NO ROOT...NO FRUIT! (Mark 4:1-20)

Well, good morning.

Let's try that again.

Good morning.

Yes, that's what I'm talking about.

Well, hey before we start our service, I would like for us to pray for Browns Chapel

Church.

Something that we do here at 12 five is we want to pray for other Evangelical gospel

proclaiming churches that we can lock side -by -side with in unity for the gospel.

So this morning, let's lift up Browns Chapel.

Heavenly Father.

We just want to praise you for all of who you are and your majesty.

Lord, we get to behold your beautiful creation and how it testifies to your handiwork and Lord.

I just want to pray for the community of Jonesboro and the surrounding towns of Paragould and everybody that

we are in partnership with and we would just want to lift up Browns Chapel.

God we pray that they would be a faithful church.

God to preach the whole counsel of your message.

Lord we pray for the leadership there.

We pray that you'd give them strength to lead your people to equip them to disciple them in the gospel and

in sound doctrine.

Lord, we pray all these things in your name Jesus.

Amen.

All right.

Well, if you would please stand.

We will continue with our call to worship that is based on Matthew chapter 13.

This is a time where we get to do a response with one another.

So if you would please join me with our first line in our call to worship the

kingdom of God is here and is coming a Mustard seed that someone took and

sowed in this field is the smallest of all seeds.

But when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air Come

and make nests in its branches.

The kingdom of God is here.

Yeast that a woman took and mixed in with the three measures of flour until all was leavened

treasure hidden in a field which someone found and hid then joyfully sells as all

as he bought and then buys a film a

Merchant in search of fine pearls on finding one of great value sells all of his possessions and

buys the pearl.

Let all who have ears here and all God's people said Amen, let's pray

this morning.

Heavenly Father, I pray that you would give us ears to hear your message this morning to be able to

understand your truth.

God that it would mold us truly from the inside out.

Lord, I pray that as we sing praise to you.

God, it would not be in Words only coming from a lips that stems from a heart of

bitterness God I pray that this morning that you would remove all distractions and that we would glorify your

holy name.

We pray these things in your name Jesus.

Good

morning church.

So glad to have y 'all with us this morning.

If you're visiting with us this morning.

We're glad to have you and glad you chose to come and worship with us.

Amen.

Man, I want to want to say happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there.

God is for us.

Lift your voices sing out.

We won't fear the battle.

We won't fear the night.

We will walk the valley.

With you by our side.

You will go before us you will lead the way.

We have found a refuge.

Only you can say.

Sing with joy now.

My God is for us.

The Father's love is a strong and mighty Fortress.

Raise your voice now.

Who can stand against us if our God is for

us.

Awesome true.

Have faith in that.

Amen.

Nothing formed against us.

Nothing formed against us as long as we have the Father He is for us.

Amen.

Splendor the king

clothed in.

Majesty let all the earth rejoice.

He wraps himself

Darkness tries to hide and trembles at his voice.

Against us can can ever ever Hurt us Lord.

We're so grateful for that Lord as we sing how great you are.

You are truly name above all names.

We're so grateful what we are so grateful.

We love you.

We praise you Jesus in Jesus name

Lord is broken.

Feel the shadows deep

in.

Do you know that all the dark won't stop the light from getting through.

Wish that you could see.

It's all creation groaning.

It's the glory

of the light.

It's a good that we

remind

Ourselves.

He's

in some then

some.

There's

not

enough

praise

we

can

give

him.

He is worthy of so much more than we have to offer.

Amen.

His grace is amazing.

He's in grace.

Hate the sound.

That's a.

Wretch.

Ushers to come up.

Take our morning offering how

amazing God's grace is.

Amen, Lord.

We praise you this morning for your grace.

Lord, I thank you and I praise you for my salvation for

choosing me For releasing these chains.

They've once bound me

Lord.

I pray this morning Lord is that you would just Be with those that are out

this morning for whatever reason Lord.

I pray that you would be with Be with pastor Nathan and his family Lord as they as they

travel Lord I just pray that you would just bring them home safely Lord.

I pray that you just be with the Stassneys as they visit family in Texas Lord.

I just pray that you just just Keep them safe as they travel bring them home

safely and anyone anyone else for whatever reason may be out.

What I pray this morning that you would bless this offering Lord bless this offering as we give

back.

What is rightfully yours in the first place or thank you

for your grace.

Thank you for your goodness in Jesus name.

Man, well, it is wonderful to be with all of you.

You may have noticed.

I have a new leather binder.

I had a dear Friend tell me that it was time for upgrade.

I had a white binder that I had for many years and she said Jeremiah I'm trying to help you out.

Just trust me on this.

So, you know who you are out there.

Thank you so much for this new leather binder.

I'm gonna keep it always.

So with that being said if you would please open in your copy of God's Word to mark chapter 4 We're gonna

be examining the parable of the sower this morning.

And as you're turning there I want you to think about a time where you shared your faith with

somebody a time where you shared the good news of Jesus Christ and This might be a little convicting because it might be like

oh man When was the last time I actually shared the gospel with somebody?

But if you've shared the gospel of someone you've maybe noticed that there's all different kinds of responses that

someone can have to the good News, maybe you've shared your faith of someone and they responded with a lot

of indifference like hey Jeremiah.

That's a really cool experience, but I'm out Thanks for sharing that with me or maybe you've

shared somebody that seemed really interested wanted to come to church.

After you shared the good news.

Maybe you've met people within the church walls for many years went to church and then left

the faith altogether.

Why are so many people?

Have different responses to the good news of the gospel.

I believe in this parable.

Jesus gives us many reasons why that is the case and it stems back to man's Condition from

the heart ever since the fall in Genesis chapter 3 man's heart has been bent towards wickedness

and evil.

The prophet Jeremiah says man's heart is wicked and deceitful above all things who can know it and

So this brings us this morning to the parable of the sower where Jesus explains why people react so

differently to the truth of God.

So if you would look with me at the opening nine verses.

Again Jesus he began to teach beside the sea and a very large crowd gathered about

him so that he got into the boat and sat on it on the sea and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land

and he was teaching them many things in parables and in his teaching he said to them listen.

Behold a sower went out to sow and as he sowed some seed fell along the path and the birds

came in and devoured it.

Other seeds fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil and Immediately it sprang up since it had no depth

of soil and when the Sun rose it was scorched and since it had no root It withered away.

Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and it choked it and it yielded no grain

and other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain growing up and increasing and yielding thirty fold

and Sixty -fold and a hundred fold and he said he who has ears to hear

let him hear let's pray again this morning Heavenly Father we just pray for your

blessing Lord.

Please give us wisdom to understand the truth of your Word God.

I pray that you would open our hearts to be receptive to your truth to live life differently to give you glory.

Lord, we pray that you would open up our ears and give us ears to hear pray these things in your name Jesus.

Amen.

So this is a parable a parable means that you have something cast alongside.

Something else and so Jesus is giving us an earthly story.

Cast along a spiritual truth.

Okay, so it's a parable.

He's gonna use very earthy language and it's important that we have the explanation to

the parable.

Otherwise the parable is a riddle.

So Jesus is giving us a parable for a two -fold purpose.

It's to reveal truth to those that want to know more and more about the Savior and the things of

salvation.

That God's grace is working in their heart.

So parables are to reveal truth and it's also to conceal truth for those who are

indifferent.

And so with this parable, I want to outline a few things in the scenery, right?

Number one.

We see a sower.

I think about a farmer has a big a bag of seeds and it's just sowing those dudes everywhere as

he goes and when It falls on different kinds of soil.

Okay, so we got the sower.

We have the seed and we have these different types of grounds or soil.

And so our Lord is using a setting that would have been very familiar with his audience.

A lot of us are very familiar, especially here in the south right with farmers, right?

Sowing seeds that's very important to our culture.

But like I said, you have to understand the Explanation of the parable.

Otherwise you can interpret it in so many different ways and says man that makes me feel good in this way and have missed the point

altogether and so Jesus continues in the next verses to tell us why He's

speaking in parables.

Remember it's going to be to reveal truth and To conceal truth look at me at verses

10 and through 12 and When Jesus he was alone those around him with the

12 asked him about the parables.

And he said to them to you it has been given the secret of the kingdom of God.

But for those who are outside everything else is in parables.

Then he says so that they may indeed see but not perceive they may indeed hear but not

understand lest They should turn and be forgiven.

So previously Jesus had been speaking openly to all of Israel.

Massive crowds okay, and now he's speaking to a very small group the disciples and maybe just a

handful of people and Jesus is saying look I've already been speaking openly and

clearly to Israel.

I told him the kingdom of God is at hand it is now salvation is right here.

Repent and believe the gospel.

Israel said no.

Thanks, we're very comfortable in our legalism.

Showing how much we know of the law and how much we keep in order to earn God's favor.

We're not interested in a Savior and Jesus is basically saying okay.

What was long prophesied in the prophet Isaiah is now coming to fruition.

I'm speaking to you in parables with no explanation as.

Judgment.

Okay, and so Jesus is speaking to the disciples though and says

it's a very different story with you.

You get the explanation to the parable of the sower.

Jesus says to the disciples question they asked why are you speaking in parables to

everyone now?

He says to you it has been given the secret of the kingdom of God.

But for those who are outside is parables and so I want us to talk about this phrase kingdom of God

for just a moment.

What does that mean?

Well throughout the Gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John we see the kingdom of God and we see the kingdom of heaven

used.

Synonymously, they're talking about the same thing and it's the sphere of salvation.

This is the rule and reign of God in the hearts of his children.

This is talking about one's heart.

Disposition.

So I want us to start thinking about how this is a heart matter and how one Responds to

the gospel message.

The kingdom of God in this context deals primarily with the heart whether someone is saved or not.

This deals with spiritual rebirth.

Repentant faith as God continues to rule in our hearts and in our life.

One of my favorite verses that you hear me quote all the time is Philippians 1 verse 6.

He who began a good work in you brings it to completion.

This is the kingdom of God working in and through his people and so we are talking

about the work of Salvation and it is a mystery to those who were out son.

And so this in this immediate context this is talking about all of Israel and this great crowd of people that are

coming to hear this alleged prophet and then Jesus pulls away from them and he explains

the parable to a very tight -knit group of people and He reminds them that this

is a this is a judgment on Israel.

That's exactly we see in the prophet Isaiah.

He was used as an instrument of God for Judgment to an unreceptive people and now it's

happening once again in their midst.

And like I said, Jesus was very gracious to speak openly to Israel and mark 115 the

kingdom of God Salvation is at hand repent and believe the Gospels, but now

it is in riddles.

And so that's the point Jesus is speaking in parables to hide truth about the kingdom of God to those who

are a Hostile to the things of God.

I think in this parable and in this context in Mark chapter 4 This is a good picture of what the real world

looks like, right?

There's a lot of people that seem Spiritual.

Yes.

I'm very spiritual.

I pray to the the deity that created all things all the time, right?

But in truth we understand that all men hate God and are hostile to the

things of God and the scripture is Like a bunch of riddles unless the Spirit is working and

compelling them to understand these truths.

And so this parable of the sower comes out in the three synoptic Gospels Matthew Mark and Luke.

This just gives us a summary of the life of Jesus.

And so when you look at the parable of the sower from all these accounts together you get this great picture.

You get more details that are found in some accounts than others.

And I love what Matthew said in his account of the parable of the sower.

Jesus is talking to disciples and says indeed these people outside in their case.

The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled but blessed are your eyes for they see

and your ears for they hear.

And so Jesus here is saying yes, this is judgment on Israel everyone who is outside.

Spiritual truth is a bunch of riddles.

But blessed are you and I think that's a very important principle because if Jesus Christ is

precious to you as the second Person of the Trinity then you've been revealed these truths the

secrets of the kingdom of God.

This should renew our hearts.

We are truly blessed.

Jesus is an amazing Savior not to leave his people in the darkness.

In Matthew's account.

He also says this Incredible truth and I think it should cause us to pause and be like, what is he really talking about

here?

Jesus praises the father and says I thank you father Lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden

these things from the wise and Understanding and have revealed them to little children.

Yes father for such was your gracious will.

So Jesus and the father that are in perfect communion they are hiding truth from

people.

Absolutely for those who are outside all those born and their sins and their trespasses.

All these things are a bunch of riddles.

Especially in Matthew 11 you have the so -called wise and prudent Pharisees that are very legalistic and

self -righteous.

The truth of Jesus being the long -awaited Messiah is hidden to them.

Okay, and Jesus praised the father for that God is sovereign.

God is working out his plan of redemption and yet he says he has revealed these things of salvation.

To little children now, who is that?

It is all of those who have a childlike faith that God is graciously working in their hearts

and in their life.

We're getting ready to look at the four different soils.

This would be the good soil those who have ears to hear this is a work of God's mercy.

Right.

We're taking a brief pause from our preaching series in the book of Ephesians and one of Nathan's last

sermons was but God but God being rich in Mercy, and we

saved us by his grace.

Those are the those are the ones who are little children those that are have a childlike faith that was

gifted from above.

And then Jesus says all things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows

the son except the father and no one knows the father except the son and listen to this and Anyone

whom the son chooses to reveal him?

Salvation is a gracious gift from above and so we have to understand.

Outside are those who are hostile to the things of God and cannot understand

spiritual truth and.

Then the next breath Jesus said a verse that many of us know.

Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.

Now this is a very comforting verse.

But Jesus is actually giving a command right because that's all of mankind who are labor and are heavy

laden.

That's everyone and he says come to me come to me and submit to the only one who is

worthy of praise.

But there's a problem.

Not everyone does come to Jesus not not everyone responds to that call of him saying come to me.

Scripture says that all men everywhere are called to repent and put their trust in the only Savior.

So why is that?

Why does not everybody come?

Well, Jesus gives us the parable of the sower and we see that God is gracious to open hearts.

I recall a woman named Lydia in the book of Acts.

It says that she was a worshiper of God.

This means that she knew that Yahweh was the true creator of all things.

And yet it says the Lord opened up her heart to understand the teachings of Paul.

I just want you to see God's love and his mercy and his grace how he saves people.

He opens heart to understand these wonderful truths.

Look with me at verse 12 in Mark chapter 4.

So once again, this is a quotation from the Prophet Isaiah that these people they may indeed hear but

not Understand lest they should turn and be forgiven and so this forgiveness of sins

is the gospel.

The Pharisees are not tracking right?

They see Jesus the only Savior in their midst, but they're like no.

We want to keep doing things the way that we want to right they see who Jesus is.

They hear the things that he says, but they're not understanding that he is the fulfillment of all of the Hebrew scriptures.

And so it's on it's important that we understand the gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

Jesus became sin who knew no sin that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Friend look to him in faith, right?

If you're someone that says, you know, I go to church and I hear this all the time, but I just I don't get

and hey Theology is telling us scripture is telling us that some of these things are riddles to some

people.

But if this is the sweetest news that rings true in your soul.

You are blessed because the Spirit of God is at work in your heart.

And so I want us to talk about why do so many people respond differently to the gospel truth.

Look at verse 9 Jesus says he who has ears to hear let him hear.

Now when we think about ears all People have ears.

This is a natural feature of humanity.

Jesus says come to me all.

Right.

So the good news is meant for everyone that has physical ears.

But those who respond in repentant faith are those who have ears to hear they have spiritual

ears.

And so now we're about to examine four different types of people that respond in different ways to this

gospel message.

Look at me at verse 13 and Jesus said to them.

Do you not understand this parable?

How then will you understand all parables?

So let me pause.

This is why I chose Mark's account of the parable of the sower because this verse is not found in Matthew or Luke's

account and it's so interesting to me.

He says that do you not understand this parable?

How will you understand all parables Jesus saying if you don't get the parable of the sower, right?

Then you're not going to understand any of the other parables that come after this is the key parable.

We really need to understand the things that Jesus said here and praise God.

He actually gives an in -depth Explanation of what he's talking about.

This parable is so foundational for evangelism the condition of man's heart.

God's sovereignty human responsibility spiritual warfare our Faithfulness in the Great

Commission, which by the way is not fulfilled in case anybody was wondering We are still to be obedient

to our marching orders to fulfill the Great Commission until our Lord returns.

Amen.

Adam.

That's right.

So if you would look with me picking up in verse 14 The sower sows the word

and these are the ones along the path where the word is sown when they hear Satan immediately comes

in and takes away the word that is sown in them.

And these are the ones sown on the rocky ground the ones who when they hear the word Immediately receive it with

joy and when they have no root in themselves.

But endure for a while then when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word

Immediately they fall away.

And others are the ones sown among thorns they are those who hear the word but the cares of the world and the

Deceitfulness of riches and the desires of other things enter in and choke the word and it

proves unfruitful.

But those who are sown on good soil are those who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit

30 fold and 60 fold and a hundred fold.

So look back with me at verse 14 Jesus tells us that the seed is

The word and like said this parable comes out in Matthew's account and Luke's account.

Luke says now.

This is the parable that the seed is the Word of God and so this parable is dealing

in the sphere of salvation the disposition of one's heart and the Word of God is directly linked to

the gospel and Paul said it like this the gospel is the power of God unto salvation for

everyone who believes whether Jew or Gentile and it is by faith that

comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.

And so this is critical for evangelism.

Okay, we're all familiar with this word.

This means to share the gospel the evangelion the good news that God has made a way

to redeem man and So the Great Commission like we were talking about how it's still ongoing.

We're still being obedient to that as we go as we live our lives.

We share the gospel and make disciples we invite them to church we say look we all need to

sharpen one another and get that foretaste of heaven that is still in the future and

so Evangelism is key in this parable and he shows us that Christians are to be

faithful to this.

Okay, and I believe if we have a right view of God being sovereign over all things guess what this means.

We have a 100 % success rate when we share the gospel.

Yeah, but Jeremiah someone rejected the gospel.

Isn't that a failure?

No, that was exactly what should have happened in that moment.

And what do we do keep sowing those seeds, baby.

And we just let them fall wherever they lay and we trust God with the increase.

And so a critical point here is we don't alter this gospel message.

Right the gospel is the good news that Jesus accomplished salvation perfectly.

Y 'all remember the words Jesus says it is finished to tell us time.

He did all the works that were necessary to be perfectly obedient to the law.

He did that not you not me.

And so don't try to add any of your works to the already completed works of Jesus Christ.

You can't do it.

That's why our response is by faith and faith alone apart from our works.

We look to the Savior and we don't alter that gospel message.

Eat.

We don't alter it to make it seem like.

Well, if you just kind of add Jesus into your life, then your life's gonna get a whole lot better.

Right you share that with anybody in your family friends.

They're gonna say sign me up.

I want to join that if my life's just gonna enhance a whole lot more.

But what you're doing is you're changing the actual actual gospel message.

Because when you pledge your life to Christ in faith.

It's about to get a whole lot harder because the world hates Jesus with all their might,

right?

So we are to be faithful in not altering that gospel seed.

We are just to be faithful to sow it and that is a hard message to a rebellious people

that hate God.

You walk up to someone that hates God and says hey, guess what?

You're a sinner and you need to save her.

They're gonna be like you can keep moving on.

Right, but we're faithful and we trust God that he's going to prepare a heart to receive the good news.

Another good example we have of Faithful men boldly proclaiming the Word of God is the

Apostle Peter and the Apostle John.

They were arrested for preaching that by the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

There is salvation and no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Guess what the religious leaders at the time said they're like.

Okay, you're gonna go in prison, but if you stop teaching Jesus, then you can be released and I love their

response.

They said whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God.

You must judge figure this out for yourselves for we cannot help but to speak what we have

seen and we have heard.

They are faithful.

They're not changing the gospel message.

God worked mightily in their lives and we have to get ready because our culture is coming at us,

right?

Guess what?

We still keep sharing the gospel.

We don't alter it and we stick together as a body a local assembly of Saints.

We need that encouragement.

Amen.

So they are two wonderful examples and I think that reminds us through hard circumstances.

We are to be focused on sowing the gospel seed and making disciples and here's a key.

And to pray that the Holy Spirit would effectually work in People's hearts that God

brings into our life to convict them of sin righteousness and judgment and produce

repentance.

Leading to a knowledge of salvation.

A point is we have to lean on God.

We have to go to him in prayer.

Someone is not going to get saved based on your obedience and how well you articulate a gospel

message or not.

Right, we want to clearly articulate these truths best we can but God is running the show.

That should comfort our heart.

So let's start examining the four soils starting with the wayside soil or the seed

sown along the path.

Look at verse 15 with me.

And these are the ones along the path where the word is sown when they hear

Satan immediately comes in and takes away the word that is sown in Them so that last phrase

sown in them.

I.

Think.

The gospel of Luke sheds a little bit more light on what this means.

The ones along the path are those when they have heard.

Then the devil comes in and takes the what the word that was sown in their hearts.

And so the four soils are the condition of man's heart and we can look at it in two ways.

It's either dead and a stony heart or it's a heart of flesh and it's made up made alive by the Holy Spirit.

Okay, and so this particular type of heart is a heart that is on

the the wayside that Satan is proactively searching for Scripture tells us

that Satan is like a roaring line trying to devour Whomever he can and so these are the

people when you're just excited to share your faith with someone and they just like Yeah,

I got to get going.

Can we kind of hurry this up a little bit?

We've maybe had those interactions right trying to share something that is so precious and near to us.

Why can't this other person get it?

Spiritual warfare is going on right think about it.

There's there's a double blinding man is born dead in his sins and trespasses.

Unable to respond to spiritual truth and yet we see different levels of depravity because Satan

is also at work.

Satan is actively at work.

2nd Corinthians 4 verse 3 says even if our gospel is veiled.

It is veiled to those who are perishing in their case the God of this world which would be Satan

has blinded the minds of Unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel and of the

glory of Jesus Christ.

And so Paul is telling us that that unbelievers are not our enemy.

Just catch that Unbelievers those that are hostile to the things of God.

They are not our enemy.

Our war is not against flesh and blood, but it's against Satan.

It's against the kingdom of darkness.

So when we when we meet somebody that just seems to reject what we're saying or seem uninterested.

Pray for him pray for him because you don't know what God's going to do in their heart and life.

And I just my heart my point is I don't want us to be discouraged.

Because I'm someone that doesn't like rejection nobody does right but we're talking about spiritual

realities, right?

We pray for these people.

We are in a spiritual warfare.

We are soldiers of Jesus Christ.

We don't get entangled with the things of this world, but we set our focus on eternity

and so for these types of people we pray that God would change their hearts to understand their sinfulness

and to receive the gospel in Faith and so this fuels us to be faithful.

Now let's transition to the rocky ground in verse 16.

And these are the ones sown on rocky ground the ones who when they hear the word immediately receive it

with joy.

And when they have and they have no root in themselves.

But endure for a while then when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word.

Immediately they fall away.

So the condition of this person's heart is stony.

Or rocky and this person immediately receives the good news with joy and

That makes me pause a little bit and be like, isn't that a good thing?

Well, we see the entirety of their life that this type of joy is superficial.

They get excited about the idea of salvation but not really investing their heart

with Jesus in a Relationship they receive this message with a

superficial joy.

There's no conviction of sin in their life because that is a giveaway when the Holy Spirit

is working in a person's life.

They are immediately Convicted over their sin before a holy righteous and just God.

Amen.

By the scriptures tell us that a brokenness over sin leads to repentance leading to salvation.

Our Lord spoke in the second beatitude.

He said blessed are those who mourn.

Why why should that give us blessing or make us happy to mourn?

Well, Jesus goes on to say blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.

For those who are convicted over their sin realize that they are wretches.

They are lawbreakers worthy of eternal just punishment.

Then the message of the gospel Jesus being a perfect Savior is the sweetest news Anyone can hear

and then that causes us to rejoice.

Christians understand that joy comes later.

There is joy in knowing Jesus as Savior.

There is joy in spending sweet time in the Word of God and in prayer.

There is joy in assembling with the Saints on the Lord's Day and So the rocky

ground is a person that has maybe heard the gospel and shown some type of

reaction.

But it's superficial.

Okay, so let's move on.

Let me see in my notes here to verse Still but the rocky ground continuing on we learn this in verse 17

and they have no root in themselves.

But endure for a while then when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word

immediately they fall away and So now we learn that the stony heart not only has a

superficial understanding of the gospel.

Receiving it with a superficial joy, but they have no root in Christ and what happens.

They fall away and then I'd get told Jeremiah.

I see this person lost their salvation.

And I'm like.

No, they superficially attached themselves to the vine.

They superficially came to a church and they believed a lot of facts and then they

fell away.

See being saved being justified made right before God is so much more than knowing facts.

It's a heart that believes in Jesus for salvation.

There's a difference there.

Yes, we need to have knowledge, but it has to penetrate the heart and.

So what we see here is.

They endure for a while.

Okay, but then what happens.

Tribulation?

Persecution comes at them.

Oh, you mean signing up to follow Jesus means the world's gonna hate me.

I didn't realize that.

Right.

I was just kind of superficially in this thing Luke's gospel says.

So therefore any one of you who does not forsake all?

Cannot be my disciple.

Now that seems like some pretty intense language.

It is it means that your heart has to be willing to give up whatever it takes to follow

Jesus.

Someone's mentality that says well I kind of got my life the way that I like and I just want to kind of Sprinkle in Jesus

on the side that's not loving him with your whole heart, right?

You can't serve two masters.

Your heart has to be all in.

Whatever barrier comes your way you have to be saying I'm willing to make a war with that to give it up to follow

King.

Jesus.

So the stony ground Just simply crumbles is not willing to Persevere to the

end to be saved when it's when this person is met with tribulation with trials.

They say I'm out and so in Luke's account or the parable of the sower He says this of the stony heart.

They have no root.

They believe for a little while and then fall away.

And so this type of belief is a demon like faith right because the book of James

tells us that even the demons believe in Facts about God that there's one true and living God and they

even tremble.

There's actually a little bit of fact that the demons have but it's so much more than knowing facts.

You have to trust Jesus with the heart.

And so let's look to the thorny ground.

In verse 18 very similar to the rocky ground and others are the ones that are sown among thorns

they are those that hear the word but the cares of this world and the Deceitfulness of riches and the desires

for other things enter in and choke the word and it proves unfruitful.

And so once again, these are people with superficial commitments.

These are people that maybe heard the good news and says hey, I want to sign up for that.

They come to church for a while, but notice it's something else that draws these people away.

Ultimately, it's the cares of this world the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other

things.

This is why friend scriptures tell us to guard our heart from the love of money.

Money is not evil in and of itself, but the love of it what you can love money and

Have a lot of it or not have any of it and want a whole lot of it.

But you have to guard your heart.

Jesus says wherever your treasure is there your heart will be also.

That's the point is is that if our heart is in the right place continually looking to King Jesus

Abiding in his word praying for the Father's will in our lives and fellowshipping with other saints.

Then that will compel us to be good stewards of whatever God has gifted us with.

Our hearts must stay focused on Christ.

We must be faithful with little or with much meaning that we will be generous and ready to share

at any moment.

The key is always staying close to Jesus.

So there's an example of this.

Because I want us to understand whoever is not willing to forsake all Cannot be a disciple of

Christ.

This is not talking about works.

This is talking about your heart is willing to give up whatever it takes.

Has anybody ever heard of the rich young ruler?

Excellent example of what we are talking about here.

Jesus said to this fellow if you would be perfect.

Go and sell all that you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.

Come and follow me.

We see that Jesus is exposing the major barrier of the love of riches.

Which was preventing the rich young ruler from following after Jesus.

And this is very telling about the rich young rulers heart.

The text says.

And when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful sorrowful sad.

For he had great possessions.

Sorry I get tongue -tied too.

Words are hard but what this tells us is

If you are sad to give up something your hearts not in the right place.

And I want us to ask ourselves this question is there something in my life that I couldn't give up

for King Jesus.

Because that tells you something right that tells you maybe I have a thorny heart.

Maybe there's something in this world that is choking out the gospel

the rich young ruler.

We see that the cares of this world the deceitfulness of riches and the desires of other things choked out

the word and proved to be unfruitful.

But there is goodness we have the good soil yet to talk about look with me at verse 20

but those who are sown on good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear

fruit 30 fold and 60 fold and a hundred fold.

The good soil represents a heart that has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and has been prepared to

receive the good news and Notice the key difference between the good soil and the first three soils that is

that the good soil produces fruit and so You have to be

rooted in Christ.

This means counting the cost.

Understanding that it's all or nothing.

Jesus wants your entire heart trusting in him.

And so if there are if you are rooted in Christ your life will look different.

It will produce fruit.

There will be good works that glorify God with your life.

An authentic believer will have a love for God a continual repentance from sin.

Genuine humility continual prayer separation from the world.

Spiritual growth.

Obedient living a hunger for God's Word and a transformed life.

And you may say whoa, that's a whole lot.

But we're not talking about perfection.

We're talking about Sanctification.

We're talking about a desire to grow in these things right that if there if you are rooted in Christ, then

there will be much fruit and.

So, how can we be many have these things manifested in in our life.

A true Christian must be rooted in.

Jesus.

Jesus in John 15 said I'm divine and you are the branches.

Whoever abides in me and I in him it is he that will Bear much fruit for apart from

me.

You can do nothing.

No roots.

No fruits.

See how that's totally connected together.

You must be rooted in Christ.

And when that's true when your heart is transformed, it's trusting in King Jesus.

It will produce a transformed life.

So one of the key fruits of living faith in a believer's life is that they will continually

Persevere through intense trials and let me be the first to say I tore my Achilles tendon

and that Stunk on ice big time, but you know what during that time was some of the sweetest

Memories that I have of being in God's Word and in prayer and just spending time with my Christian family.

So do you see a difference between a believer and his circumstances because the believer and unbeliever are gonna go through hardships.

But it's a difference of perspective.

God is using this to to teach me something to make me more and more like Christ the unbeliever

Ultimately hates the world right when things aren't going their way right and they are being hardened in their rebellion

against God.

So we got to land this plane.

Mike Rupert.

So one of the things that I want us to take away this morning is probably the most natural question We

could ask ourselves is which soil does my heart reflect?

Apostle Paul says test yourselves to see that if you are really in the faith or not.

If you are someone who has ears to hear today.

Then this means you have a desire in your heart to know Jesus deeper.

I'm so encouraged by the writer of Hebrews that says let us also lay aside every weight and sin

that clings so Closely and let us run the race with endurance the race that is set before us looking

to Jesus the author and the perfecter of our faith.

It's a beautiful.

This is a beautiful friend put all of your faith.

Put all of your hope and all of your love in Jesus Christ.

He will make your path straight.

It'll work out in this life and the life to come and there will be much fruit

and so another principle that I want us to take away is Evangelism sharing the gospel as

we go because the Great Commission is not fulfilled.

It is being fulfilled and we get to partake in that the Apostle Paul said I

planted.

I was going around just sowing seeds wherever I could go and Apollos would come in and he would water.

So that's a beautiful truth that you don't know who you're going to talk with what their life experience.

They may have already heard many things about the gospel and you're about to come and put water on that already established seed.

But understand their salvation is not dependent on you.

How do I know them?

Paul said I planted Apollos watered but God gave the growth so neither

he who plants or waters is.

Anything and.

Then here's the truth, but only God who gives the increase.

That's beautiful.

That means we can sow seeds and we understand it's all pre -ordained, baby.

It's going exactly where it should go.

God's Word does not return empty.

Amen.

Amen, so let this compel you to be faithful to share the gospel with people that God is

putting in your life.

And so lastly I want us to pray for lost souls.

God uses the prayers of his people as a means to draw others to salvation.

This means that we should continually pray for those that we come in contact with friends.

Family, we pray for them.

We pray that God would save them and bring them to a knowledge of the truth.

And for that lost person, please pray that God would take out that heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.

Amen.

All right.

The sermon is done.

But we are now transitioning to the Lord's Supper that we have the privilege and the honor of doing every

Lord's name.

The Lord's Supper is not a time like Pastor Nathan says for penance.

The Lord's Supper teaches us so many things as we celebrate our Lord's second coming.

We take the bread and we drink and we do this all in remembrance of what Jesus has done on our behalf.

He lived a perfect and sinless life.

He died on the cross of Calvary as the punishment for our sins.

And he is going to resurrect us unto new life one day in glory.

And so we do this in unity with one another we do this in unity with the triune God.

We look back to see what all Jesus has accomplished and we look forward to that marriage supper of the Lamb

one day in glory.

And so we in the present we celebrate these things together.

This is a very important time for believers to have fellowship and it's so important that

Scripture warns those Partaking in an unworthy manner.

This means that you should not come to the table if you are not a Christian.

You should not come to the table.

If you are not a baptized Christian seeking to be held accountable in church membership if

You see this time as something as ritualistic or cold this is not a time to partake

if you have a spirit of bitterness towards a brother or sister or if there's any kind of

Unrepentant sin in your heart friend.

Let me tell you please do not come to the table why because some people have come to the table in an unworthy

manner and Scripture says they can leave sick and some have even partaken this way and died.

This is a very Serious time, but I don't want that to be a downer if you want to partake and know you

shouldn't.

Please come seek me out.

Please come to one of our many brothers and sisters here at twelve five and say hey I want to make things

right with God.

What do I need to do?

We'd love to come alongside you and live life together.

But if you are a baptized believer Resting in Jesus Christ then freely freely come and

take of the elements here in just a moment I'm gonna pray and then afterwards if you

will stand up and then come along the outside I will be at this table and I would

like to ask brother Adam if he will be at this table.

And this is a time that if you wanted to pray with us man, come seek me out.

We're here for you.

This is a time of fellowship.

And so with that being said, let's go ahead and pray Heavenly Father, thank you so much

for your word that convicts God.

I pray that this morning God, I pray I pray diligently against that person that may be indifferent

to spiritual truth God that may be Indifferent from being members of a local church God.

This is such a beautiful means of grace how you grow us in our relationship with you

Lord.

But it's nothing that I can say God.

It's only you that gives the increase Lord I pray that our changed lives would permeate outside of these

these walls as we go into the community God that people would see our lives being different and asking us.

Hey, why do you why do you do the things that you do?

Why do you live differently and God we may be able to give that defense for the wonderful Hope

that lies within us and be able to tell them about how King Jesus has saved us and forgiven us of

sin Lord, we love you.

We pray these things in your name Jesus.