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WEEKLY
Volume 1 Number 44
1 April 2007
God’s Word & Human Hearts
(Message delivered by Pr Hien
Nguyen at the Sunday Worship Service, 2 pm, Mar 25, 2007)
Text:
Luke 8:11-15
Our Lord Jesus Christ usually uses parables to teach
God’s truth to the people. A parable is a short and simple story,
usually taken from the affairs of common life, used to illustrate a
moral lesson or spiritual truth. One of the popular parables of our Lord
Jesus is the parable of the sower. It is a basic but so important
parable that it is recorded in the Synoptic Gospels by Matthew, Mark,
and Luke with our Lord’s interpretation and that if we do not understand
this parable we hardly understand all parables. Our Lord Jesus says to
His disciples, “Know ye not this
parable? and how then will ye know all parables?”
(Mark 4:13). And these three records
supplement each other, giving us a perfect picture of the parable. May
the Lord graciously help us understand His parable and then we may be
encouraged to sow the seed of His Word faithfully.
God’s Word and Human Hearts
Our Lord Jesus tells about
four kinds of soil and He refers them to the hearts of mankind
responding to God’s Word, “The seed is the word
of God” (Luke 8:11). They are not totally the nature of human
beings but just different states of human hearts when hearing God’s
Word.
God created the heaven and the
earth, everything in it, and human beings, and “God saw every thing
that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Gen 1:31).
However, due to the disobedience of Adam and Eve, the curse of sin and
death entered into the world (Gen 3; Rom 5:12), and human heart became
totally depraved, corrupted and sinful. No human beings are born good
naturally. The Bible says, “There is none righteous, no, not
one:… There is
none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God…
there is none that doeth good, no, not one”
(Rom 3:10-12), and “The
heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can
know it?” (Jer 17:9), and “you…were dead in trespasses and
sins” (Eph 2:1), and “For I know that in me (that is, in
my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing” (Rom 7:18), and
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that
are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom 8:7-8). Therefore,
when our Lord Jesus Christ tells about the fourth kind of soil, “But
that on the good ground are they, which in an honest (instead
of deceitful) and good (instead of desperately
wicked) heart, having heard
the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with
patience” (Luke 8:15), we must understand
that the hearts of these people had been ministered to and prepared by
the Holy Spirit when they heard the Word of God. To illustrate this
truth, we can see how Lydia’s “heart the Lord opened, that she
attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul” while other
women did not receive God’s Word from Paul (Acts 16:13-14). Truly, we
have heard God’s Word and believed it, received it, treasured it and
kept it, and that is not because our hearts are better than others’, but
only because God’s grace is upon us with the gracious work of the Holy
Spirit in our hearts. We have nothing to boast of ourselves except to
give thanks, praise, and glory to the Lord for His gift of salvation by
grace alone, even for His gift of faith (Eph 2:8). Then let us draw some
lessons from this parable of the sower: The seed is the word of God, and
the sower is the Lord Jesus and His faithful followers. God’s Word is
sowed or preached to everyone, not only to the elect. The wayside refers
to a hardened heart, stony ground refers to a shallow or superficial
heart, thorny ground refers to a worldly heart, and the good ground
refers to an honest and good heart.
A Hardened Heart.
The wayside is the
path dividing the fields, and it is hardened by the people and cattle or
other animals walking or running on it. When the seed fell by this path,
“it was trodden down” (Luke 8:5), could not break through this hard
soil to spring up, and the fowls of the air “devoured it up”
(Mark 4:4). We understand that it refers to those whose hearts are
trampled and hardened by sins, self-righteousness, arrogant self-will,
human religions or philosophies, false theories or -isms like communism
and evolutionism, etc. As a result, when they hear the Word of God, they
do not understand it nor want to understand it but regard it as
“foolishness” (1 Cor 2:14) and even let “God’s Word” be trodden by their
own beliefs, preconception or prejudice. And then “cometh the
wicked one, and catcheth away” (Matt 13:19) or “Satan
cometh immediately, and taketh away” (Mark 4:15), or “cometh
the devil, and taketh away
the word out of their hearts,
lest they should believe and be saved”
(Luke 8:12). Then, we can see Satan working so hard always present and
ready to immediately take away God’s Word we have sown out of human
hearts because he does not want anyone to believe and to be saved.
Therefore, we are to pray fervently to our Lord in the battle against
Satan before and after sowing the seed, preaching the Gospel or giving
the tracts. I have met several nice and friendly people on the street
when I walk to school to fetch our daughter. They look very good and
usually give a friendly smile when I say “hello” to them. Day by day
passing by until I think that it is the right time for me to give them a
tract as they have seen me every day. However, their reaction and
response to the Gospel was contrary to my expectation. The next day,
they did not want to look at me nor greet me with a friendly smile as
before. Their rebellious hearts have been exposed! Then, we should not
think that it is easier for the “good” or nice people to receive the
Gospel because it is by God’s grace alone to save them, and God’s
salvation does not depend on how good human heart is. We should neither
be surprised or discouraged when facing those who are against our Lord
and His Word and throw away our tracts in the bins. It is the Name of
our Lord Jesus Christ and God’s Word that will expose the true colour of
the sinful and rebellious hearts of mankind. Truly, our Lord Jesus is
set “for a sign which shall be spoken against;…that the thoughts
of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35).
A Shallow or Superficial
Heart. “Upon
stony places” (Matt
13:5) or “on stony ground” (Mark 4:5) or “upon a rock”
(Luke 8:6) refers to the thin layer of ground or soil upon a rock. At
first, with a glance of our human eyes we cannot see the rock underneath
this kind of soil nor see that there is “not much earth,” “no
deepness of earth,” or “no depth of earth.” After a while,
the seed “sprung up” and we are very glad with this promising
sign, but when the “sun was up,” it was “scorched” and
“withered away” because it “had no root” and “lacked
moisture.” This kind of soil refers to
those who “have heard the word, immediately
receive it with gladness; And have no root in
themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when
affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's
sake, immediately they are offended” (Mark 4:17) or “fall
away” (Luke 8:13), and one more detail from Matthew, “tribulation”
and one from Luke, “temptation.” These are people with a
shallow or superficial heart. As Satan does not want anyone to be saved,
if he cannot take away God’s Word out of the heart of man, he will use
persecutions, afflictions, tribulations, and temptations to discourage
these shallow believers until they give up their faith, which is not
firmly rooted nor grounded in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself nor in God’s
Word, but only in their quick feelings with terms like “immediately,”
“gladness,” “joy.” Today, many group leaders attract and draw many
people to their churches through the nice and sweet “health and wealth
gospel.” No wonder, many join their churches. But whether they truly
submit themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ and God’s Word with full
dependence and obedience will count and will be proved in the days of
testing. Therefore, a pastor, an elder, or a deacon must be firmly
rooted in Christ and in God’s Word and should not be “a novice
(new convert) lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the
condemnation of the devil” (1 Tim 3:6). When I ministered to the
Aboriginal people and Vietnamese people two years ago, I was much
disappointed and discouraged when they did not want to follow the truth
after three months I had ministered God’s Word to them. At first, they
were very happy to welcome me and hear me, but when hearing the cost of
obeying God’s Word, separating from sins and worldliness as well as
being attacked by their friends, they were offended. My friend, it is so
important for you and me to have our personal faith and trust in the
Lord Jesus Christ and God’s Word with our full dependence and
submission!
A Worldly Heart.
“Thorns grew up and
choked” (Mark 4:7)
the seed of God’s Word since they also take the nutrition from the soil,
the space of the ground and the air, and the
light from the sun; as a result; “it yielded no fruit.” This
refers to those who hear God’s Word, but “the care of this world
and the deceitfulness of riches” (Matt 13:22), one more
detail from Mark, “the lusts of other things entering in”
and one from Luke, “pleasures of this life” choke the
word; and as a result, not only the hearers but also God’s Word become
“unfruitful” (Matt 13:22; Mark 4:19). Satan knows what
bait is suitable for different types of people. If he cannot threaten
them, he will use all things of this world, the cares of this world, the
deceitfulness of riches (people are deceived by thinking that they may
have true happiness through riches), “the lust of the flesh, the lust
of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16), and the pleasures
of this life choke God’s Word and spiritual life of believers. They
spend so much time and energy in what they love and pursue that they
have no more time for the Lord and God’s Word. Truly, “Strangers
have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs
are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not” (Hosea 7:9). They
have no more strength and time to come to the Lord in prayer or to God’s
Word in devotion, or in His service. My friend, may the Lord help us see
the cunning device and subtle scheme of Satan and then be willing to die
to the world, saying, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is
crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal 6:14). May God
help us spend our time, energy, and life wisely according to His will
and Word so that our time and strength may not be consumed by the love,
values, lusts, or pleasures of this world.
An Honest and Good Heart.
This is a great
encouragement for us and our labour when we sow the seed of God’s Word
on the good ground or people with an honest and good heart. As mentioned
above, these are people whose hearts have been ministered to by the Holy
Spirit. Seeing this, we will not be proud or boastful, thinking that
through our ministry or labour how many souls have been brought to
Christ, but just praise the Lord and give Him all the glory for His
wonderful grace upon them. They are “honest
and good” to admit that they are sinners before God when the Holy Spirit
convicts them of their sins. They “hear” God’s Word and
“understand” it and “receive” it when the Holy Spirit guides
and illuminates them and convinces them of God’s Truth. They are
empowered to “keep” God’s Word and “bring forth fruit with
patience” with the strength and help of the Holy Spirit. This refers
to truly born-again Christians whom the Lord has chosen. They do thirst
for the Lord and God’s Word and have a vital fellowship with Him. They
not only trust in and depend on but also submit themselves to the Lord
and God’s Word, realising that without Him they cannot do anything
acceptable unto the Lord nor bear any true fruit of love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Gal
5:22-23), goodness, righteousness, truth (Eph 5:9), obedience, holiness
and Christ-like life (Rom 6:16-22; 8:29). My friend, do you and I belong
to this group of people with an honest and good heart?
Conclusion
My friend, what kind of soil
is your heart–hardened, stony, thorny or good
ground? We are to give thanks and praise to the Lord for His gracious
work that we have a new and good heart to receive His Word: “A new
heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and
I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you
an heart of flesh” (Eze 36:26). May the Lord continue His
good work in us until we bear much fruit for His glory and are
transformed to be like Him day by day till He comes. While waiting for
His return, let us faithfully go out and sow the seed of God’s pure Word
(not human ideas, opinions or arguments), knowing that it is the Lord
and His grace alone that is able to touch the hearts of the hearers or
readers, deliver them from the power of darkness of Satan, convict them
of their sins, help them understand and keep His Word, transform their
lives and empower them to bear good fruit for His glory perseveringly
until the end. Let us be not surprised nor discouraged when facing those
who are against God’s Word or falling away from God’s truth. May the
Lord help us be humble and faithful sowers of His Word until He comes.
Amen.
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