Word Of God, Speak!

Matthew 13: 3 He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: "Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. (NLT)

The Word of God is essential in our walk as Christians. It is indispensible. It is the blueprint we have received from God as to how we are to live this life and navigate all of the pitfalls we will encounter. No one operates a car without first reading the operating manual, yet so often we can operate our lives without consulting the Word. We can fall into the thinking that merely hearing the Word, perhaps on Sundays, is somehow sufficient but James describes it as follows:

But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. James 1: 22-25 (NLT)

The usage of the mirror example is quite fitting. We would not leave the house without looking at ourselves in the mirror because we want to make sure that we look good. Well, looking into God's Word will let us know if we are good. Maybe that is why we do not look into it as much as we should. Because we know deep down what it will reveal. It might reveal that hidden sin we know we should not be dabbling in. It might reveal that unforgiveness we harbor or pain we cannot seem to let go of.

The parable of the sower is often used to show how people react to hearing the Word in relation to their salvation but today let's look at it from the perspective of those who are already saved. Just as a body without natural food starves eventually a believer without spiritual food will eventually starve the Spirit within them. We hear the Word as preached on Sundays, maybe we hear it as we worship, or during our devotional time. Maybe friends share a word with us as well and we can hear it then. In the days of modern technology we hear it on Facebook and Twitter. Sometimes this can lead to overload in the sense that we hear the Word but we do not stop to consider it. Stop to actually hear what God might be saying to us. Realize that God's Word is one of the most direct ways He communicates with us and it is not constrained to only your pastor on a Sunday or your private reading time. It could be a word from a friend, or a post on Facebook. We must avoid allowing the ease at which we hear the Word to dismiss us from having to actually listen to it.

The parable of the sower represents four different outcomes from hearing the Word in our lives. Three are negative and one is positive. The first outcome is the seed that falls along the path and the birds eat it. Jesus explains this as:

The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. Matthew 13: 19 (NLT)

God's Word is always trying to find its way to your heart. David said that he hid God's Word in his heart so that he might not sin against the Lord. In your heart it can take up residence. It can be easily retrieved when confronted by an attack from the enemy. But so often I hear the lament from Christians that they heard something or read something that they did not understand. It frustrates their reading and their desire to read more. The enemy then can quickly move in to steal the seed God is trying to plant. A lot of times when I delve deeper it is often because of their approach. The Word of God is not meant to be sped-read. It is about quality, not quantity. If I spend a week reading one chapter but get so many riches and insights from God, that is better than if I had spent the week reading an entire book and feeling as if I did not understand what He was trying to say to me. Also, reading the Word without the power of the Holy Spirit will enhance your frustration. It is the Spirit that leads us into all truth:

But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets. No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 1Corinthians 2: 10-12 (NLT)

We must pray for God to speak to us, through His Spirit that lives inside of us, as we read the Word. Go into the reading thinking to yourself what is God going to show me today? Read expectantly. Use other resources if you are stuck on a passage. Ask a spiritual leader in your life for help with a passage. Remember, there is no shame in asking but there is a lot of pride in not.

The second outcome is that the seed falls on the shallow soil. Jesus explains it this way:

The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word. Matthew 13: 20-21 (NLT)

We cannot be merely mountaintop Christians. Shouting hallelujah when everything is right in our world but then running away as soon as something comes against us. Perhaps one of the reasons you are feeling blocked when it comes to the Word of God is that your roots are not very deep. You are living a shallow Christianity. I have described this before as people who try to fit their Christianity into their lives instead of making Christ the center of their life. Maybe you would like to read the Word more but don't want people on the bus or in your office to know you're a Christian. You have plenty of religion but are lacking in relationship. God doesn't want religion with you; He wants you. In dating parlance, you are not allowed to see other people. In poker terms, you are "all in." You can read the Bible from an intellectual standpoint. You can enjoy the great stories, appreciate the beautiful poetry and even wonder in the awe of revelation but if you want God to talk to you through it; that requires deeper roots. That requires a serious relationship. Too much modern American Christianity avoids this but your Christianity should require something from you. We do not need "seeker friendly" churches we need God-seeking churches! Remember, God never promised we wouldn't have problems:

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16: 33 (NLT)

Christianity is not a guarantee of a problem-free life. It is a guarantee to be able to overcome whatever problems you face in this life. The third outcome Jesus speaks about in this parable is the seed that falls amongst the thorns. He explains it as such:

The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. Matthew 13: 22 (NLT)

What is competing with God for your time today? Your job, career, kids, family, bills, mortgage, health, and recreation? Maybe it is a lack of a job, lack of relationships, inability to pay the bills, a health problem, or any number of other things that creep into our day to day and minute to minute existence. Let's face it this life is full of distractions beloved. But when you try to read the Word are you thinking about your boyfriend? When someone gives you a word, are you wondering what to make for dinner? When you see a Bible verse on Facebook are you too busy on Farmville to notice? Or to stop and really consider what God might be saying to you? We all face the thorns in life and they can choke out the Word God is trying to send to us. Consider when David sinned with Bathsheba. He coveted, lusted, committed adultery and ultimately murder. Plus he had all of the regular distractions of being king and running a nation. God sends a Word to him through the Prophet Nathan. A story about a poor man who only owned one little ewe lamb which his family loved very much. A rich man was entertaining a traveler but instead of using one of his own livestock, he killed the poor man's ewe lamb to serve as supper for the stranger. Blinded by the thorns in his life, here was David's answer:

David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." 2Samuel 12: 5-6 (NIV)

David of course was that man. Despite getting a word directly from God, he simply could not see it until Nathan screamed at him that he was the man in the story. We do not have the luxury of a Nathan in our lives to scream at us when we are simply not hearing what God is trying to say to us. I have heard many Christians say that God does not speak to them and my answer is the same are you listening? Are you seeking His voice in His Word, wherever you can find it? Do you sit in church and find your mind wandering during the sermon? Wondering where you are going to lunch? Thinking about the football game later. Worrying about work the next day, the car payment next month, the stock market next year? Do you hear the title of the sermon and think it has nothing to do with you? Do you find yourself constantly thinking all the words you see and hear would be "perfect" for someone else? Do you see who the speaker is and dismiss the message out of hand? God spoke through a donkey once He can speak through anything! But are we listening? Are we expecting to hear from Him? Sometimes in the overly spiritualized American Christianity experience we think that God is going to descend from the heavens and bellow out His will for us directly into our bedrooms. It doesn't work that way! Yes God spoke to Moses through a burning bush but that does not mean you should be waiting for another. Don't let the thorns of this life distract you from seeking a Word from God.

The final outcome is the positive one where the seed falls on fertile soil and here are the Words of Jesus:

The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!" Matthew 13: 23 (NLT)

The farmer in this parable is obviously God and the seed is His Word. He expects us to be good soil for His Word once we have accepted His gracious gift of eternal life and forgiveness of sins. Salvation is not the end point it is the starting line because before it, we were not even in the race! Jesus is saying here that we need to truly hear and understand the Word if we are to see a harvest. That indicates that we may be able to hear and even understand the Word but not truly do so. Not do so as God would want us to. That is because there is a difference between understanding what a text says and comprehending what God is saying to you through it! You can read the verse in the Bible that says, "Jesus wept" and understand that this means that at that point in time, Jesus was crying. But only the Holy Spirit can convey to you that God is saying that it is ok for you to cry too. Or that our Savior felt the same feelings we deal with every day. The truth is you can look at "Jesus wept" 10 different times and God can say ten different things to you, all depending on what you need. That is the God we serve! That is the power of His Word!

But only if you are seeking His voice. Only if you are seeking the Spirit's help in understanding His Word. Only if our walk has deep roots and we are not found in the shallow soil. Only if you are not allowing the distractions of this life to choke his Word off. God desires a relationship with you. That requires both of you talking and both of you listening and both of you seeking. He has a Word for you today. Seek it.

Reverend Anthony Wade November 1, 2011