Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- Looking at a very well known parable
- Luke 8, Mark and Matthew 13
- It has been misunderstood through the ages
- Some people think that you can lose your salvation
- We ought never to interpret the parable in this way
- If God has begun a true work, He will complete it
- Called the Parable of the Sower
- More recently - the Parable of the Soils
- The title says something of the picture in your mind
- The emphasis of the parable is the soil
- How do people respond to the message?
- 4 different soils - 4 different hearts
- Explanation
- How someone received the word
- Jesus was teaching this parable in context
- The Pharisees had very hard hearts
- John 2 - people loved the signs but Jesus knew what was in their hearts
- Teaching the multitudes
- Note that He does not explain the parables to the people (only the disciples)
- Jesus teaches in parables to reveal and conceal truth
- v16-17 - people will see things that have never been revealed
- The seed is the word of the kingdom - something invisible
- To conceal it before hard hearted and stubborn people - not casting pearls before swine
- v11, 13-15
- Part of the reason was to confirm people in their own belief
- Overview:
- The Seed
- The Sower
- The Soil
The Seed
- Luke - The seed is the word of God
- Matthew - the word of the kingdom
- The central message of Jesus was to trust in Him and repent of your sin
- The same message the Apostles gave
- The same message John the Baptist had been preaching
- Within seeds is latent power (though it seems dead)
- Examples from the Old Testament: Isaiah 55, Ecclesiastes 11
- New Testament - The seed is the incorruptible word (Peter)
- It may take time for fruition - so it is with the work of the Holy Spirit
- It is the word of the kingdom
- It comes with royal authority
- We are to call people out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of Light
- When the church is active - so is the devil
- There is power in the word
- This should give us confidence
- There is a difference between our testimony and the word of God
The Sower
- Matt 13:37 - is the Son of Man
- Jesus Christ is the Prince of preachers
- He performed miracles but His main ministry was to reveal the word of God and to go to the cross
- Mark 1:38 - He does not stay with the people but moves on to other towns to "preach"
- He uses us to share the word of God
- He uses His Church to spread the word
- Am I spreading the word as I ought to?
- The Sower - people of the church
- The effectiveness of the seed does not depend upon the sower (you and me), but the soil (the receipient)
- It does not reflect upon you but upon them
- If we pray over the word God is able to use it
- We must search our hearts not to become a stumbling block or create prejudice
- Luke 8:18 - "Take heed how you hear"
- Our job is to pass the message on
The Soil
v19 - A hard heart
- The word was trodden underfoot
- Does this remind you of Moses and Pharaoh?
- Pharaoh hardened his own heart (3 times) and then God confirmed him in his callousness
- Paul had a callous heart - Example
- God can soften hard hearts
v20 - A shallow heart
- E.g. the rich young ruler
- Initially it can give us encouragement but as time passes by they fall away
- The word of God was never deeply routed in their heart
- John 6 - they received the word with joy
- As Jesus taught further - many of the people turned away
- John 6:66 - "many of his disciples went back and walked with Him no more"
- There are many tests for Christians today - Examples
v22 - A compromised heart
- 'The worldliness of the West'
- When we have more - we want more
- Example stats
- There are many temptations and things to lure us
- Examples: Judas, Demus, Simon the sorcerer, Ananias & Sapphira, Achan
- 'The heart of man is deceitful above all things'
- Is the passage about salvation?
- Luke 8 - The devil doesn't want them to believe lest they be saved
- Many warnings in Scripture - e.g. Money - verses
- Why are people caught up with this world - because they have not seen the riches, beauty and worth of Christ
v23 - A fruitful heart
- It may have taken months and years but the word is blossoming
- There is joy, peace and contentment
- There is fruit in their life
- We give thanks to God for this and pray there would be more fruit
- We can go out confidently trusting in God