Sowing Seed

Do you struggle with reading and understanding the Bible? Do you struggle with hearing and understanding preaching? Do you sometimes find the Bible boring?

Do you find Bible study boring? You find sometimes that the preaching has no impact on you, and sometimes you're glad when the service is over? We're going to learn today that sometimes the problem is not with the preacher, is not with the message, but is with you, the listener.

Do you hear that? Sometimes the problem is yours. You're not listening.

You're not understanding. We're going to learn from the teaching of Jesus that there are different responses to the Word of God. That was true of our Lord Jesus who was the perfect teacher, the perfect preacher, and not everyone accepted his words.

Not everyone understood what he was saying. And so to help us and to challenge us, Jesus tells a story. It's a wonderful story.

It's a very important story. It's the first of the parables that Matthew tells us. He's going to tell us several parables. In fact, here in Matthew chapter 13, if you have your Bible, turn there. Matthew chapter 13, there are eight parables.

We're only going to think of one today. Four of the parables are told to the crowd from verses 1 through 35. Jesus is telling four parables to the crowds, and then from verse 36 onward, he's going to tell four parables to his disciples.

Notice how chapter 13.1 begins the same day. Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea, and great crowds gathered about him so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. So here, Jesus is teaching the crowds. They're on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and he's in the boat. And then look at verse 36. Then he left the crowds and explained and went into the house, and the disciples came to him saying, explain to us the parables of the weeds of the field. Eight parables in all.

And this is the first one. In one way, it's foundational to everything that Jesus is going to be saying. And at one level, this story, this parable, is easy to understand.

It's not difficult to understand, as we will see as we're going to read it together. What's a parable? A parable is an everyday story, a story coming from everyday life which helps us to understand spiritual truths. We understand the story at one level.

It's an event of everyday life all of us can relate to, but it's more than that. It is the explanation of spiritual truth. When I was in Sunday school, Sunday school, we were taught, some scholars today don't think this is nuance enough, but I think it's still a good definition that I learned in Sunday school that a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. That is, it's a story from everyday earthly life, but it's presenting spiritual truth. Now here, as we begin, there's a very, very important truth.

And one that I want you to think of, because it's a difficult one to get our minds around, but it is this. If you, yes, you, if you humbly receive the truth of the parable, if you humbly receive the truth of the Word of God, more truth will be revealed. But if you don't respond humbly, if you resist, if you're careless about it, if you don't respond humbly, the parable conceals the truth. To those who are humble, to those who are receptive, the parable reveals truth. To those who are resistant, to those who are critical, to those who close their hearts and their minds to the truth of God, the truth of the parable is in fact concealed.

You say, well that's strange. Well, listen to what Jesus says. We're going to read from verse 10 first of all, because between the story and the interpretation, Jesus tells us about the purpose of the parables.

And this is perhaps going to surprise you. But I want you to try and follow me, follow what Jesus is teaching here, in Matthew chapter 13 verse 10. He tells us the parable to the crowds. Notice what happens, verse 10. Then the disciples came, not the crowd. The disciples came and said to him, why do you speak to them, the crowds, in parables?

Why are you doing this, Lord? And he answered them, to you it has been given to know the secrets or the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance.

But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. If you receive the truth of God, you're going to receive more. And you say, well I don't really understand the Bible and sometimes I find preaching kind of boring.

The problem is not with this book, the problem is with you. And you say, how is it that other people get so much from this? The more you humbly receive the Word, the more truth will be revealed.

The more you resist it, the more you just think about it, the more you criticize it, the more it just goes over your head. The truth is concealed. Verse 13, this is why I speak to them in parables.

Here's the reason. This is why Jesus speaks in parables. Because seeing they did not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

You see, what's he getting at? Indeed in their case, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled it says, now he quotes from the Old Testament, you will indeed hear but never understand. Isn't that interesting? There are those who hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.

Why is that? For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear. They've got hearing problems. They've got a wax buildup, as it were, and their eyes they have closed. Any preacher or teacher can relate to this about people with their eyes closed when you're preaching. Do you think does that happen? Have you ever, have you ever taught, have you ever preached to some guy sometimes right in the front row is like this?

You feel you, is there not a more comfortable place to sleep? I mean sometimes people literally close their eyes, they just tune right out. But we can seem to be attentive and still be 10,000 miles away in our minds.

Isn't that right? Lest they would see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn and I would heal them. Notice the blessing if you're a follower of Christ, how wonderful, but blessed are your eyes. He's talking to his followers, he's talking to those who have repented and believed in the gospel, but blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. Don't you want your eyes to see spiritual truth? Don't you want your ears to hear what God is saying? For truly I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see and did not see it and to hear what you hear and did not hear it. There were generations and generations read by them in the Old Testament who would have longed to have heard the very teaching of Jesus. To me the privileged who would stand there as the Lord of glory is opening up the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, they would have longed to have seen it, they have longed to hear it, but you are blessed because you now see and you now hear with spiritual eyes.

So, here's the point. The same parable reveals spiritual truth to some people, but it conceals spiritual truths to others. This parable then describes various responses to the Word of God.

It's the same seed, it's the same sower, but it falls on four different soils. And today I'm asking you a question, a very personal question, all of you. My fellow pastors, you're here for the first time, whoever you are, I want to ask you, what is your personal response to the Word of God?

Here's the question, what soil am I? You ready to hear the story? Matthew chapter 13 then, verse one, the same day Jesus went out of the house, is it Capernaum, and sat beside the sea, the beautiful sea of Galilee. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parable saying, here it is, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil, and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears let him hear.

A fascinating story. First of all, two important things about seed, two obvious things. First, seed must be sown. Jesus begins, a sower went out to sow.

That's what sowers do. He wasn't just going for a walk. He wasn't admiring his fields. It wasn't just that he had good intentions. It wasn't just because it was a nice day. It wasn't just because the seed might be suitable for fruit.

It wasn't just that he had good intentions. No, he went out to sow. Good intentions, nice weather, pleasant experience are all utterly useless unless the seed is sown. So, obvious point number one, seed must be sown. Number two, every seed doesn't produce fruit. There is not a harvest from every seed.

Did you notice that? Some seed fell on the path, and it was immediately devoured by the birds. Other seed fell on rocky ground. Other seed fell on ground where there were thorns. There was seed that produced no fruit at all, no fruit. But, in spite of these obstacles, in spite of these difficulties, in spite of these disappointments, there was a great harvest, a hundred, sixty, thirtyfold. So, this parable told by Jesus is reminding us that every seed does not produce fruit, yet the kingdom of heaven is growing.

There will be an abundant harvest. You involved in sowing seed? If you're a parent, you are with your children. We have Sunday School teachers.

We have teachers with youth people. We have people who leave Bible studies. There are people who sow seed in their neighborhood and tell people about Jesus. Sowing seed goes on and on and on. Sometimes it's very discouraging, isn't it?

Being a preacher can be very discouraging. You're sowing seed and seed and seed, and sometimes it seems there's no fruit at all. Jesus is reminding us, keep sowing the seed, and there's going to be an abundant harvest.

It's true there are disappointments, but there's going to be a magnificent harvest of a hundredfold, sixty and thirty. You see, irrespective of the response, we are called to sow the seed. We sow the seed, and God does the transformation. I can't transform your heart.

I can't create in your mind a spiritual thought. That is what God does, but God does it through means, and the means is the Word of God, and so we sow the seed. We don't change the seed when it doesn't produce fruit quickly enough. We don't tamper with the Gospel, as we've said before. We don't take the Word of God and say, well, it's not really user-friendly. It doesn't quite fit in to the 21st century, and now we've got to make it more palatable to people today, to the post-modern man or woman.

No, we don't do that. It is the Word of God. It's given to us, and the power is in the seed, the Word of God. So, here are two principles of sowing and reaping.

Number one, two principles of evangelism. One is, before you have fruit, you must sow the seed. You can't expect a harvest unless you sow the seed. That's basic agriculture, isn't it?

That's a basic principle of spiritual life. The seed must be sown. Secondly, every seed sown.

Does not produce fruit. So, we read the parable. You say, well, what all does it mean? Isn't it wonderful that Jesus gives the interpretation? Let's read the interpretation in chapter 13, verse 18.

If you've got your Bible, follow along there. Not all of the parables does Jesus give the interpretation, but He does with this very important one. Verse 18. Here then, the parable of the sower. Here's the interpretation.

Here's the divine interpretation. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself but endures for a while and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it.

He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case 100 fold, in another 60 and in another 30. The soil determines the response is the basic point. Now there are similarities and differences of the soil.

In the case, there's four soils and the sower is the same. In all four soils, Jesus emphasizes that people hear the word, that is the word of God, the perfect word of God, nothing wrong with the seed. You know this verse 19?

When anyone hears what? The word of the kingdom. Verse 20, as for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word. Verse 22, as for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word. Verse 23, the good soil, and as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word. In all four cases, in all four soils, the people hear the word, the same word, hearing the word of God. Isaiah, a rather aimlessly Old Testament prophet, prophesied of a time when there would be a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Here, in the parable, that's not the problem. The problem is that there is not the word of God.

The problem is how it is received. And at Calvary Church, we emphasize the preaching of the word of God in season and out of season. And my task as your pastor is not to give you some little platitudes, some little principles for helping you through life, but to give you the word of God. That is what is going to transform your life. That's what's going to bear fruit.

It may take a long time, but it's going to bear fruit. And we're committed to that, the word of God. Jesus describes it here in verse 19 as the word of the kingdom.

This is a parable about the kingdom of heaven. Mark, when he tells the parable in Mark 4, says that the sower sows the word. Luke, when he gives the parable in Luke 8, says the seed is the word of God. No question about the seed. The seed is the word of God. The seed is the gospel. The seed is the word of the kingdom. Who is the sower? I think it's pretty obvious that Jesus is the sower. In the parable of the weeds, he says in verse 37, the one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man himself. What does Jesus do when he begins his public ministry?

You say, well, he heals. That is true. He calls his disciples.

That is true. But he comes doing what? Proclaiming the message, proclaiming the gospel of God, preaching the message of the kingdom, sowing the seed of the kingdom and saying, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

He is sowing the seed. He's calling people to repentance. He's calling people to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ because in the person of Jesus, the kingdom of heaven is breaking into time and space. The King has come. And to enter the kingdom of God, to be part of the kingdom of heaven, it is essential to hear and to respond to the word.

Verse nine, end of the parable, what does Jesus say? He who has ears, let him hear you. You say, well, of course, that's what you're so for. You know, you can have a conversation with someone that they don't hear.

Any married person can tell you that. You're not listening. Oh, I heard. I can repeat everything you said. I sometimes say that to goodness. He says, you're not listening. I say, of course, I can tell you exactly what you're saying. And I can repeat it back.

That's not a point though, is it? The message hasn't been received, hasn't been understood, hasn't been responded to. He who has ears, let him hear. Verse 16, blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. End of verse 43 of the parable of the wheat and the tares, Jesus again says, he who has ears, let him hear.

This is a point. You've got to hear the message, hear in the sense of understanding and obeying. Yes, you can hear the story of the parable and you can repeat the story of the sower, but totally miss what Jesus is saying. Totally miss the spiritual truth.

Totally miss the personal application which is going to change your, your life. And if you read Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, you say, no, but you've seen the TV programs or the movie. OK, it's good to read the book as well. In one of the books, Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective, says to Dr. Watson, you see Dr. Watson, but you do not observe. A good detective sees what's there, assesses the situation, looks for the clues as it were, but does more than that. You and I, untrained eye, we may miss things.

The trained detective not only sees but observes. That's what Jesus wants. He wants you to see with spiritual eyes. That's what I'm praying for you, that you see the beauty of Christ, that you hear the voice of Christ coming to you, that you have a humble and open heart.

That is absolutely essential. Now, the sower is the same, the seed is the same, but there's four different soils, four different responses. I'm going to go through them, and you're going to ask, which one am I?

The first is this, a resistant response. Verse four, some of the seed fell, what? It fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. The sower is sowing, but there's a path. People walk on the path and it's hard. The seed falls on it, and it's right there, and the birds come and take the seed.

It's very easy for the birds to take the seed and eat it. You say, what is that? What's that all about?

Verse 19, when anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. Interesting, isn't it? Here are a group of people. Yes, some of them may be here this morning.

You may be one of them. They're exposed to the word of God. They're exposed to the Gospel, but there's no impact on them.

The seed doesn't penetrate the resistant hearts. This individual, you say, why would this individual even come to church then? Why might they go to the Bible study?

Well, for all kinds of reasons. You may be here just out of obligation. You may be here to please your parents. You may be here to please your husband or your wife or your granddad. I don't know, but you're here, but you don't really have any spiritual interest. In fact, you're quite bored by the whole thing, and you're looking at your watch, sometimes even wondering, is it ticking?

This guy's gone on so long. I mean, you're not tuned in. You're looking forward to the end of the service, and I guarantee this, by the time you're out in the parking lot, you've forgotten everything that you heard. You're thinking about next week's Super Bowl.

You're wondering about what you're going to be buying at Harris Theater. You're thinking you're your family. You're thinking of some sport. You're thinking of your girlfriend or whatever.

And what has happened? Problem with the Word? No. It's a problem with you. And furthermore, you don't realize it, that as you have sat and listened to the Word of God this morning, Satan himself, the evil one, has come and has snatched away that Word.

You say, I don't believe it, I believe it. Hard hearts. Resistant hearts. How is it that people can listen to the preaching of the Word of God week after week and after week, and it makes absolutely no impact on how they live? The seed has fallen on the path.

In fact, the situation is worse. The more you are exposed to the truth of God, and the more you turn from it, the harder and harder your heart becomes. Scripture says, we heard it from Pastor Hathaway, today if you hear his voice, harden not your heart.

Today you're hearing the Word of God. Do not harden your heart. Stop being a critic. Stop resisting the Holy Spirit in your life. Be humble. Receive his Word.

You know it's true. And if you resist it, and if you turn from it, yes, your heart will become harder and harder, and you will continue your life of sin, your life away from God. And you say, well, I can get right with God anytime I want to.

No, you can't. If your heart is hard today, do you really think you can choose the time to repent? Your heart will get harder and harder and harder. This is the individual who resists the Word of God. Scripture is full of them. And you continue to do that, and you'll land in eternal destruction.

Don't have a resistant heart. Secondly, there's a superficial response. This is the rocky ground. In some parts of Israel, there's only a soil of two or three inches over limestone bedrock. And when the seed falls into that kind of ground, instead of forming deeper roots, it grows up very quickly. What happens? The sun comes up, scorches it, and it withers away.

You say, what kind of person is like that? Jesus tells you, verse 20. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the Word of God and immediately receives it with joy. Hallelujah, he shouts. Yet, he has no root in himself, but endures for a while.

And when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the Word, immediately he falls away. Here's the individual who's exposed to the Word of God, and she responds quickly, but superficially. Here's the individual who comes to church, as it were, who's with Christian friends, and she has an experience. She's all about an experience. She wants to have an excitement in her life.

She's all about an emotional experience. Perhaps she likes the old hymns, reminds her of when she was a little girl in that little church she grew up in. She likes the old hymns. In fact, sometimes when we sing the old rugged cross, there's a tear comes to her eye. Or she likes the upbeat contemporary praise song.

Oh, wonderful. She feels so good singing these songs. She likes being here. She likes the people. She likes the atmosphere. She likes the event. She likes the excitement.

Or an individual may be intellectually intrigued by the Christian message. She likes to talk about it, and she seems quite receptive. She likes to debate the spiritual truths. And when she hears it, there is this immediate response. She responds very quickly and says, Jesus, she does it with joy.

You say, that's wonderful. This person has come to Jesus. No, she hasn't. There's no conviction of sin. She's caught up in an event. She's caught up in excitement.

There's no conviction of sin. There's no genuine commitment to the Lord Jesus. She's shallow. She's superficial.

And that superficiality is shown by her falling away. Jesus said she can't stand the tribulation or persecution. Verse 21, did you notice that? Oh, she may have thought, if I say I'm a Christian, if I get baptized, a life is just going to be so easy.

There's going to be problem free. But then she's criticized by her family. You're going to church?

You're going to a Bible study of all things? And she gets a bit of persecution. She goes through a bit of a tough time, and when these difficulties come into her life, she drifts away.

She has these pressures, and these pressures win. Why? There's no root. There's no depth. There's only a shallow, superficial, and ultimately empty profession. No genuine saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

And certainly not, Jesus says, no fruit. This is a superficial response. Is that your response?

Superficial? Third response is a compromised response. This is the seed which falls among thorns. Are you feeling a bit convicted this morning? You're going to feel even more convicted with this one.

At least I am. The thorns choke it. It yields no fruit.

The thorns crowd the plant, taking the moisture and the light and keeping them in darkness. Say, what's all that about? Verse 22, as for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, notice this, and the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

A compromised response. This is the individual who appears to be interested in spiritual things. This individual is not opposed to discussing the Bible. This individual says I'm a follower of Jesus. He seems to have a spiritual interest. What's the problem?

The problem is this. That is not his priority. Jesus is only one interest of many, and the cares of this world crowd out the word in compromised hearts. The busyness of life, his family, his career, his recreation, his employment, his health, all of the cares of this world crowd out and ultimately kill spiritual life. He's always busy, isn't he? You come across this individual, always busy.

Yes, I'd like to do these things, but I've got to attend to such and such. The cares of this world, the growth among thorns. And then says Jesus in verse 22, the deceitfulness of riches. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, Paul says, and the love of money is deadly to spiritual life. The deceitfulness of riches.

No, the problem isn't money. To be rich is not sinful. It's the love of riches. It's the deceit of riches.

It's the deception. Here is the individual who never has enough money, never enough possessions, never enough stuff. He says, oh, I love Jesus, but he never seems to have time to serve Jesus. He never quite seems to have the time to worship Jesus.

He just never seems to get around to it. Oh yes, he says he loves Jesus, but actually he loves his lifestyle more. He loves money more. Remember on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, you can't have two masters. You can't love God and money.

You hear me? You can't love God and money. In Luke 12, the Pharisees are going to dispute with Jesus about that when he says that your life doesn't consist in the abundance of things that you have. And the Pharisees thought, yes, we can love God, but we can also love our money.

No, says Jesus, you can't do that. Here is a compromised response. The cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, crowd out his life and choke the Word.

A compromised response. Again, there is no fruit. But what about the good soil? There's a receptive soil. There is the seed which falls into good ground, praise God, and produces an abundant harvest.

A hundredfold, sixtyfold, thirtyfold. A yield, we're told that day of seven and a half was regarded as very good. So here is a bumper crop, a bumper crop. Not just a little fruit, but much fruit.

What's all this about? Verse 23, as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the Word of God and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields. In one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty. This one has eyes and perceives. This one has ears and listens, understands, the thought is understanding and obeying.

Isn't this tremendous good news? The Kingdom of Heaven, there's a bumper crop. Oh, there's difficulties. We look at our world and we wonder, is God really in control?

Why does God allow all of these things? Problems, people falling away. The time I've been at Calvary Church, I've seen people who's immediately very excited about the Christian faith, but now they are totally gone. Gone. No interest.

What's happened? Ah, but the Kingdom of God is advancing. John tells us in Revelation 7 of a great harvest, John says in heaven there's this great multitude that no one could number standing before the throne and before the Lamb. Just think, of the march of the Kingdom of Heaven, down through the centuries. Millions and millions, yes, millions and millions of little boys and little girls, of older men and older women bowing at the cross, coming to the cross with our failures, with our addictions, with our sins as we heard. And that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. And here there will be a bumper crop of people from every tribe, every nation, every background in ways that we can hardly imagine, all there before the throne and before the Lamb singing the praises of the One who loved them and gave Himself for Him. Yes, there is resistant soil.

Yes, there is compromised soil and worldly soil. But there is this good soil and I pray that you, that your heart is open to receive Christ, to believe the Word, to bow at the cross and receive Christ as your Savior. And then for that, as you receive the Word of God, as you receive Christ, that there is this supernatural transformation because receptive hearts not only hear the Word, not only receive the Word, not only understand the Word but obey the Word.

That's it, isn't it? That's one of our themes, the first one, obey the Word of God. I asked you this year when you hear the Word of God to obey it. God wants from you instant obedience. That's sin in your life. Why are you continuing in it?

You know it's wrong. Obey the Word of God, confess it, repent of it, flee from it. The Word of God is speaking to you to serve Him in some way, to love Him more. As you read the Word of God, as you listen to the Word of God, have a humble, receptive heart.

No, this is not a superficial commitment. This is not cultural Christianity. This is not coming to Calvary Church for an hour and a Sunday and living like the devil for the rest of the week.

No, this is a genuine, growing commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. I know you're not perfect. I know we all sin.

I know it's a struggle sometimes. We have the world and the flesh and the devil against us, but in spite of that, the kingdom of heaven is growing. And I praise God we see that more and more at Calvary Church. Would it be the case that we come, I trust we do, as a congregation with receptive hearts? Receptive hearts beat for God and respond to Him.

So I end as I began. Do you hear me? I'm speaking to you, whoever you are. Every single one of us, what is your personal response to the Word of God?

What is it? Think of the words you've heard this year. Have you been reading your Bible? Think of what you've learned in your life group in that Bible study. Think of what you've heard from this pulpit, even this year.

Are you receiving the Word of God and growing? Don't have a resistant response. You may be that. You say, I don't want to be here at all. Satan is snatching away the seed.

Some of you are brought up in Christian homes and you've heard the Word of God and you rebel. You're turning your back on it. You're resistant. Don't do that.

Don't do that. Receive it, not because your mother or father said it, but because it is the Word of God. You know it is truth. You think you can resist it and you think you can go off to college and live the party life and turn your back on God?

Do you understand what that does? Your heart is becoming harder and harder. Don't have a resistant response. Don't have a superficial response.

Don't be shallow, please. Think deeply about these spiritual issues. If Christ is who He is, says He is, follow Him with all of your heart. Don't be compromised. Don't say you want to be a follower of Jesus and then you're going to do it on your own terms.

That doesn't work, does it? He is the Lord Jesus Christ. He's your Lord. Don't say I'll follow you, Jesus, if.

Not 50%, not 25%. No, to follow Him wholeheartedly. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. Instant obedience. Have Him number one. He is the priority. He says seek first the Kingdom of God. Seek it first. Why would you compromise? Have a receptive heart. Receive the Word of God.

Here's the good news. You see, John, sometimes my heart is hard. Sometimes it's compromised.

Sometimes it's shallow. I understand. Do you know this book, this power of the living Word of God? You know what it does? It shatters heart, heart, hearts. You may have the hardest heart in North Carolina.

I guarantee this. If you humble yourself and come to the cross of Jesus Christ, that hard heart of yours will be opened and shattered because this Word, Jeremiah says, it's a hammer. It's a fire. It's the living Word of God.

It's like a two-edged sword. This Word cleanses your heart. This Word exposes you before God and convicts you and opens your eyes and your ears so that once my heart was hardened like Paul and the glorious light of the Gospel can shine and turn the greatest sinner into the cheapest of saints. Will you receive the Word?

Will you receive the seed? Will you this morning receive Christ? Open your heart. Open your eyes. Open your ears and receive Christ. Receive the kingdom of God and have a humble, receptive heart. That's my prayer for each one of you. Will you pray with me? We ask God to do a supernatural work in your heart right now. You know where you are.

I don't. God knows your heart. We humble ourselves before you, Father. Sometimes our hearts are hard or compromised.

Sometimes we're very superficial. We get in a rut in our spiritual life. I pray that there will be genuine salvation, Father. That the seed of the kingdom of heaven will fall into good ground and bear much fruit. We want our lives to be fruitful. May your Spirit take the Word this morning and apply it to our hearts. That our lives will be built not on ourselves, not on our culture, but built on Christ, the solid rock. We ask it in His name. Amen.