How Well Do You Listen?

What a joy it is for us to gather together as a group of people who love the Lord Jesus Christ and want to honor your name. Thank you, Father, that you have done a great work in the life of our young people and pray that you continue to do a great work. Pray for their ministry here at the church and at home and abroad that, Lord, you'd protect them, watch over them. And thank you that as a church we can be a part of their lives and they can be a part of our lives. And we thank you, Lord, for your word, the word that saves our soul, the word, Lord, that does a great and mighty work because it truly is alive.

It is a living and abiding word of God. We thank you, Lord, for it and the opportunity we have to study it. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Over the years, I have shared with you an illustration that I have brought with me this morning because my parents are visiting from the East Coast and they brought this illustration with them. I've told you that when I was growing up in my home in Dover, Delaware, that there was a picture that hung to the right of my door as I would exit my house every day. And that picture stood there all through my junior high years, all through my high school years, all through my college years, until this past week when my parents removed it and brought it here.

And they brought it because they want it to be in my house. And they want it to be by my door as I exit here in California and my children leave the house every day. This picture is not something that was painted by some great artist. It's not a picture that was taken by anybody. It's a very simple picture that to me means more than anything that I can ever imagine having in my home. And it's a simple picture that says these words, Whom having not seen, Ye love. That's all it says. And there's a picture, just a card.

There's nothing on it. But it was that constant reminder that when I walked outside my door although I don't see my God, I love him. Had it upside down. Sorry. No wonder you guys couldn't read it. It was upside down. But that's exactly what it says. Whom having not seen, ye love. First Peter chapter 1, verse number 8.

And so this picture now will hang in my house because it's a reminder to my children. It's a reminder to me that although I don't see him, he sees me. And although I don't see him, I love him. And why do I love him? Because he first loved me.

And so this picture, while I've used it as an illustration on many occasions, is a constant reminder of my relationship with my God and the love I have for him because he first loved me.

And I know that some of you have already taken something similar to this and framed it and put it by your doors because you've told me about this. But this picture means a lot to me because it was that reminder all through the years growing up in junior high, in high school, in college that there was one that I love more than anything else. That's my Lord. You know, the remarkable thing about loving the Lord is that when you love him you listen to him. You listen to his voice. You want to hear him speak because you truly long to live the life he's called you to live.

So important. Because you love him, you will listen to what he says. And when you listen to what he says, you will seek and long to live that life that he has for you. That's the essence of Christianity. And that becomes the subject of our text this morning in Luke chapter 8. It's all about listening to the Lord speak. If you have your Bible turn with me to Luke chapter 8 as we continue our study in the Gospel of Luke.

It's a story that Christ gives as a follow-up to the parable of the sower and the soil. And it relates directly to the parable because in verse number 18 of Luke 8, the Lord says, take heed, be careful how you hear, what you listen to. It is so crucial for you to listen to the voice of God. Let me read to you the text we're going to cover this morning.

Luke 8 verse number 16 begins, Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container or puts it under a bed, but he puts it on a lampstand in order that those who come in may see the light. For nothing is hidden that shall not be become evident nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to life. Therefore take care how you listen.

For whoever has to him shall more be given and whoever does not have even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him. And his mother and brothers came to him and they were unable to get to him because of the crowd. And it was reported to him, your mother and your brothers are standing outside wishing to see you. But he answered and said to them, my mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it. This passage of scripture becomes absolutely critical for us to understand in light of the parable of the sower in the soils that we have just spent three weeks studying.

The scripture is replete with commands to listen to the voice of God. In fact, the bible says 35 times in the old testament these words hear the word of the Lord.

Six times it says hear oh Israel. Numerous times especially in psalms Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah, the Lord God says listen to me.

Listen to me. Over in psalm 95 it's quoted in hebrews 3 and hebrews 4. Today if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts. Book of revelation chapter 1 verse number 3 gives the blessing to all who hear the words of this book and keep them. That's in revelation 1 3. In revelation 22 it tells us blessed are those who who keep or who heed the words of this book. You've already heard them now you're going to keep them. In revelation 2 and in revelation 3 there are seven letters written to seven churches and they all conclude the same way.

He who hasn't hear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. It's all about listening to the voice of God and we as the people of God because we love him we'll listen to him. Jesus said my sheep hear my voice and they what follow me. The Lord knows who his sheep are and the characteristic of the sheep is that they listen to the voice of God and they follow him. They obey him and the Bible says these words in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse number 36 out of the heavens he let you hear his voice.

The Bible has given us the words of Christ. The Bible speaks to us about the voice of God and how it is he speaks to his people. What a privilege it is to have received the words of God that allow us to listen to his words to his voice. That we might be able to respond in a way that demonstrates our love for our Lord. Isn't it great to know that God speaks to us he speaks to us through his written revelation that we might know exactly his will that we might know his desire for our lives. Well verse number 18 of Luke 8 is the thesis of the of today's sermon.

Take heed take care. This is a warning that Christ gives about listening to his voice. Luke 8 verse number 8 says this he who has ears to hear let him hear and we told you that Christ would repeat that phrase over and over again as he gave the parable. Listen to me if you have an ear listen to what I'm going to tell you this is of utmost importance. You need to listen to the words of Almighty God. Why? Because the parable he gives in the soul of the soil is about how you hear the word of God. Listen to what he says in verse number 12.

And those beside the road are those who have what? Heard. Heard what? Heard the gospel. Because that's what the seed is. It's the word of God. It says over in verse number 13 and those on the rocky soil are those who when they what? Hear received the word. Verse number 14 and the seed which fell among the thorns. These are the ones who have heard. Verse number 15 and the seed in the good soil. These are the ones who have heard the word. You see the parable of the sower and the soils is a parable about how to hear the word.

Some people hear superficially. They're the roadside soil and satan comes and snatches the seed away. Some people hear emotionally and those are the ones on the on the rocky soil. And when trials and tribulation come they fall away. Some are those in the thorny soil are here are the ones who hear from a worldly perspective or from a temporary perspective. And their seed is choked out by the cares of this world by the deceitfulness of riches. But there are those in the good soil who hear genuinely, who hear honestly, who hear truly and the seed takes root in their lives and it produces great fruit.

The parable the sower and the soils is a parable about how to hear the gospel. So christ follows up that parable with another short analogy another short parable about the lamp and then gives us listen four characteristics on how the good soil heard the gospel. Four characteristics that tell you how it is the good soil heard and received the gospel and why it is that soil that heart received the word of God and the word of God took up residence and began to produce fruit. Versus the other three soils who heard the word of God maybe superficially or maybe from a worldly perspective or maybe from an emotional perspective, but never heard about it from a biblical perspective.

Didn't hear about it in the way that the believer would hear and respond. You see how you hear determines how you respond. How you listen determines how you live. If you listen properly you live properly. If you listen for your own purposes, if you don't listen according to God's standard, then the word of God does not take root into your life. It's all about how you listen to what God has to say. And so you can assess your life based on how it is you hear the word of God. So the question you're going to ask this morning is when I come to church, how is it I listen?

How is it I hear the word of God? Because how you hear will determine your spiritual condition. So Christ wants to follow up this parable with four ways we hear the word of God. Four ways the good soil has heard the word of God and is able to produce fruit because of how it received what it heard, how it believed, what it listened to. So important. So how do I make an assessment of my spiritual condition? In verse 16 he's speaking to his disciples. Now listen, we know from John chapter 6 there were many disciples who listened, who heard, but fell away.

John 6 talks to us about some of those disciples. They walked with him no more. And we've told you before that just because the Bible says that you are a disciple, it does not mean that you're a Christian because Judas was the disciple, but he certainly was not a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

He was a follower of Christ. He was a learner of Christ, but he wasn't a true believer in Christ. And so there are many people who claim to be disciples of Christ, listeners, learners, but they're not true hearers of the gospel. Because if you are, there are certain effects that take place in your life that demonstrate that you've heard the gospel, you've responded to the gospel, and the seed has taken root in your life. That is so crucial to understand. Remember in John 6 there are many who heard, many of his disciples who heard the word, but they turned away from him and followed him no more.

Well, Christ is speaking to his disciples, those who wanted to listen, who wanted to hear, and Christ now begins to explain to them exactly how they need to listen to the words that he says. The first way you hear, listen carefully, is that you listen evangelistically.

You listen evangelistically. Remember, you listen, you know, James 1 talks about, don't just be heroes of the word and deceive yourselves, but be doers of the word. If you hear the word of God, listen carefully, and do nothing about what you hear, James says, you have deceived yourself into believing you are one way, but in reality you are another. The believer hears the word of God and does what God says, my sheep hear my voice and they follow me.

Those who aren't sheep might hear God, but never follow him. Big difference. You listen to his voice and you seek to live for him. Why? Because there is a love relationship you have with the living God. And so, remember, this was the theme of Christ throughout his ministry. This wasn't something that Jesus happened to say on the spur of the moment. This was the theme of his ministry. Read the gospels. The gospels are replete with exhortations about how you hear, take care how you listen to what you just heard.

Why? Because if you hear the word of God and don't act upon what I say, Jesus said in Matthew 7, you're like a foolish man who built this house upon the sand. And when the floods came, the house was destroyed. And oh, how great was the destruction of that house. He says, on the other hand, if you listen to what I say and you obey what you've just heard, you're like the man, the wise man, who built this house upon the rock. And when the same storm came, that house stood firm. It did not fall. And that's how Christ ends his sermon on the mount in Matthew chapter 7.

Because he wanted people to realize that they needed to respond to what they had just heard. They needed to hear what he said and they needed to follow through on what they said. And we told you when we studied the sermon of the mount in Luke chapter 6, the same was true in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. That all these people on the hillside, they heard but the Bible records absolutely no response. None. And Christ would end with this great warning. Listen, it's important how you've just heard what I've said.

If you act upon what you've just seen and just heard and you respond in truth, you're like the wise man who built his house upon the rock. But if you don't, you're like the foolish man who built his house upon the sand. So the question comes to every one of us. We go to church and we hear the word of God. You know, I can't imagine people not wanting to hear God speak. Can you imagine that? I just can't imagine that. People today, you know, we're in the midst of a political season and people say, I got to go and I got to go hear this candidate or I got to go and hear that candidate as if their life depended upon what that candidate had to say.

I got to hear what they had to say. I got to stay home and I got to watch the debates and I got to hear what the candidate has to say. And there's a greater longing to hear the candidate for president than there is the Christ of the universe. I don't get that. I don't understand that. Because you see, as a believer in Christ, there should be a great longing to hear what Jesus has to say. Is that the way you are? When you come to church, how do you leave church on Sunday morning? When you leave, do you leave saying, man, boy, I've heard what God has said in his word.

And now I know what I need to do. I've got my marching orders. I know what Christ said to do. And because I love him, I want to do what he says. You know, we got children, right? And we tell our kids, listen, this is what I want you to do. And sometimes, you know, they're playing Legos or they're watching TV or they're playing their video game or they're doing something else. You say, you know, I want you to pick up your room. Okay. Okay, dad. Okay, dad. 20 minutes later, you come by, the room is still a mess.

Say, hey, didn't you hear what I said? Yeah, yeah, no, no, I guess I didn't hear you, dad. No, no, no, no, no. You heard me. But there was something else that was more important to you. Something else was more important than the voice of your father. There was the view in the video game. There was the opportunity to build another Lego building or Lego car. There's something else more important to you. Oh, you heard what I said, but you chose not to respond because there was something more important to you.

Now, think about that. We go and we go to church and we hear the gospel. We hear the truth of God. What's the most important thing to you? It should be to do what God says, right?

The voice of God speaks through his word. And when we open the word of God, we understand the mind of God. And therefore our response is, yes, Lord, like Samuel, speak, Lord, for your servant heareth. I want to do what you have to say, Lord. And that's the way we should be. And so the good soil from the parable of the soul in the soil listens evangelistically. This is what Jesus says.

He says, now, no one, after lighting the lamp, covers it over with a container or puts it under a bed, but he puts it on a lamp stand in order that those who come in may see the light. Now, this is a very simple analogy. It's an analogy that Christ has used over and over again. He used it back in Matthew chapter five. Remember that? Matthew chapter five, verse number 14, you are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do men light a lamp and put it under the peck measure, but on the lamp stand and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Christ will get the same analogy in Luke chapter 11, verse number 33. He'll say these words, Luke 11, verse number 33. No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar, nor under a peck measure, but on the lamp stand in order that those who enter may see the light. So this was very common for our Lord. It wasn't something that he just pulled out of the hat to say on this day. It's something that he said on a regular basis. He says very clearly, no one, after lighting a lamp, covers it up. Doesn't do that.

Nobody takes a lamp and puts it underneath their bed. Now, when we think of bed, we think of, you know, a bed on post with a mattress. And of course, if you put a light, in those days, they had, they were candle kind of things, oil lamps, and you put them under the, under a bed, it would set your mattress on fire. But in those days, they didn't have beds. They had mats. Okay, there were mats that you would, you would roll up. And so if you were to put that mat or put that candle or that lamp under a mat, it would snuff it out and you no longer see it, right?

Well, Jesus is saying very clearly that nobody lights a lamp and then chooses to put the light out so no one else can see it. Hiding the lamp illustrates the true light of the gospel. You know that from Luke 11, you know that from Matthew chapter 5, and you know it from the context of the parable of the soul in the soils. When the light has been lit, okay, when the light of the gospel has been lit, no one purposefully wants to hide that light. And is that not true of the believer? When they're saved, when the light has been lit in their life, what do they want to do?

They want to show that light to everybody else. They want everybody else to come to the light. They don't want to hide the light. Now the unbeliever, contrary to that, doesn't care if anybody sees the light, do they? Oh, well, they don't care if they bring anybody to church, or they don't care if they ever share the truth of the gospel. That makes no difference to them. Because they haven't listened evangelistically. You see, when you listen to God's voice, there's always a response to what you hear.

And the response to listening properly is that there's a desire for the light to shine continually, for it not to be snuffed out. So all will see. And you see, Christ is concerned that his men might adopt the same idea or the same principle he's living by. Remember, he said this in verse number 10 of Luke chapter 8. He said this, he said, To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, in order that seeing they may not see, and hearing they might not understand.

And so he's thinking, okay, now maybe you're thinking that now you're the same way that others are not to see this light. No, this is a divine judicial act that I have given to those who have received or who have neglected to receive the truth. But for you, you need to let that light shine. You need to make sure that everybody hears it and sees it. And so you do that because they need to come to the truth. Over in Luke chapter 9, verse number 1, Jesus said these words, And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons that they healed diseases.

And he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God. Again in verse number 6, and departing they began going about among the villages, preaching the gospel. They were to go out and they were to shine the light. Matthew 5, we just read it earlier, about shining that light so others can see it. Over in Matthew chapter 10, verse number 27, it says these words, Folks, the light is the gospel. And when the light has been lit, the believer doesn't want to snuff it out. He doesn't want to hide it. He's not embarrassed because of it.

Later on in Matthew 10, the same verse I just read, later on in Matthew 10, verse number 33, The contrast between the believer who confesses Christ as Lord, who openly declares him as Lord, versus the unbeliever who doesn't confess his name, but denies his name. And Christ is saying, shout it from the housetops. Shout it from the rooftops. Let that light shine. Peter said it this way, 1 Peter chapter 1, verse number 9, But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

So as a chosen generation, as a royal priesthood, as priests in the kingdom of God, we are to proclaim the truth of God. We are to let that light shine. We are to show people about the excellencies of that light. Isn't that what Paul said in Acts chapter 26, when he recorded these words, that he was set by God to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in me.

He was to shed and to show that light so others will be able to see the truth of the gospel. So the true believer, when he hears the good soil, when they hear the word of God, the reason they produce fruit is because they listen and they hear evangelistically. That is, they listen and they hear in order they then might speak what they've already seen and heard because they so desperately want others to know the truth that they possess. Folks, this is so important. How do you listen? How do you know that your spiritual condition is one that's good soil?

You want to tell other people about the truth. You want that light to shine. You don't want to snuff it out. You're not embarrassed because of the light. You want to speak forth the truth of the gospel. Over in John 6, verse 63, Christ says the words of God are spirit and life.

Listen, if you understand the life of God, if you understand that He is the light of the world, you understand that His words are spirit and His words are life. They are the life-giving sustenance of your soul. And every true believer wants others to experience the same relationship that you have. You want them to hear the same truth that you have heard because that has changed your life. Christ has transformed you from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son. And you want others to experience the same thing that you have experienced.

That's what John said over in 1 John chapter 1, verse number 1. John said these words, What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have beheld in our hands, handled concerning the word of life, and the life was manifested. And we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us. What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also that you also may have fellowship with us and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

You see that is the heart of the good soil. That's the good soil. That's the heart that's heard the gospel and wants to tell other people the truth of the gospel. You listen evangelistically. You listen with a passion to proclaim the truth. There's a passion for proclamation. Ask yourself this question. Is there a burning desire in my soul to share the truth of God with other people? If not, why not? What is causing you not to be passionate about sharing that which is spirit and life, the words of God?

You listen evangelistically. Number two, you listen authentically or you listen transparently. Verse number 17. For nothing is hidden that shall not become evident nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light. Now commentators differ as to what this verse means, but you have to take it within the context of what is being said when Christ says in verse number 18, therefore take care how you listen.

Therefore, based on what I've just said, take care how you listen. Why? Because everything that's on the inside is going to be exposed. Everything hidden is going to be made manifest. Everything on the inside is going to come to light. Now that's a theme of our Lord that he shares quite often. Back to Matthew chapter 10, verse number 26. Christ says these words, therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known.

Christ says the exact same thing in Matthew chapter 10. And the translation of that is seen clearly in Luke chapter 12, verse number 1, when Christ says these words.

Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, he began saying to his disciples, first, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Beware of the Pharisees, because there is something about their lives that's hypocritical. They say one thing and do another. And the reason that's the case is because there hasn't been anything on the inside that's been transformed. And then he says this in verse number 2. But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

So Christ translates for us the meaning of Luke 8, verse number 17, in Luke 12, verses 1 to 3. And that is this, that there is nothing in you that will ever be hidden forever. It will automatically be exposed by God himself. Everything that's hidden will be exposed. Everything that you've covered up will be brought to light. So therefore, Christ is saying take care how you listen.

You must listen authentically. That means you must listen with the view to understand that what's on the inside must be true. That is, what's on the inside must be so true it manifests itself on the outside. Why? Because there's coming a day where everything on the inside will be completely manifest to all. So you hear the word of God authentically. That is, what you see is what you get. You live a life that's transparent. You live a life that's genuine. You live a life that's opposed to the pharisees.

The pharisees lived hypocritical lives. Oh, they looked good on the outside, but they were like dead men's bones on the inside, Christ said. They were hypocrites. That what was happening on the outside wasn't true of what was happening on the inside. Well, those who are good soil, when they listen to the word of God, they listen evangelistically because they want others to hear what they have heard and they listen authentically. They listen genuinely. They listen transparently because what has truly happened on the inside is real and that is manifested on the outside.

They live a life of integrity. They live a life that's true. They manifest on the outside what truly is on the inside. And Jesus is saying, listen, if you've been transformed from the inside out, you need to manifest that. Not only does the light shine in you, but the light shines through you. There's a transparency about your life so that when you live your life, what people see is what is true on the inside. You're not a phony. You're not a hypocrite, you see. And that's the good soil. They listen evangelistically.

They listen authentically. And thirdly, they listen bountifully. They listen fruitfully. Listen to what Jesus says.

Verse 18, therefore, take care how you listen. For whoever has, to him shall more be given, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has, shall be taken away from him. This again is a common saying of our Lord. He says it in a new, many different times throughout his ministry. Christ says very clearly, take care how you listen, for whoever has, has what?

Has the gospel. Whoever has the light. Whoever has the truth of the word of God. Whoever has that, listen, to him shall more be given. Isn't that what Jesus said over in Matthew chapter 13? Christ said in Matthew 13 these words, For whoever has, to him shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance, but whoever does not have, even what he has, shall be taken away from him. You see, the mark of a believer is that he listens in such a way that he listens so that grace is added upon grace. Christ said that when he came, he came to give life, and he came to give life more abundantly.

Christ said the good soil produces fruit some 30-fold, some 60-fold, some 100-fold. So the listener listens bountifully. That is, he listens in such a way that there is a bountiful fruit that's constantly being evidenced in his life. Why? Because to whomever has, more will be given. It's a promise of God. If you have the truth, the more you will receive. The more you love, the greater you'll love. The more you live, the greater you will live for Christ. You see, there's that progression of the spiritual life that continues to grow toward Christ's likeness.

It's the process of sanctification in one's life. But to whoever, whoever doesn't have, that which he does have shall be taken away from him. And that's what the warning was in Matthew 13, during the parable of the sower of the soils, when Christ says, listen, to you it's been given that you might receive more, because you are true followers of mine.

But to those who are not true followers of me, what they have, the light that they have, will be taken away from them, and they'll have no more. Christ said in John, John said in John chapter 1, verse number 16, these words. He said this about our Lord. He said, for to his fullness we have all received and grace upon grace. He says in verse number 14 that when Christ came, he was the embodiment of grace and truth. In him was the fullness of grace. And Christ, and John says now, now in light of that fullness, you now have received grace upon grace.

Philippians 1 11 says that we have been filled with the fruit of righteousness. That is, at the point of our conversion, we have been controlled. Listen, we have been controlled by a fruit that produces righteousness. You see, there are so many people today who say, well, you can be a believer and not produce fruit. That's heresy. That is not true. The Bible nowhere says that. It says the direct opposite. Paul said in Philippians 1 11, having been filled, present passive participle, something that took place in the past, it is continually evidenced in your life.

You have been filled with the fruit of righteousness. You have been dominated. You have been controlled by a fruit that produces righteous kind of living. And that's why you listen bountifully. You listen fruitfully. You listen and the effect of how you hear produces more and more fruit in your life. That's why Christ says take care how you listen.

For the one who has, there's a guarantee that there'll be an addition to his life. But the one who does not have the light, there's a guarantee that he has, what he has is completely taken away. There is no fruit of righteousness. You see that? That is so clearly evident in the gospels. That's why Christ says here's the warning.

Take care how you listen. You listen evangelistically, you listen authentically, you listen fruitfully, and you listen obediently. You listen obediently. And Christ and Luke gives us this story, a story that in the chronology did not happen at this time. Matthew and Mark recorded in the right chronology. It happens after the religious establishment said that Christ had a demon in him. Okay, so Matthew and Mark record it in the proper order. Luke inserts it here because it deals with hearing the truth.

And this is what, this is the story. And his mother and brothers came to him and they were unable to get to him because of the crowd. And he was reported, or it was reported to him, your mother and your brothers are standing outside wishing to see you. But he answered and said to them, my mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it. Now, why would the mother of Jesus and his brothers come to get him? Well, if you read Mark's account, if you read Matthew's account, you remember that they had, they they thought that Jesus was demon possessed.

Okay. And there was a great crowd of people. There were always crowds around Jesus and his mother and his brothers. Oh, by the way, Mary is not a perpetual virgin throughout her life because it speaks of the brothers of Jesus. In Mark 6, it names the brothers and says that he also has sisters. The Catholic church adopted in the second century the view that Mary was a perpetual virgin.

She remained a virgin until her death. She had no more children. That is not true. That is a lie. Because here in Luke 8, both in Mark 3 and Mark 6 and also the book of Matthew, it tells us that Jesus had brothers. And the bible tells us in John 7 that these brothers did not believe in him. Can you imagine the dysfunctional family of Jesus? Just imagine it. Mary knows who Jesus is but her other sons, the half-brothers of Jesus, they don't believe in him. Can you imagine the turmoil happening in the home of Jesus?

Mom, Jesus has got a messiah complex again. He's got all these people out there. He's going around healing people. People think he's the messiah. Jesus even thinks he's the messiah. Mom, you got to do something with Jesus. Come on, mom. But Mary knows who he is, but his brothers refused to believe in him. They didn't believe until Acts chapter 1 verse number 14. After the resurrection, then they believed. But all throughout his childhood and all throughout his ministry, they never one time believed in Jesus as the messiah.

They didn't believe. And Mary, she knew Jesus as her savior. Luke 1 verses 46 to 50 explained to us how she knew that Jesus was her savior. Her son was her savior. Which by the way shows us that Mary did not live a sinless life. She was a sinner like you and me, which again is another lie of the catholic church. She was the one who knew she was a sinner and needed to be saved. And so Mary, his mother, and his brothers come because they're concerned about Jesus. They're concerned about his life. That all these people around him, the religious establishment already said this man's got a demon.

They're concerned. So someone says, Jesus, your mom's outside. And your brothers too, they're out there. You know, imagine Jesus. I mean, here he is the son of God and someone comes and says, oh, by the way, your mommy's here. She's outside, Mary. And your brothers, they're here too. They've come to get you, to take you home. And listen, listen to what Jesus says.

Jesus says, my mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it. He didn't stop with these who hear the word of God. He said, they're the ones who hear and obey. These are my children. These are my mothers. These are my brothers. He always reversed everything from the physical to the spiritual. He looked at life from the spiritual perspective and what the people needed to understand is that those who listen to the voice of God and obey prove themselves to be sons of God. Those who listen to the voice of God and refuse to obey, that's when the problem comes, doesn't it?

You see, we have to look and examine what the Bible does say concerning hearing and believing. When you come to church, do you enjoy what God says or do you endure what God says?

When you come and hear the voice of God, is it enjoyment to your ears? Is it a blessing to your soul or is it a burden to your life? 1 John 5 says that God's word is not burdensome to the believer. To the unbeliever you come, oh, that's a weight. That's a burden. That's a burden too big to bear. I'm not doing that. But the Bible says that God's word is not a burden to the believer, to the overcomer, to the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God.

It's not a burden. It's a blessing. It's not an endurance. It's an enjoyment. You love to hear the voice of God. That's just so important because you love him so. And the Bible says in John chapter 14, if you love me, you'll what?

You'll obey me. If you don't love me, you won't obey me. But if you love me, you'll obey me. That's what Jesus said over in 1 John chapter 2. Verse number four. John said it this way. He said, the one who says, I have come to know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar. See the Bible is very clear. We've told you this week after week, sermon after sermon, year after year. The Bible is very clear. It's not gray. It's black and it's white. It speaks the truth. And as children of the living God, the good soil listens with the view to proclaim that truth.

They have heard the word of God. They know that God's word is spirit. They know that God's word is life and they want others to experience that same kind of life. That's why the Bible is so big on the proclamation of the gospel. Because there is a burning desire to share the truth of God no matter what. You want to share the truth. I mean, after all, when you go to a situation and someone speaks against the truth, is there not a burning desire to say, oh, wait a minute. Hold on. That's not true. Don't you have that?

Someone speaks about evolution in the classroom. Don't you have a burning desire to say, wait a minute. That's not true. The Bible says.

Don't you have that? I mean, you should have that. I mean, that should be evident in our lives because we want people to know the truth of what God says.

There's that passion for the proclamation of the truth. And when you're the good soil, you listen and you listen with a view to authenticity. That is, you listen with a view so that the Bible takes root and that you live the life that's true on the inside. Why? Because one day everything that's hidden will be manifest. It will be hidden. Everything that you try to cover up will be brought to light. But the believer says, you know what? What's on the inside I want you to see. So I'm going to manifest it on the outside.

I'm going to live a life of transparency. I'm going to live a life of authenticity. I'm going to live a life of genuineness because that's who I am. He listens with the view to live the truth. And he listens with the view to produce even more fruit because there's the promise that if you have this, that is the gospel, if you have eternal life, what's been given to you, there will be an addition to that. Much more will be given to you. That's why there's that guarantee of the production of good works in the life of the believer because the Spirit of God produces that in you.

It's the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5.22. It's the fruit of what the Spirit does in the life of the individual. That's why the Bible says in 1 John chapter 3, these words, let me read them to you.

They are so clear. They are so concise. 1 John chapter 3, verse number 10. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious. Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God. Now folks, like I said, I don't make this stuff up. This is truly the Word of God. The Bible says that the children of God and the children of the devil are clearly seen, are clearly obvious in this category.

He who does not practice righteousness, why does he say that? We told you earlier, Philippians 1.11, having been filled with the fruit of righteousness, having been plerao, that is controlled by the fruit of righteousness. See, righteousness dominates our life. It doesn't mean that everything we do is righteous because we live in a, we're encased in sinful flesh, right? And so there are times that that doesn't happen, but the overwhelming desire of the heart and the overwhelming pursuit of the life is righteousness.

Not unrighteousness, but righteousness. And when you do something that's wrong, it's like Paul, there's this great overwhelming sense of conviction. There's this deep inner conviction that says, oh Lord, forgive me. Oh, I am wrong. Lord, I have sinned against you. Isn't that not true? Isn't that not true with like your own children? You talk to your children and they've sinned against you and you confront them on their sin. And you know what, Dad? I was wrong. Please forgive me. Don't you want to hear that in the life of your children?

Sure you do. Well, think about in the life of our relationship with our living God. Lord, we're wrong. And so that's why we preach the Word of God, because the Word of God in conjunction with the Spirit of God brings conviction into our lives where there's sin. And the believer would sit here and say, I don't do that. But Lord, I need to do that. I need to do that. Lord, I want to do that. Please forgive me for my disobedient attitude. Please forgive me for my disobedient spirit. Why? Because he lives with the view to obey.

Those who hear my voice and obey it and do it are my true children. So that means when you hear the voice of God, when it speaks against your sin, that is your disobedience, there's a view to say, Lord, I want to obey you. Why? Simply because, having not seen, we love. We love them. We love them with all of our hearts. And the true indicator is that there's this burning desire in my soul to love my God all the more. Because I, He has saved me from my sin. He has saved me from hell. He has transformed my life.

And Lord, I love you and I want to obey you. That's the burning desire of the one who has heard the Word of God and received it. And it brings forth fruit some 30 fold, some 60 fold, some 100 fold. Why? Because when they heard it, they knew it was true and they want to make sure others know the truth. When they heard it, they knew that there was an inner transformation and they wanted to live that truth throughout their lives. They wanted to live a truthful life. When they heard the Word of God, they realized that it kept producing more and more fruit in their lives.

There was a constant reproduction of fruit in their life. And when they heard the Word of God, they desired to obey all that He said. See that? Now you have to look at your life in light of the voice of God.

Let's pray. Father, we thank you for today and all that you do. Truly, truly, you are the Son of God. And truly, truly, you have spoken to us through your Word. And we thank you that we can study your Word as a congregation and know exactly what you say for us. And Lord, although there are times we fall short of what it is we should be doing, we know, Lord, as the Apostle Paul, the things I should be doing, I'm not. The things that I'm doing, I shouldn't be doing. Lord God, please give me the grace to follow your Word.

We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.