Beyond Words – Four Conditions of the Heart
2024-04-07
Pastor Jonathan Falwell
What’s the point of a parable? A parable is a story Jesus used to help illustrate a deeper spiritual truth. The word itself means to “cast alongside” meaning it is used to pair with an important element of the Christian’s journey to help us understand God’s intent.
Matthew 13:10-13 (NKJV) And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,And seeing you will see and not perceive
- This was not to indicate that some would never be able to understand God’s Word
- Rather, it is to explain how so many “choose” not to hear truth which is the point of the parable of the sower
Matthew 13:1-9 (NKJV) On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Four Conditions of the Heart
- The Hard Heart
Vs 4b… some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.
Jesus’ explanation:
Vs 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked onecomes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.
- This is the person who may hear with his ears but not their heart
- They have no intention of letting God’s Word, nor His Gospel, make a difference in their lives
- The Volatile Heart
Vs 5a Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth…
Jesus’ explanation:
Vs 20-21 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
- This is the person who hears the Word and may even take great interest in its truths, yet never takes the important step of acceptance and belief
- These are individuals who may even show up at church every week, captivated by the emotion of the Word and worship, but it never brings about change
- The Distracted Heart
Vs 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them
Jesus’ explanation:
Vs 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
- This is the person who hears the Word, accepts and believes, yet gets distracted by the things of the world
- While this person may very well be saved, they are missing out on the joy of their salvation
- The Tender Heart
Vs 8a But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop…
Jesus’ explanation:
Vs 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
- This is the person who is truly changed by the Gospel
The most important question anyone can ever ask themselves: Which of these four describe the condition of my heart?