Hear God’s Word in a way that actually saves

Sermon for Sexagesima

2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9  +  Luke 8:4-15

Sometimes I’ll begin a sermon by asking you why you’re here, to get you thinking about it, thinking about why you set aside this time on a Sunday morning to come to Emmanuel (or to tune in to this service online). There are bad and silly reasons to come to church; there are several good reasons to choose from, too. But I hope that one of the main reasons you would give is this: I’ve come to hear God’s Word! Simple! Straightforward! A good answer! Faith comes by hearing! You know that! Sadly, I think fewer and fewer people who identify as Christians would even give that answer anymore, and even more sadly, even if they went to church to hear God’s Word, chances are they wouldn’t hear much of it during a typical service. Such is the state of the external Christian church.

But I’m confident that you, who have been instructed and trained in the Christian faith, would confess that, yes, you’ve come to hear God’s Word. Now, if that’s the case, then hear what Jesus teaches you today about hearing. Hear His warning in the parable of the sower and the seed, that hearing His Word is essential, but that hearing is not enough. You have to hear the Word of God in a way that actually produces fruit. You have to hear in a way that actually saves.

Now, in the parable, which Jesus explains to His disciples who asked Him the meaning, the seed is the Word of God as it is preached. So, first, understand, God doesn’t plant the seed of His Word by dropping Bibles down upon the world. The written Word in the Bible is essential and God-given and our only source of doctrine and our most reliable source of the knowledge of God. But God plants His Word by sending preachers to speak it. To speak it broadly, to toss it out into the world and a sower tosses seed from his pouch. For there to be a harvest, the seed has to be sown. For souls to be saved, the Word of God has to be preached, and people have to hear it.

Let’s make sure right from the beginning that we understand what the “Word of God” is. In one sense, it’s everything in the Bible. But the Word of God that is preached, that lands in the ears of men, and that has the power to create faith and produce fruit is the message of who God is, what He requires of us, and what He has done for us and has promised to do for us. It’s the message of sin and grace, Law and Gospel, the threat of judgment, the call to repentance, and the promise of forgiveness and help through Christ Jesus. It’s the message of the cross. It’s the preacher, sent from God, applying the message of sin and grace to individuals. That is the Word of God that has to be preached, and that people have to hear.

But the Lord describes four kinds of hearing in our Gospel, and three out of four don’t result in a harvest. Three out of four don’t result in salvation for the hearer, not for any defect or ineffectiveness in the seed, but for the condition in which the Word of God is heard. In all three of those cases that don’t result in salvation, there is a common thread: The seeds hits the ground, but it doesn’t take root, and three different reasons are given for that.

The first reason, the first obstacle to the seed taking root and producing a plant that produces fruit, is represented by the seed that fell along the walking path. It never penetrates into the ground. Instead, it sits on top and is either trampled by men or plucked away by the birds. Those along the path are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

This is hearing without listening. Hearing without considering, without pondering, without learning. It’s showing up to church and then letting your mind wander to other things. This is also what happens when people hear God’s Word but then they let fallible men, along with the devil himself, come along and trample it and pluck it away. “You can’t believe that Bible stuff! Believe in science! Believe in reason! Fall in line with the rest of the world, not with these religious nuts!” Also in this category would be those who hear God’s Word, not to learn, but to judge. This is how many of the Pharisees heard the word of Jesus, in order to catch Him in a trap, in order to find something to disagree with. Those who listen like that will never send down roots, will never grow, will never produce fruit, will never be saved.

The second obstacle to the seed taking root and producing a plant that produces fruit, is represented by the seed that fell on the rock. Those on the rock are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. But they have no root; they believe for a while, and in the time of temptation they fall away.

This is a very common form of hearing the Word of God, common among so many who identify as Christians. They hear the message of sin and of God’s grace in Christ, and it sounds good to them. But it’s all superficial. They are not concerned with growing in grace and in the knowledge of God, with deepening their faith, learning the doctrine of Christ, regularly hearing God’s Word and receiving His Sacraments. They go to church when they feel like it and don’t go when they don’t. They think of themselves as Christians, but they’re not even sure exactly what that means, and that’s okay with them, because, hey, they “believe in Jesus” and that’s enough. The problem is, it won’t be enough, Jesus says, when temptation comes along, or persecution, or the troubles that come with faithfulness to the Word of God. You cannot survive as a believing Christian without being firmly rooted in the Word of God and in the Christian faith. If you remain a superficial believer, you’re tempting God, which He commands people not to do. If you remain a superficial believer, you will fall away.

The third obstacle to the seed taking root and producing a plant that produces fruit, is represented by the seed that fell among the weeds. As for that which fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear and, as they go along, are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to maturity.

This, too, is a common way of hearing God’s Word. You hear it. You believe it. You even desire to grow in it. But as you go along, you let other things take priority, good things, like family and work, or bad things, like indulging in the sinful pleasures of this world. And hearing God’s Word becomes just one task among many, just one activity that has little or nothing to do with how you actually live the rest of your life. And faith is chocked. And love grows cold. And salvation itself is lost to the cares and riches and pleasures of this life.

Now, I want you to understand that Jesus doesn’t tell this parable in a fatalistic way. That is, when you hear God’s Word, you are not at the mercy of the devil. You are not bound to hear it in a bad way. As He kept crying out, Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear! The Spirit’s power is in those words! Jesus tells this parable and explains it to you have sought the meaning of it, so that, as you hear, you take it to heart and seek to avoid the obstacles that would prevent the Word of God taking root in you and growing into a mature and healthy Christian. That’s what it means for the seed to fall on good ground. But as for that which fell on the good ground, these are the ones who hear the word with a good and noble heart, hold fast to it, and bear fruit with patience.

So hear with a good and noble heart. Hear and pay attention to God’s Word, and watch out for  the lies of men and of the devil. Hear and make it your priority to study and learn and grow, so that you can withstand all the trials and temptations that will come at you from the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh. Hear and, instead of letting your earthly life drown out God’s Word, let God’s Word drown out the world. Watch out for the weeds, and if you notice them creeping in, get rid of them quickly.

Hear God’s Word in a way that actually saves. Hold fast to it, and bear fruit with patience, slow and steady, over the years, over the decades, over a lifetime, allowing God’s Word to form you into the image of Christ, letting the love of Christ spill over into your words and actions toward others. Pray for strength, for yourself and others. Make regular worship your priority, as you already have been doing. And when you think of coming to worship, don’t think about what you’re coming to do for God. Think of it as coming to the place, to the field, where God, through the preacher whom He has called, will scatter the seed of His Word into your ears and hearts. And let the people around you know why you go to church. Let them know that you go to hear God’s Word! And let that be true! And then, as always, invite them to go and hear it with you! Amen.