Mark 4:1-20
The Soils represent the different hearts of people who have been exposed to the Word.
- "these are the ones"
a) roadway soil
b) rocky soil
c) thorny soil
d) good soil
- "hear the word"
* Proverbs 4:23- "Watch over your heart with all diligence for from it flows the springs of life"
- What kind of fruit can grow from a heart that is not taken care of?
~ What is the condition of my heart today?
Four Characteristics of the Person with a Roadway Heart:
1) they have heard the Word of God
- hearers of the Word but not doers
2) they are hardened to the Word of God
- their heart cannot be penetrated by the Word because:
a) the effect of sin on the human heart
- the more one sins, the harder their heart becomes
b) failure to cultivate and prepare it for the seed of the Word
- how do you cultivate your heart?
i) requires initial work of God
- unless God prepares our hearts, we can't receive the Word
ii) requires our own responsibility
- as Christians, when we come to the Word, we should prepare our hearts as well
~ do you prepare your heart before Sunday/Friday worship?
what do you do on Saturday night?
- non-Christian is also responsible for his heart. if he adds to it worldly things, it will be hardened.
3) they allow the Word of God to be trampled underfoot
* Luke 8:5- "Some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up."
a) by mocking the Word of God
b) by dealing with the Word flippantly
c) by denying it, trying to disclaim it; by seeing it as ordinary words (and not as the Truth)
* Psalm 138: 2- God has magnified His word according to His name
4) they are easy prey to Satanic attack
- v. 15- "As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the Word that was sown in them."
- there is no resistance to the taking of the Word
- the devil has easy access to his heart because of his own vulnerability to the devil
- Satan is still active to steal the Word from churches
~ did you prepare yourself for spiritual warfare today?
Application
to Christians:
1) if it wasn't for the grace of God, your heart would be like this roadway soil-- be thankful!
- the credit goes to God. He gave you a new heart so you could receive the Word ant he devil wouldn't be able to take the Word away
2) cultivate and prepare your heart to receive the Word of God
- are you living in sin? are you filling your mind with the filth of the world? Then, you are not cultivating your heart!
"Don't let my heart grow cold. I'm calling out, light the fire again"
to non-Christians:
1) consider how dangerous it is to have a roadway heart, a heart that is hardened and unable to cultivate fruit
- you need to have a new heart and only God can give that heart to you. you cannot give it to yourself
2) the devil is more interested in the Word of God than you are
- the devil doesn't have the same kind of nonchalant attitude you have towards the Word of God
- even he sees that the Word of God ha power. this is why he tries to steal it away
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