Open Your Heart

It is vital that our hearts are open and receptive to the Word of God. The parable of the sower is not about the sower, but about the four types of people who hear the word. We can be those who hear but are not willing to receive, or those who let it take root but not to the foundation of our lives, so that when persecution comes our faith is broken, or those who hear but are too taken with the worldly pleasures to really listen and obey God; or we can be those who have open hearts and willing ears, who hear the word and act on it. God had given us freedom, to remain in that freedom we must continue in His word.

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There’s one theme that I want to talk about, which is to do with freedom and what we do with it. I’m going to a parable, maybe in a different way to how you have looked at it before. During this month, I’m going to be looking at a different parable each evening.

Jesus came back to this small place called Nazareth first after being baptized.

Luke 4:16-21

That was quite a dramatic moment because, for the first time, Jesus proclaimed why He had come. Part of that proclamation was that He was going to set at liberty them that are bruised. So if you are Christian, you have been set free from the power of sin inside to make choices that please Him. Jesus has come inside you to give you the power to live right. He said what He said, He then sat down and said that this day that scripture was fulfilled.

We have freedom as to how we respond to the word. It is that use of freedom that I want to focus on now. This next scripture is a few years later when Jesus had been preaching and performing miracles in the synagogues and to the people at large:

John 8:30-32

There’s the sense that freedom is continuing in God’s word. A little later He says:

John 8:36-37

Freedom is to do with how we respond to God’s word. We have the freedom to create how we are going to hear it. It is important how we hear it. Now this is the parable itself:

Matthew 13:1-9

This parable is to do with your use of God given freedom because your freedom allows you to be one of four types of people, so that when you come to listen to preaching, your freedom has determined the soil that’s in your heart. You have made the choice, even as you came in this morning, to either hear or not hear. This parable is often referred to the parable of the sower, but really it’s the parable of the person who got it right in the way he heard God’s word. It is vital that you and I are open to what God wants to speak to us in His word. The principle is that we have ears to hear. That is why Jesus told them that they had ‘ears to hear’. Are the words sinking in, or do they just bounce off you?

Matthew 13:10-12

In other words, the more you hear this word, it compounds good unto good or confirms the opposite; it depends how you hear.

Matthew 13:13-15

There’s an active thing that He quotes there, of the way we come to hear God’s word. Quoting from Isaiah, He says that their hearts are waxed gross, their eyes and closed and they are dull of hearing.

Matthew 13:16-17

What’s matters is how we hear. The principle is that we need to have an open heart to what God by His Holy Spirit wants to say to us. It is possible for us to emphasise the freedom God has given us whereby we close off, the hearts waxes gross, the ears become dull and the eyes shut.

Matthew 13:18-19

The wayside is where it’s all compressed ground and there is no ability for the seed to take root so it just gets washed away. So the first choice is that when I come into this room I can set my heart not to hear. I will hear the words spoken, but will push it away and not let it sink it. It might be you’re at home, reading your Bible, or the thought has occurred to you that should read the Bible, but then you decide actually, no, I don’t need to. The enemy of our soul is ever ready to capture any word that you bounce away.

Matthew 13:20-21

The stony places are where there is only a thin layer of soil so no roots can grow. This is the sort of person whom receives the word for a while, and on the surface all looks good. But, when persecution comes, because there is no foundation, their faith will fade away. We have to continue in His word, because by continuing, we can endure persecution.

Matthew 13:22

So there’s a two-horse race going on with this type of hearer. They have made the choice and hear the word. But parallel with that word, the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches means that they both come to church and go out and enjoy the cares of the world. In time, the word, although they hear it every week, will be choked because the cares of this world are too important to that person.

Matthew 13:23

There’s a sense in which you and I have a responsibility with the freedom God’s given us, to be open to what He wants to say to us. God wants us to be open. He will continue relentlessly to be revelatory to you by His word because He lives you. What He wants in our lives is fruit that is pleasing to Him. That fruit is the fruit of the spirit and talking to other people so that, through our lives, other people are drawn to Him.

Galatians 5:1

Don’t get so bound up in legalism and what the world is such that you come here but are not open. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.

Galatians 5:13

As far as I’m concerned, when I come into this hall, it must be the case that I come in with a receptive heart to God’s word. God is specific to each one of you. I know that each one of us can look back at our lives, and see the difficulties we’ve overcome, and testify to the faithfulness of God through it all. To me, the opportunity God has given to us, to hear His word and for His Holy Spirit to come is so wonderful.

When you get baptised, as those who are getting baptised today, you are proclaiming to the world that you believe in Jesus Christ and that you have set you course to obey them. I am not going to be a dull hearer or someone who thinks they know it all. The testimony of those getting baptised today is, as far as I’m concerned, God inside me, my faith in Jesus Christ means I’m a Christian and I’m going to go forward in Him.

Yesterday, a field near my house, was harvested. I’d been looking out at this field for the past months, watching the wind and rain and thinking that there was no way there would be no crop. But, as it was harvested, there was a constant reliance on the combine harvester of the crop. There is no way, if God has got involved in your life, that you will not bear fruit. What is that fruit for? It’s for His glory; it’s to show others that He is the Lord of your life.

We don’t know what life holds, or when we will go to be in glory. But we do know that the freedom we need to exercise, day in and day out, is to be open to Jesus Christ. Who does He want to reach through you this week? When was the last time you reached out to someone in need with the Gospel? You are here because He got you here; He loves you. I know that as we are faithful to His word, and fulfil His purposes in His time, the glory will be unto Him and unto Him alone. He is a wonderful heavenly Father.

I Will Build My Church (Part 2 of 2)

At this point in time God is showing us that He wants to work through us to reach others who do not know about the Gospel. We have to be sensitive to what He is revealing to us is His will for our lives. We are part of His church worldwide, and if we would only tell others what we know about Jesus Christ, their lives would be transformed.

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It is timely that we consider now reaching out and addressing our responsibilities before God in reaching the needs of people with the Gospel. On Friday I mentioned that Jesus said ‘I will build my church’. It’s His church. Jesus Christ Himself is building His church in His way in His time. The events of last year happened because Jesus is building His church. The Apostles chose seven people to hand out food to the people. One of these seven was Peter who was martyred when He spoke out with the Gospel. To all of us, of any age group, what is it that God wants us to do in our lives? God forbid that we are so much in the status quo that we’re not sensitive to what the Holy Spirit wants to point out to each one of us. God is opening our hearts to know what He wants us to be involved in.

Acts 8:4-9

Philip was called to hand out the food for the widows, but soon we find he actually was working miracles. God was working through Him. In Samaria there were people who saw and came to understand the reality of Jesus Christ.

Acts 8:26-29

Here was a man who was keeper of the treasure. I want to point out from this story that Philip first and foremost was sensitive to what the Holy Spirit wanted him to do. The key point at the beginning of verse 7 is that he arose and obeyed God. When Richard spoke earlier, for some of you something clicked. You need to be open to what God is calling you to do.

Acts 8:29-32

Philip was specifically told to get alongside this man. In your first week of this new year, and the weeks following, who is it that God by his Holy Spirit is going to cause you to get alongside? You say that you’re not a preacher; that’s not true. Today is a day when God is telling to you to be open to whosoever God is bringing into your path. Be open to communicating the life of Christ to others. God by his Holy Spirit will work through you. It might be something you say or do to someone, or even the way you react in a situation. They will notice that there is something different.

Isaiah 53:1-8

This is what the eunuch was reading. He was reading, but He didn’t know who the scripture was talking about. There are some people aching to have an answer for their life, that you brush shoulders with. There are some people who would be transformed if they only knew what you know about Jesus Christ. Today is all about you and me being sensitive to who God is going to bring across our paths in the coming weeks.

Acts 8:32-36

Similar phraseology to when Jesus drew beside the two on the road to Damascus. Philip probably couldn’t believe that this man didn’t know who the scripture was talking about. So, he immediately began to unfold the life of Jesus. The timing of God is specific. You are the link in the chain of someone’s life. Are you going to remain silent during this year? No. You won’t because God is opening your eyes this morning, telling you that you must no longer keep quiet. God is showing you that now is the time. We have the Old and New Testament. How much are you reading? Is the Bible gathering dust during the week until you grab it on a Sunday morning? We need to get serious about this. The good news is that by His Holy Spirit God wants to work through you.

Acts 8:36-41

Acts 21:8-10

Jesus said ‘I will build my church’. Part of that, whether its through the work that Richard and Anne are doing, whether its through you with those you come into contact with at work, Jesus said that He is building His church. The exciting thing is that God wants to work through you. We need to be open to what he wants to communicate through us. I will build my church. We are part of His church worldwide. ‘I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.’

The Good Shepherd

There is a huge contrast between those shepherds who are concerned only for their own interests, and the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. Whatever our needs in life, if we hear His voice, we will find that He has already prepared the way.

Jesus was talking to the Pharisees after healing the man who was born blind. When the man returned after being healed Jesus had moved on, but later Jesus came and found the man again.

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John 9:36 - 41

Jesus told the Pharisees that if they were blind, they would have no sin, but because they claimed to see, their sin was still inside them. The Pharisees were kidding themselves. They didn’t see. The man born blind could now see and wanted to know the person who healed him.

The Pharisees were in positions of importance, linked to the Temple, teachers of the law, and they lorded it over other people. When Jesus spoke about shepherds, the Pharisees would have known what the Old Testament taught on the subject.

Ezekiel 34:1 - 4

The prophets – the shepherds – were only out for themselves.

Ezekiel 34:5 - 16

Ezekiel 34:23 - 24

Verse 23 prefigures the verses we will now look at, where Jesus said “I am the good shepherd.” There is one shepherd, the bishop of your souls. When He said that, the Pharisees and the others knew the background. There were shepherds who only lived for themselves. Their lifestyle was paramount; the people were not. Everything was geared to them, not to the people. God said, “I will seek them, will feed them, will provide for them.”

John 10 shows that what Jesus said resonated with His hearers.

John 9:41 – 10:5

Remember the context. He has just told the Pharisees that they were fooling themselves, convinced that they knew what they were doing and how to preserve their lifestyle. They said they saw, and therefore their sin remained, because they didn’t admit their need, they didn’t admit what was inside. The sheepfold - four walls with one door – anyone who doesn’t come in by the door is a thief. This would have hit the Pharisees between the eyes.

Jesus is far more interested in you than you know. He knows each of you by name, and He wants you to be aware that He is the Good Shepherd, that He does provide and has made every provision for your well-being.

John 10:6 - 7

Before it was a case that you had to go in through the door. Now He is saying He is the door.

John 10:8 - 9

This was a revolutionary thought to the people who were listening. Jesus was ascribing to Himself who He was. He was describing Himself. From our perspective, we can look back and see how things worked.

It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter if you’ve written yourself off, thinking you’re not good enough, thinking that your problems are too difficult to solve. He’s saying He is the door. You are safe – safe from the consequences of your sin, safe from retribution, safe because you have Christ’s life in you. Some of you have written yourselves off, but I want to confirm God is saying to you, “I am aware of you more than you know.” He loves you. Some of you have have wondered but He has heard your prayers and does hold your future in His hands.

The freedom will be there to go in and out to find the pasture. The sheep will be cared for. It even goes to the point where if the sheep were in danger, the shepherd would give his life to care for the sheep.

John 10:10

In verse 9, a man will be saved, go in and out and find pasture. By contrast, the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. What a revolutionary thing Jesus was saying! And the Pharisees were listening.

John 10:11-16

There’s a direct link back to Ezekiel. And Jesus now extends this to include both the Jews and the Gentiles.

John 10:17-18

You’ll be saved, go in and out, find pasture. Sometimes, people ask about God’s guidance, and what is the right way for a person’s life. God is interested in you. And He’s so careful to get it right for you. He’s so careful that He’s sorted things out in advance for the best – the best way to fulfil the destiny He has for your life.

Isaiah 30:18 - 21

You’ll hear His voice. His sheep know His voice. You may think “But I’m not important. God won’t speak to me like that.” Why not? We’re talking about anyone here, you don’t have to be something special. He knows what you’re facing, and He knows that if you keep going forward, you’ll hear a voice saying ‘This is the way’.

In 1978 I went for a financial job in London. An agency sent me to see a Mr Low at National Mutual. They said the agency had sent me to the wrong company by mistake. I said, “Well, do you have a job?” And that’s how I got the job. God wanted me in National Mutual. If you’re moving, the rudder of a ship can be effective. If you’re stuck in dry dock, it won’t. You have to go forward, and you can trust God to sort it out. He specialises in providing for you because He loves you.

Psalm 37:4 - 5

Delight yourself in the Lord. “But my heart’s wicked”. How does that stack up? You’re a Christian. You’re delighting yourself in God. So He’ll create in your heart that desire which He will then meet. Everything will tie in. You have abilities and skills. Delight yourself in Him and He will give thee the desires of thy heart.

Psalm 37:5

Ephesians 2:10

He knows the future. Your times are in His hands. And your voyage of discovery in life is to rejoice in the provision of God for you in ways you never expected. He loves you. If any man hear His voice, he will find pasture.

1 Peter 5:6 - 7

Humble yourselves. Don’t make out that you see if you don’t. Be honest. Realise God is listening to you on the inside, and He has the answer already.

John 10:27 - 28

He’s talking to the Pharisees here as well. No matter what anyone says, no man will pluck you out of Jesus’ hand.

John 10:29

God is greater than all. There is no way He’s not in control and making provision for you.

John 10:30

I don’t know how you got here today or what you were thinking. Possibly you were wondering about your future. Jesus says to you today, “I am the door. By me if any man enter in, he shall be saved and go in and out and find pasture.”

He gives eternal life, which you experience now.

Come as a Little Child

Mark 10:13 - 16

Parenthood

First, I am going to talk about parenthood. The second part will be about coming as a little child, and that includes everyone.

Children, as we know, are the church of tomorrow, and it is important that we get it right when it comes to raising children. As Jesus pointed out to the disciples, children are important, they matter. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, and people were trying to get within reach of Jesus that He might bless the children. I don’t know what was going through the disciples’ minds. It says that the disciples rebuked the people.

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We all know the story of the five loaves and two fishes. Who had time for the little boy? Jesus did. Jesus had time for the children. It could be that the disciples thought they were insignificant. When Jesus spoke to the disciples he was much displeased. It mattered to Him that the children were involved.

Mark 10:14

It’s so important that you and I spend time with our children. That sounds incredibly obvious, but it’s important that we get to know them and have fun with them. It’s not just a series of do-nots, but a series of dos. We are not here to break the will of a child, but to train the will of a child. We don’t know what God has in store for our children, but we know that He has a unique destiny for each child. You don’t know what a little child will grow up to be. Our hearts as parents are that our children grow up to know the Living God as their Lord and Saviour. That’s paramount for our children, not money or fame.

Deuteronomy 6:5 - 8

Parents are to communicate with their children about God. There are principles in God - to be diligent and consistent. We need to take the time to get alongside children in their development. It is important in how we approach things. We must create in interest in the heart and mind of a child that would make him reach out and take hold of the things he is taught.

Children are people that God wants to spark, through you, into taking hold of what is right, and not what is wrong. You cannot discount the significance of a child. A child doesn’t rule the roost, but it’s simply that Jesus was adamant in his understanding of who the children were, and their importance - of such is the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is a reality. As a Christian parent, the thing that your heart is set upon is that you want your child to become a Christian. It’s God’s pleasure to give us the kingdom, and there’s no way he’s going to let any parent down in this desire.

Our school, Trinity Academy, is not about exam results, it’s about training children in the right way. The engine of our school is the nursery school, because we can set things right in the children there. We can train them in the right way at that age.

Mark 10:15

You can receive the kingdom of God. There comes a time in a person’s life when that happens, and there is a receiving of the kingdom of God.

Luke 17:20 – 21

It’s not as if the kingdom of God is somewhere out there, but you receive the King into your heart, and that King is within you.

John 1:12 – 13

We want to reach the lost. We want to be looking outward, not inward. We need to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all.

Come as a little child

Mark 10:15

What is a little child? What are the attributes of a little child that I need to have to receive the kingdom of God? How would you describe your child? Simplicity springs to mind. There’s nothing complicated about a little child. Everything is straightforward.

I have thought of ten attributes of a little child:

1.Simplicity.
2.Innocence - A child is innocent and not suspicious.
3.No worry for the future.
4.Everything is black and white.
5.Eager to learn.
6.Dependency - We are totally and utterly dependent on the grace of God in our lives.
7.Totally trusting – Children do not get too complex and read into things.
8.Open-faced.
9.Humility.

Matthew 18:1-6

Jesus said that whoever humbles himself shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. He knew what the disciples were saying. He just took the child and put the child in the middle, and said that you must become as a little child to enter the kingdom of heaven. That cuts away our trying to prove ourselves or gain God’s acceptance. It cuts all that out, because if we come as a little child, we know that he is our heavenly father. Except you become as humble as a little child, you’re going to get things around the wrong way and you’re going to find things a burden. That is life. Let’s keep our feet on the ground as a little child. You need to look unto him for everything.

Unquestioning

Matthew 10:29-31

Luke 12:22-29

A child doesn’t doubt the provision of a parent.

Luke 12:30

Father’s heart is to give you the kingdom. I am a citizen of heaven. The kingdom of God is within me and I have received Jesus Christ into my heart. He has changed me. I’m not of this world, but I’m in this world to prove who He is and His love and provision for me. And that’s why you’re here.

Mark 10:13-16

We will see more and more people enter the kingdom of God over the coming weeks and months. The reason why that will happen is for God’s glory. It’s His church, and He’s building it in His way, in His time.