. So, as the farmers scattered their seed, some would be lost to the forces of nature. Birds, weeds, hard ground, and lack of rainfall caused the seed to be lost. But there was always enough good soil to ensure a harvest. The typical yield wasseven seeds per every seed planted.
The parable of the sower.
It is with this understanding about farming in Jesus’ day that we come to Jesus’ parable of the sower. Jesus was a storyteller. He used stories as a teaching tool in order to plant his word in the hearts of people. Turn in your Bibles to Luke 8:5-8 and we will read the story of the sower,which could also be called the parable of the four soils.
Luke 8:5-8 (NIV) says, "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown. When he said this he called out, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.' "
How you hear Jesus' word determines its yield in your life.
On your outline under 'Setting the Context', we have a statement that summarizes Jesus’s teaching in this parable. Jesus warns that how you hear his word determines its yield in your life. In other words, your receptivity to his word is crucial.
You are probably familiar with the telephone commercial were the guy is walking around and every few seconds he stops and says, "Can you hear me now?" In the commercial, the guy is walking around testing receptivity of a phone system. It seems that Jesus could have asked the same question of his followers. "Can you hear me now?"
In other cell phone ads people are shown talking on their phones with those receptivity bars floating above their heads, showing how stronga signal they are receiving. Wouldn’t it be interesting if each Sunday morning at Lakeside we could look out and see above each head to determine how well God’s message was being received?
Well, in this short passage of scripture Jesus uses the word hearing eight times. Toward the end of the passage we hear Jesus say, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." In other words, consider carefully how you listen. The parable of the four soils is clearly about hearing. Which brings us to our main point.
God's word activates our faith.
When correctly heard, God’s word activates our faith, transforms us in character, and launches us in service. We can turn this statement around. If your faith is not being activated on behalf of Christ, if your character is not being transformed into Christ-likeness, if you have not been launched in service for Christ, then you must not be hearing correctly. We must ask ourselves whether we have a hearing problem. According to today’s passage, hearing problems can be fatal. So what is good listening?
Jesus gives us the answer in this farming parable. When the farmer scatters his seed, it falls on four types of soil. Jesus’ description of each of the four soils and their fruitfulness is our key to understanding what good listening involves. This is also one of the only parables to includean explanation. After telling the story, Jesus took some time to explain its meaning to his disciples.
Good listeningbegins with hearing.
Jesus describes the first soil in this way. Luke 8:5 (NIV) says, "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.Luke 8:11-12 (NIV) continues, "The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved."
Every time a person is exposed to God’s word, he or she has a responsibility to hear it. That hearing is a dividing line. It is a judgment. Either the word is heard and brings us closer to God, or it is not heard and closes us off from God. Either we hear and are saved, or we hear without understanding and are lost. We can think of this part of the parable as being a warning to those who think that they have heard.
Jesus’ warning is that hearing is not passive. God’s word must be actively heard. We have a responsibility to love the word of God and to love the one who spoke those words. When we gather on Sundays to hear the preaching of the word, the preacher has a responsibility to broadcast it as clearly and accurately as possible.
Our responsibility as listeners is to hear it with active ears and spiritual ears and to welcome it into our hearts. Otherwise Satan will come along like a bird, and rob us of it.
Good listening includes retaining.
Jesus tells us about a second soil.Luke 8:6 (NIV) says, "Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture." Luke 8:13 (NIV) continues, "Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away."
This soil is good, but not deep. Directly under it lies a ledge of rock. Seeds sown here sprout up quickly, but wilt in the heat of the sun. The seedlings lack the deep roots they need for moisture. But for a few days, you cannot tell which seed has been planted over the rocky ledge.
This corresponds with people who think that they have heard the word and possess it in their hearts. The problem is that they have not allowed the word of God to put down roots to help them make it through hard times. As long as things go smoothly in their lives, they may be enthusiastic and undistinguishable from other Christians. But when things go wrong, what they think they have is taken away. They do not retain what they have heard.
Good listening is proven by perservering.
Jesus moves on to the third type of soil. Luke 8:7 (NIV) says, "Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants." Luke 8:14 (NIV) continues, "The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature."
In this thorny soil the planted seed is choked by competing weeds. Once the farmer hadspread the seed, there was no practical way to remove the weeds from the field. The crop and the weeds just had to compete with each other.
This soil stands for people who think that they have heard and retained the word of God, but when the distractions of this world come, they do not persevere. What they think they have heard is taken away and they fail to bear fruit. In this case, distractions impede good listening. The distractions can be anything in this world that causes us to take our eyes off of the things of God. Instead of focusing on what God has in store for us, we tend to choose things that will soon pass away. We pass up the treasure for straw.
These first three soils correspond with those of us who think we are hearing. That should give us pause. The true hearing test comes as we live our lives. We know the harvest is coming. What the seed of God’s word yields in the soil of our hearts will be revealed in our fruitfulness.
Good listening results in sharing.
Jesus now explains the good soil. Luke 8:8 (NIV) says, "Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." Luke 8:15 (NIV) continues, " But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."
This last soil exceeds the sower’s expectations. In the good soil the seed grows to maturity and bears an outstanding crop. Jesus calls this the good soil. This soil provides the seed with all it needs to do its job. You could call it receptive soil.
This soil describes a person who hears God’s word, retains it in his heart, perseveres through the trials of life, and becomes fruitful by sharing the results. In the end, this person brings glory to God by expanding his kingdom and magnifying the king.
The parable of the light on a stand.
Now we come to the second parable, that of the light on a stand. Luke 8:16-18 (NIV) says, "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."
Here, Jesus continues his theme of hearing, but changes the metaphor as he speaks of the result. The good soil that received the seed and multiplied it is compared to a light. When we respond to the word of God, a succession of things begin to happen. We back up our faith with consistent action. We work with the Holy Spirit in the transforming of our character. We launch our lives forward in service for God. Through that succession of changes, we become a light to people living in darkness.
People who don’t know Christ are able to see that something unusual and attractive is taking place in the life of a disciple. Jesus says that that difference should be obvious to everyone around us. The Christian who is good at listening to God, in turn brings others to God. The word of God in him is multiplied into the lives of others.
To sum up, if we hear correctly, we will live correctly and the world will be drawn to God. We can envision Jesus saying, "They can hear me now."He might look out and see those power bars maximized over our heads.
Everyone in this room needs to hear God’s word correctly. There are many ways we hear God’s word. We read it in our personal devotion times, we hear it on the radio, and we discuss it in small groups and in Lifestage Fellowships. But the actions steps that I’d like to share with you this morning are focused on our hearing of God’s word during Sunday morning services.
In your worship folder on the back page of the outline you will find a list with the title,"How to improve your hearing." These are ideas that we can put into practice as early as today, as we prepare to hear God’s word preached.
Pray for a receptive and teachable heart.
Ask God for it. This isn’t a matter of willpower. It comes from God. In Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV), God promises the Israelites, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you yourheart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." So ask God to give you a soft and receptive heart.
Ask for a heart that is like rich soil, ready to receive the seed of God’s word. Next Saturday night and Sunday morning build some time in your schedule to prepare for the sermon. Pray for a receptive heart.
Read and study God’s word.
Psalm 19:10-12 (NIV) says this about God’s words. "They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward."
We need to stir up our hunger for God’s word. We can do this by carefully reading the Bible text for the sermon before the services. We need to make sure our spiritual appetites are awakened, so that we are ready to eat when the sermon starts. If we haven’t reconnected with God’s word, it can be difficult to jump from our hectic weekday life into a spiritual meal.
Proverbs 2:1-5(NIV) says, "If you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."
We need God’s word in our lives. By hearing it, we are saved. By telling others about it, they are saved. It is important that we read and study it with open ears. Each week we publish the scriptures for the upcoming sermon in the worship folder and in the newsletter. Next week, read the scripture text ahead of time so you can hear carefully.
Remove this world’s noise from your mind.
James 1:21 (NIV) says, "Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you." All thetelevision shows, movies, games, and music that we listen to are often at odds with our Savior’s kingdom. With that kind of diet, it should come as no surprise that our spiritual lives are weak and that our worship is impaired. Teens, you may need to rethink your Saturday night plans and see if they are helping or hindering your hearing.
This week try an entertainment fast and replace that time by thinking on things that please God. In Philippians 4:8-9 (NIV) we read, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." See what a pure mind will do for your hearing as you come to Sunday morning services.
Put what you have heard into practice.
Everyone here has heard some of God’s word. The question is whether or not you are allowing it to put roots down deep into your heart. Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV) says, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
We don’t want to be like the people we read about in Hebrews 4:2 (NIV)."For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith."
NextSaturday as you prepare for the sermon, consider if you are practicing what you have already heard. Then when you come on Sunday, be ready to be challenged by God’s word. Put into practice what you hear. True hearing results in changed living.
Come prepared.
Psalm 63:1 (NIV) says, "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." If we would earnestly seek God and thirst after him, then we need to come to worship prepared to meet him. What are some things we can do to be prepared to earnestly seek him?
We can come well rested. A good night’s sleep can help us arrive with sharp minds, ready for our responsibility of hearing God’s word. We can bring our Bibles and be ready to use them to confirm what we hear preached. A humble, teachable attitude will open our hearts to the teaching we will receive.
We can come on time. Most of us make a point of showing up for work on time. Surely we don’t want to show up late to worship the King of the universe. We can share a reverence for God. We show that reverence by helping others focus on God. Come in early and pray, meditate, and prepare for your responsibility of being a hearer of the word. This is serious business.
Desire God.
Psalm 73:25 (NIV) says, "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you." Our Sunday worship services are designed to focus our thoughts on God, the one we desire. For example, this week our topic is hearing God’s word. The songs, the scriptures, and the power point are all designed to reinforce the topic. To help us focus on God, our desire, we encourage you to read along when scripture is read. Fill in the sermon outline as the sermon is preached. Help others focus on God by keeping distractions down. Unnecessary trips out of the worship service make it difficult for others to concentrate.
Be devoted to the teaching.
One of the first things we read about the early Christians is that they spent time together in the word. In Acts 2:42-44 (NIV) we read that, "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common."
We want to make it easy for you to be devoted to the teaching. In your worship folder you have a fill-in-the-blank outline to help you recall what was said in the sermon. Each Monday, we put the sermon in text and audio form on the website for you. In the worship folder we include homework pages that help our sermon-based Life Group members discuss the sermon topic later in the week. These Life Groups are open, so you can join them at any time by checking the box on the connection flap in your worship folder.
Even if you are not in one of these Life Groups, these pages can serve as discussion starters for your family or friends. Or you may use them to spur on your own personal study. Think of these as tools to help you improve your hearing.
An example of good soil.
We have come to the end of this sermon. Have you heard the word of God? The responsibility to be good listeners and have receptive hearts is yours. I urge you to pay attention to Jesus’ warning to hear carefully.
There is a story about five farmers who went out to scatter some seed in a field. In this case, the field was the Auca people in South America. In 1956 five missionaries flew an airplane into a jungle area and made an effort to give God’s word to some of the most feared people in the world. The Aucas were a primitive tribe that lived back in the Amazon rainforest and were known for spearing outsiders. Within their own tribe, there was asixty percentmurder rate.
National news agencies covered the story as the five missionaries came up missing. Later, the story, along with photos of the speared men, appeared in "Life Magazine". The question that everybody was asking was, "Why did these men try to do such a dangerous thing? Why didn’t they protect themselves when attacked?" The Auca tribesmen were asking the same question. Why did these men come with gifts? Why did they allow themselves to be speared to death when they could have used their guns?
Before departing home base, one of the missionaries had told his young son why they would only use their guns to fire off warning shots if things went wrong. He explained that since he and the other missionaries already knew Jesus, they were ready to die. But the Aucas must not die without knowing Jesus. It might seem that these five farmers wasted their seed in that field. But the story continues.
Later, two of the slain missionaries’ wives were able to go in and live among the tribe. The tribal language was learned, a Bible was translated into the tribal language, and eventually, some of the tribesmen responded to the gospel message. Today, abouttwenty-five percentof the Auca tribe call themselves followers of Christ. Some of those who had used their spears to kill the five missionaries not only became Christians, but they became elders in the tribal church.
More recently, some of the grandchildren of the five missionaries have returned to the site of the murders to be baptized by the spearmen who had killed their grandparents. It is truly a story of forgiveness and redemption. The story also serves as a case study for the four soils in Jesus’ parable.
Some of the Auca people were not open to the word of God and never listened to it, though it was offered at a high price. Others heard the word of God and were eager to be baptized, but soon after, their faith withered and they returned to their old ways and habits. Some heard the word of God, were baptized, and made a commitment to live as followers of Christ, but later allowed the distractions that encroaching civilization brought to their land to separate them from God.
However, some of the Aucas were receptive to the word of God. They retained what they heard in their hearts. They persevered through the trials of life. They continue to tell their neighbors about, "God’s carvings and a new trail that he has left, marked for us on paper." As we close today, remember Jesus’ warning. How you hear God’s word determines what it will yield in your life. My hope it that Jesus could look at us gathered together in this service at Lakeside and say, "They can hear me now!"
(Credit goes to John Piper for some of the outline of this sermon.)