Luke 8:4-18
4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”
When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,
“‘though seeing, they may not see;
though hearing, they may not understand.’
11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop.
16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

• The Parable’s Meaning:
  
  • Seed & Sower
  • Seed = word (v.11)
  • Soil = the heart of those who hear the word (v.12)
  • Types of Soil represents
    the condition of the heart (v.11)
    including attitudes and influences upon it
    that produce a response to the word,
    That is either favorable or unfavorable to God’s word
    Bc it is either receptive or unreceptive
    And either nurtures or stunts the impact the word has in our life
    
    • BOTTOM LINE: the response I have to the Word of God
      affects the impact that Word has on my life.

• Right Response Vs. Wrong Respond to the Word
  Mark. 4:20 - Jesus says:
  …those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

  • Reveal Answer
    is used multiple times in this parable across the gospels
    Greek: Dechomai
    …takeup/hold of with the hand,
    …To NOT REJECT
    …to GIVE ACCESS TO
    …To receive with hospitality into ones family
    …To Embrace
    …To LEARN

    • This is deeper than just

      Reveal Answer
      Reveal Answer
      (agreement/acceptance)!
      

      Luke 8:15
      15 But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing the word, cling to it with an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance.

    • Cling = katechow

      • = HOLD (same idea as receive)
        But it goes further
        = to hold firmly and securely
        = the idea being to hold on and NOT LET GO.
        = Steadfast endurance (v.15b)
        = to head or direct a ship
        
        • A right response to the word is to let it
          Reveal Answer
          us.
          

    • Col. 3:16 describes it like this:
      Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…

      • Dwell = GRK = ENOIKEOW
        = To Inhabit, to live inside, and influence,
        

    • Luke 8:8 …“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

      • It’s actually a play on words in both english and Greek
      • To gear with the ear
      • Also to be attentive to
        

    • James said it like this:
      James 1:21-25
      21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly receive the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. 22 But don’t just hear God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you hear the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 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.

      • God’s word is powerful. (v.21)(Heb. 4:12)
        And when you receive it well (v.21) (Also dechomai)

      • It yields fruit, first in salvation (v.21), but also in blessing (v.25)

      • But if you don’t respond to it rightly, and forget what you heard. it does not have the same effect on you!

      • The power of the word is not less
        It’s just left in

        Reveal Answer
        form in my life
        Instead of bearing fruit.
        Just Like a seed is unrealized potential!
        • Forget = Greek = to neglect, leave uncared for!
          

• Jesus’ Object Lesson on The Effects of How We Respond to the Word
  Luke 8:16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”