This morning we talked about fruitless trees and how you need to make sure you are achieving the goals of Christian living: They were love with pure heart, good conscience, unfeigned, sincere faith. Notice that this deals with the heart, and the head. If we are not then we run the risk of being fruitless.

Tonight we'll talk about a deeper problem, not bearing fruit at all, and see if we can get at the problem of being fruitless

The biggest deterrent to a life lived for Christ is life! The worries of this world choke us, or worse, they control us. Let's take a look at the parable of the sower and see how we can become a vibrant community for Christ. It all boils down to whether or not we can hear! How are you listening, when you listen do you listen with your heart or do you listen with your ears? illustrate: the streets of New York and how the drums caught you.

How do we hear in faith?

read passage luke 8.1-10

the context of a sower casting seed then coming and tilling, thus it was common to sow this way

and notice Jesus declares in the parable, "he who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Does being by the road bring us to faith?

• The problem with this group is they are not saved.
• It's pretty cut and dry with this group. They simply live by the church and think that somehow they are okay. These are your proxy Christians - but they aren't Christians at all. Their soil is absent, thus they never actually hear God
• Satan actually intercepts the Word
• read luke 8.11
• Do you know someone who is unsaved? Do you know someone who thinks because they know you they are okay (i.e. saved)? This type of person won't hear with their ears and can't hear with their hearts.

Does being on the rock bring us to faith?

• The problem with this group is they think because they are in the building they are saved and they can hear just fine. They hear the words, can regergetate the words, but just don't live the words. I understand Beth Moore sees this in the south.
• contextual analysis of the rock just under the soil. These people aren't founded on the rock, they have rock hearts. How about that friend that gets mad when you try to speak Scripture into a situation. You know when it is just a minor problem they appreciate Scripture but when it is really bad they just tell you to leave it alone, not even Scripture will help here. That's a rock heart.
• There is no root
• read luke 8.13

Does growing up bring us to faith?

• Here we have the problem group - why they may or may not be saved. They once believed the word, but then something else took the seat of importance in their life.
• read luke 8.14
• The reason this group cannot hear with their hearts is because life gets too loud, it chokes them out. I think this is where a lot of Christians today find themselves. It just gets too easy to put off studying your Bible, it gets too easy to forget prayer, it gets too easy to live life without God, Plus it's easy to pursue riches, to pursue pleasures, and many say, God doesn't bring me that.
• how tragic that life could keep you from life. read john 10.10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
• Are you missing life to the full because you can't hear God? Then it's time you prepared your soil. look what happens next.

Does having the right soil bring you to faith?

• Absolutely! Having the right soil means you are actively preparing your heart to hear God: Through coming to church and having the word preached into your life, reading Scripture and memorizing, fellowshipping with other believers, getting involved with a quiet time, but not just for the sake of doing, rather doing it because you want to. Then you start to hear in faith.
• But notice also read luke8:15 it takes hearing, it takes retaining, it takes persevering. Then you produce fruit a 100 x. illustrate: the corn seed on the stalk producing a bunch of kernals.
• Is this where you are? It can be, just start practicing those spiritual disciplines that prepare your soil.

Conclusion

• To hear in faith, to be brought to faith you have to be ready for the Word. Are you? Do you have this book as an integral part of your life?