Pastor Marshall Ochs | February 11, 2024
In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from Luke 8. This chapter begins with a summary of who is following Jesus in Galilee and moves to the parable of the seed and lamp. Jesus warns the crowd to take heed when they listen to these parables because we are accountable for what we know. When God spreads the seed of His Word in our life there is an expectation that we would obey and experience His blessing in our life. However, if we hear the Word of God and ignore it or disobey, our hearts grow hard. The encouragement from God's Word is to receive the Word with joy and respond with obedience, lest we become dull and stiff necked.
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In the parable of the sower, Jesus speaks of different types of soil that receive the seed of God's Word. Some seeds fall on the path, some on rocky ground, some among thorns, and some on good soil. Each type of soil represents a different condition of the heart; only the seed that falls on good soil can take root and bear fruit.
But what makes the soil good? What allows the Word of God to take root and flourish within us? Take care of how you hear! Read Isaiah 6:9-10. Humble soil, a heart that wants nothing more than God’s Word. Our responsibility is to obey the Word and let it take root. If you have a hard or stubborn heart, cry out to God for healing.
The seed is the Word of God and everything in it needs to land on soil that produces fruit. If it gets choked out because you are more concerned with things of this world, then you will never grow in your faith.
Read Hebrews 12:28-29. We have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And for that, let us offer acceptable worship in reverence and awe to God. What does it look like for us to offer acceptable worship in reverence and awe?
Reverence is more than just outward behavior; it is an attitude of the heart. It is an acknowledgment of God's greatness, holiness, and power. It is an awareness of His presence and a deep respect for His Word. When we approach God with reverence, we recognize Him as the Creator of the universe, the One who holds all things together, and the One who is a consuming fire.
A lack of reverence often manifests in casual behavior. When we treat Sunday gatherings, our prayers, and our study of Scripture as mundane tasks to check off our list, we miss the transformative power of God's Word. We become like the rocky ground or the soil among thorns, where the Word cannot take root deeply.
So, what does it look like for reverence and awe to take root in our hearts?
Firstly, it requires a humble recognition of our need for Jesus. When we approach God humbly, acknowledging our need for His grace and mercy, we position ourselves to receive His Word with open hearts.
Secondly, reverence involves a deep love for God and His Word. When we truly love someone, we honor them, cherish them, and prioritize them above all else. Similarly, when we love God, we hold His Word in high esteem, meditating on it day and night and allowing it to shape every aspect of our lives.
Finally, reverence leads to obedience. When we truly revere God, we cannot help but obey Him. We understand His commands are for our good, and we submit our will to His.
Let us cultivate reverence and awe in our hearts so that the Word of God may take root deeply within us. Let us approach God with humility, love, and obedience, knowing that He is a consuming fire, and His Word has the power to transform our lives from the inside out. May casualness not mark our Sunday gatherings but a deep reverence for the One who holds all things together.