Identifying Your Holiday Listener

While the holidays are a time of merriment and celebration, it is also a remarkable time for Christians to share the gospel with those who any other time of year may not hear it. This season of time is one where people reflect a little more on life and will be more willing to accept an invitation to hear the gospel. Jesus was often referred to as Rabbi which means teacher, He took the time to sit with others and share how they can be reconciled with God. In His teachings, Jesus revealed the four different groups of people. These four groups Christians today should know and be able to recognize. Unfortunately, today there is much confusion regarding these four groups and how to accurately identify the significance behind each.

The lesson starts in Mark 4 verse 1-9.

“Again He began to teach by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat on the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. 2 And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 3 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.” 9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Here we have four groups and each group is unique in how they receive the gospel. It is ironic that Jesus has significantly left out those who have never heard the Word of God. Unfortunately many believers today have taken the approach that those who have not heard the Word are automatically doomed to hell for their unbelief. Nevertheless, we know that the Word of God and God’s character is sufficient. Proverbs 24:12 describes that God will weigh the hearts of those who have not heard, “If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work.” Jonah is told by God that He recognized the city of Nineveh as having 120,000 people who did not know the difference between their right and left hand as well as the many animals, “Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?” Jonah 4:11. King David’s son who died as a baby is recognized by David himself as being in Heaven. In 2 Samuel 12:23, David explains that he will one day go to where his baby who had just passed away is. The greatness of God is to show mercy where He wills to show mercy. Nevertheless, that does not minimize the duty of believers to share the gospel! On the contrary, the scripture is very clear that we are to share the good news of Jesus Christ to everyone!

To those that we are able to share the gospel with, we are capable of seeing only four options for them. Jesus gives greater details into these four groups which as we previously stated should be studied so that we can recognize and address them accordingly. Going back to the book of Mark chapter 4 we continue at verse 13 through 20.

“And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16 And in a similar way these are the ones sown with seed on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and yet they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown with seed among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 And those are the ones sown with seed on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.” Four groups yet for three of them the outcome of unbelief is the same.”

As we dig deeper we can see that these 3 groups are also significant in their development. With the first group, satan snatches the gospel from them. These are the people that are identified as willing to listen to what satan has to say, this group immediately rejects the gospel. These people will most likely persecute and cause affliction to the second group which is the group that at first rejoices at the gospel but then fall away when times get tough.

Many Christians today have mistakenly identified this second group as born again believers who fall away from the faith and lose their salvation. However that couldn’t be further from the truth. We know from the book of James that faith will develop fruit, “What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless?” James 2:14-20. Jesus confirms this with identifying the branches that are not in Him, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” John 15:6.

The third group mentioned in the parable has decided that the enjoyments of the sinful world are worth more to them than Jesus Christ. Sadly, you can identify what type of pastor you have teaching at the pulpit based off of how many of the third group are here. The more the congregation is based and wanting to live in the world within the world, the more those in the third group will feel right at home.

Now as believers we need to be able to identify these three groups for the purpose of being able to separate the final group. Group four is ironically the same group to which all who are believers in Jesus Christ fall into. While it might have taken you years and many many times hearing the Word, finally you have joined your belonged group. As we share the gospel we need to quickly be ready to identify those who are willing to accept and who have good soil. This good soil is metaphorically speaking, for in Christ we are all a new creation and His sacrifice is big enough to sanctify whomever from whatever their past is. God’s open invitation is best described by Himself, “Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.” Revelation 3:20-22. This group is what Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20 tells us to baptize and disciple. We are to identify those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ, and help them learn and grow.

So as the holidays kick off and Christmas approaches, remember that we are called to share the gospel but take heed to who is listening so that you can identify those who have good soil. Additionally, if you do not know where you and God stand right now, this is the perfect time to accept Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and believe in Him. Email us and we would be happy to help you understand the eternal decision we make when we are saved by Christ.

If you are questioning who it is, don’t worry, ask God to identify the person to you and watch Him work! Let us be of our Father’s work so that when the day comes and we are called home, we can be found doing His good work.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL