Today's Passage - Matthew 13:1-9

Matthew 13:1-9   That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.  Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.  Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.   Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop - a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.   Whoever has ears, let them hear."     I've read an article named "the discipline of listening to sermon."  Listening to sermon is actually a form of learning.  If we read the Bible closely, we'd find that back in the days of Jesus, the way people listened to sermon is totally different from what we do today.  Verse two says that "large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore."  So, the preacher was sitting down while the congregation stood to listen, unlike today where the congregation are sitting comfortably and can even fall asleep whenever they want to.  Someone has joked that when we build a new church, we should only get one chair and put in on the podium for the preacher.  Not only will it save money, it'll also help the congregation to stay focused.  No matter whether we're sitting down or on our feet to listen to sermon, the most important thing is whether we are really listening.   Some preacher has said that good spirituality means having the ability to hear the calling of the Holy Spirit.  In other word, it doesn't matter how long you have believed in the Lord, but it's whether you can hear the word of the Lord.  You spiritually is directly related to your ability to hear the Holy Spirit.  It's not just to listen to sermon, but whether you can hear the word of the Lord during your devotion time in your daily life.   For both Christians and non-Christians, the attitude towards the word of the Lord determines how much you know the Lord and how much spiritual abundance you will experience.  When Jesus was selecting His disciples, He also taught them how to listen.  In the parable of sowing the seeds, the seeds represent God's word and His way.  The type of soil that the seeds fall into determine how much of God's grace will be received.  Do you know how to listen to God's word?  Can you hear the sound of Holy Spirit calling you?  May God give you a humble spirit to come before Him, and ask Him to teach you to hear God's voice.   Pray with Pastor Tong   Lord, please give us an ear that we can hear, so that we may hear your voice in our daily life and get closer to you.  May your Spirit speak to us from inside us and guide our daily life.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!           Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow us on our Facebook page!