This is a very well-known parable alright. I’m sure if you have not known anything about hearing, at least you know something about this parable or at least have heard about this parable. And Jesus told this parable to teach one thing and one thing only. Now what is that? Hearing. It is about hearing the Word of God. You see that in verse 11 where Jesus says: “Now the parable is this. The seed is the word and the one (verse 12) along the path are those who have heard.” And then you see in verse 13: “The one on the rock are those who when they hear the word.” And then in verse 14: “As for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear.” And then in verse 15, “those on the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast”.

So, you can see that as Jesus explained the parable, He tells them it is about hearing. It’s about hearing. And so, what is it that Jesus wants us to know about hearing? Is there something important for us to know about hearing? Obviously, there is, otherwise Jesus wouldn’t be trying to impress this upon His hearers. He said it’s about the hearing of the Word of God. And so, I’ll like to point out three things about hearing that we all should know. Three things about the hearing the Word of God that we all should know. And the first is this. It is that we must take care how we hear.

Now we can see that from the way Jesus in a sense concludes the parable. As He comes to the end of the parable in verse 18, He applies that. He makes an application. He said this is what this parable is all about. He says therefore or take care then how you hear because I’m talking about hearing. I am talking about hearing, Jesus said. Now you see, the context of this parable is that there was a crowd gathering to hear Jesus. We are told in verse 4: Then a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to hear him.

Now He must have been a very well-known and famous preacher. People heard about Him, just as many famous preachers today. You may have heard of this if he is in town, now this hall would not be sufficient. We will probably have to rent a hall, a bigger hall or even a stadium to hear these preachers. And so, a great crowd was gathered alright- was gathering to hear Jesus. And what is Jesus saying to them in this parable? What is Jesus trying to say to this huge crowd? Is it a good thing that these people were gathering, that people are coming to hear the preaching of the Word of God? Is it a good thing? And Jesus looked into the crowd.

Some years ago, before the pandemic, I think about five years ago I was in Taylors speaking to the students there. And they asked me to speak on the same subject. And this is what I told them. I said it is on the one hand encouraging to see students coming to hear the Word of God. But is it a good thing? Now I want to tell you that for Jesus, and it is as if He was saying to them that most of these people who are gathering here, who are gathered here hearing Me or listening to me, they are wasting their time. I’m saying that those, there are many, many people, students coming to hear the Word of God but they are wasting their time.

Every Sunday many people gather in churches. Some churches are huge, hundreds, maybe thousands of people are gathered every Sunday. And I’m saying here that Jesus is saying that they are wasting their time every Sunday going to church hearing the Word of God. Maybe and even those going to sound, biblical churches. Maybe you can think of a number of these churches in town. And sadly, very often we can’t think of many.

But even those who are gathered in these sound, biblical churches, they are wasting their time. And I’m saying this morning that maybe many of you who are gathered here Sunday after Sunday after Sunday, I’ve seen some of you for years, maybe you’re wasting your time. You’re wasting your time. I know that there are many people who are fans of John MacArthur or Paul Washer. And sometimes in fact in my evening walk, now I passed by an old man with my wife and I can clearly tell that he was listening to John MacArthur as he was walking. I know people do that. They’re a fan of these preachers. Oh, they say I love Steve Lawson. I love Voddie, and I’ve been listening to these people. And Jesus saying that you are wasting your time.

Why? Because Jesus said that even these people who are listening to me, they are wasting their time. The reason is because, Jesus says, that these people are like the people in verse 12. They are the people along, they are like the path, the wayside soil. They are people who are utterly unprepared as they come to hear the Word of God. And they’re wasting their time, Jesus says, because they bear no fruit. Nothing will happen in their life. It’s such a pity they come and hear Jesus, and Jesus look into their eyes and says that nothing is going to happen in your life. So, this hearing of My preaching is doing no good to you. No good to you because you are like the wayside soil.

And some of you, Jesus said, you are like those soil with a lot of rocks. You come and you have got no patience. You do not allow the Word to take root into your life. It has no grip upon you. You can hear and hear and hear but has got no impact on you. It makes no difference in your life. Now every Sunday you come and you get out of this hall and you remain the same old person. What good is that when you are still the same old person? Nothing grips you.

Or Jesus says that you might be like the other soil, the soil where there’s a lot of thorns. Again, that is not a well-prepared soil. You come but you’re so distracted. You’re thinking about the stock market. You’re thinking about the fact that the Ringgit is dropping. You’re still thinking about this. You’re still thinking about that. And then you get a call from your property agent. What kind of hearing is this, Jesus says. There is no benefit if you hear the Word of God that way. Your mind is not here. Your mind is still somewhere else. There’s so many concerns in your life. It’s hindering the Word of God, having that impact in you. Distraction.

And so here we have a very familiar scene in Luke chapter 8. A great crowd gathering to hear Jesus, and Jesus is saying coming to hear preaching is one thing and hearing properly is another thing. How do you hear the Word of God? That is what Jesus is saying. How we hear finally matters. It’s not simply hearing the Word of God. So, it gives Jesus no joy simply seeing crowd while all the unprepared people are listening, all the distracted people listening, all the impatient people listening. They’re always looking at their watch, wondering when the sermon is going to end. There’s no benefit. There’s no benefit, Jesus says in such hearing of the Word of God. You are just wasting your time.

So that is the first thing about hearing. Just hearing- just hearing alone is not enough alright. You must take care how you hear. Now the second thing (now just before the lion dance alright, I better get through my three points). Now the second is this. Why? Why should we take care to hear the Word of God? Why should you take care? Why should you listen to the Word of God in a certain manner, carefully? Why take care? And I want to point out two reasons here from this parable, from this passage here.

Now Jesus also points out here the reason why you should take care how you hear the Word of God is because firstly of what is at stake. Now let me ask you: What do you think is gain or loss? Whether you’re here properly or not? Have you ever wondered that I come to church this Sunday and I listen to the preaching of the Word of God, does it matter how I hear the Word of God? What is gain or loss? Have you ever wondered that? What is it about hearing about the Word of God? What is at stake? The first thing that is at stake, Jesus tells us in verse 12.

Listen again to verse 12. Jesus says as He explains the parable: “The ones along the path are those who have heard; and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts”. Why? Why is the devil so eager to take the Word from you? Because he knows what is at stake. If the Word of God gets into you and have impact in your life, what is going to happen? Do you know what is going to happen? The devil knows. That’s why he quickly come and take that Word away from you. Verse 12 says he takes the Word. “The devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.”

Do you understand that? Do you understand the connection between the Word of God and salvation? Do you understand what must a person do to be saved? He must first hear the Word of God. You see, that is really Paul’s great point in his letter to the Romans in chapter 10. Listen to what Paul writes here in chapter 10 and verse 14. He says: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe of whom they have never heard?” And then in verse 17: “for faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

That is how people believe. People don’t believe just by listening to maybe some noise outside. No, the way people come to faith in Jesus Christ is by hearing the gospel, by hearing the Word of God, for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. And Paul has that deep conviction. Do you? Do you have that deep conviction that it really matters how a person hears the Word because what is at stake is salvation? And so, do you care?

Parents. Old parents and maybe young parents. I’m speaking to a number of young parents these past few weeks. And one of the things I’m trying to impress upon them is this fact. It’s a thing exactly what Paul writes when he writes to Timothy and he tells Timothy now these words. Now listen in 2 Timothy 3:15. And he says to Timothy: “and how from childhood you have been acquainted (or you have known the holy Scripture), which are able to make you wise” for what?

We know that we send our children to the tuition or to the school or take that course, we know that what that course or those studies are going to make them. They’re going to make them to be a great lawyer, a great doctor, a great engineer. And so, we invest. And so, the mothers will be very diligent. They will drive their children to the school. They will drive the children to the tuition centre. They will do everything. They’ll buy books for them. They will pay. You know how much money parents pay for the children’s education? What do you do for the spiritual knowledge of your children? What do you do to educate them with the Word of God?

Do you really believe what Paul said to Timothy here in 2 Timothy 3:15 that from childhood you have known the Holy Scripture which are able to make you wise unto salvation? No wonder parents don’t really invest in the spiritual education of their children because they don’t believe. They think that the Bible has nothing to do with their salvation. They think they’re educating them and teaching them and proclaiming to them the Word of God has nothing to do with their salvation, nothing to do with saving your little, cute baby from hell. You understand that? Hearing the Word of God saves people from hellfire, not just people from your loved ones.

And Paul understands that. And that is what Jesus is saying. That is what Jesus is saying. You know how important it is to hear the Word of God carefully? Because your salvation is at stake. Next, verse 15. Back to Luke chapter 8. What is at stake if you do not hear the Word of God carefully? verse 15: “And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” The other thing connected with the Word of God, the hearing of the Word of God is bearing fruit in your life. Bearing fruit in your life. Fruitfulness depends on the hearing of the Word of God.

Now if you were to bear fruit in your life, in your Christian life, now there’s no other way. Now there’s no other way. Not just attending some kind of seminar conferences out there. Faithfully come and carefully hear the Word of God. Is there any wonder why so often you look at believers and you don’t find them bearing fruit in their lives? Despite the fact that they come to church so very often, but you see them the same today, tomorrow, and forever. You see, we have to understand what Jesus is saying. The importance of taking care in hearing the Word of God.

And thirdly, verse 16: “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter- those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be made known and come to light. ” Now some people think that verse 16 and verse 17 is like Jesus has already finished His parable; He’s now talking about something else.

So, what’s the connection between verse 16 and verse 17? Now Jesus is saying this. See, the reason why you should bear fruit in your Christian life is so that you can be a testimony to the world. I believe it’s similar to what He was saying to the disciples in Matthew chapter 5 that is mentioned to them that these are the marks of a true believer. And the purpose of it, He said, so that you may shine. You may be the salt and light in the world. That is the purpose. We are supposed to bear gospel witness in the world. We are supposed to shine.

And if we are not bearing fruit, we are not hearing carefully, being saved and bearing fruit, now how can we be a bright, gospel witness to the society, to the world around us? So, your testimony is at stake. And so, Jesus says that’s the reason why you should take care. You should take care how you hear every time you come and hear the preaching of the Word of God because salvation is at stake. Your fruitfulness is at stake. Your testimony is at stake.

But there’s a second reason. The second reason why you should take care. Not only what is at stake but also, because the devil is eager to take away the Word away from you. And that’s what we saw right earlier on in verse 12 that the devil comes and takes the Word away from their hearts. Now when you read your Bible and when you read that verse, do you notice the word ‘devil’ there? Do you take notice of the word ‘devil’ there? When you come to church and you come and hear the Word of God, do you understand? Do you take note of devil? You don’t.

The devil is real alright- it’s real. Demonic activity is real. The devil is very active, so do not live our Christian life as if the devil is sleeping. Do not live our Christian life as if we are not in a struggle. It is not going to be easy, Jesus says, for you to come and hear the Word of God because there will be so many hindrances. There’s so many obstacles and so many things will be against you from benefiting from the Word of God because the devil is active. The devil will make sure in every way to try to take away the Word of God from you.

Why? Because the devil if you do not believe in Romans 10 and verse 14 and verse 17 where Paul says that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”, the devil believes. I believe that the devil believes in these truths more than many, many Christians. And that’s why he is so active. He will make sure every Sunday he will wake up very early, earlier than you, make sure that you’re still asleep. And Saturday night he will try his very best to occupy your mind with all kinds of things that make sure that you will not pay attention on Sunday. The devil is doing all kinds of things.

You have to be aware. Take note of the word ‘devil’. Jesus mentions him. Jesus refers to him because He wants us to take note of him. Pay attention to him. The devil believes what Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:15 that children if you educate them, if you teach them the Bible, they will be saved. And so, what would the devil do? The devil will make sure the parents will so occupy their children with so many activities they cannot even come to church. Imagine they will allow their children to do other things elsewhere, more important things than coming to church. You mean you want to deny your children or your child that opportunity?

Maybe that’s the only opportunity your child may have to hear the Word of God. And you deny that? That is what the devil will do. He will do everything to make sure the people don’t hear the Word of God. And if they are here, they don’t hear it properly. They don’t hear it properly. And so, the devil believes alright- the devil believes in all these things. So, we better believe alright. If you were to learn to hear the Word of God, believe that what is at stake and believe that we should take care because also the devil is eager. He’s eager.

And we know that all through the centuries the devil had been trying his very best to destroy the Word of God. He will burn it, he will burn those people who translate it, he will try to corrupt it. He’ll make sure that people don’t preach it, and then he will make sure that people don’t listen to it. He’ll do everything. So, we must take heed or take care how we hear because we are against a formidable foe.

And finally, how do we take care? How do we take care to hear the Word of God? Because that is really what Jesus is saying here. You must take care because of all these reasons you must take care or else your coming to hear the Word of God is a waste of time alright. As I say it’s a sad thing, and I believe it is a fact that most people who go to church Sunday after Sunday after Sunday are wasting their time. So how do we hear the Word of God? I know that there are many things we can say about this, let me just point out three.

First, turn with me to Psalms chapter 1. Psalms chapter 1. Let me read the first two verses. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. ” the first thing if you were to hear the Word of God carefully. First thing is that you must have great delight in the law of the Lord. Pray. Pray the prayer of Jeremiah alright. Be able to say with the prophet Jeremiah your Word is found and I did eat them, and your Word is to me the joy and the rejoicing of my heart.

You see, the wayside soil, they have no joy. They come to church listening to the Word of God is not their purpose. It’s not their great interest. But you see, the psalmist. His delight. That’s why he is a blessed man. He says here now you want true blessedness? You want progress and success in your Christian life? you want true blessedness? You see, it hangs on this. True blessedness hangs on what? Hangs on delighting in the Word of God. Delighting in the Word of God. What’s the problem with churches today?

Or we may also ask: What’s the problem with so many Christians today? What would you say as you look at churches or you look at Christians, what would you say is that great problem? I believe one of the great problems of churches today and of many Christians is what Paul has already warned in his letter to Timothy. What did Paul tell Timothy? Now listen in 2 Timothy 4:2-4, Paul writes: preach the word. This is the problem, Paul says, that people refuse to preach the Word. They may give you some inspirational talk that they may tell you stories, but they will not preach the Word. But Paul says to Timothy there is no other way.

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; rebuke, reprove, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ” So, you do that. What’s wrong with so many churches today? They’re not preaching the word of God. And that’s the reason why people have to go to the internet and listen to John MacArthur and to Voddie and to Lawson and say where are the preachers? Preach the Word. And then he writes in verse 3: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound doctrine”. So, there are on one hand preachers who will not preach the Word, on the other hand, there are hearers who will not want to hear the Word.

What do they want to hear? Again verse 3: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having their itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ” And that’s the reason why I told my church people once alright that every time when I look at my YouTube video I see forty-eight views. And I look at others, they have four hundred and eighty thousand views. What are people looking for? What do people want to hear? They want to hear what they want to hear. They do not want people to rebuke, reprove. They do not want people to tell them to change their lives. They do not want people to tell them to repent.

You see, there is a problem today. There is no delight in the Word of God. In fact, that is not hearing the Word of God. Going to church to hear preaching is not the number one reason why people go to church or the first criteria, the first, most important thing why they choose a particular church. It’s very common when people come to church, is there any activity for my children? What kind of songs, music do you sing? Why do you come? Why do you come to church week after week after week after week? To see your friends or for our fellowship lunch? Why? Why are you coming Sunday after Sunday? Is it not for the hunger of the Word of God?

Again, the psalmist alright he says here: “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law (or on his law) he meditates day and night. ” So those people with no delight, they’ve got no patience with the Word of God. They want the shortest sermon as possible, ten minutes maximum. They don’t want to hear. They just want to come enjoy fellowship, enjoy social, enjoy whatever, and they go. They will not have patience to meditate day and night. What does it mean to meditate day and night? Does that mean that you know, we open the Bible and we do nothing else and we’re just thinking and thinking and thinking about the Word of God?

I believe what it means is what Paul told the Colossian Christians in Colossians 3:16. He said: “Let the word of God dwells in you richly”, that your life is so soaked by the Word of God, that you think everything through the lens of Scripture- your problem, decision making. You look at society and people, but you see, you think through. You’re being soaked in the Word of God because you think about it. You consider the Word of God when you make a decision. You consider the Word of God when you deal with an issue, a crisis, a problem in your life. Meditate on the Word of God.

It also means that you are not in a rush. People are always in a rush. They’ve got no patience, no time to spend on the Word of God. So, the first thing about hearing properly or taking care how you hear is that you must have delight, not indifference to the Word of God. Second, turn with me to Hebrews chapter 2.

Hebrews chapter 2, beginning in verse 1. “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? For it was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard”.

Now what is the writer to the Hebrew saying here? He says that this should be our attitude towards the Word of God. When you come and hear the Word of God, this should be the attitude. You come and you pay careful attention. That’s why he said pay much closer attention. Or the other translation, the more earnest heed. Pay the more earnest heed to the Word of God. Do not neglect. Do not neglect. Why? Why? The author to the Hebrews is saying the reason is, first of all, because this is the Word of Jesus. This is the Word of God.
Remember that this flows from chapter 1 where verse 1 of chapter 2 starts with therefore, he’s making an application. What is chapter 1? Chapter 1 is about God revealing Himself in the past through the prophets in various ways and finally, through His Son, Jesus. And so, what we have in our hands, this is the Word of God. Every time you open the Bible and read, remember you are reading the Word of God. Every time you hear someone preaching from the Word, remember you’re listening to the Word of God. And therefore, if this is the Word of God, what should be our attitude towards it? How shall we hear when God is speaking? Pay much closer attention.

That is what the writer to the Hebrews is writing out here. That is how we hear. Pay much closer attention because this is the Word of Jesus. But also, because the Word of Jesus is the Word of salvation. That’s why he says in verse 3: How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? What do you think this is about? What do you think this is about? This is about our salvation. We should take heed, pay much closer attention also because the Word of God is effective.

Chapter 4 and verse 12, it says here: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. ” Now remember, the argument continues right into chapter 4, highlighting the importance of the Word of God, why we should pay attention to it, why we should listen carefully to it because this is the Word of Jesus. This is the Word of salvation, and the Word of God is effective. It is effective. It helps. And therefore, we pay attention.

We know that if a book is important, we pay attention to the book. Is the Bible important to you? Or usually, you never pay close attention to anything that you deem as unimportant or inconsequential. You’ll never pay attention to anything that you deem as unimportant. We know that the Budget is coming. And for many of you it’s very important. And we know that many people even in offices alright, they’ll stop work and they will turn on the television. They will be watching the Budget, now noting down all the things. Oh, this is pay close attention. That’s what it means.

Do you do that with the Bible? Do you do that? Not that when the Budget is announced but when the Bible is preached. Pay close attention. And thirdly, how shall we hear the Word of God and how should we hear it carefully? Again, in Hebrews chapter 3. I say the first few chapters of Hebrews is all about the Word of God alright- about the Word of Jesus.

Hebrews chapter 3, look at verse 7: “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the days of rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” (Verse 12) Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.”

Now here’s a warning that if you come and hear the Word of God with a hardened heart, cannot penetrate, where these people. How many times God has sent the prophets, His prophets to them, and warn them and spoke to them and told them to change and to repent? God gave them chance after chance after chance. God spoke to them but they were hardened. That’s what this passage is talking about, and that’s why the author here use this example to say that is not the way to hear the Word of God. That’s not the way to respond to the Word of God.

Do not harden your heart, verse 8 says, as in the day of rebellion. Hardening means what? Not hardening means not unbelieving. Because you’re hardened means you are not believing. You don’t believe. You don’t really believe. Just say you can go in here and go out here. There’re so many truths in the Bible if you hear, but I wonder why people remain the same alright- I wonder why people may remain the same.

Just in our last men’s prayer meeting, and the devotion was on this passage. And it got me thinking very much about the past, I mean throughout the week. And as I was preparing this, I read through this passage again and I’m just thinking why people can hear the Word of God and they remain the same? They’re so hardened. Listen alright Hebrews 10, beginning in verse 23. Beginning in verse 23.

Now listen to the words of the Hebrews here: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, and let us not neglect the meeting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. ” Here is the Word of God. Now what is the Word of God saying to us? Now what do you hear every Sunday? What do you hear every Sunday? I believe it should be this alright. Let us do this. Let us do that. Let us. Let us.

And that’s what the author to the Hebrews said. Let us do this. Let us encourage one another. Let us not miss church. Let us not do this wicked thing, but let us come together. Love one another. Let us do this. Verse 26, it’s a warning: “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. ” It’s a warning here. You hear all the time. Let us do this. Let us repent of our sin. Let us come to Jesus because He is the Saviour. He died on the cross for sinners like us. He’s the only Way. He’s the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Now how many times people can hear this truth again and again and again and they remain hardened, no change? So, if we go on sinning like that, if we go on in disobedience, if we go on remaining the same week after week. That’s why I say many people who come to church Sunday after Sunday after Sunday, they’re wasting their time because they remain the same, no change in their life.

And here’s the warning if you remain the same after receiving the knowledge of truth, after hearing again and again and again, then the time will come alright, there’s no hope for you but a fearful, verse 27: “but a fearful expectation of judgement, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, (verse 29) do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God.”

Now we are in the New Testament age. We have the Bible. Jesus has come. You have heard of Him, and you spun Him. You ignore Him in your life. You do not want to believe in Him. You do not want to follow Him, and you do not obey His Word you want to live life your way. And here’s the warning. “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

Here’s a warning. We are dealing with God. You see, when you hear His Word and you do not respond, you’re not dealing with people. You’re dealing with God. You’re not following His Word. And so, here’s a warning. You say you know what? You’re dealing with the Lord, “who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Now this is what Jesus wants us to remember. It is not a small thing to just hear the Word of God and ignore it. No small thing because of what is at stake and because of whom we are dealing with. Maybe some of you here this morning are wasting your time. How many times have you been here? What impact has the Word of God upon your life? What changes do you see in yourself in relation to the Word of God? It means the Word of God has nothing to say to you? There’s no change necessary in your life?

Maybe some of you this morning, you come, you have no delight in the Word of God. Maybe some of you, you come, you’re not paying careful attention. Maybe some of you, you are hardened in your heart. You say what you like, but you’re just hardened. The Word of God just cannot penetrate. You hardened yourself, and the devil is on your side. The devil is on your side if you do not show delight, if you do not pay careful attention, if you are hardened in rebellion against God. May God help us. Let us pray.

“Our Father in Heaven, again we pray that Your Word may have that impact in our life. We know that this morning it is so important that we not just hear but hear carefully. And so, we do pray for everyone here this morning to understand what Jesus is saying here to the people gathered on that day, for we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.