"HEART CATH"
Look Up:
Matthew 13:3-23; Mark 4:3-20; Luke 8:5-15
INTRODUCTION: I am
amazed at how many different looks [responses] my heart can have during one
worship service. Isn’t the same true of you? It is true of
you—I watch you. There is something that I see you seize on. Then
there is something that you hope “they” seized on, because “they” needed
to hear it—your heart doesn’t need it, but “theirs” does. Then
there are things you let go by. Then something distracts and you are
unaware of what is being said for few moments. There are times when you
wander off [worry, planning, heard that before]. Then, something may be
heard that convicts. Some of those things you act on; some of
those things you intend to act on but never do, and then some of those things
you just dismiss. All of these responses are going on during our
time in here. How many looks does your heart have while we are in here?
Jesus described what I’m talking about this way—Luke 8:4-8. In
this passage Jesus was talking about the different looks—the many ways the
heart can respond.
I used to think when I read Matthew 13:3 ff. or one of the parallel passages
like Luke 8:4ff. that I was suppose to decide which soil I was.
Jesus used soil in this passage to refer to heart—so I needed to pick out
which heart I had. I had 4 choices—hard, shallow, thorny or fertile.
Now I realize that I am all of those soils [have all of those hearts]—and I
can manifest any and all of them—and all in the same time frame. It just
depends on how my heart chooses to respond to the seed coming at it.
Jesus again throws a story alongside of truth so we would hopefully get it—see
rather than not see and hear rather than not hear. What does He want us
“to get” from this parable? He wants us to understand that the Word
[seed] can produce fruit in our lives if it is received into responsive soil
[heart]. If not, then we can have seeds shower us from now on and nothing
will change. There is nothing wrong with the Word. It is powerful
and life-changing.
For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and
marrows; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart [Hebrews
All Scripture is God-breathed, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, corrected
and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work [2Timothy 3:16].
That is the power of the Word.
But, in order for these things to happen, the Word has to get into the heart.
Jesus said that if the Word is received into the heart, He would heal us [Matt.
I seeded my lawn this weekend. Aeration preceded the seeding. I
watered for several days to soften the ground before the aeration and then
seeded after aerating. You are doing the same thing. This is a prime
time of sowing grass seed, and we know we have to get the seed into the ground
[by plugging, disking] if we are going to get a good stand of grass before the
frosts come. Folks, something for more important than lawns is at stake
here. We are talking about our very lives. We are talking about
being healed, forgiven and fruitful. But that isn’t going to happen
unless His Word gets into our heart. Jesus may not be talking to farmers
today, but He is talking to aerators. We know what it takes for the lawn.
Why don’t we spend as much time on our hearts?
Jesus said that a farmer went forth and sowed the seed. He did it by
broadcasting—had a bag on his side holding the seed. I understand that.
I have a broadcaster for sowing my yard. And some of the seed fell on all
types of soil. I understand that. I get grass seed on the walk, the
driveway and in the flower bed, as well as the yard. That is the nature of
sowing in a broadcasting way. And there is nothing wrong with the seed.
It is all the same. But the seed works best where the soil is ready to
receive it.
In the parable, Jesus said that some of the seed fell on:
There
may be nothing wrong with the soil of the path. The problem is that it is
packed down and doesn’t receive the seed. You can see the seed lying on
the path. It doesn’t get into the soil. That’s why the seed
doesn’t grow. Ever have that kind of heart? You didn’t mean for
your soil to be packed, but it got that way coming to church. Maybe there
was a disagreement. Maybe a child spilled something on their clothes.
Maybe it got that way because you were late and hurried. Maybe you were
disturbed in worship. Somebody walked across your aerated yard.
You were ready to receive the Word and now you are aggravated. The plugged
spots were closed and now the seed won’t go in. Maybe your heart became
a path when the Word spoke truth that you didn’t want to hear or do.
Maybe the heart is a hardened path because you have exposed yourself to ungodly
things to the point that you have lost your sensitivity. It would be rare
if the Path didn’t show up somewhere in this hour. The seed on the path
is snatched away by the evil one [Mt. 19]. He fears what that Word can do
in your heart and takes it away lest it get into your heart later. He
knows that his power can’t match the power of the Word, and he could lose you.
2. The Rocky Places.
This
is not soil with rocks in it. It is shallow soil on top of a layer of rock
or limestone. The seed sprung up but did not develop any root system to
sustain it. What kind of response makes the heart look like a rocky place?
Maybe it is the superficial decision to follow Christ—later to admit that the
reality of denying yourself and taking up your cross to follow Christ is too
much of a commitment to make. Wherever there are many decisions for
Christ, check the numbers one year later and see how many are tracking with the
Lord. The number always shrinks [e.g. Preaching in the schools in
As we
hear the Word, there will be truth that falls on Rocky soil. We hear what
we need to do, and we almost commit to do it, but then we dismiss it because we
know what it will mean. The Word doesn’t have a chance to take root.
Maybe that happened in the message on forgiveness. The response never
developed any root. Jesus knew that His Word would cause many to go away--
From
this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him [Jh.
6:66].
Heard
but hedged. Every been there?
Isn’t
it true that the rocky place heart usually shows up sometime during this hour.
3. Among Thorns.
What
kind of heart looks like the thorny ground? The Word is heard and you have
every intention of obeying it and putting it into practice. You receive
the Word. You have every intention of making the change, being a better
mate, parenting God’s way, changing your priorities, etc. But you are so
busy—so preoccupied—something comes up—and that ground is neglected.
You miss three weeks of worship—three weeks in your Bible Study Class—skip
devotions for several days--an unexpected need arises and vies for the money you
were going to give, etc. When I was growing up my family had a large
garden. As long as the garden was producing, my dad would keep the weeds
from choking the plants. I have noticed that weeds will grow up in tilled
soil quicker than anywhere. We have to keep the ground tilled. I
aerated and seeded this weekend. Now I have to keep watering to get the
growth I want. It takes work, but something more important than the lawn
is involved. I imagine you know something about this heart as well.
4.
Good Soil.
This
is a heart that lets the Word do its work. The result is a display of
fruit. When you get to this heart, you understand why it is always worth
sowing the seed. It may appear, with some on the walk, path, driveway,
that seed is being wasted. But it isn’t. It produces a crop.
You have heard of the 20/80 rule in church life? This parable tells you
why. But the fruitful 20% makes sowing the seed worth it.
I believe that God breaks up
the soil and so do we. I believe that God has to break up your soil for us
to receive the life-giving Word. He does it with His sovereign work of
conviction. I believe we have to continue to till the soil to be fruitful.
God says: break up your unplowed ground [Hosea
That happens through repentance.
It happens as we ask God to take away our heart of stone and give us a heart of
flesh.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove
from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh [Ezek. 36:26].
It happens through spiritual discipline.
It happens through worship and bible study.
We can be changed
today—healed today. You can be like these that were baptized. You
could be up here expressing new life in Christ as well if your heart were
receptive. The Word can do in your what it did in them.
Jesus told us His story.
What’s your story going to be?