Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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The Parable of the Sower \\ Matthew 13:1-8, 18-23 \\ Pastor Steve Spence \\ Jan. 18, 2009 \\ \\ Introduction:
I've worked in a factory for some 30 years now.
I see people in the workplace every day.
I see that not very many people
are really living productive spiritual lives.
Everywhere I look I find people who have been exposed to the Bible
and its teachings, but their lives have not been changed by it.
*Many have begun well* in the Christian life
but for one reason or another they have failed to mature in the faith.
Their growth has been stunted.
\\ \\
*AN OLD INDIAN STORY*
* *
There's an old American Indian tale that tells the story of a chief who was sharing with a group of young braves
he was talking about *the struggle within*.
“It is like two dogs fighting inside of us,” the chief said.
“There's one good dog who wants to do the right
and there's another dog who always wants to do the wrong.
Sometimes the good dog seems stronger and is winning the fight.
And sometimes the bad dog is stronger and wrong is winning the fight.”
There was a pause and then one of the braves asked \\ “Who is going to win in the end?” \\ The chief answered, ........... “The one you feed.”
*Too many of us in the church have been feeding the wrong dog.
*
When we feed the dog of worldly desires
he grows into a ferocious beast that controls and ruins our lives.
\\ \\
*Jesus told a parable* that explains to us
why it is that so many people
who have been exposed to the Word of God
don't live productive spiritual lives.
In this parable Jesus compares our lives or actually our hearts
to various types of ground on which seed has been sown.
From this parable we see that the conditions must be just right
for God’s Word to produce a harvest in our lives
We must cultivate our hearts
so that the right conditions are present in us.
\\ \\
\\ *How To Cultivate Your Heart For A Spiritual Harvest \\ \\ *
Do you want a spiritual harvest?
Do you really want to grow spiritually?
Well here's how you do it.
\\ *1.
YOU NEED TO PLOW THE SOIL.
(13:3-4, 18-19)*
* *
*THE PATH \\ *The first type of soil described in this parable is ‘the path’.
*Farmers had paths all throughout their fields*
and so it was inevitable that some of the seed being scattered
would fall on the paths.
*Paths are packed down hard*
because of all the people walking on them.
They become so hard that the seed being sown is unable to penetrate the soil and so they stay on top of the ground and become easy picking for hungry birds.
\\ Jesus is talking about people whose hearts are so hard
that the truth of His word cannot penetrate their lives.
Their hearts are so hard that they
*WILL NOT* even consider turning to God.
Just as a seed cannot grow unless it penetrates the ground
so the seed of God’s word cannot grow unless it can penetrate the heart.
\\ Farmers can remedy this problem in their fields by plowing them.
The plow breaks up the hardened ground
so that when the farmer plants the seeds,
they will be able penetrate the soil.
*Just like those farmers some of us need to *
*plow the soil of our hearts*
so that God’s word can get in.
We need to prepare our hearts to receive the word of God.
\\ \\
In *1 Peter 1:13* we are told that we need to *“prepare **our** minds”*.
If you are going to get anything out of coming to church on Sundays
you've got to prepare your heart and mind
before you come to the service.
Just like the farmer must prepare his soil before sowing the seed.
*Here are some practical things that we can do to prepare ourselves for church.
*
*First*, get a good night's sleep.
You’re not going to learn anything if you are too tired to stay awake.
Saturday night is not the night to stay up late watching movies
or playing games or anything else.
It is a night to get to bed early
so that you can come to church well rested
and so that you can give God your best.
Typically Americans get one or two hours less sleep than they need
in order to function at their ideal level.
If you haven’t been getting anything out of church lately
maybe it's because you haven’t been getting to bed early enough.
* *
*Second*, ask God to open your hearts and give you understanding.
You need to get to bed early on Saturday night
so that you can get up early on Sunday morning
and spend time with God before coming to church.
It is His word that is preached and taught in our Sunday School
and so just maybe you should think about asking Him
to help you understand it.
* *
*Third*, seek to learn how it applies to your life and not the person sitting next to you.
Anytime you're walking away from a service and think,
“That was great.
I hope so and so was listening because they really needed that” .
Anytime you walk away from a service thinking something like that, you have missed the entire point.
The point of going to church is to hear from God personally.
\\ \\
If you’re taking a look at your life this morning
and you’re realizing that you haven’t been growing spiritually
maybe it’s because you have been hardening your heart
to what God has been trying to teach you.
Just like the farmer and the path,
God has been sowing seeds
but your heart has been too hard to receive them.
It’s time to let God plow the soil of your heart today.
As you can well imagine, plowing is not always a pleasant experience.
God needs to break up the hardness in your heart and it might hurt a little, but the results are well worth it.
\\ \\
* *
*2.
YOU NEED TO PUT DOWN ROOTS.
(13:5-6, 20-21) \\ \\ *
The next type of soil that Jesus speaks of is rocky.
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