Knowing What's in Your Heart

I. By Your Responses to the Lord and His Purpose - Matthew 13:1-3

A. Positive responses
1. Being receptive to hear - Matt. 10:12-14, 40; 1 Thess. 1:4-5
2. Loving the Lord above all and through all - Matt. 10:34-39; Rom. 8:28
3. Not being offended - Matt. 11:6
4. Pursuing the Lord aggressively - Matt. 11:12; Phil. 3:7-15
5. Having a capacity to receive revelation - Matt. 11:25-27; Eph.1:17-18
6. Coming to the Lord with your burdens - Matt. 11:28-30; Phil. 4:6-7
7. Having a heart to do God's will - Matt. 12:46-50; John 7:17
B. Negative responses
1. Being closed to hear - Matt. 10:11-15
2. Reacting indifferently to the Word - Matt. 11:15-17
3. Possessing a critical attitude that gets offended - Matt. 11:18-19
4. Refusing to repent - Matt. 11:20-24; Rev. 2:20-23
5. Being blinded by religious tradition - Matt. 12:1-14
6. Rejecting the work of the Spirit as being satanic - Matt. 12:22-37
7. Putting the Lord on the test by seeking signs - Matt. 12:38-44
8. Remaining natural and soulish in understanding - Matt. 12:46-50; 1 Cor. 2:14
C. How the Lord deals with man's responses - Matt. 13:1-3
1. Leaving the ground of natural relationships - Matt. 13:1-2
2. Standing on the ground of revelation (parables) - Matt. 13:2-3

II. By Your Capacity to Receive Revelation - Matthew 13:10-17

A. The revelation of the kingdom - Matt. 13:10-11
1. The present inward reality of the kingdom - Matt. 5-7; 9:35; 12:28
2. The present outward appearance of the kingdom - Matt. 13; Rev. 2-3
3. The future manifestation of the kingdom - Matt. 24-25
4. The mysteries and the realm of revelation - Eph. 3:3-4; 1 Cor. 4:1
B. The relationship between the spirit's and the heart's capacity
1. Being given a spirit of revelation for the heart - Matt. 13:11; Eph. 1:17-18;
3:16-17; 5:18-19
2. Having a growing capacity in spirit for the heart - Matt. 13:12; 1 Cor. 2:9-16
3. Lacking the exercise of the spiritual faculties - Matt. 13:13-15; Heb. 5:11-14
4. Letting the Word divide and discern - Matt. 13:16-17; Heb. 4:12

III. By Observing What Happens to Your Heart - Matthew 13:4-9, 18-23

A. A wayside heart - Matt. 13:3-4, 19
1. Hardened by worldly traffic - Luke 8:5; 1 John 2:15-16
2. No spiritual understanding - Col. 1:9-13
3. The relationship between worldliness and the devil's attacks - 1 John 5:18-19
4. The attacking demonic birds
a. Evil and unbelieving thoughts - 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 6:16-17
b. Worldly desires - 1 Tim. 5:11-15
B. A rocky heart - Matt. 13:5-6, 20-21
1. A shallow experience - Mark 4:16
a. Joy without any cost - Luke 8:13
b. Joy with counting the cost - Matt. 13:44
2. No proper hidden life - Rom. 11:16
3. The Word and being rooted - James 1:21-22
C. A thorny heart - Matt. 13:7, 22
1. A divided heart - Luke 10:38-42
2. A resolving heart - 1 Tim. 6:7-10, 17-19
3. A pleasure-seeking heart - Luke 8:14; James 4:14
D. A good heart - Matt. 13:8-9, 23
1. An understanding heart - Matt. 13:23; Eph. 1:17-18
2. An open, receiving heart - Mark 4:20; Acts 16:14
3. An honest heart - Luke 8:15
4. A determined heart - Luke 8:15; Heb. 13:9
5. A fruitful life - Matt. 13:23