3 things we need to do when we hear God's Word

 

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I heard about the Parable of the Sower when I was a kid and immediately without knowing what it means, I told myself I wanted to be the seed in the good soil. This parable is mentioned in all 3 synoptic gospels and interestingly one of the very few parable that Jesus go into length to explain what the parable means.  This parable is about learning God’s Word and its possible outcome.

Today, I am going to look into the seed that is in the good soil. The explanation for this in Matthew Mark and Luke are:

^{Matthew 13:23} And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

^{Mark 4:20} And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

^{Luke 8:15} But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.

If you look at the explanation they are not exactly the same.  One common theme is that after learning God’s Word, we are to bear fruit thirty, sixty and hundredfold.  When we examine the 3 verses, there are 3 different reactions to hearing God’s Word and they are:

1. Understand
2. Accept
3. Hold fast

These 3 reactions are different but related. It describe the entire process or outcome. I am going to go into this in more detail but the entire process is that we need to understand God’s Word, accept God’s Word and then hold fast to God’s Word with perseverance.

I have been using this principle when I teach Sunday school. First of all, I have to follow these 3 steps and then my goal is for the students to follow these 3 steps. 

First step - Understand

Sunday preaching, Sunday school, radio programs and Bible study are the usually place that we hear God’s Word. One of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to help us understand God’s Word. We need to also pray for ourselves consistently so that we will be able to understand God’s Word.

Inductive Bible Study is a good way to understand the Bible.

This is why it is very important for Sunday School teachers to use illustrations to explain the Bible verse during the lesson. It will be even better after the illustration, if we can use real life example to show if we fail to do what the Bible teaches us or examples of how we can achieve what the Bible teaches us to do.

 

Second step - Accept

To accept is not just to agree with what the Bible said.  We also need to live it out in our daily life especially when there is no other people is around you.  

If we can live out what the Bible teaches us even when there is no other people that is around, we are truly living out God's standard.  I often ask my kids "We do not go over the speed limit even if there is no police (or we think) is around?".  On a business trip when when we are along in the hotel room, do we visit web site that we will not when we are at home or when others are around us?

 

Third step - Hold fast

The Book of Luke has the most detail in the explanation of what it means by seed in the good soil.  We are to hear/receive God's Word with a honest and good heart.  Honest and good heart in Chinese is 誠 實 善 良 的 心 but it is used to describe how we are to hold fast instead of to hear/receive with a 誠 實 善 良 的 心.  After we understand and accept God's Word the most important and difficult part is to hold fast with perseverance.  We need to hold fast until the end and we are to bear fruit with perseverance.  This is something that really takes faith and love to hold fast on God's Word.
  
Do you also wanted to be the good soil such that when you hear God's Word, you will understand, accept and hold fast until end and to bear fruit with perseverance?