The Good Ground Hearer, Part 1

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces the sermon by referencing Psalm 126:6, connecting the sower's potential weeping over wasted seed to the three unproductive soils in the parable, and anticipating…

The psalmist's image of a sower weeping but returning with joy is used to frame the parable, highlighting the initial loss of seed on bad soil but the ultimate reward from good soil.

O Father, come to us, so speak to us, that not one of us shall leave having any question as to what your word to our own hearts was in this hour. Hear us and speak, we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Now, many of us are familiar with that text in Psalm 126 and verse 6, in which the psalmist said, He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. As we have examined together this parable of the soils, perhaps we can understand more accurately the truth conveyed in the words of the psalmist. He that goet...

3:29 - 4:46 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He briefly reviews the characteristics of the wayside, rocky, and thorny soils, highlighting the lack of penetration, shallow roots, and rivaled growth that led to unfruitfulness…

The hard-packed footpath illustrates the thoughtless, indifferent hearer whose heart never experiences the penetration of God's word, allowing the devil to snatch it away.

And in terms of this parable, we have seen first of all the seed that was wasted upon the wayside or the footpath soil, that soil that was packed hard by the continual tromp of the feet of those who passed through the field and made a path through the farmer's property. And there, our Lord says, is the picture of the thoughtless, careless, indifferent, non-comprehending hearer of the gospel, the man whose heart never experiences the penetration of the word of God. And the devil, like the birds of the air, is ever ready to snatch away that seed, so that not only does it fail to make an immediat...

5:29 - 6:32 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He briefly reviews the characteristics of the wayside, rocky, and thorny soils, highlighting the lack of penetration, shallow roots, and rivaled growth that led to unfruitfulness…

The thin layer of soil over rock illustrates the shallow, emotional hearer whose response lacks deep roots, causing them to wither under persecution and affliction.

And when the burning Palestinian sun arose, it caused the plant to wither and die, for it had no roots that could suck up moisture from the depths of the earth. And here, our Lord says, is a picture of the shallow, enthusiastic, emotional hearer of the gospel, whose response may be in part, with the mind and with the affections, but it is not the response of the whole man to a whole Christ, offered in a whole gospel. And he thereby falls away. He is caused to stumble under the pressure of persecution and affliction.

6:33 - 7:12 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He briefly reviews the characteristics of the wayside, rocky, and thorny soils, highlighting the lack of penetration, shallow roots, and rivaled growth that led to unfruitfulness…

Soil with unextricated thorn roots illustrates the half-hearted, divided hearer whose spiritual growth is choked by the cares of the world, riches, and other lusts, preventing fruitfulness.

And then we consider together the thorny soil, that soil which had all the appearance of potential fruitfulness, but because the root system of, the thorny growth was not extricated, when the seed fell among the thorns, the thorns grew with it, and utterly choked that plant so that it did not produce any fruit. And here we have a picture of the half-hearted, divided hearer of the gospel, the one who, though he gives some response, never knows what it is to respond with the whole of his heart. But the cares of this, this age, and the lust of other things entering in, and the deceitfulness of ri...

7:13 - 8:12 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details three facts about the good ground from Matthew, Mark, and Luke: it was well-plowed, deep, and clean earth; the seed grew up and increased continuously; and it bore…

The image of the farmer returning with sheaves, the mill grinding, mothers kneading dough, and children enjoying a sandwich illustrates the tangible, practical fruitfulness of the good soil.

verse 6 was fulfilled. There came a day in the history of the sower when he returned with rejoicing, having his arms full of sheaves of grain that were the fruit of the seed. The seed was the fruit of his having sown some seed upon the good ground. The mill was made active to grind this meal. Mothers and housewives were made active in kneading it and shaping it into loaves and putting it into ovens. And little kids were made glad when they came in and had a peanut butter sandwich for their snack. It bore fruit. Now those are the facts of the parable.

15:14 - 15:58 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He synthesizes the interpretations from all three Gospels, identifying six continuous actions of the good ground hearer: hearing, spiritual perception, receiving, holding fast…

The act of a father receiving a son into his family by adoption is used to explain the verb 'accepting' or 'receiving' the word, signifying permanent retention.

take to oneself with a view to retaining permanently. It's the verb used in Hebrews 12, 6, where it says, the father disciplines every son whom he receives. A man who receives a son into his family by adoption goes through all of the legal stages to make that person his own permanently. And our Lord says the good soil represents those who, when they hear the word, continue to hear. They are given insight into that word and the great realities that it conveys. The substance of spiritual reality comes to them in the word, and as a result, they are receiving, they are taking into themselves with ...

22:08 - 23:03 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He synthesizes the interpretations from all three Gospels, identifying six continuous actions of the good ground hearer: hearing, spiritual perception, receiving, holding fast…

The husbandmen in Matthew 21:38 seizing the heir's inheritance is used to illustrate the verb 'hold fast,' meaning to lay hold of and retain with force.

mere reception, taking to oneself with a view to retaining. It means to lay hold of, to see, to see. And to retain. It's the verb used in Matthew 21, 38. Matthew 21 and verse 38. But the husbandman when they saw the son said among themselves, this is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take. There it is. Let us take by force. Let us seize. Let us take his inheritance. It's the word translated hold fast in Hebrews. You ought to be familiar with that in the light of our society. There are studies in Hebrews. Hebrews 3.6, 3.14 and 10.23. Hold fast. So you see the progression. They hear and contin...

23:59 - 24:57 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He synthesizes the interpretations from all three Gospels, identifying six continuous actions of the good ground hearer: hearing, spiritual perception, receiving, holding fast…

The contrast between real grain and an artist gluing grain onto a lifeless stalk emphasizes that the fruit borne by good soil is genuine and not superficial.

they bear varying degrees of evident fruit. And that was true in all three accounts. Matthew and Mark speak of the thirty, sixty, a hundred in reverse order. And then we read in Luke 8.15, only the maximum is mentioned. They bring forth a hundredfold. But again, present tense verbs. The verbs used for bearing fruit are all in the present tense. And Matthew adds a little particle. It's very interesting, which is translated by the word verily. Notice it in Matthew chapter 13. Verse 23. This is he that hears the word and understands it, who verily, who in reality, who without sham is bearing frui...

24:57 - 26:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He synthesizes the interpretations from all three Gospels, identifying six continuous actions of the good ground hearer: hearing, spiritual perception, receiving, holding fast…

The image of running a race with patience from Hebrews 12:1 is used to illustrate the endurance required for continuous fruit-bearing until the end.

stalk, not sham grain. You didn't have an artist who came to make a collage of what a field of grain might look like and took grain from elsewhere and glued it on a lifeless stalk. They verily, they indeed and in reality are bearing fruit. And the degrees of fruit bearing are captured under the imagery thirtyfold, sixty and a hundred. And then the sixth thing that is said by our Lord is that they continue in the fruit. Bearing process. Not only is the continuance underscored by the tenses of the verbs, but in Luke 8, 15, our Lord adds another word. They bring forth fruit with patience, with en...

26:05 - 27:02 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is the formation of inward character. And outward conduct, which are mandated by the word received into the heart.

The natural law that a barley seed produces barley illustrates that the nature of the fruit is determined by the seed (the Word), and thus the fruit must align with the Word's mandates.

What happens when the sower sows seed upon good soil?

31:49 - 31:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Ask yourself if you have the inward disposition of attachment to the person of Christ in faith and love, desiring to meet God only through Him.

The image of perishing while clinging to the pierced feet of Christ illustrates the desperate, sole reliance on Jesus for salvation, a mark of true faith.

Sitting here this morning. I don't want to meet God. Without a daismon. Between us.

41:29 - 41:37 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin further clarifies fruit as inward attachment to Christ in faith and love, and outward conformity to Christ through mortification of sin and universal obedience to His…

A line from the hymn 'My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less' is quoted to express the disposition of not trusting one's own righteousness but wholly leaning on Jesus' name.

I dare not trust. This frame. That is my most holy motions. And dispositions.

42:09 - 42:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine if you truly love Christ, making Him the object of supreme, unrivaled religious affection in your heart.

A line from the hymn 'No, Not Despairingly' is quoted to illustrate the plea of a sinner who, despite sin, finds hope in Christ's death.

Could you really sing. No not despairingly. Come I to thee. Sin has gone over me.

42:26 - 42:34 Read in full sermon

The point: If you love Christ, you will keep all His commandments, having a disposition towards universal obedience.

The metaphor of a 'yard of command' and an 'inch of obedience' illustrates that while current obedience may be imperfect, the heart of a true believer is set on universal obedience to all God's precepts.

I hate every false way. And though your obedience may only be. In terms of a yard. Of command.

45:31 - 45:39 Read in full sermon

The point: If your heart is not good soil, go to God and ask Him to break up your crusty pride, self-sufficiency, and preoccupation with ambition, using His word as a hammer.

God's word is likened to a hammer that breaks rock, encouraging those with hard, concrete-like hearts to seek God's power to break up their pride and self-sufficiency.

And this is where the imagery of the word of God is so rich. And in my preparation. I was thinking of that rich imagery. God says in another place.

52:38 - 52:46 Read in full sermon