Hearing and Heeding God’s Word - Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
By David Woods
(Note: the outline I am using and much of the thoughts behind the questions come directly from the “Teaching Tips” on pages 57-58.)
For some time now I have been slowly reading through a book by Thom S. Rainer titled The Unchurched Next Door. Rainer and a team surveyed around 300 unchurched people to ascertain their receptivity to the Gospel and to the church.
From the survey, they developed what is called the Rainer scale. The unchurched are grouped into five different levels of receptivity.
The most closed to the Gospel was the U5 group. These people were highly antagonistic and even hostile to the gospel. Many Christians appear to think most non-Christians are part of this group, but Rainer and his team found this was not so. U5s only accounted for about 5% of the respondents to this survey. This would equate to approximately 8 million U5 Americans.
U4s were resistant to the gospel, but with no antagonistic attitude. These people were not really interested in hearing the claims of the Gospel, yet they were very careful to be tolerant of all beliefs, so tended not to want to offend those who believe in Jesus.
Amazingly, however, “among the U4s, the second most resistant unchurched group, 62 percent indicated that they were either very likely or somewhat likely to attend church if they were invited.” (p. 121)
U3s were in many ways a confusing group. U3 stands for those who are neutral, with no clear signs of being interested yet perhaps open to discussion. Many in this group tended to be headed toward either being more receptive or less receptive to the gospel.
U2s are receptive to the gospel and the church. U2s “are eager to study the Bible,” “desire to talk about eternal issues,” and “are frustrated with their understanding of a works salvation.” (p. 169)
Rainer found that “the parental connection is a great way to open conversations about spiritual things” and “taking about the unchurcheds’ negative church issues of the past can open the door to further conversations.”
Furthermore, “U2s want to be invited to church.” You may find this amazing, but U2s made up 27% of the respondents in this survey. That would mean there are 43 million U2s in America.
U1s are those who are highly receptive to hearing and believing the Good News. Listen to this quote from Rick M, a U1 from Maine. “Before this interview is over, will you tell me how I can become a Christian?” (p. 173)
This group of people accounted for about 11% of the respondents in this survey - or 17 million Americans who are just “that close” to accepting the Gospel.
The thrust of this lesson today really is not how to reach the unchurched. Instead, I want us to talk about receptivity to God’s Word in general - and I hope that we will examine our own receptivity to God’s Word.
I have shared these comments from this book to challenge you to realize that more people than you realize are truly receptive to the Gospel.
But I also hope this opens your eyes to the fact that people really are in different stages of receptivity to the Gospel. We need to challenge people to become “good soil”, which will produce a bountiful harvest of spiritual fruit for God.
The writer of the lesson comments notes that there were two main ways that farmers sowed seed when Jesus lived on the earth.
One way was to hang a bag of seed over one’s shoulder, then to grab a handful of seed with the other hand and “broadcast” the seed with a sweeping motion.
The other way some planted seed was to tear a hole in the bag and put in on the back of their mule. They would then lead the mule through the field, the seed spilling out all the while.
It is easy to see how using either method could easily allow seed to be spread not only on the rich, fertile fields, but also on the paths, stony ground, etc.
In the comments on verse four, our lesson describes the fields as long, narrow, rectangular strips that were farmed, separated by paths used to get to the fields.
These paths are what Jesus referred to as the way side. Jesus used this type of soil to picture the inattentive heart. Seed sown on the path never took root and birds came and ate it.
1. The Inattentive Heart, vv. 4, 19.
Discussion: What are some of the things that hardens one’s heart toward spiritual things?
Discussion: What are some of the ways Satan snatches away the truth from hearers of the Word?
The prophet Jeremiah preached to people whose hearts were very hardened against God. Listen to God’s remedy for these people’s lack of spiritual receptivity.
Read Jeremiah 4:3
Discussion: What does it mean break up the fallow ground? What practical steps should we take to become more receptive to God’s Word?
(Acknowledge any apathy toward God’s Word that might exist, determine to really study God’s Word to understand what it is saying, rather than what we think it is saying or want it to say, acknowledge and repent of any sinfulness in one’s life, etc. Ref. Hosea 10:12)
Our lesson comments that the second type of soil, the stony places, “describes the areas where a thin film of earth covered a limestone shelf.” (p. 54) Seed that fell on this rocky ground sprung to life quickly, then withered away just as quickly.
2. The Impulsive Heart, vv. 5-6, 20-21.
Discussion: What are some of the factors that results in an “impulsive heart” - that leads a person to make a decision for Christ quickly but fail to follow through on this commitment?
(It could be this person is naturally impulsive and or emotional and thus spiritual decisions are made the way any other decision is made; this person may be an extreme people-pleaser and feels pressured into making a decision; this person may be pressured by an emotional altar call or other type of spiritual appeal, etc.)
Read the 3rd and 4th paragraphs of the “Doctrinal Discussion” on page 56.
Discussion: What are some ways we can avoid pressuring people into making impulsive, insincere commitments to God?
Discussion: What are some of the questions should we ask ourselves before making commitments to Christ?
(Is Christ really asking this of us? Am I really willing to pay the price? Why am I making this commitment to God?)
The third type of soil Jesus pictured in this parable is that of thorny ground. The weeds choked this seed and it struggles to survive. It may even die.
3. The Indulgent Heart, vv. 7, 22.
List: What are the things that threaten to choke our spiritual lives?
Discussion: Of these things we have listed, some may be very good, wholesome activities or pursuits? Are they really thorns or weeds? Why?
Discussion: What can we do to keep these weeds from choking out our spiritual life? How can our church help its members better discern the weeds that threaten their spiritual life?
The fourth type of soil is the kind of heart we should strive to have at all times. That is good, fertile soil that readily produces a crop.
4. The Receptive Heart, vv. 8, 23.
This parable is an analogy of spiritual things. Let us get away from the analogy a little bit now.
Discussion: What does it mean, practically, to have a receptive heart?
(Is this noted by the time one spends with God’s Word, the intensity with which one studies the Word, the lack of competing priorities, etc? Or does it refer to how one responds to what God’s Word says? Or to all of the above?)
Discussion: Why does some good ground produce a hundredfold, while other ground produces sixtyfold or only thirtyfold? What might this teach us about spiritual things?
(I would suggest that this teaches us that the point of being receptive hearers of God’s Word is not to compare one’s spiritual fruit with the next person; rather, the point is to simply be spiritually fruitful.)
Big Idea:Our responsiveness determines the effect of God's Word on our lives.
Reflection: Prayerfully examine the responsiveness of your heart to God’s Word.