The Parable of the Sower, Pt. 3 (02/27/2000) | NOTE: Incomplete tape

Has nothing to do with the message, but it's my wife's favorite verse.

I'm gonna read it this morning.

We had a wonderful time in Sunday school this morning, by the way we invite you to come at 10

o 'clock and If nothing else, it's a good time to wake you up.

So you'd be ready for the message at 11.

Also on Wednesday nights Brother Roger Erickson is teaching through how to properly

interpret the scriptures.

Interpretative methods and it's powerful.

I mean you need to know.

That is information right there.

That is so important and I have believed for a long time that it's not that there are many

interpretations what it is.

They're just many rules.

Different rules people have for how to interpret a lot of people have the wrong rules and Rogers giving you the right

rules on Wednesday nights at 630.

So be sure make a note come come to that because you need that it's excellent.

Well, let's read first Peter 1 4 together.

Well, you read it to yourselves.

I'll read it out loud.

Start with Verse 4

we can't start with verse 4.

Let's start with verse 3.

We're gonna start right in the middle of the idea if we start verse 4 Blessed be the God and Father of our

Lord Jesus Christ.

Which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively hope by the

resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance now look what kind of

inheritance this is incorruptible undefiled that Fadeth not

away.

That is reserved in heaven with your name on it.

That's what it means when it says for you.

Who are kept?

Isn't it interesting that it doesn't say that you keep yourselves.

It says you who are kept by the power of God

Through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Wherein you greatly would draw rejoice.

Now go to Colossians chapter 1.

If you're a Baptist then you would call that an eternal security verse wouldn't you.

And if you're not a Baptist.

Then you would just say the Bible says that so I believe it.

Hopefully the Baptist would say that I know that the historic Baptist would.

Now look at Colossians 1 17 and He is

Before all things you see that's the eternal present tense and by him all

things consist.

This is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Not only is it that he is he has always existed, but he holds all

things together even right now by the power of his hand.

Now look at verse 19 for it pleased the father that in him should all fullness dwell in

Him is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

That's who Jesus is.

Now look at verse verses 20 Through 22 and you're gonna find

some wonderful eternal security verses.

But I want you to notice what happens when we get to verse 23.

The first word in verse 23 is Has been problematic for some folks

and you'll see why but let's start with the verse 20.

And I want you to pretend that we're just gonna skip verse 23.

Like most preachers like to do just we're not even gonna read it because if we don't bring it up.

We don't have to talk about it because it's just great without verse 23.

So we're gonna leave it out don't want you to even think about it.

Don't look at it.

Okay.

All right, don't think about pink elephants either.

And having made peace through the blood of his cross.

By him to reconcile all things and to himself by him I say whether they be things in

earth or things in heaven and you that were Sometime alienated and enemies

in your mind.

That's the way we were before salvation.

Alienated and enemies, isn't it puzzling how some people think that aliens and enemies choose

Jesus.

Is that a rabbit trail by wicked works yet now hath

he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death

to present you holy and unblameable and Unapprovable in his

sight period close the book.

That's the end of the statement.

It's a wonderful eternal security verse, but look what the next verse does start with if.

Isn't it a shame.

Sometimes our theological boxes are not perfectly clean and intact

if we are honest with the Bible.

Sometimes I had a friend that discipled me when I was first saved named Gary Plumlee.

And I remember one time he told me don't ever let your theology make you be unscriptural.

And I've always remembered that.

But some theologians would really love to stop at the end of verse 20 because that if in verse 23

Seems to be a problem.

It says it says that he will present you holy and unblameable

if You continue in the faith grounded and settled and be not

moved away from the hope of the gospel Which you have heard and which was preached to every

creature which is under heaven whereof I Paul and made a minister.

Well now does that throw in the possibility of one losing his salvation?

Does that throw in the possibility of one falling away?

Of one not continuing in the faith of one being moved away from the faith that he once

had and Then not being saved.

Well, I think this whole parable in Matthew 13, let's go back into that

Gives Wonderful answers to these questions.

We know because it does say Baptist on the sign out front that you can't lose your salvation, right?

If you are saved You're saved first.

John 5 12 and 13 says he that hath the Son hath life.

It doesn't say you might have it and it doesn't say you will get it.

It says you have it now and These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may

know that you have.

That means now that's present tense.

You have eternal life and this life that you have is called eternal by

God.

How long is eternal?

Somebody tell me.

When does it stop.

Never.

So if you already have it and it can't stop.

How could you lose it?

That's all we need is Baptist.

We don't need a lot of theology.

Just you know, those two verses are plenty.

David.

Would you turn the Sun off a little bit here?

It's just I noticed mrs. Rogers was looked glorified already this morning.

This just all right, can you still see me?

All right.

I lost my train of thought.

David you you interrupted me.

And yes, brother Otis I am still asleep.

All right, let's go into Matthew chapter 13.

We know that you can't lose your salvation, but let's find out some reasons.

Why that if was there in the other verse and.

Also at the same time prove that you cannot lose your salvation.

We've made our way in this passage in Matthew 13.

Down to the place of the good soil.

So to review just a little bit in case you weren't here in previous weeks.

We studied the pathway and the stony soil and The

thorny soil and today we're going to talk about the good soil, sir there are four kinds of soil that

represent the hearts into which the seed is Sown and the seed is the Word of God

and who is the sower?

Sowing the seed we learned that last Sunday.

Who is it?

We are.

And.

So the parable begins by teaching us if we learn nothing else that we're supposed to be sowing the Word of God

to every creature.

We sow the seed everywhere.

And that's where we start.

I remember one time they asked Spurgeon the great prince of preachers the great Baptist preacher from

England.

If you believe in the elect that God elects, then why do you witness?

And he said because God told me to.

He said God didn't paint a yellow stripe down the back of the elect so that I could identify them.

He just told me to give the gospel to every creature.

So I obey the Lord.

And another person asked him once.

Well, how do you reconcile?

Brother Spurgeon the will of man and the sovereignty of God.

And Spurgeon said I don't have to reconcile friends.

Think about that.

All right.

Now the hard path as you go into the field is the place where they walked.

And as some of the seed hit this hard path.

It couldn't go anywhere.

It had no depth of soil whatsoever and Jesus came back later and explained to

his disciples that the birds that came and ate the seed represents Satan.

Taking the Word of God from the very mind of the person before he could ever understand it or before it could reach his heart.

Now it's interesting as we look at verse 11.

Just for review a little bit.

We look up at the end of verse 10.

Actually, the disciples come and they say why speakest thou unto them in parables?

It bothered them a little bit that Jesus wasn't speaking more plainly so that everyone could be saved and

Jesus answered and he said well.

He said because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

But to them it is not given and he expounds upon that all the way through verse 14.

And it's interesting this phrase unto them.

It is not given.

I believe that this hard pathway certainly.

Pictures those people they're people who are not going to be saved.

They might even hear the gospel.

But before they ever really hear it with understanding Satan comes and snatches it right out of their mind and

they are not saved.

The stony soil if you remember.

Looked to be saved.

They heard the gospel and very quickly sprung up and got excited about it.

But then what happened says the Sun came out and because there was no root.

No depth of soil, so there was no root.

They withered away.

Jesus said that the Sun represented Persecution our problems because of brought

about because of the word which I've always thought was an interesting phrase.

That the word is what brings these problems and when the problems come they just go away.

The people just go away and they're not there anymore.

Now what did they lack that kept them from really being saved even though they had made a profession of faith.

Dear Jesus come in my heart and save me.

Amen.

Shake my hand.

You're my brother now.

Amen.

Why doesn't that work?

Because there has to be the root.

The root is the root of Jesse the Lord Jesus Christ.

But there's another passage a parallel passage in in Mark and Luke and there's another

thing that's mentioned that was lacking.

Can you remember what it was?

Had no root and had no what?

Water right.

What is water picture throughout the Bible?

The Holy Spirit.

So this person never had Jesus the root this person never had the Holy Spirit the water.

Nor did they understand the water of the word and this person was not saved.

They looked saved for a short period of time and then just went away and then we studied the thorny

soil last Sunday.

This is a person who really appears to be saved.

It even says that they hear the word and There's a phrase in the passage where it says look at

verse 22.

He also that received seed among thorns is he that here at the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches.

Choke the word and he becometh unfruitful in the English.

It almost sounds like he was fruitful, but then he became unfruitful, but I'd like for you to understand that in the Greek language.

It doesn't sound that way.

It really would read more this way the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he is

unfruitful.

It does not imply in the Greek that he was ever fruitful and Then that brings us to verse

23, which is where we are today.

We're gonna talk about the good soil and I think I've pretty much let you know last time that I agreed

with Matthew Henry and and With J. Vernon

McGee who both believed that the first three soils are people who are not saved.

They were not saved at all and only the fourth soil the good soil in this parable represents the saved

person.

So we're going to study the saved person in this good soil for a few moments this morning he that

received seed into the good ground is he that here at the word and

Understandeth it which also Beareth fruit and bringeth forth some and a hundred

some sixty and some thirty fold.

Let's talk about that just for a few moments.

Matthew Henry says this fruit is the thing that God expects and requires from

those that enjoy the gospel fruit according to the seed a Temper of

mind and a course of life Agreeable to the gospel.

This is fruit and it will abound to our account.

Now notice some of the Attributes of this soil which represents the heart

of a person who is saved.

The first thing that we see that they do as it says.

Well, I'll look at the first part of verse 23, but he that received seed into good ground.

He received seed.

Now let's think about that word receive.

Brother Otis brought to to my attention About a year ago.

That there are a lot of us who like to use the phrase.

I have accepted Jesus Christ.

And I'll tell you where that came from.

You may not be aware of this.

I'm gonna tell you where it came from.

Preachers.

No, I'll tell you where it may have come from.

I Don't really I'm not sure about this.

So I'm stepping out on a limb a little bit.

But I seem to remember that when I first was saved I was given a New American Standard Bible.

One of the modern versions of the Bible and I believe that in that version John 1

12 may say as many as Accepted him to them gave he the power to come to the sons of God.

If not that version then it may have been the NIV or one of the other modern versions.

I believe you can find the word except in some of the modern versions, but I'll tell you this in the King James Version I don't

believe you'll find it.

You will see that the person receives the Lord Jesus Christ.

What's interesting about it the scholars back in 1611 when they were translating the King

James understood English very well.

They understood that there is a slight but important distinction between accepting something and receiving

something.

Accepting implies that you are making the decision.

You're deciding will I will I accept this or not and based on your decision will determine what happens.

But receiving something is when the other person makes a decision to give and you simply

receive it because they gave it.

Subtle but important now notice that this good soil that we're talking about this morning.

The first attribute that we see in this person is that he receives

seed.

It does not say he accepts the seed.

It says he receives it.

Now look look at Mark chapter 4 Verse 15 we're gonna bring in some of the parallel

passages here because they they shed a little extra light on the story

if you remember on the on the thorns we had to look at all for all three of the got three of the

Gospels anyway to Realize that the thorns represent four things here in Matthew.

It only lists two, but if you put it all together four things.

The cares of this world the deceitfulness of riches.

The pleasures of this life and other things coming in all four are listed if you read them all so we need to look at The

other passages so in Mark chapter 4 verse 15, and these are they that that they

by the way That means the pathway where the word is sown.

But when they have heard Satan cometh Immediately and taketh away the word that

was sown in their hearts now I want you to look at the phrase the word that was sown in

their hearts and Notice that this applies not only to the bad soil the

the pathway.

It would also apply to the good ground because in all four of the soils this the word was

sown by the farmer.

So notice the word that was sown in the heart and we're gonna take that and apply

it to the good soil now.

It proves that it is not a matter of accepting something.

It is a matter of something being sown in your heart by another and that other

person.

Represented by the farmer and by us who go out and sow the seeds, but we have to understand.

Where did the seed come from?

It came from the father.

And where did the order to sow the seed come from came from the father?

And So this is a thing that is done to you by the father.

He sows the seed into your heart.

Now the first thing we see about these folks is that the seed was sown into their

hearts this word.

So and the Greek language is Spiro.

Which means to scatter or to sow but I wanted to give you the Greek word because it's gonna come up here in a moment.

And I think it'll be interesting to you where else we see it in a few moments.

But let me give you the the tense of the verb here this seed that's being sown into the heart

by God.

It's in the perfect passive participle now I know you don't remember that stuff neither do I

so I spend a few minutes before I get here cheating and looking them up.

In a book at least I'm not like Greg and I don't bring the dictionary.

He's got a dictionary sitting right down here.

I try to do it before I get here.

So I'm prepared, you know, but I know what he's doing.

He's there just in case certain people ask him questions that he wasn't prepared for.

He's a cruel person though, he's sitting right behind me that dictionary and I got asked a question or two in Sunday school.

I couldn't answer it just real quickly and he wouldn't even whisper the answer and he had the dictionary

a lot of help.

Well, what is perfect tense mean.

Deborah, she's our teacher.

All right, well.

Actually, I've got the book.

May I read it?

Actually, you got that backwards.

Are you awake this morning?

Oh.

Did you ever nail me.

I will ask you no more questions today.

Okay, I'm not obviously.

Alright think about this perfect means does nothing else has to happen to it good way to remember it.

Done once and for all in the past never to be repeated.

Now think about that.

That's what perfect tense means.

This seed was sown in the hearts of these particular people.

In the Greek language, it's in the perfect tense, which means it was done once and for all never

to be repeated and Yet and and of course it's in passive which means it was

done by another to us and that's obviously the father.

So this seed was sown into our heart by the father.

Once and for all never to be repeated and yet it's part of simple.

I'm not gonna ask you.

I'm just gonna tell you tell you what it means.

Alright, it's like in the English putting ing at the end of it.

So what does that make it?

Continual isn't that strange?

How can you have perfect continual?

Well, you know God has been accused of using bad grammar before back in Genesis when he said let us

Make man in our image and when he uses the word Elohim, which is a singular plural

word God is one God subsisting is three persons the Trinity

sounds like bad grammar, but it's on purpose and In this particular phrase, this is just

amazing.

And I guess we could just stop here and just think about this for a while and that could be the sermon.

But you know, I'm not that kind we're gonna go on and if I can put Debra to sleep I'm gonna get a few others of you involved in

that restful state before we leave but Think about this.

It is a thing that was done once and for all.

This seed was sown into the heart by God once and for all and yet it is

continuing to be done.

Don't you find it true as you walk in your Christian life?

Do you open this book?

You still sense the Lord's sowing seed into your heart.

Remember the seed doesn't represent salvation.

It represents the word and The saved people need the word too, don't we.

And it's a continual thing now in Matthew 13 23 it says

but he that received the seed let's look at the word received for a moment.

This is a little bit interesting when you think about the tense of it, too.

It's in the aorist tense, which English doesn't have an aorist tense.

But in the Greek what it means is the verb is considered without regard to past

present or future.

It's just like it is this way.

You don't have to worry about when it happened.

It's just this way and So these people receive or it says that they are they

that received the seed.

It's just the way it is.

It doesn't matter whether it happened in the past the present the future.

It's just the it's the fact that they are the receivers of the seed.

It's also in the passive, which means someone else Put it there and placed it in their heart.

It's not active and that's the difference between receive and accept except would be active but receive is a

passive word.

But it also is participle Ing so this person is a person who

has had the seed sown into his heart.

Once and for all never to be done again in a sense.

But only as you think from God's point of view.

Can you see it that way because from our point of view it's a continual thing always happening but not only

that but he has received the word and Is receiving the word

now?

Do you remember the if that we talked about when we started out this morning?

If you continue.

This is in the continual tense.

God just says you're going to continue if you're the good soil.

It's very interesting that the word received is Found in another

place if you remember up here.

Well, let's look at this look at verse 23.

Now it says but he that received seed into the ground.

So it is speaking of your hearts and you receive seed.

Do you remember in Mark chapter 4 where it says the word was sown into their hearts?

And I mentioned that the Greek word for so is Spiro.

Well now look at Matthew 13 in verse 23.

But he that received seed that is exactly the same Greek word now in the

other verse.

It's translated into the word sown and you picture the farmer sowing the seeds

and now in Matthew 13 23 it's translated as this person received the seed but it's the same

word as the word sown.

You can't distinguish the difference in the Greek language.

So here where it says that this person received the seed.

It's the same as saying he had the seed sown into his heart.

Who does that put in control?

God.

God is the one sowing the seed into the heart.

You read it in the English.

It looks like oh, well, I received it and you might even think I accepted it, but it's not what it says.

It doesn't even say that you received it.

It said you had it sewn into your heart.

Isn't that amazing now stop and be thankful for a moment?

And now we'll go on turn to John

chapter 6.

With me for a moment.

I Think a little bit more about this idea of the seed being sown into your hearts

about it being the work of God.

Not the work of man.

While you're looking for John chapter 6, I want you to look at verse 44.

I want to read you a verse from John chapter 1 verse 13.

Which were born not of the blood.

Nor of the will of the flesh.

Nor of the will of man but of God.

You see it's not an accepting.

It's a receiving of Seed being sown into our hearts by another and that's by

father.

But if you're in John chapter 6 Let's see

who's in control of the sowing and of the receiving which is the interesting part.

Look at verse 44.

No Man can come unto me except the father which hath sent me.

Draw him and I will raise him up at the last day.

Now, where does the eternal security come in all through this passage?

Look back up at verse 39.

Oh look at verse 37 all that the father giveth me shall come to me and

Him that cometh to me.

I will in no wise cast out.

Look at verse 39.

And this is the father's will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me.

I should lose Nothing, but should raise it up again the last day

and Verse 40 and this is the will of him that sent me that everyone which seeth the Son now that word

should be beholdeth the Son and Believeth on him may have

everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day.

No Man can come unto me except the father which hath sent me Draw him and I will raise him

up the last day.

Verse 44 says now a lot of people will not go on into verse 45

because it's one of those verses that you have to study a little bit to To really

understand what it says and it's a lot easier just to read over it and go on to the next verse.

Because verse 44 is so so clear we get into verse 45.

We just say I was probably talking about something similar and you go on into verse 46, but let's look at verse 45 a minute.

It is written in the prophets and they shall be all taught of God.

Now you're gonna find out in a minute that they refers to the verse 44 these people that the father draws to

Jesus.

It's the same group.

All of these people it's the saved the people who will be saved and who are saved all of these people

shall be taught of God now that doesn't mean they will be taught about God that means

they will be taught by God.

So you might want to put a little note there where it says obvious.

It's by.

They will be taught by God.

Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned and where you see the word

of but the word from and Have learned or by or the word by those

that have heard and learned.

By the father or from the father are the ones that come to me.

Now here we see who's doing the the action.

It's the father.

It's the father who is drawing and it's it's very interesting that

the word draw is the word he'll coo.

Oh, which means to drag as if against the will.

To drag this person to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Was the Apostle Paul when he was on the road to Damascus was it his will to find Jesus?

Or was he finding Christians to persecute?

That was his will and yet God caused him to look

and see the face of Jesus.

And once he had those eyes to see what did he say Lord?

What would you have me to do?

Did he count Jesus Christ his Lord before that moment?

Not at all.

And all of a sudden he did and it was the father who drew him to that place.

Same for all of us and it really means drug us to that place.

Well in John 15 16 Jesus says you have not chosen me.

But I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go forth and bring forth fruit

now notice this little addition.

Here in the book of John that it says that those that he has chosen will bring forth what?

Fruit that's another reason I think that this last fourth soil is the only one that's really safe because the only one that bears any

fruit and Your fruit shall remain in other words.

It's not gonna burn off on your way up there.

All right.

Some some works will but this fruit will not that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my

name He may give it to you so we see then that the first

Predominant thing about this person is That he receives the word.

But as we examine the language in the Bible we find that the word receive is not really what's happening so

much as the fact that the word is sown into his heart and

Because of that he receives it or in that respect.

He receives it now the second Aspect of this person back in Matthew chapter 13.

But he that receives seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word.

So he hears the word and this is the Greek word aku.

Oh, which simply means for the sound to strike the ear.

Now if you'll notice Some of the other soil had that happen.

They heard the word fact all of it did.

Even the hard pathway heard the word.

But Satan came and snatched it out of his mind before it could really get into a nut state of understanding.

But this person the good soil Receives the seed and he hears the word.

So just like all the others he hears it and look at the next word.

He understandeth it now, you don't find that among the other soils.

You'll hear you'll have the hearing but you don't ever have the understanding.

But in this place you do and it's the thing that makes the difference the word understand.

Has the little word soon in front of it, which means to come together

and The word hey me at the end, which means to sin.

So it means to put it all together in the mind.

These other soils never did that but this person does so as the seed is sown

into his heart by the Father and He is drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ

and he sees that light just like the Apostle Paul did and he looks up.

He has the understanding to say Lord.

What would you have me to do?

And this understanding is given to him in John chapter 6

verse 45 you see the same idea as it is written of the prophets.

They shall all be taught of God.

Every man therefore that hath heard you see that's the hearing the striking of the ear and

hath learned that word learned is a synonym with the same word as

understand and Hath learned of the father so it is the father that gives

the understanding and As this person receives the seed he also receives the

understanding from God now We go into the

next concept.

Verse 23 he understandeth it which also Beareth fruit.

Now not only that it says he beareth fruit, but then it says he bringeth forth fruit.

So bearing just simply means to carry or to hold the fruit.

It doesn't mean he produces the fruit.

Who does that?

That's right.

And in a plant what does that the root and who is the root?

Is the root of Jesse that's the Lord Jesus Christ.

So yes, he bears the fruit.

That's present tense active.

This is something that the believer does once he's saved.

He now is in the active state it was passively given to him by the father and

once he has this he actively he begins to act and he begins to bear the fruit and

It's just a fact it's in the indicative.

So that means it is an absolute fact now you see that's why I believe.

That this soil represents the saved people because it is an absolute fact that they will bear fruit.

Now if you notice I'll jump ahead a little bit.

It says some 100 fold some 60 and some 30.

We don't all bear the same amount of fruit and maybe not the same kind, but we all bear

fruit now not only does he bear the fruit, but he brings forth the fruit and

This is something that happens.

It's not something that's continual.

It doesn't happen all the time just like a tree brings forth fruit in his season.

Not maybe not all the time.

You'll have seasons in your life when you're not bringing forth fruit.

But you'll have seasons when you do bring forth fruit and it'll be a fact it will be indicative.

It'll just flat happen if you're saved and that's what the the teachings are kind of been up behind the scene in

the grammar.

Here in this passage.

In fact in John 15 16 He says you have not chosen me.

But I have chosen you and ordained you and then he says so that you what should

go and bring forth fruit.

It's interesting in the Greek language word should is not there.

It's not like you should you might not but you ought to.

That's not what it's saying.

It's saying I have chosen you that you will go forth and bring forth fruit

so all true believers will bring forth fruit and that fruit will remain and

Whatsoever you ask of the Father my name it will be given you you can pray you have a prayer life at this

point.

In Ephesians chapter 2 10, we see the same language exactly it says for we are his workmanship Created

in Christ Jesus unto good works.

Which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The word should it's not in the Greek.

It means we will walk in them and that's what the Bible says well

Let's go on through verse 23.

Not only is this a person who receives the the word as it is sown into his heart by the

father.

Not only does he just hear the word but he understands it and then he brings forth fruit

some a hundredfold some 60 and some 30 well

in the Luke passage.

Turn to Luke 8 15.

There's a key word that's brought into this.

I want you to see

it's gonna be the last word in the sentence.

But that on good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the word.

Keep it and bring forth fruit with patience.

Now this word patience.

The definition for it is cheerful endurance.

If you look that up in the Greek cheerful endurance now.

You remember that if we talked about at the first of the lesson this morning if you continue.

Do you know that God Jesus not only taught in parables that day in Matthew 13, but the

whole thing's in parables.

Everything we see in the Bible is written in parables in a sense and what I mean by that.

It is written for you to understand but unto them it is not now haven't

you Been aware that there is a struggle out there between this doctrine that says you

can be saved but then all of a sudden you can lose that by Going away from the Lord and

getting out of church and not tithing anymore is the main offense I believe and all of a sudden you lose your

salvation.

And those people that believe that.

Certain denominations that believe it will take you to like the verse we looked at in Colossians and they'll point

out the big if.

They'll say well, you're only secure if you continue so you have to continue through to the

end.

What was it that the the Methodist have have said forever?

But I've heard people that used to go to some of the old tent meetings that the Methodist had a little phrase They

used about following through.

Anybody heard that before.

Tell y 'all are not Methodist.

Nobody knows what I'm talking about.

It's like I'm gonna continue through to the end.

They would use a little phrase that meant that and what they meant by that was, you know.

Are you are you saved?

Are you on your way to heaven?

Well, I sure hope so I'm gonna try to continue through to the end and it's a work that they're doing.

It's a trying of doing something.

They're gonna say I'm gonna try to bear it out and make it all the way to the end that way.

Maybe I'll get to heaven.

And then the Baptist come back and say well if you're saved you're always saved and they don't want to discuss this if any

you know but the thing that puts it all together is when you understand who's doing the sowing and

Who is placing it in the hearts of particular people and you go back into Deuteronomy

chapter 7 verses 6 7 8.

And you understand that those are the same people that God Set his love upon before the

foundation of the world and you find those same people in the first chapters of Ephesians.

It's not really a choice that God made you don't have to choose to love your children.

Do you moms?

You get up you get up this morning.

You say I Choose Ben, I think I love him today.

You don't make that choice and Yet we think God did but he didn't he didn't have to.

He can look out upon the world and he can see his children.

He can see Satan's children.

Jesus could look at him right in the eyes and say you don't believe in me because you're of your father

the devil.

Of your father you'll be like your father.

It was a liar and a murderer from the beginning.

You're like him.

That's why you want to kill me.

Abraham saw me.

But and understood but you look at me and want to kill me you're of your father the devil.

Listen, God didn't have to make this choice.

He has loved you before the foundation of the world.

And so what happens When he comes down to this place where that seed is sown

and on a particular day of your life it was received into your heart and you were

born again and the lights came on and all of a sudden you could see the Lord Jesus Christ as

your own and You could hear you had ears that would hear.

You had eyes that could see you had a life.

You were alive for the first time and you know the difference and One of the things

that came with this is that you are a person Who brings forth

fruit with patience with cheerful endurance?

You're not a quitter.

You know why not because of you or me but because the moment you got saved God changed your nature.

He gave you of the divine nature.

I've used this with teenagers before you know, why does a cow eat grass?

Why didn't he eat meat?

Does he have to make the choice to eat grass?

It's just his nature.

He does that because he's a cow.

Why does a lion eat meat?

Because it's his nature and when you got born again God set change your nature.

You don't have to work at enduring.

It is your nature to believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

You don't have to think up a bunch of good works to go do and please God.

It is it has been ordained before the foundation of the world that you should walk in them.

And it doesn't mean should it means would you will you will walk in them?

And we have this wonderful Cheerful endurance and that by the way

is the if.

So for a true believer, there is no if.

It's a done thing.

You are going to continue.

You are going to walk in these things and so you do have an inheritance incorruptible that fadeth not

away in Heaven for you with your name on it who are kept by the Father.

And Then it lastly it says some Bear a hundredfold some sixty and

some thirty it is true that all of God's children bear fruit.

But it is not true that we're all the same.

That's a problem we have in churches sometimes the more mature that a person is in the Lord

the more he is able to get along with other of God's children and He

recognizes that as the body may have a foot and it may have a hand.

The hand is not supposed to look at the foot and say you're not important because you're not a hand.

You can't pick up anything.

The mature Christian realizes that the foot is just as important because the hand can't go over and to the place Where

the object is to pick up without the foot.

And we're all different.

Don't ever make the mistake of trying to mold everybody in this room to be another you and

Not to like them if they're not.

Because God didn't do that He placed all of us in this body for a purpose and he made us all to

have a different fingerprint for a reason.

So some will bear fruit a hundredfold some sixty and some thirty all according

to God's will.

I'd like to close with someone.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor

sitteth in the seat Of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord.

He doesn't have to think about it.

He doesn't have to worry about it.

He has that it's his nature to love God's Word.

His delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law that he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like the tree planted by rivers of water.

Why.

Because he's got the root it's gonna get down into that water that bringeth forth fruit in his

season.

Doesn't say might bring forth says he will.

Now there may be a season for it at a time when you don't but there's always Going to be the fruit his leaf

also shall not wither.

You know what?

That's the if.

If you continue your leaf is not gonna wither.

You can't do anything other than continue.

If you're the Lord's his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever He doeth

shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so.

Doesn't work this way for them.

With the ungodly they may spring up quickly as a plant a seed that falls on the

stone.

With a little bit of soil.

Can't get any root can't get any moisture springs up just quickly with joy.

I love the Word of God.

I'm gonna give my testimony and I'm gonna tear it up for Jesus and then all of a sudden two months later.

They're out of here.

You don't ever see him again.

Some denominations are gonna tell you he lost his salvation.

But what do you know the ungodly are not so.

The ungodly never had root never had water.

But he's like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knoweth the way the righteous but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The good soil receives the seed he hears.

But he hears with an understanding heart that God placed there.

It has been given unto him to believe and to understand and then he brings forth fruit.

Some 30 some 60 some 100.