Sermon - Sexagesima 2019 - Luke 8:4-15

The earliest Christians after the resurrection and ascension of the Christ were often relegated to meet in their homes, in caves, or at cemetaries since they weren’t permitted to build church buildings by the government. Once Christianity became legal in many places and they were allowed to build churches, many Christians were burned alive inside of their churches as pagans sought to kill them. 

In fact, this sort of thing still happens to this day, a cursory glance at a google search of Christian churches being burned down will bring up a plethora of results. For instance, just last October in Nigeria, Muslims attacked a crowded marketplace where many Christians gathered in order to kill them or burn them alive. At least 55 were killed that day, some of whom were burned beyond recognition. The next month, in the Congo of Africa, more than 40 Christians were massacred by Muslims while worshipping in their church. The doors were locked and all were burned to ashes.

These weren’t isolated incidents, since in both villages, a few months prior, similar attacks occured. Stories of Christians being slaughtered and massacred are not unusual today unfortunately. I can’t imagine the difficulty of being a Christian when the threat of violence lingers so near. What a blessing today here in America where we have both beautiful churches within which to worship and we can gather here without fear of Muslims burning us to the ground. 

Yet just because you have a beautiful place to worship and no threat of death, that doesn’t mean Satan isn’t attacking there. There are many churches in America, beautifully constructed, yet human wisdom is proclaimed instead of God’s Word. Elsewhere, the Bible is at least proclaimed as God’s Word, yet it is falsely taught and perverted! So what a blessing that you have a beautiful church here, where for many years, the Word has been faithfully proclaimed and taught as God’s true Word. Yet, just because you can gather in such a church, doesn’t mean that you cannot be lost! 

Jesus Himself teaches in His parable today that any of us could be lost even though we devoutly hear the Word of God. The Lord sows His Word over all the earth since He desires that all would be saved, yet not all are saved, not even those who diligently hear His Word. In fact, some are lost who hear the Word of God, yet don’t believe it and take it to heart. Some are lost who hear the Word, believe it, but the Word doesn’t take root in them, so they fall away. Some are lost who hear the Word, believe it, the Word takes root in them, yet they are choked out by the cares of this world. 

For today Jesus speaks a parable surrounded by a great crowd of people pressing in on Him to listen to His words. Of these people, He warns them that just because they’re gathered to hear Him doesn’t mean they’ll be saved. “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.” Jesus explains that “The seed is the word of God. 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.”

Just because you come to church, just because you read the Bible, even if you’ve done it your whole life, doesn’t mean you’re saved. For this Word of God must be believed! The important thing is that you struggle with it, that you think about it and try to understand it and what it means for you. If the Word just goes in one ear and out the other, as they say, then Satan, like a demonic bird, will come along and pluck that Word right off of you. 

God has given His Word for the purpose of changing you. Generating within your heart repentance over your sin, a desire to be forgiven from your sins, and faith to trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior who has rescued you. If you desire to be saved, then you need to actually pay attention to the Word and think about it! So you might consider putting down your phones and other distractions and turning them off during church.

 Do you wonder why I sometimes preach longer sermons? Because I want you to believe and have the time to actually delve into the Bible! The little bit of time I have with you on Sunday mornings is hardly enough since so few of you can come to a Bible Study during the week. If you wish to be saved, then listen to Jesus, and spend more time in the Word of God by thinking about what it’s saying for you. “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

My dear friends, however, if you think that since you do read the Word diligently, and you do study it deeply, that it means you’re guaranteed a spot in heaven, think again! Jesus says, “some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.” That is to say: “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.”

Any of you gardeners understand how this works. If you take a little bit of soil, plant some seeds, keep the soil moist until they germinate, they will look quite nice for a little while. But, if in the heat of summer, you stop watering for even just a day, these little sprouts will wither in no time at all because they have deep roots. 

So it is with many of us who hear God’s Word, diligently study it and believe it. We know our sins and thus repentant we come to faith in Christ. But what happens to so many? Their first zeal lasts only a short time! Soon they’re attacked again by their old sins, they’re enticed to new sins, or their doubts prevail and they fall away. Why? Because they haven’t let God’s Word take deep root in them, only a shallow planting thus far.

Studying the Word of God is a lifelong endeavor, meant to produce roots that ever grow deeper and deeper. So many after confirmation consider their days of learning to be over. Or they think themselves too busy to study God’s Word now that their older. My dear Christian brothers and sisters, let us not forget: we are not saved because we once came to faith, but because we remain in the faith. What matters is not how your Christian faith began early on, but how your Christian faith stands at the end of your life. So if the Word of Christ takes deep root in you, no trial nor temptation shall tear you from Your God.

But again, dear Christians, just because you diligently hear the Word, believe it and study it, let it take deep root in you, doesn’t mean that you cannot be lost. Again, Jesus declares: “some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.” Which means that “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.”

Any farmer knows that just because you have fertile soil, well rooted plants, a field overcome with weeds will not produce a good crop since the weeds will eventually choke out your plants and leave you with a pitiful harvest. The same is true of us Christians. 

How many cares and riches and pleasures are there in this life? You know, a weed is only a weed if it grows where it’s not supposed to grow. So a well placed sunflower can be a wonderful addition to a home’s landscape, but thousands and millions of sunflowers in a field of beans can be disastrous. Likewise, all of the riches and pleasures in life can be a great blessing, properly used. But they can quickly overcome you and choke out any glimmer of faith in your heart, even if you’re deeply rooted in the Word of God.

So at the end of all of these warnings Jesus gives to us today: I beg of you, take heed to the Word of God! Anyone of these different types of soil can and do befoul each and any one of us! It doesn’t matter if you’ve been a Christian a week, a strong Christian for a lifetime, a member of this church from birth, a pastor or other church worker. So diligently listen to the Word of God! Think about it, try to understand it! Let it take deep root in your heart! Watch out for the cares, riches, and pleasures that try to crowd out your faith! By the protection of the Holy Spirit, He will sustain you.

There’s a fourth kind of soil: “some seed fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” By the grace of God, by the power of His Holy Spirit, He can and does make you this good soil. As the Word of the Lord is sown upon us, let us listen to it and repent of our sins, for they are many. Let us believe what it says about the Christ who suffered, died, and was buried for our trespasses. Our sins are forgiven in Jesus. You’re a new creation each day. Christ not only died for us, but He rose for us. He is the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. He rose from the ground; so shall we sprout forth and grow deep roots and produce an abundant harvest. You’re not doomed to be stuck as poor soil. Instead, at the end, Christ can make you to be good soil. As Jesus says, “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.”