Let me ask you something that may seem simple but carries eternal weight: Are you paying attention? I mean, really paying attention—to God’s Word, to His truth, to what He’s trying to say to you every time you open your Bible or sit in worship?
You will be judged by how well you listen. That’s what Jesus made clear in Mark chapter 4. He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” And later in verse 24, He gave a command—not a suggestion:
“Take heed to what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you, and to you who hear, more will be given.”
That means your spiritual blessings, your growth, your understanding—they are all tied to how you listen. That’s why I take this seriously. That’s why I ask you to do the same.
When Jesus taught the parable of the sower—the one about the four types of soil—He wasn’t just talking about ancient farming. He was talking about how we receive the Word. Some ignore it. Some get excited and fall away. Some get choked by the world. But some hear it, keep it, and bear fruit—with patience.
I want to be in that last group. Don’t you?
Jesus didn’t teach in parables to hide the truth forever. He was preparing His disciples to proclaim it openly. He told them, “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.” (Matthew 10:27)
He wanted His followers to pay close attention because one day, they would teach others. The same holds true for us today.
Jesus also said, “To you who hear, more will be given.” That’s a promise. If you’re listening—truly listening—He’ll give you more understanding, more strength, more purpose. But if you aren’t, even what you think you have can be taken away.
He illustrated that in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25). The two servants who used what they were given were rewarded with more. But the one who buried his gift in the ground? He lost everything. Why? Because he didn’t act. He didn’t pay attention. He didn’t take heed.
And it’s the same for us. If we treat God’s Word lightly, if we ignore it or hide from it, we lose. But if we take it in—if we let it shape us—we are blessed beyond measure.
There was a time when the full truth of God was hidden. Jesus even told His disciples not to reveal everything until after His resurrection (Mark 9:9). But now, thanks to the Holy Spirit and the inspired Word, everything has been revealed. Paul called it “the mystery once kept secret but now made known to all nations” (Romans 16:25–26).
That means you and I—we don’t have an excuse not to know the truth. We have the full counsel of God. And like Paul, I’m trying not to “shun to declare” it to you. I want you to hear it all. Because one day, you’ll be judged by what you did with what you heard.
Now, I want to bring it back to something Jesus said in Mark 4:24–25:
“With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you… For whoever has, to him, more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away.”
So, I have to ask—What are you doing with what you hear?
Some people drift away because they don’t listen carefully. Others grow stronger because they do. The difference isn’t how smart they are. The difference is how they listen—how they respond.
Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). The Gospel is God’s power to save everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). But belief has to lead somewhere.
So let me tell you plainly what the Bible says you must do to be saved:
- Hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ—His death, burial, and resurrection.
- Believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
- Repent—change your heart, your mind, and your life.
- Confess Jesus openly as your Lord.
- Be baptized—fully immersed in water—for the remission of your sins.
- And then—live faithfully until death.
When you come out of that water, your past is washed clean. You’re a new creation. But that’s not the end—it’s the beginning of a life walking in the light.
If you’ve done these things, and you’ve stumbled—let me tell you something: God still loves you. And you can return. You can pray. You can be restored.
But don’t delay. Don’t sit on what you’ve heard. Don’t be the servant who buried his gift.
Jesus is calling. He is offering life. But He also says, “Take heed to what you hear.”
So—are you listening? And more than that… are you obeying?
