Good morning, take a seat. It is great to see how well filled the church is this morning
and I just want to reiterate the welcome that Paul has already given to each one of you.
I'm Tim, I'm one of the interns here and it's my pleasure to bring the word to you this
morning. We're in Luke chapter 8. If you have a pew Bible somewhere within reach, go and
look for it and grab it and we'll read it in just a couple of seconds. But to begin
with, I wonder if we could just start by thinking, because it's very easy for us, humans
with our limited attention spans, it's very easy for us to be in attendance but to not
pay attention. It's probably most easiest seen in children, isn't it? Where they will be
unashamedly distracted while their teachers or their parents try to tell them something
of worth. But at the same time, I very much doubt that any one of us have been here this
morning and that we have paid full honesty, full attention. Maybe our minds have drifted
to whether we locked the door or put on the right temperature of oven. Or maybe we have
some situation mulling in our mind. But whatever it is, I'm sure this morning each one of us
have not listened to some degree or another. I'm not saying that in any way to shame or to show up
and maybe in reality I'm only betraying my own lack of attention on some Sundays. But as we come
to hear the word of God this morning, we're going to hear a resounding call to listen, to pay attention
to the words of Christ. And at this point, just before we come and read his word, let's pray together
and let's ask that he would help us to hear that none of us would leave this morning saying there was
nothing for me there. So let's pray together just before we read from Luke chapter 8.
Father, you are so gracious to us in so many ways that you have given us your word at all. It is such an
incredible blessing and that we have it in our language, that we are able to read your word to us,
that you ever reached out to speak to us. And Father, this morning I pray that you would enliven
our hearts to listen, that you would help us to hear all the treasures that you have to speak to us,
and that this morning we would be completely sure of what you have said, and that we will take action
and go and do all that you have told us to do, even this morning. Father, we need your help, we need your spirit
within us, and so we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Luke chapter 8, I'm starting in verse 1.
After this, Jesus travelled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom
of God. The twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases.
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had come out, Joanna, the wife of Chusa, the manager of
Herod's household, Susanna, and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own
means. While a large crowd was gathering, and people were coming to Jesus from town after town,
he told this parable. A farmer went out to sow seed, and 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 others 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. His disciples
asked him what this parable meant. He said, The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has
been given to you. But to others I speak in parables, so that though seeing they may not see,
and though hearing they may not understand. The meaning of the parable, this is the meaning of
the parable. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
Now, Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd.
Someone told him, your mother and brothers are standing outside wanting to see you.
He replied, my mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice.
That's where we'll stop our reading this morning.
And I think as we come to this passage, and it's quite a passage, isn't it?
I think the theme that runs through the whole section are these words, are you listening to me?
Fellow husbands, I'm new to this. I'm only four months into this.
Fellow husbands, do these words cause fear and trembling when you hear them?
Are you listening to me?
Perhaps you've been scrolling through something on the web, and the non-committal aha has just come at the wrong time.
I think recently there was an occasion where the last question was,
you're not even listening to me, are you?
To which I dumbly said, aha, and the game was up.
Perhaps our attempts to surprise the other half only succeed to demonstrate the lack of attention we paid
when some crucial detail was being explained.
Or perhaps we remember back to childhood when we were asked if we were listening,
and to be honest, our minds had long since slipped into something else.
But the new task was given in an urgent manner.
And in none of these cases is the right response to then verbatim say back the conversation.
Are you listening to me?
Yes, the last three things you said were, could you put the laundry out?
Could you wash the dishes?
That's not what they want to hear.
That's not what they want to experience.
The correct response is to get up from your distraction and to do what is asked of you.
The aim of listening to one's spouse or one's parents is almost never meant to be a mere exercise in information.
Far more often, listening is part of a loving relationship.
And that relationship is then displayed through loving actions based upon what has been heard.
This morning our passage contains parables that challenge us to listen.
And it also contains people who challenge us to listen.
And that's kind of where we're going from here on out.
Firstly, the parables that challenge us to listen.
We come to this incredibly familiar parable, even more familiar to us because we've already had it explained to us by Peter and the children.
The parable of the sore or the parable of the soils.
And this story is incredibly simple, isn't it?
Jesus doesn't have to tell some 400 page masterpiece of literature to make his point.
A sower goes out to sow some seed.
And without the modern aids of a tractor or one pass sowing system, he begins to scatter this seed all over his land.
And as he sows, we see four cases, four options of what happens to the seed.
Jesus explains in verses 14 to 15 how this parable works.
He tells us that the seed in the parable is the word of God.
And as we read through, we discover that the different soils are like different people.
And in each case, how the seed and the soil interacts.
That is how God's word interacts with different people produces massively differing results.
This is one of the incredible truths that we can learn from this parable.
Different people prepared in different ways will respond differently to God's word.
Some will outright reject.
Others will accept it.
But as many of us know all too well, it's not quite that simple.
Some will then fall away.
Others will never quite seem to get to the end goal with it.
But thankfully, others will accept it.
And will believe it.
And will hold on to it.
And will be fruitful.
On one hand, you could read this parable and question the wisdom of the sower, couldn't you?
Why is he so reckless with the seed?
Why so much is seemingly wasted?
Why is the ground not properly prepared?
Why is it?
Why is the seed?
Why is he so reckless with the seed?
Why is the seed that finds good soil is incredibly productive?
If farmers could get a hundred yield from seed, they would give their left arm.
a hundredfold returns is extraordinary
and the seed must go far and wide
to find these patches of good soil
the plan of God
this plan of God
to raise a harvest
by scattering the word of God globally
is not in vain
as is shown by 2,000 years of church history
the gospel will go forth
and it will go on bearing fruit
even as it has across the face of this earth
but on the other hand
many of us perhaps come to this parable
with heavier hearts
and we have real challenging questions
why does my wife
why does my husband not get this
why do my children
never seem to quite make the connections
why do my co-workers
not understand the gospel
why do my classmates
not hear what I'm trying to say to them
and our heavy hearts
they're not wrong
these are hard situations
and there's nothing that I can bring out
from this parable
which will make those circumstances easier
but this does explain why these situations exist
and it does graciously liberate us
from the notion that we are in control
to save people
it reminds us that we have one job
we are to be many seed sowers
and after that the sower
has no direct influence
on what happens with that seed
people respond to the word of God
not based on how well or clever
we present the gospel
but dependent on the state of their hearts
towards the word of God
and maybe we would prefer to have a bigger role
maybe you are desperately struggling with God
because there are loved ones
who have not yet accepted the good news
about Jesus
don't give up
keep on speaking about Jesus
keep on sowing
keep on praying to God
to soften that heart
to clear away those weeds
to enable the seed of the gospel
to grow powerfully
but do not give yourself the heartache
of taking upon yourself
the task of saving a soul
that is a work too great
for any of us to bear
and these are hard questions
and they're the questions
that instantly come to us
when we come to this parable
but these aren't primarily
what Jesus is teaching
through this parable
this is a parable
that turns the lens
not to our unsaved friends
families and people around us
but this is a parable
challenging us to listen
notice verse 8
the summons for all who hear
to pay attention
to what has been said
it happens again in verse 18
at the summary of the explanation
take care then how you hear
the whole point of this passage
the parable of the soils
as well as the parable of the lamp
is that we would examine
our own hearts
not just the hearts
of our neighbours and colleagues
this parable is a tool
for self-diagnosis
and so we must be very frank
with ourselves this morning
are we listening
are we hearing
are we paying attention
to the word of God
and putting it to action
in our lives
perhaps as we think
about how we currently
interact with God's word
we find that we are
far more like the soil
beset by weeds
rather than the good soil
which will be fruitful
maybe tension at home
or stress at work
worries about money
maybe all these things
are crowding in
and strangling
our devotional lives
maybe some of us
are young in the faith
new Christians
and we're only now
starting to feel
the struggles
and trials
that are part and parcel
of the Christian life
are those trials
going to scorch you
are they going to dry you out
and leave you weathered
young Christian
or are your roots
going deep
have you invested
in your walk
with God
so that you are now
able to thrive
even in the hard times
and perhaps
there's even some of us
who have grown hard
to the word of God
we read
and we listen
week by week
and yet nothing
really impacts us
anymore
and it's very
quickly gone
from our minds
and it's a sad
reality
that could be true
for so many of us
here this morning
and these are realities
that we must face up
to
not quietly
excuse
or politely
ignore
because regardless
of how we
evaluate ourselves
the truth
will become
self-evident
maybe not today
and probably
not tomorrow
but only one
of the soils
bore a crop
from the implanted
seed
and likewise
only one response
to the word of God
will bear fruit
you see it in verse 15
don't we
the good soil
they hear the word
just like all of the
other people
and situations
that we've met
so far
but they have
a good
good heart
what does that
look like
is that just
a genetic reality
I mean
what makes
their heart
good
well the answer
is right there
what makes
their heart
good
is that
they hold
on to the word
firmly
they retain
what they have
heard
they dwell
upon that
seed
and fruit
is born
through patience
I noticed
and I couldn't
help noticing
how one of the
children answered
the question
what happened
to the seed
on the good
ground
perhaps you
noticed it as
well
the seed
fell
and it grew
and nothing
bad happened
to it
that's how we
often think of it
isn't it
we have this
unrealistic ideal
I'll become
a Christian
and everything
will be good
from then on
but this
isn't an
unrealistic
ideal
this can
be a reality
in our
lives
to have
hearts
that love
God's word
and then
that patiently
bear fruit
because of it
the same
sun will
come
the same
lack of
rain will
come to
this seed
as to the
one in the
rock
as to all
the others
but this
one has
what it
needs
to survive
this is the
goal to
strive for
so what are
we to do
maybe we
maybe many
of us
need to come
to God
afresh this
morning
we realise
that our
lives are
not matching
up to what
we would
want
perhaps we're
in some
dire need
of weeding
and ploughing
without
which we
cannot be
fruitful
Christians
it's
interesting
I came
off a
farm and
it wasn't
an arable
farm but
there were
plenty of
those around
and weeding
and ploughing
are never
pleasant
exercises
neither are
painless at
the time
but both
are for
the good
of the
soil
and both
will ultimately
be for the
good of the
harvest
so we have
this first
parable
challenging us
to listen
the parable
of the
soils
the other
little parable
here is
perhaps harder
to understand
and it's
much less
dealt with
but if we
see here
that it's a
continuation
of the
explanation
to the
previous
it becomes
just that
little bit
easier
Jesus has
just explained
that we
need to
take care
in how we
listen to
God's word
and in this
case
it's his
word
and now he
goes on to
say that we
ought to put
a lamp
in its
proper place
Jesus loves
to mix
his metaphors
but I think
as we look
at it
the seed
and the
lamp
are the
same
talking about
the same
thing
so having
accepted the
word of
God
we're not
to cover
it or to
conceal it
or to
hide it
but instead
we should
make it
prominent
so that it
may reveal
everything
going on
around it
this lamp
of God's
word
is meant
to be
in the
highest
place
so that
the light
will shine
into every
dark
corner
of the
room
and maybe
this parable
is what's
going to show
us where
we're going
wrong
maybe
just maybe
some of
us are
being exposed
to the
truth
of the
gospel
but as
soon as
that lamp
is lit
it starts
to shine
into the
darkness
of our
hearts
and it
starts to
expose
depths of
unpleasantness
that we'd
never seen
before
it's quite
possible
that as we
begin to
see the
truth of
the gospel
that light
will shine
into our
lives
and we
will see
that there
is stuff
there that
we have
hidden
for years
unexposed
sin
and our
instant response
to that
is to attempt
to cover
it
and to
hide it
and to
extinguish
the lamp
but Jesus
reminds us
that nothing
will remain
hidden
forever
no sin
will go
eternally
unexposed
at the
end of
time
we will
stand
before
God
and all
will be
shown
clearly
there will
be no
excuses
and there
will be
no
cover-ups
and so
we're
called
again
to
carefully
consider
how we
listen
to Jesus
words
to pay
attention
and to
remember
the importance
these words
hold
words
that will
never cease
to be
relevant
the warning
is compounded
with this
final statement
in verse 18
read it there
that those
who have
will gain
more
and that
those who
do not
have
will lose
everything
that they
thought
they had
Jesus
is imploring
us
not to
waste
the opportunity
to listen
to God's
word
and to
lose
everything
because of
our
carelessness
but rather
to pay
close
attention
to the
truth
of God's
word
and be
rewarded
at the
end
with
great
gain
we have
these two
parables
a clear
call
to hear
the word
and to
put it
into
practice
but very
quickly
what about
the rest
of the
passage
it's full
of people
who challenge
us to
listen
at the start
there you'll
have noticed
that Luke
introduces us
to those who are
traveling
with him
and we
find
these twelve
disciples
that we've
met many
times before
but we're
first introduced
to these
interesting
group of
women who
are with
Jesus
there's three
mentioned in
particular
and we know
little or
nothing about
each one of
them
Mary Magdalene
goes on to
become a
witness to
the resurrection
and to the
crucifixion
and she's
experienced
incredible
healing
through Jesus
ministry
Joanna
is this
lady
married to
one of
the top
civil servants
in the
region
and yet
here she
is
instead of
enjoying her
nice
comfortable
middle class
home
she's out
and about
with this
odd
bunch of
disciples
and their
rabbi
and then we
get Susanna
of whom we
know
absolutely
nothing
and a
group of
others who
are all
contributing
to the
ministry
why on
earth is
this here
why does
Luke even
mention
these
women
I think
the most
logical
answer
is that
these are
some of
the people
Luke has
interviewed
remember
that Luke
when he
was building
his gospel
didn't just
go to one
person
he did his
research
he was a
historian
and he
went and
interviewed
people
and it's
likely that
these ladies
are those
who are
still able
to verify
what went
on 20 or
30 years
earlier
these are
the witnesses
to what
Jesus taught
and what
Jesus did
and why
does he
mention them
here
because I
think they're
an example
of what
Jesus is
just about
to teach
what we've
just heard
him teach
that these
three women
and the
others
are people
who are
following
because they've
been transformed
by the word
of God
in their
lives
whether
from
demonic
possession
or from
a life
of middle
class
domestic
bliss
or from
utter
obscurity
these women
are examples
of people
who are
good soil
who have
put the
lamp of
God's word
in its
most prominent
place
in their
lives
so that
all who
come into
contact
with them
will hear
and see
the good
news
of Jesus
Christ
at the
end of
the passage
we have
this other
curious story
about Jesus
family coming
to find
him
and Jesus
response
is sometimes
read as
kind of a
curt dismissal
of his
family
but let me
ask a question
or two
here
we've just
seen all
these ladies
who are
travelling far
from their
homes
to be
with Jesus
why isn't
Jesus'
family with
him
I wonder
why is
this house
packed out
with people
but his
family aren't
making up
the numbers
I wonder
where they
land at
this stage
in the
soils
that Jesus
has just
been talking
about
and rather
than thinking
that Jesus
is dismissing
his natural
family here
look at
what he's
actually doing
he's opening
the doors
of his
family
or opening
the arms
of his
family
to everyone
and to
anyone
who would
heed
the word
of God
if we're
Christians
here this
morning
we still
benefit from
that
to
millennia
later
that we
who are
those
who hear
and do
God's
word
are accepted
into his
family
that's
incredible
the third
and final
group
is the
disciples
notice what's
said in
verses 9
and 10
they've
come
and they've
heard this
parable
and they're
unsure
they're
confused
so like
us
but Jesus
teaches them
an incredible
little lesson
right in the
middle
here
to them
these
ragtag
bunch
of fishermen
and outcasts
to them
the secrets
of the
kingdom
are given
not to the
social elite
not to the
academic
theologians
but to
these men
who have
encountered
the word
of God
and who
are being
radically
transformed
from a
random
collection
of men
into the
initial team
through which
God will bring
his saving
word to
every corner
of the
world
as we've
gathered here
this morning
we have
been given
the secrets
of the
kingdom
of God
plain as
day
written in
English
bound in
a book
we have
this incredible
opportunity
to hear
how God's
kingdom
works and
operates
and we've
heard these
incredible
truths
and so
here's the
challenge of
the disciples
to us
we've heard
the word
now what
are we
going to
do with
it
are we
too busy
and too
distracted
or are we
going to
say yes
I am
listening
and I am
going to put
this in the
right place
in my life
and do
what it
says to
me
today
we