Four Responses to the Word of God

Practical Living According to the Words of God

Mark 4:1-20

 

Pastor Craig Ledbetter

15 August, 2010   PM

Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland

www.biblebc.com

 

I.       Introduction

 

A.     Our series of studies for the month of August – God’s Open Revelation

 

1.      It is the Book you hold in your hands. I hope to give you a new and fresh appreciation for an eternal Revelation, from God about God

2.      It is the foundation of what we believe, and it is the basis for everything we do – if it is not in the Bible, then we don’t do it!

 

a.       If the foundation is tampered with, then we are lost (Psalm 11:3)

b.      But if the foundation is rock solid, then we can build, and strive, and risk everything, all because this Book, THAT Book you hold in your hands is absolutely, and completely true from start to finish (Ps 119:16)

 

3.      It is the only Book that actually changes lives, and saves souls from a devil’s hell!

 

B.     But it all depends on our response to what we hear.

C.     Let’s learn the parable of the Sower

 

II.    Background - The Parable of the Sower, Seed, and Soil (Mark 4:1-13)

 

A.     There are several gardens in Scripture - Two of which stand out:

 

1.      The garden of Eden (Gen 2,3)

2.      The garden of Gethsemane (John 18)

 

B.     There is a THIRD garden in Scripture… The human heart is here compared to that of a garden. Because the heart is just like the soils found in a garden.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      

1.      EXAMPLE of my back garden - immense amount of effort and time to get things to grow in it

2.      Do you know what the main problem is with gardens that don’t produce grass and flowers and apples and vegetables? The SOIL!

 

C.     The Lord Jesus brings this truth home to us this morning about our hearts, in the form of a parable (a comparative lesson where this is like that). The parable about how we react to the word of God

 

1.      The Sower - that is the Farmer. The Sower sows. Natural enough to do

2.      The Seed - What does he sow? Seeds. That too is natural.

3.      The Soils - Notice. There are four types of “soil” that the seed lands on:

 

a.       Wayside Soil  (4:4) – hard, footpath soil - the seed is easily taken away

b.      Stony Soil (4:5,6) the seed cannot take root and therefore dies under hostile conditions

c.       Thorny Soil (4:7) the seed is choked out by thorns

d.      Good Soil (4:8) the seed produced fruit like it was intended.

 

4.      Every farmer works hard to have GOOD soil – so that he can plant, and expect a good crop.

5.      The challenge to all who were listening - to hear and understand what Jesus is talking about (4:9). What is it? The Lord is going to tell us!

 

D.     The Lord begins to explain: the seed is the WORD (4:14; 1 Pet 1:23)! What a powerful statement

 

1.      These are the words of GOD, not of men (John 3:34)

2.      Jesus said, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but not the word of God (Mark 13:31)

3.      People loved to hear the word of God – not just stories (Mark 2:1,2)

4.      A person finds LIFE when he lives by God’s word (Matthew 4:4)

5.      The word of God saves and cleanses and makes whole (John 6:63,68; 15:3)

6.      So, God is, all the time, attempting to plant His word into our hearts

 

a.       His seed is PERFECT (John 17:17)

b.      But the soil? Well, that is the problem (Jeremiah 17:9)!

 

7.      How are YOU responding to the Book you hold in your hands?

 

III. Message - Four Responses to the Seed/Word of God (Mark 4:15-20)

 

A.     Wayside Heart (4:15) is like Unplowed Soil - unprepared to receive the seed – Hard heart - Rebellious heart

 

1.      It HEARS the word of God

 

a.       Most people have heard about the God of the Bible - God makes sure of that

b.      People are always asking about people who have never heard – the problem in in the hearts of those who HAVE heard!!!

 

2.      This heart is not ready (hungry) for God’s word - it has no place for it (John 8:37)

3.      Uninterested

 

a.       More interested in the X-Factor, and in the economy, and in Facebook

b.      More interested in fun, and friends, and holidays and sports

c.       It just couldn’t be bothered with the Bible

 

4.      It only misunderstands the word - confusion - doesn’t fit with how they think things should be!

 

a.       To this kind of a heart, God is wrong, God should be doing things differently

b.      This kind of heart always is mad at God, and blaming God

 

5.      So, Satan ends up coming along and snatches away the life-giving word of God so that it cannot have any effect on you!

 

a.       EX of hearing the Bible preached, and having a tug on your heart that it is right, and that you need to follow it - but you just shrug it off, and before long, the feeling is gone, and your are back to “normal” - so many people I meet are like this!

b.      If you ever feel like every time you try and get into the Bible, and the words just get trampled upon by life, and you come out empty, it probably is because your heart is rebellious to what it is hearing! It does not want to surrender to Christ!

 

6.      That’s not YOU is it? If you are not born again yet, it is because your heart is HARD towards this Book! Today you need to check your heart!

 

B.     The Stony Heart (4:16,17) is like hard, shallow soil - not committed to producing any fruit - Reluctant heart (Matt 8:19,20)

 

1.      This heart hears the word of God - gets the seed!

2.      It actually rejoices at it - they like to hear the word!

3.      But it is not committed to it - How do you know? Because when affliction (troubles) and persecution comes, the heart is offended, and gives up!

4.      Many people call themselves “Christians” and are just like this soil - VERY SHALLOW! No depth of relationship with God or His word! The problem is not in the seed, it is in the soil!

 

a.       The word of God never was allowed to take root in their lives, so it was easily discarded!

b.      These people come close to Christ, but pull away when the going gets tough because Jesus and His word doesn’t matter to them! Only comfort and pleasure matter to them - not reality and eternity

c.       The stony heart only sees Biblical Christianity as fanatics, and will only come hear the word preached every once in a while, or maybe only on Sunday mornings even!

d.      But if they have the sniffles, or a cough, or stayed up too late Saturday night, or some friend made fun of them, they just crumble, and you don’t see them on Sunday!!!

 

5.      To the stony heart, troubles offend them and upset them, and defeat them!

6.      I hope that is not YOU?

 

C.     The Thorny Heart (4:18,19) is like mixed soil - holding onto the cares of this world, and its riches, and a lust for things - Reckless heart

 

1.      This heart also hears the word of God – listens to what God says about things

2.      Yet, the word is just brought into a life that is full of other cares and concerns. The Bible to them is “just more stuff” (EX of just throwing stuff into your closet)

3.      The problem is that the person at the end of the day can’t choose what is most important in life

 

a.       They are trying to hold onto as many ‘gods’ as possible –

b.      They are trying to serve as many masters as possible (Matt 6:24)

 

4.      This is a very dangerous and reckless way to live (EX of juggling hand grenades, with more all along being added)

 

a.       Look at how busy you are!

b.      Look at how many cares and burdens you carry

c.       Have you ever felt like you were being choked by everything that was going on around you?

d.      That is because you have just allowed everything to be dumped on you, and you have never prioritised what is important – EX of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)

 

5.      If this Book is not your priority, then everything else will take its place!

 

D.     The Good Heart (4:20) is compared to soft, moist soil - Ready heart

 

1.      This is the kind of heart that the Lord wants us to have

2.      One that hears the word - like you are doing this morning!

3.      One that receives it - like receiving an honoured guest into your home

4.      One that from then on is committed to obeying every word - letting it produce real spiritual fruit in their lives

 

a.       It is a heart that is willingly plowed - stones, thorns, weeds are gladly discarded to allow the word room to work and grow!

b.      It is a heart that is spiritually empty - waiting to be filled with the good seed

c.       It is a heart that is determined to BE what the Sower wants - a new life in Christ! Saved, and Serving Jesus!

 

5.      A church group may be made up of all kinds of people with all kinds of hearts

6.      But the family of God is made up of people who love to HEAR the word of God and love to obey it (Luke 8:19-21).

7.      Don’t claim to be a Christian if you do not love this Book and live by it!

 

IV.  Conclusion - Four Responses to Word of God and How to Change

 

A.     Rebellious Heart - Wayside Heart (4:15) is like Unplowed Soil - unprepared to receive the seed - leads to misunderstandings, and emptiness!

 

1.      The way to overcome a HARD Heart is by repenting of your hard heart! By just allowing the word of God to first break your heart, and humble you.

2.      Everyone is looking for a good feeling from the Bible, when God is looking to first make a good heart!

                                                                                        

B.     Reluctant Heart - The Stony Heart (4:16,17) is like hard, shallow soil - not committed to producing any fruit. These people only come close to Christ, but pull away when the going gets tough because Jesus Christ and His word doesn’t matter to them

 

1.      The way to overcome a STONY Heart is by allowing the word of God to take root in your life

2.      Commitment to the Bible with time in it, and committed to obeying it

3.      Endure

4.      Become a fanatic!

5.      That’s how stones are removed and you are left with a soft heart!

 

C.     Reckless Heart - The Thorny Heart (4:18,19) is like mixed soil - holding onto the cares of this world, and its riches, and a lust for things all the while trying to follow Christ. This person can’t choose what is most important in life, and is ultimately choked!

 

1.      The way to overcome a stony heart is by allowing God to strip away things you love

2.      It is called weeding, or pruning

3.      It is very unpleasant

4.      But you will be left with a soft heart that easily receives God’s word, and produces spiritual fruit

 

D.     Ready Heart - The Good Heart (4:20) is compared to soft, moist soil

 

1.      This is the one the Lord Jesus wants us to have

2.      One that hears the word - like you have heard it today!

3.      One that receives it - trusts it to be true and effective

4.      One that from then on is committed to it - letting it produce real spiritual fruit in their lives - protecting it, and nurturing it!

5.      One that produces fruit – that honours God, and lives as Jesus Christ did, affecting the world around Him for eternity’s sake!

V.     HOW IS YOUR HEART?

 

A.     Is it willingly plowed? Its stones, thorns, weeds are gladly discarded. The Holy Spirit doing work in your heart like a plow

B.     Is it waiting to be filled with the good seed of God’s word?

C.     Is it determined to BE what the Lord wants/what He died on the cross for? A new life in Christ! Saved, and Serving Him!