Good Soil: The Heart That Receives God’s Word (Outline + Full-Text)

Outline

The Bible* is NOT the Words of Men, but is the WORD OF GOD

• Compare Hebrews 3:7 with 4:7 – Quoting Psalm 95:7. Though David wrote (4:7), the words are recognized as those of the Holy Spirit (3:7)
  • Human writers wrote the Scriptures, but it is God’s Word.
• Jesus Treats the Bible as the Authoritative Word of God
  • Matthew 19:4-5 – Jesus attributes the written Scriptures as God’s speaking (Genesis 2:24 is labeled as God’s voice, though it is text written by the author of Genesis)
  • Matthew 22:29-32 – Jesus treats Exodus 3:6,15 as if God were speaking it to his contemporaries, though the event happened roughly 1,500 years previous. 
  • John 10:35 – Jesus believes the Old Testament Scriptures were God’s words and perfect: “the Scripture cannot be broken”
  • John 14:26 – Jesus endorses the accounts that would be written about his ministry (i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) as coming from the Holy Spirit: “the Holy Spirit…will…bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
  • John 16:12-13 – Jesus implies endorsement of the rest of the New Testament teachings – revealed after His ministry ended – as coming from the Holy Spirit and authoritatively His words.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:13 – The message taught by the apostles (who wrote the New Testament) is the word of God, not the word of men.
• If the Bible is the authoritative word of God, it must be the standard by which we measure truth.
  • If a teacher teaches something contrary to the word of God, his teaching is false.

Receiving God’s Word

• Mark 4:1-20 – Parable of the Sower
  • Mark 4:13 – The message of THIS parable is foundational to Jesus’ teachings
  • Mark 4:10-12 – Jesus speaks in parables to test people’s hearts
    • He won’t reveal his words to those who have hard hearts
    • The disciples had revelation of Jesus’ word because they had hearts to seek it out (Mark 4:10)
  • 4 soils/environments = 4 kinds of hearts (see Luke 8:12)
  • 1 seed = Word of God (Luke 8:11), sown in 4 different hearts
    • 1 out of 4 were successful (25% success rate)
  • Application: If our hearts are not in the right place when we hear God’s word, it will not produce the results God desires
    • We must be willing to be corrected by the Word and correct others by the Word.
• Matthew 7:24-27 – must hear and do
  • 2 houses: 1 successful, 1 unsuccessful
    • Both heard the word, only 1 acted on what they heard.
    • Must do what we hear with God’s Word.

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*Our use of “Bible” is limited exclusively to the 66 books in the Protestant Canon of Scripture.  

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Full-Text

I want to start with the basis of what I think needs to be said before we even do any Bible study. I want to show you something. Go to Hebrews Chapter 4:7. There is a certain thing that is revealed here, in this passage in Hebrews. Hebrews Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 really go together. There’s one flowing thought by the writer of Hebrews. In Hebrews 4:7, he says this: “Again He (that would be God) designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” Don’t worry about the context for now, here’s all I want to show with this. Where is he quoting from? Does anyone see that in their Bible? Psalms. What Psalm? 95:7-8. Okay, got it, he’s quoting from Psalm 95:7-8. And who does he say that is speaking this Psalm? Again He designates a certain day, saying in…and Gabe said David. David speaks this Psalm. So believe me there are human writers who wrote down the Scriptures. As we are going to look at. There are 66 books and just like David wrote the Psalms. However, that’s not the end of the story. Please turn to exactly a chapter earlier Hebrews Chapter 3:7. Okay, it says, “Therefore, as David says – is that what it says? – NO! It says, “As the Holy Spirit says today if you will hear his voice.” Do you see that he is quoting from the exact same verse? The exact same verse in your Bible, it should say Psalm 95:7. In Hebrews Chapter 4 it says that David wrote it, but here who wrote it or who spoke it? The Holy Spirit spoke it. So this is where I’m coming from I guess when we quote the Scriptures. I do not think its just David writing. We talked earlier about that a little bit that some have said well this is the voices of humans that said it. Some church websites. In one sense it is the voice of David in the other sense it is the voice of the Holy Spirit.

So now, here’s the other thing I’ve heard other people say this that maybe that is just the writer of Hebrews. So now here is the other thing. I have heard people make this statement, “I don’t think this is written really inspired by God.  I don’t trust a lot of the words of the Bible, I trust some but not all, but I do trust Jesus.” So people say, they think there is a difference between trusting or not trusting these writers and trusting Jesus.” Well let me show you something. Does Jesus deal with Scriptures in this way? Well, Lets check it out. Go to Matthew Chapter 19. You have to look at this very carefully, at what He says here. This is Jesus writing. If you have a bible with red letter edition you should see the red lettering. Matthew 19:4 and 5 “And He (Jesus) answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?” Okay, so let’s stop and look at what Jesus says. He who made them at the beginning, who is that? God. (And it should be capitalized in all your Bibles. It probably is.) He who made them at the beginning. Verse 5 and said for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother. So who is Jesus saying said that quote in verse 5? The creator, whoever the creator is – of course its God. It says God created and God spoke. What did He speak? “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife.” Where is he quoting from? Genesis 2:24. Hold your place there and go to Genesis 2:24. If you just glance at it you would miss this. Look at this Genesis chapter 2:24. And do you have quotes around that in Genesis 2:24? –NO, why not? Because this is whoever wrote Genesis wrote this. That’s what he wrote. The writer of Genesis wrote “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh.” Whoever it was, according to the Bible it was Moses. Moses wrote that. Do you see what Jesus says though? Moses wrote it but in Matthew 19 who does He say speaks it? Who? He does not say Moses, does he?  He says God does. God speaks what Moses wrote. You see how he treats Scripture, even though Moses wrote it, it’s still God’s word.

One more place on this before we go on. Matthew 22:29. Let’s see how Jesus treats Scripture again here. Matthew 22:29 and on…He says this: “Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of god in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” Where is he quoting from? Do you see it? Jesus is quoting from Exodus 3:6. Maybe you remember the story of when God reveals himself to Moses in the burning bush? He quotes that. When did Moses write? Does anyone here know what year about approximately? About 1500 years before Christ is when Moses lived and wrote. Moses wrote it that long ago. But look at what he says in verse 31. Have you not read what was spoken way back then to those people? That’s not what he says is it. Have you not read what was spoken to who? YOU who live here 1500 years later. Spoken by Moses? By GOD!! (Not by Moses, by GOD!) You see how Jesus treats Scripture. So please don’t try to say I go with what Jesus says but I don’t go with what the Bible says because Jesus says no, what I say is, that all the Scriptures, and he makes a very clear point he says Old Testament whatever has been written has been perfect. John 10 he says that. He also says, he doesn’t stop there, he says in John 14 he says whatever I have spoken to you will come back to your remembrance because the Holy Spirit will remind you. That would be the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Holy Spirit reminds. So we were talking earlier about these scholars that said that the gospel cannot be trusted. Then Jesus cannot be trusted because he said whatever the Holy Spirit says will go. So what were showing is that Jesus spoke in John 10 saying that all the Old Testament is from God. In John 14 –he says what I speak, these gospels, the Holy Spirit will remind you. And In John 16 – you can’t bear everything I say right now and the Holy Spirit will show you even more. And guess how he revealed more? Through Paul, through John in Revelation. Through other things. Who appeared to Paul? – Jesus, and He said you’re going to have revelations and write what I show you. Who appeared to John? Jesus. So Jesus gives his testimony behind the Old and New Testament. He says all of it is true.

And the final summing up of what I’m trying to show can be best shown in 1 Thessalonians 2:13. Paul is writing this. And here is what he says: “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing.” So why is he so thankful to God? Because when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, so they were telling them about what the Scriptures say and you heard it from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which also effectively works in you who believe.” He makes a very clear statement. Though men wrote it is not the word of men. It’s the word of God. It’s as those Jesus himself is speaking whatever you read in the Scriptures – old and new. And how do you receive the blessing of Jesus speaking it? Look at the last part – It works effectively in you who believe. So, there is a receiving of it. I wanted to say all that because if were going to really teach the Bible and go into it and what I think God has put on my heart and the hearts of other people to really go deeper into it there has to be that common knowledge. I’m assuming and maybe, God forgive me if I’m wrong but I’m assuming that were coming with the mentality that this is not the words of men but this is truly the authority of the Scriptures, in such a way that if I speak something to you and it does not line up with something in the Word throw out what I said and correct me because it’s wrong. There is no authority in me, there is no authority in man. There is authority in the Word of God. So with that being said I hope to teach you authoritatively. Why? Not because I have some authority in me but because I hope to teach you what the scriptures truly teach correctly. Alright?

So to build on that go to Mark 4:1.“And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Okay, so he speaks in this parable. Now here is what happens. Privately, the disciples come in verse 10. But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.’

Okay, this says a lot here. That last part here especially may direct your question.

How did Jesus speak to the crowds? In parables. Why would he speak in parables? Why not make it so easy and plain and simple? Kind of like the question why is the Bible so stinking hard to understand sometimes? He has a definite reason. Look at that. His reason is in verses 11 and 12. He speaks in parables to test where people’s hearts are really at. He says, I know some people who have already rejected me in there heart. So I’m not going to reveal the truth to them because they don’t want the truth. There going to abuse the truth. It’s like giving a pearl. He says; don’t give your pearl before swine. There just going to take it and mess it up because there heart is not ready for it. He says, so I make it on purpose that I speak in parables. But who does he reveal it to? The disciples, those who come and ask him more because there hearts are ready to receive. Those who have their hearts ready to receive will receive and have clarity and understanding in the Bible and what Jesus is speaking in this parable.

Not only that, look at the first parable he teaches. The parable of the sower. Verse 13. Jesus said to them “Do you not understand this parable, how then will you understand all the parables?” According to Jesus the parable of the sower is the beginning point of understanding his message, his parables.  He says if you cannot understand this then you will not understand anything, you will not understand any of His parables. What is he teaching in this parable? How many different soils do you have first off? Four different soils, or four different environments with the soil. How many different seeds do you have that go into the soils? – ONE seed. What does the seed represent? The Word of God. Luke 8:18 says it exactly. Here we see He just says it outright Verse 14: “The sower sows the Word.” People ask, you were saying the Catholics, We have the same Bible, why do they take it and do this and do this and do this. According to the Lord himself he says you may have the same Good Word, you may have the excellent sower. You know who the first sower of this word was? Jesus himself. He is the one who sows liberally. But how many were successful? How many received it and had fruit out of four? One. So you have 25% success rate. Some people say he is wasting his seed. That’s the way of the Lord. He is liberal, He just gives gives gives gives. Even though he knows it’s going to be wasted sometimes.

Now, I bring this up on purpose. Because in these studies I do pray to the Lord that I’m delivering the Word faithfully. But even with that said we may have so many different results in lives. And He says this is the first thing that measures results. Where is your heart at? Are you willing to receive what is spoken? Even if it disagrees with something you’ve believed before, even if it disagrees with something your pastors have taught you, even if it disagrees with something your parents have taught you there whole lives, even if it disagrees with your own feelings all those things, are you willing to receive it if it’s the Word? Now if it’s not the Word am I willing to receive your correction is the next question. Okay. Either way the Word needs to be sown, the true Word and the hearts receive it.

In building on this, there is one more thing I was going to show you. Matthew Chapter 7 verse 24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on the house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” It talks about two types of people. Which type of them heard the word? Which ones? Both heard the word. How many were successful. One. This time its a little better than the sower. 50 percent, the sower was 25 percent.  50 percent success rate. What did the ones who were successful do? They acted on that. They did and they did according to the Word and their foundation grew. You see what happens. The other one had a foundation and who knows how long that foundation lasted before the storm came. That foundation may have lasted for decades. That would be pretty nice to not have a storm for decades but who knows. It lasted for that long. But every single person here I can guarantee is going to have a storm that will shake your foundation. And it will reveal how much you have received of the Word, truly the Word not a tainted picture of the Word and what you have done with it and how your heart has grabbed it. So I guess in saying this to set way for building a solid sturdy house upon the Scriptures and what I want to teach God willing throughout these studies here is that there is amazing things I think but it could have completely different results. I’m gong to teach it I hope to the best of my abilities and be faithful to what God has put on my heart to you guys. But that doesn’t mean it is done. If you just receive it, or if your heart isn’t ready to receive it, it will not have the fruit that you are expecting and there will be a great disappointment in your life and in my life. Because I’ll say, “Man, Didn’t we talk about all this stuff, what happened?” So that I make the way though that you would pray and that we would pray and that we would have God search our hearts out to see if we are in the right place to receive the word. That’s where I think we need to stop today, so we have maybe a week to pray and to say is our heart ready to receive what God wants to teach in the Word?