Vox Sunday Sermon – “Don’t Hold Me Back!”

Sermon by – Pastor of Campuses Ryan Wetherhead – Vox Church

My Notes…

The Parable of the Sower

Mark 4:1–20 (NIV)

1 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge.
2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:
3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.
8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables
12 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word.
15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

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Key Themes

• There will be followers and there will be spectators.
• The cost to follow Jesus is not easy.
• The condition of our heart holds back our ability to hear and receive God’s Word.

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Conditions of the Heart

The conditions of the heart in the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1–20) reflect how people respond to the gospel:

1. The Hard Path – Resistant
   • A hardened heart rejects the gospel due to pride, disbelief, or spiritual blindness.
   • Example: The Pharisees resisted Jesus’ message despite witnessing miracles.
   • Example: A person who has been deeply hurt by a church or religious figure refuses to listen to the gospel message because of bitterness and mistrust. Despite hearing the truth, they reject it, allowing their past experiences and pride to block any possibility of receiving God’s word.
2. Rocky Places – Impulsive
   • An emotional but shallow response; faith fades when trials come.
   • Example: Many followed Jesus for miracles but left when His teachings were hard (John 6:66).
   • Example: Someone hears a powerful sermon, feels inspired, and enthusiastically commits to following Jesus. However, when they face criticism from friends or encounter personal struggles, their initial excitement fades, and they drift away from their faith because it wasn’t deeply rooted.
3. Thorny Soil – Preoccupied
   • Faith is choked by worldly concerns like wealth and anxiety.
   • Example: The rich young ruler valued possessions over following Jesus (Mark 10:17–22).
   • Example: A person starts following Jesus but becomes consumed by career ambitions and financial success. The pressure to maintain a certain lifestyle and the stress of daily life gradually take priority, leaving little time or focus for prayer, Scripture, or spiritual growth.
4. Prepared Soil – Receiving
   • A receptive heart hears, accepts, and produces spiritual fruit.
   • Example: The disciples, despite struggles, bore fruit through the early church (Acts 2).
   • Example: Someone hears the gospel, responds with genuine faith, and allows it to transform their life. They grow in prayer, study Scripture, and serve others. Over time, their life reflects the fruits of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, and kindness — influencing others to seek Christ.

👉 The parable teaches that true faith requires a heart that is open, rooted, undivided, and fruitful — fully surrendered to Jesus and transformed by the gospel.

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At the Home of Martha and Mary

Luke 10:38–42 (NIV)

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.
39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.
40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

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Reflection

• Mary made space for Jesus, while Martha, despite her best intentions, did not.
• We must be intentional about creating space for God’s Word in our hearts and lives.

My Takeaway

Just as in gardening, we must make room for new growth. If we do not create space for time with God and quiet our lives to hear Him, then His word will not be received and take root in our hearts and minds.