The Sower Soweth the Word — Joshua Daniel

Welcome to the Lord's Challenge, our weekly quarter-hour broadcast bringing the reality of God's Word to all people everywhere. Stay tuned as Joshua Daniel challenges us to a walk with God and the corresponding impact that it will have on our lives, families and society today.

Preaching the Word Without Denominational Fences

The sower soweth the Word. Now we have to pause there. Is it the Word of God unadulterated? You know, one grave disadvantage that you notice in the Western world is the strong fences that kind of demarcate each denomination.

It's rather like a zoo, you know. What? Why do you need that? It's the Word of God. You don't look through some ancient spectacles, which are, you know, human spectacles are always deficient. I was surprised when I failed my driving test in the U .S. recently.

I had discarded my glasses and I was quite satisfied with my sight, but I could not make out certain letters which my doctor put before me, so my eyes needed attention. Now you know, to look through blinkers is quite another matter, theological blinkers.

Spiritual Liberty Without Disorder

Now what does the Spirit of God teach you? A certain amount of freedom where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty. Not license, liberty. Not churlish behavior, not uncharitable manner. You know, people begin to fight over little things, little matters.

See, the committee decided against the color which I wanted for the carpet, so I'm quitting this church. Good riddance. Can you imagine such stupidity in the name of redecorating the church and the curtains thereof?

Receiving a Fresh Word From the Lord

Well, the sower soweth the word. You know, there again, a friend of mine would accompany me to some of my prayer conferences many years ago, and he would sometimes introduce me this way, some of us preachers have a black little book and we just turn to it and pick some portion and we speak, but I was his guest.

I would go up to the attic and spend the whole afternoon without allowing the supper to interrupt the time with the Lord and then proceed to the prayer conference which I had to address in various locations.

However, what did the Lord teach me? The Lord taught me not to just reel it out of my old rehash of my old experience, but something from the Lord. You see, what is missing today? Thus said the Lord is missing.

I think professors so-and-so have words, and so on and so forth. Well, so it is just a lot of confusion which people are subjected to. The sower soweth the word. I rarely like to stay with a pastor because he eventually gets blamed.

You have been telling this man all about us and not a word was told me. So, to save the pastor that embarrassment, I don't choose to stay with pastors. Thus said the Lord, and we need to get back to it.

Scripture as the Standard for Discernment

What does the scripture say in Hebrews 4 .12? The word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword and divides asunder between soul and spirit. So, we have got very soulish today. Very soulish. And we are not able to distinguish what is of the Lord and what is not of the Lord.

As a matter of fact, a pastor friend of mine told me that there was a Greek student, a student from Greece, who just stood up and quoted Psalm 23 in Greek. And a woman showed up and said, Thus said the Lord, interpretation of prophecy, you see.

Thus said the Lord, the boys are playing too much football. And so on and so forth. Anything but the truth. It was just Psalm 23. So, today, all over the world, we have got this kind of gymnastics. Jumping up and down like the heathen.

And repeating the same thing a thousand times. What do you mean? Where do you get it? The Lord Jesus Christ warns us against it. Use not vain repetitions like the heathen. Just the same. How many people today are just strangers to the wealth of Christian experience and testimony in the hymnody of the church?

Nothing in my hands I bring. Simply to thy cross I cling. Naked come to thee for dress. Helpless look to thee for grace. Foul I to the fountain fly. Wash me, Savior, or I die. Evil have never sung it.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want. More than all in thee I find. Raise the fallen, cheer the faint. Heal the sick and lead the blind. Just and holy is thy name. I am all unrighteousness. Vile and full of sin I am.

Thou art full of truth and grace. So many people have no clue where that comes. Jesus, lover of my soul. The third verse. So, you see, friends, people want that which is popular. Was Jesus popular in that sense?

The Gospel’s Offense and the Dividing Effect of the Word

Was the gospel ever popular? No. He was the rock of offense. The next verse. 15, Mark 4, 15. And these are they by the wayside where the word is sown. But when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

So the Lord Jesus Christ divides his hearers. These are not non-church goers. These are hearers of his word. They heard, but they didn't understand. Mark, dear friends, can you believe that the old reformers of England when Wycliffe or Wycliffe, whatever you please was lying very sick one of the friars of the old church came to him and said repent, recant.

And Wycliffe replied I will live and not die and declare the ill deeds of you friars. They wanted the boy who drives the plough to be able to read the word of God in their own language. And what do we have in some churches today?

The Need for Scripture in the People’s Own Language

Some intonations in a language which you don't understand and you just go through the motions and then you come out saying hey, I've what do you mean? The word of God in your own language is denied to you?

No, that's not right and for centuries it has not been proved to be right and yet some churches will persist. Now here comes Satan immediately, we've said they did not understand the word but when they heard, Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

Prayer for Faithfulness to the Word

Satan's activity the sower soweth the word. Let us pray. Loving Father, we don't want to fail you. What a sacrifice. What a power released by the blood of the Lamb. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.

Oh my Father, make us real. Open the eyes. Hear our prayer. In Jesus' name. Amen.

The speaker on this program was Joshua Daniel. He would like to know what your response has been to the Lord's challenge and would be delighted to hear from you. Please write and if you have burdens you want to share and want prayer, do let us know.

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