3 Reasons Why It Is Hard To Listen At Church
Text: Luke 8:4-15
In the
name of Jesus: Amen.
It has
been stated before that there are 37 million churches in the world; however,
there are only four types of people who sit in the pews. That is to say, from pulpits around the world,
the Word of God is preached, like a farmer who casts seeds onto the soil. But once it is preached, it goes into the
ears of four different types of soil – four different types of people.
The
first type of person comes quite regularly to church and sits in the pew, often
in the back of the sanctuary. As they
sit down, they let out a big sigh while rolling their eyes as they look at the
length of the bulletin. Keep in mind, they
are often at church only because they have to be. Maybe they are pressured to be at church by
their spouse, children, or parents.
Regardless of why they are in the church, the fact remains that they are
apathetic and cold. They do not want to be
in the church. It isn’t that it is hard
to sit in a padded pew for an hour, for these individuals will sit on a hard
bleacher in a gymnasium to watch a basketball game for three hours while eating stale popcorn. The point
being, they are disinterested and unconcerned.
So, when the pastor gets in the pulpit, they immediately look to their
watch to see how long they have to endure the sermon. And the sermon? If it hits a little too close to home, they
turn their noses up and cross their arms with disgust. However, they are careful not to make their
protest too obvious to draw attention to themselves. As a result of their
apathy, neglect, and disinterest, the Word of God goes in one ear and out the
other. They hear it, but their hearing amounts to nothing because the Word bounces
right off of their apathetic heart, and falls out their ear onto the
floor.
Satan
loves these kinds of people, for they make his job very easy. Once the Word
goes in one ear and out the other, Satan can quickly come along and snatch the
Word up so that they might not have faith and might not be saved.
Is Jesus
describing you? Are you like hard apathetic
soil where the seed does not take root?
Are the birds circling your head waiting to devour the rejected seed
falling out of your ears? If so, beware! If you have ears today, are you listening?
Are you really listening, or is the Word being snatched up by the Devil?
The
second type of person comes to church sporadically. They typically attend during the high points
of the church season, such as Christmas and Easter. Unlike the previous people, they are a bit
more energetic and attentive. That is to say, they will hear the Word of God
and hear it with joy. The Word will not
go in one ear and out the other with these individuals. They will hear it with enthusiasm and
excitement; however, once they leave the church an encounter the struggles of
the Christian life, they quickly throw the towel in. For them, Christianity is
a shallow covering. They like the idea of being a Christian and coming to
church to hear the Word. They love being
moved to joy, as well as emotional tears. But as soon as the excitement and
emotional high wear off, they do not hold on to the Word. And so, for a time, they abandoned the church
- that is until they hear about an exciting new church down the street. Driven
by the need to be quickly excited and entertained, these individuals will rush
with wild enthusiasm to the new church down the street to try and obtain a
superficial emotion… that is until the battle comes again.
Dear
friends, the world loves these kinds of people, for they are easily
influenced. They are easily manipulated
because they are driven by pure emotion and enthusiasm, and not the Word of
God.
Now, is
Jesus describing you? Are you like shallow soil that does not allow the Word to
go very deep? Are you driven by your
emotions resulting in a very shallow superficial faith that will not withstand
the troubles and temptations of life? In
moments of trouble is the Word of God so shallow in you that you are tempted to
leave the Word – to flake out? If so,
beware! If you have ears today, are you
listening? Are you really listening?
Jesus
describes a third person from our Gospel reading. The third type of person comes to church and
hears the Word. Yes, they sit in the
pews and hear the Word – they receive it.
The Word finds a place in their hearts and minds. However, what happens with these individuals
is that the Word is slowly and subtly choked out of their life. This does not happen right away, but
gradually. That is to say, very gradually, the love of money and the
deceitfulness of life’s pleasures creep into their hearts and minds. For example, it sounds like this, “We need to skip church because of an
entertaining event that goes late on Saturday night. Sunday is too early! It is only one time.” The following weekend, work calls. And so, to impress the boss and get a little
extra money in the wallet, church is skipped again. And the week after that? Well, vacation is calling. So, church will have to wait again. Now, without even realizing it, months pass
by and the pleasures of the world have taken possession of the mind so that the
spark of faith is extinguished without even realizing it. It isn’t that these individuals set out to
starve their faith. It isn’t as if they intend to choke out the Word of God by
the pleasures and riches of life. But instead, they are gradually and deceitfully
seduced away from the Word of God, to the point that the Word becomes squished
out of their lives – their faith is choked, leaving them with no faith at
all.
Dear
friends, the sinful old Adam loves to play this game. The sinful old Adam loves
to gradually deceive us into worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having
fun, so that the spark of faith is extinguished.
Is
Jesus describing you? Are you like weedy soil that chokes out the Word of God? Are you tempted to let the pleasures of the
world act like weeds that crush out the Word of God? Are you even aware of this seductive gradual
threat to your faith? Dear friend, be
alert! If you have ears today, are you
listening? Are you really listening?
Dear
Baptized Saints, the fact of the matter is this: all three of these different
soil conditions describe you and me at different times in our life. While it
might be easy to apply these different kinds of soil types to other people, it actually
describes how the devil, the world, and our sinful nature attempt to keep you
and me from hearing and retaining the Word of God.
So,
since this is the case, what shall we do to not go the way of these three
different types of soil? What shall we
do to not be hard soil, shallow soil, or weedy soil? Well, it is quite simple -
Repent! Yes, God have mercy on you and
me for the times that we are hard-hearted, shallow, and infected with the weeds
of sin. Repent!
Dear
Baptized Saints, repent but also hear this most profound news of the Gospel –
the Gospel that is 100% for you. The
Lord does not look for good soil to fall into, but rather, He creates good soil
for the Word of God to be planted into. What this means is that no matter how
rocky, shallow, and weedy you are today, Jesus chooses to cast the seed of the
Gospel into your ears today. You, who have ears, hear:
Jesus redeemed you, a lost and
condemned person, purchased and won you from all sins, from death, and from the
power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood
and with His innocent suffering and death, that you might be His own. He did this for you!
And
so, God through the power of the Holy Spirit, not only casts the seed of the
Gospel into your ears this day but continually creates a new heart within you
as you hear the Word. He gives us
sinners ears to hear.
But
keep in mind that God does not just cast the seed of the Gospel into your ears
one time and then abandon you. Heaven’s
no! God – the Holy Spirit – has called
and gathered you and me, placed us in this Christian church, and promises to
keep us with Jesus Christ. And as we are
kept in the one true faith in Christ’s Church, we are daily and richly forgiven
of all of our sins. From the church, the
seed of the Gospel is generously cast into our ears, minds, and hearts week
after week after week, despite the attempts of the devil. From Christ’s church, you are reminded of your
baptism, despite the scorching trials of life.
From Christ’s church, you are given the body and blood of Jesus so that your
faith may be strengthened, despite the thorns and weeds of the world. From Christ’s church, you are made into
hearers and receivers of God’s gifts until the Last Day when we are raised from
the dead and given eternal life.
Baptized
Saints, the Word comes forth from this church, from the liturgy, from this
pulpit, and from this Holy Table, so that you may embrace and ever hold fast to
the blessed hope of everlasting life that Jesus has given to you!
You,
who have ears, you have heard and received the seed of the Gospel today. You, who have ears, continue to hear the Word
of God, holding it with steadfast faith.
Never stop hearing because the Lord never stops casting the seed of the
Gospel into your ears. The Gospel is
meant to be heard by you! It is meant to
grant you forgiveness, life, and salvation.
You,
who have ears, hear!
In the
name of Jesus. Amen.
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