Sermon Notes | 2.5.23

The Parable of the Sower

Luke 8:4-15

[4] And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, [5] “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. [6] And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. [7] And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. [8] And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

[9] And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, [10] he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ [11] Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. [12] The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. [13] And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. [14] And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. [15] As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. (ESV)

The Subversive Stories

Luke 8:4-10

subversive: tending or intending to subvert or overthrow, destroy, or undermine an established or existing system, especially a legally constituted government or a set of beliefs.

“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God…

Forgiveness of sins is just the beginning. It’s just the foundation. It’s just the start. The kingdom of God is nothing less than the power of God in heaven entering the world to heal every alienation and every brokenness in every dimension of human life, whether it’s social or economical or racial or emotional or physical or psychological or spiritual. – Tim Keller

but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’

Parables function as a lens that allows us to see the truth and to correct distorted vision. They allow us to see what we would not otherwise see, and they presume we should look at and see a specific reality…they are stories with an intent, analogies through which one is enabled to see truth…they are stories with two levels of meaning, the story level through which one sees and the truth level, the reality being portrayed. – Klyne Snodgrass

The Seed

Luke 8:11

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

[3] We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, [4] since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, [5] because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, [6] which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, – Colosians 1:3-6

We think that life would be so much easier if God would just miraculously write his will in the clouds or speak in the thunder. But if he wrote in the clouds, then the words would all blow away, and if he spoke in the thunder, then his voice would fade away. So instead God says in essence, “Would you mind if I just wrote my words down for you, so that you could have them wherever you go and whenever they are needed.” Inspired Scripture is the greater miracle.  – Bryan Chapell

The Soils

Luke 8:12-15

A Soil Test – What is the condition of your heart?

hard hearts – The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. – Luke 8:12

shallow hearts – And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. – Luke 8:13

divided hearts – And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. – Luke 8:14

Are you choking? 

In the land of abundance, people work feverishly hard, and cram their lives insanely full, because the candies are all around, looking up and pleading, “Taste me, taste me, taste me.” People in such a realm live in a perpetual aspirational trance. They are bombarded from first waking till night-time’s last thought by advertisements, images, messages, novelties, improvements, and tales of wonder. It takes a force of willpower beyond that of most ordinary people to renounce all this glorious possibility. It’s easier to work phenomenally long hours and grasp at all the candies than it is to say no. It takes incredible dedication to renounce opportunity, get off the conveyor, and be content with what one is. – David Brooks, On Paradise Drive

good hearts – As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. – Luke 8:15

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? – Jeremiah 17:9

Will you cry out to the Gardener?

[26] And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. [27] And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. – Ezekiel 36:26-27

A Prayer for Salvation

“Heavenly Father, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but through your Son Jesus I can be more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank you that he lived the life I should have lived and paid the debt and punishment I owed. Receive me now for his sake. I turn from my sins and receive him as Savior. Amen.”