The Unconverted “Believer” (12): The Parable of the Sower (2)

First Baptist Church Leominster

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times with the expansion of the gospel there is persecution and Paul experiences that nevertheless great salvation taking place that flows out of that and this is the way of God down through history when his people are persecuted then the gospel comes forth and he uses this to bring salvation to many so Pastor Jason will read for us

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Acts chapter 16 then pray. Acts 16

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Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra a disciple was there named

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Timothy the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer but his father was a

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Greek he was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium Paul wanted

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Timothy to accompany him and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places for they all knew that his father was a

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Greek as they went on their way through the cities they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the

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Apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem so the churches were strengthened in the faith and they increased in numbers daily and they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia having been forgiven by the

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Holy Spirit forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia and when they had come upon Mysia they attempted to go to Bithynia but the

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Spirit of Jesus did not allow them so it's passing by my Asia they went down to Trous and a vision appeared to Paul in the night a man of Macedonia was standing there urging him and saying come over to Macedonia and help us and when

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Paul had seen the vision immediately we sought to go into Macedonia concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them so setting sail from Trous we made a direct voyage to Samothrace and the following day to Neapolis and from there to Philippi which is the leading city of the district of Macedonia and a

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Roman colony we remained in this city some days and on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside where we suppose there was a place of prayer and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together one who heard us was a woman named

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Lydia from the city of Thyatira a seller of purple goods who was a worshiper of God the

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Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul and after she was baptized and her household as well she urged us saying if you have judged me to be faithful to the

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Lord come to my house and stay and she prevailed upon us as we were going to the place of prayer we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune -telling she followed

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Paul and us crying out these men are servants of most of the Most High God who proclaim to you the way of salvation and this she kept doing for many days

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Paul having become greatly annoyed turned and said to the Spirit I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her and it came out that very hour but when her owner saw that their hope of gain was gone they seized

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Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said these men are

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Jews and they are disturbing our city they advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice the crowd joined in attacking them and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods and when they had afflicted many blows upon them they threw them into prison ordering the jailer to keep them safely having received this order he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet to the stocks about midnight

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Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them and suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundation of the prison was shaken and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's bounds were unfastened when the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open he drew his sword and was about to kill himself supposing that the prisoners had escaped but Paul cried with a loud voice do not harm yourself for we are all here and the jailer called for lights and rushed in and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas then he brought them out and said sirs what must

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I do to be saved and they said believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved you and your household and they spoke the word of the

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Lord to him and to all who were in his house and he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds and he was baptized at once he and all his family then he brought them up into the house and set food before them and he rejoiced along with his entire household that had that he had believed in God but when it was day the magistrate sent the police saying let those men go and the jailer reported these words to Paul saying the magistrates have sent to let you go therefore come out now and go in peace but Paul said to them they have beaten us publicly uncondemned men who are

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Roman citizens and have thrown us into prison and do they now throw us out secretly no let them come themselves and take us out the police reported these words to the magistrates and they were afraid when they heard that they were

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Roman citizens so they came and apologized to them and they took them out and asked them to leave the city so they went out of the prison and visited

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Lydia and when they had seen the brothers they encouraged them and departed let's pray our father we thank you that you are indeed over all things even the persecution and suffering of believers and Lord we have this account here that the

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Apostles trusted in you even in the midst of great difficulty and great pain and suffering and imprisonment and Lord you call your church to remember those in prison as well and so Lord we lift up those who are in prison and those who are suffering for their faith those who are suffering for doing good we pray

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Lord that you would encourage them that you would strengthen them we pray Lord that you would protect them we pray that their witness would be heard throughout the world and we were thankful Lord that you use sinful men to accomplish your purposes and we're so grateful

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Lord for the work that you've done in our lives and we ask Lord that you would help us now as we proclaim your word again that we might hear the

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Word of God that the Spirit would teach us how we can apply this to our own lives and in the power of the

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Spirit we pray Lord that we would live it out so Lord be with us now as we continue our worship through the sermon thank you

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Lord in Jesus name Amen well let's turn in our

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Bibles once again to Matthew 13 and we'll continue this week to study our

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Lord's parable of the sower in this discourse of Jesus which encompasses all of Matthew 13 we have a collection of seven parables the theme of each and all of the parables is the kingdom of God as we asserted last

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Lord's Day God's Word is very clear as to the nature and content of the gospel that we are to declare to the world that they are to believe so that they may be safe from their sin and so this was my description last week the message of the gospel of our salvation is the good news that God has inaugurated his promised kingdom through the reign of Jesus Christ that sinners may be granted entrance into his kingdom through repentance from sin and faith in him in this kingdom they receive the forgiveness of sins enjoy fellowship with the

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Lord and his people live with joy and peace and righteousness in this age and the age to come the heart of the gospel message is

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Jesus is Lord that is he is the once crucified but now risen and enthroned sovereign ruler over the entire world the gospel of the kingdom

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Charles Spurgeon concurred with this understanding of the gospel he wrote the gospel is the word of the kingdom it has royal authority in it it proclaims and reveals

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King Jesus and it leads men to obedience to his sway and then

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Matthew Henry said essentially the same the seed sown is the Word of God here called the word of the kingdom the kingdom of heaven that is the cake that that is the kingdom the kingdoms of the world compared with that are not to be called kingdoms the gospel comes from that kingdom conducts to that kingdom the word of the gospel is the word of the kingdom it is the word of the king and where that is there is power it is a law by which we must be ruled and governed and so to enter the kingdom of God is to receive and experience salvation we are to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ and press people to turn from their self -directed lives to believe and submit fully on to Jesus Christ the

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Lord and again this series is on nominal Christianity and I fear that much nominal

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Christianity that is those who are Christian in name only is a result of a gospel message it has been reduced to the promise of forgiveness of sins only very little is said about the kingdom of God and the

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Lordship of Jesus Christ rather it's a message that promises to relieve guilt escape hell and go to heaven only those things people are promised that if they simply and only believe on Jesus Christ as their personal

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Savior they have salvation but little or nothing is said about the kingdom of God over which

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King Jesus reigns and for people to enter that kingdom through repentance from sin surrendering their hearts and wills wholly to the

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Lord Jesus Christ to deny themselves and to become disciples of Jesus Christ and so the result is that many have a form of Christianity while denying the power of it to transform their lives they're thinking only in terms of God forgiving me they wrongly think that they are

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Christian because they simply and only believe certain things about Jesus Christ but they do not order their lives as citizens of the kingdom of God under the

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Lordship of Jesus Christ but this is what saving faith looks like according to the

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Holy Scriptures however I want to give this qualification please understand this even though there is a truncated gospel that is widely proclaimed and many think that they are true

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Christians while they are yet in their sins nevertheless the Lord by his grace brings people to salvation even in their limited understanding of spiritual truth the

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Holy Spirit will use the proclamation of Jesus Christ to regenerate sinners cause them to be born again and through the proclamation of the

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Word of God the Lord causes them to become born again which results in their entrance into the kingdom of God even though they may not be cognizant of it and so even though they have not heard or learned fully and clearly this gospel of the kingdom as we've sought to explain and proclaim the

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Holy Spirit has poured into their hearts the hearts of these converted people love for God the love of God and this is shown forth in their love for Jesus Christ an awareness of their own sinfulness and helplessness apart from him to live before him and for him and so they've come to love and aspire to live for God so they're living as Jesus is their

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Lord even though they may not have been informed clearly and fully about these matters of the kingdom of God they live with Jesus Christ as their

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Lord seeking to live for him and to do his will though they may not have been clearly instructed in these matters of the kingdom that we've sought to declare

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God will bless and use truth he never blesses error but he will bless truth even when it's mixed with some error and even when there is much ignorance and we can thank the

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Lord for this and so as we talk about these matters of the kingdom as I interject this and you might think to yourself well

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I've been a Christian for 25 years or at least I thought so but I had no idea about this kingdom matter as you're describing it today

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I'm not dechristianizing you because of your ignorance about these matters the fact is if when you were born again you love

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Jesus and you began to order your life according to his will well you're in the kingdom whether you knew it or not and your life and your faith and your submission to Jesus Christ as your

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Lord is evidence of that so we're just filling in some knowledge about what happened to you now it could be argued that the promised kingdom of God over which

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Jesus Christ is Lord is the major theme of all holy scripture in the realm of biblical studies and that's where my

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PhD is focused biblical studies with emphasis in New Testament particularly in biblical theology an effort to describe what the

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Bible writers intended to convey there's been a prolonged search for the major unifying theme of all of scripture and although there have been many proposals for the main theme of the

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Bible covenant glory of God sovereignty all kinds of things it is generally agreed that it's difficult perhaps impossible to identify one predominant theme for there are many important ideas or themes that run through the course of the

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Bible but a good case can be argued that the kingdom of God may be the major theme that permeates and unifies all of scripture we've previously cited

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I think we did last week that biblical scholars are in agreement that the kingdom of God was the primary subject of the teaching of Jesus during his earthly ministry as George Elton Ladd expressed in his classic book a theology of the

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New Testament modern scholarship is quite unanimous in the opinion that the kingdom of God was the central message of Jesus that's what you find in the

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Gospels the four Gospels but others have attempted to show that the kingdom of God is the major idea or thrust of the entire

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Bible for example Thomas Schreiner who is a Bolton conference speaker a couple years ago wrote his biblical theology which

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I highly recommend it's an excellent if you want to know what the Bible is about and told in everyday language put it all together this is the book the king in his duty in the title the emphasis is on the kingdom of God isn't it and in his prologue he acknowledged a difficulty of asserting one central theme of the

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Bible nevertheless he set forth the kingdom of God to be most prominent he wrote by now it is common consensus that no one theme adequately can captures the message of the scriptures it's funny to me he acknowledges this no one you can't really single one theme out and then he singles one theme out the kingdom of God it's not my intention to dispute that hypothesis here for almost any center chosen tends to domesticate one theme or another

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I maintain that there are a number of different ways to put together the storyline and theology of the scriptures that are legitimate here that is in his book my focus is on one of the major themes in the narrative

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I skipped a couple sentences here and then he said I intend to argue in this book that the kingdom of God if that term is defined with sufficient flexibility fits well as a central theme of the entire

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Bible and I would say amen to that several weeks ago

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I sought to condense the story of the Bible according to this kingdom of God theme in a paragraph or two and when

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I came across Timus Shriner doing the same thing but in words much more clear and precise than what

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I had proposed he wrote it in this way perhaps it will help if I sketch in what

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I mean by the kingdom of God first of all it designates the rule of God in one sense

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God is always the King of Kings and Lord of Lords reigning over everything that happens and we emphasize this because it's a creator but in another sense

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God's rule has been flouted since the fall of humankind and the scriptures here it is and the scriptures tell the story of the kingdom regained that's the story of the

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Bible and so we may say a hearty amen to that synopsis of the story of the

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Bible this fallen world is restored to God through Jesus Christ establishing the kingdom of God Jesus Christ is

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Lord he calls and enables his people to believe him to be

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Lord to submit to his reign to order their lives in faith and obedience to him salvation is experienced when a fallen independent self -willed sinner repents of his sin believes upon and submits to Jesus the

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Lord he becomes a kingdom citizen in this world and an inheritor of the full manifestation of the kingdom of God in the new heavens and new earth when

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Jesus Christ returns to judge the world and I would argue that Paul expressed this idea in 1st

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Corinthians 15 then comes the end after this church age when he delivers the kingdom that's

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Jesus Christ delivers notice the kingdom of God to the Father after he's succeeded in bringing the entire world back into submission willing submission to God even the one sent to hell they bow the knee and confess with their mouth

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Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father when he's accomplished this work you go back and take the creation and bring it back into submission to me he brings the kingdom of God to the

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Father he's put an end to all rule and all authority and power for he must reign and that's what he's doing now till he's put all enemies under his feet the last enemy that will be destroyed is death for he has put all things under his feet that's the father putting all things under the feet of Jesus under his authority but when he says all things are put under him it's evident he who put all things under him is accepted the father wasn't put under him and now when all things are made subject to him then the son himself will also be subject to him who put all things under him that God may be all in all now as we said last week the parables of the kingdom in Matthew 13 described the nature of the kingdom in this present age and how we to regard it and to embrace the kingdom the first parable in this discourse is the most lengthy and detailed the parable of the sower or perhaps better described as a parable of the soils when our

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Lord was before the crowds he taught the parable he told the parable but not until he was alone with his disciples did he explain the meaning of the parable so again this encompasses verses 1 through 23 and for context

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I want us to read it again on the same day Jesus went out of the house set by the sea great multitudes were gathered together to him so that he got into a boat and sat the whole multitude stood on the shore then he spoke many things to them in parable saying behold a sower went out to sow and as he sowed some seed fell by the wayside and the birds came and devoured them some fell on stony places where they did not have much earth and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth but when the

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Sun was up they were scorched and because they had no root they withered away and some fell among thorns and the thorns sprang up and choked them but others fell on good ground and yielded a crop some a hundredfold some sixty some thirty he was ears you hear let him hear and the disciples came and said to him why do you speak to them in parables he answered said to them because it's been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them it's not been given for whoever has to him more will be given and he will have abundance but whoever does not have even what he has will be taken away from him and therefore

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I speak to them in parables because seeing they do not see hearing they do not hear nor do they understand and in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled which says hearing you will hear and shall not understand and seeing you will see and not perceive for the hearts of this people have grown dull their ears are hard of hearing their eyes they have closed let's say should see with their eyes and hear with their ears let's say should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them but blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear for assuredly

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I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see and did not see it and hear what you hear and did not hear it and then he explains the parable therefore here the parable of the sower when anyone hears the word of the kingdom who does not understand it then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart this is he who received seed by the wayside but he received the seed in stony places this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy yet he has no root in himself but endures only for a while for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word immediately he stumbles now he who receives seed among the thorns is he who hears the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becomes unfruitful but he who receives seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it who indeed bears fruit and produces some a hundredfold some 60 some 30 now again last week we addressed our

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Lord's teaching in the first 17 verses today we consider verses 18 through 23 in which the

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Lord taught his disciples but before we do let us consider a few principles regarding the example of our

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Lord using parables to convey and illustrate spiritual truth Matthew Henry wrote of the

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Lord's use of parables both to instruct and teaches how to teach others he used parables and we ought to also and so Henry wrote we have in these verses one of the parables which our

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Lord put forth it's that of the sower and the seed both the parable itself and the explanation of it

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Christ parables are borrowed from common ordinary things not from any philosophical notions or speculations or the unusual phenomena of nature though applicable enough to the matter in hand but from the most obvious things that are every day's observation come within the reach of the meanest and what's old

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English meaning simplest capacity many of them are fetched from the husbandman's calling as this of the sower and that of the tears

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Christ chose to do this and then he lists two reasons first the spiritual things might there be made more plain and by familiar similitudes might be made the more easy to slide into our understandings

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I love that language but then secondly and I wanted to point this out to us the other reason he taught in parables that common actions might hereby be spiritualized and we might take occasion from those things which fall so often under our view to meditate with delight on the things of God and thus when our hands are busiest about the world through tomorrow through this week we may not only withstanding that but even with the help of that be led to have our hearts in heaven thus the

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Word of God shall talk with us and talk familiarly with us and then he references proverbs 622 and so it's the second point that I desire to consider briefly just as our

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Lord looked about him and use common observations to illustrate spiritual truth it'd be good if we develop this propensity and this ability to do the same we could better communicate to others

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I'm thinking particularly children by the way spiritual truths and it would be enable us to perhaps to be more fully reminded of the spiritual realm that we live through in each and every day

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Bunyan John Bunyan illustrated this concept in his book the pilgrims progress the character interpreter took time to instruct

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Christiana and her boys about the Christian life and so he pointed them to some ordinary things he took them out in the garden pointed to some things and gave a spiritual application to these ordinary things and so here's a portion from pilgrims progress he the interpreter had them into another room where a hen and chickens bid them observe a while and so one of the chickens went to the trough to drink and every time she drank she lifted up her head and her eyes toward heaven you can picture a chicken doing that see he said what this little chick doth and learn of her to acknowledge whence your mercies come by receiving them with looking up and yet again said he observe and look so they gave heed and perceived that the hand did walk in a fourfold method towards her chickens her chicks first she had a common call clucking all day long and that she hath all the day long second she had a special call and that she had but sometimes third she had a brooding note and fourth she had an outcry now said he compared this hand to your king these chickens to his obedient ones for answerable to her he himself hath his method methods by which he walketh in towards his people in other words moves among them by his common call he gives nothing we hear him teaching we read in the scriptures day after day and there's nothing directly given to us it's just general acknowledgement he's with us as the hand is with her chicks he gives nothing by his special call he has always something to give he has a brooding voice for them that are under his wing and he has an altar to give the alarm when he see the enemy come and so Bunyan through the use of a chicken drinking water illustrated how we should lift our heads to the

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Lord and grateful acknowledgement of every blessing he sends our way each day and then with regard to the call of a mother hand to her chicks

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Bunyan likened it to the different ways that God calls his people he speaks to them daily guiding them and affirming his presence with them but he also has an effectual call that he extends to his own to come unto him and then thirdly he speaks encouraging and comforting words to us as a hand broods over her chicks protecting and assuring them and then he warns his people as a hen clucks loudly to water chicks of the danger that threatens them now this is what

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Bunyan gleaned from his own observation and he put it in his book the Pilgrim's Progress and we ought to be so spiritually minded that we see things that we're able to illustrate in our own minds and to be able to communicate to others particularly children about the ways of God here's another example from Pilgrim's Progress then as they were coming in from abroad they spied a little robin with a great spider in his mouth so the interpreter said look here so they looked and mercy wondered she was

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Christiana's traveling companion mercy wondered but Christiana said what a disparagement is it to such a pretty little bird as the robin

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Redbreast he being also a bird above many that loveth to maintain a kind of sociableness with men you see

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Robins around the yard you know all the time they're close to us but she says

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I like him worse than I did because he's got this spider in his mouth well the interpreter then replied this robin is an emblem very apt to set forth some professors in other words professing

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Christians he's talking about nominal Christians here for to cite they are as this robin pretty of note color and carriage they seem also to have a very great love of professors that is professing

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Christians that are sincere and above all others to desire to associate with them and to be in their company as if they could live upon the good man's crumbs they pretend also that therefore it is that they frequent the house of the godly and the appointments of the

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Lord but when they are by themselves and here's the application of the spider when they're by themselves as the robin they can catch and gobble up spiders and they can change their diet drink and equity and swallow down sin like water so here use the robin to describe nominal

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Christians they may appear to be quite sociable around the people of God but when they're alone or away from the people of God their true character is evident their ugly life of sin comes to the forefront so may our

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Lord help us to see in ordinary events and daily observations spiritual illustrations of biblical truth may he remind us through what we encounter every day to perceive his ways and then may our observations enable us to better communicate our

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Lord's word and ways to others about us now let's return to our text of Matthew 13 and consider our

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Lord's explanation of the parable of the sower to his disciples and let's attempt to put ourselves in the place of these disciples listening to our master clearly and concisely explain the meaning of this parable to us as one expressed the master takes us the little children by the hand leads us through all the turnings of his first symbolic lesson last in our inexperience we should miss our way the

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Son of God not only gave himself as a sacrifice for sin he also labored as a patient painstaking teacher of the ignorant he is the

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Apostle in other words sent one as well as the high priest of our profession

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Jesus declared behold a sower went out to sow and it's clear what

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Jesus meant that the seed here being sown is the gospel of the kingdom and how that kingdom would be evident in the present age

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Jesus was the promised King and the long -anticipated kingdom of God he was inaugurating through his ministry through his death on the cross his resurrection from the dead his ascent to be enthroned by the

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Father in heaven this was the heart of his gospel the sower sowing the seed the mysteries of the kingdom that he was revealing to his

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Apostles verse 11 was how his kingdom would be manifested in this present fallen world until his second coming and interestingly in Luke's parallel account of Jesus telling this parable the seed of this sower is set forth as the

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Word of God here it's the it's a word of the kingdom in Luke it's the

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Word of God there too Jesus spoke of the mysteries of the kingdom being the privilege of his disciples to know and understand when comparing

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Matthew's account and Luke's account of Jesus telling this parable to his disciples the message of the kingdom of God and the

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Word of God are one and the same that's a good argument for the centrality of the kingdom of God is a major theme of Scripture the four different kinds of soil or four different kinds of people who hear the good news of the kingdom all four hear the

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Word of God only one of these hearers the fourth of course the last one has salvation only this fourth type of soil produces the yield the fruit for which the seed was designed to bring forth and so generally speaking this is this describes common ways that people react and respond to the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ during the course of this age so let's just work through each one of these first a seed sown along the path

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Jesus declared in verse 19 when anyone hears the word of the kingdom there it is and does not understand it then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart this is he received seed by the wayside or the pathway one once described this first kind of here of the word behold in one picture

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God's gracious offer men self -destroyed neglect and the tempter's coveted opportunity all three we see that someone can hear the word of God quite clearly explained to him but it has no impact upon his soul the

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Lord was indirectly telling his disciples of the importance to listen carefully and to understand clearly what he what he hears regarding the word of God that's a lesson to you and me today this morning and so the 17th century reformed

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Baptist he this he was a he was a hero of the faith for us reformed Baptist Benjamin Keach he wrote it is evident that one reason or main design of Christ speaking this parable was to convince them that it's not enough or sufficient to hear the word of God preached but that many hear it who are never effectually wrought upon it but shall eternally perish again he's talking about nominal

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Christians these are hearers that were unaffected by the word and we all know persons of this type they hear the word of God but they may as well have not have heard it no change occurred in their life as a result of having heard the word of God read by them or taught to them this is typical of the unbeliever it's not the fault of the seed nor is it the fault of the sower the seed is good it'll bring forth fruit the sower fulfilled his responsibility he sowed the seed he scattered the seed again he made known the gospel of the kingdom it's the soil that's defective isn't it and so the problem lies with the hearer as Keach wrote the soil trodden by all comers that's the pathway is never broken up and softened by a thorough self -searching a human heart may thus become marvelously calloused both the good and evil the terrors of the

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Lord and tender invitations of the gospel as alike ineffectual falling only on the external senses they are swept off by the next current as a solid grain thrown from the sower's hand rattles on the smooth hard roadside and lies on the surface till the fowls carry it away many people are unaffected by the

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Word of God how long do we have to put up with this you know what time is it it was quarter to twelve man

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I got another half hour I gotta listen to this you know totally unaffected by it it's a burden to them no amount of coercion no amount of plating will make us a real spiritual impact or difference the ground that is the heart of this person is not prepared not willing to receive the

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Word of God now that's not to say we can't influence them there are ways that we could get this kind of person to attend church in fact many of this type attend church regularly we could use other means offer other things rather than the

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Word of God to bring them in and many churches do we can fill the church with these kinds of hearers

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I was an associate pastor in the fastest growing church in the state of Texas from 1974 to 1976 and on our third year anniversary we had over 7 ,000 in church

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I know how to build church as far as if you're wanting people I can do it

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I went out and got 5 ,000 free tickets for six flags over Texas and told everyone that gets on our

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Sunday school bus we'll take you to six flags we had 7 ,000 people that day we got an award fastest growing church in the state of Texas mercy we could use other means offer other things rather than the

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Word of God you know again we could offer them music that they like modern church growth pundits tell us how to do it if that were our desire but what do you do after you get that kind of group you preach and teach the

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Word of God but there's no interest no real concern no our responsibility is to proclaim the

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Word of God as clearly and accurately as we can and we should recognize and submit to the fact that all will not receive it in fact it will not be received by most in the work of the kingdom most seed falls on the hearers of hardened hearts these hearers are indifferent to the gospel their interests lie elsewhere they really care little of Christ they do not see the claims of God is binding upon them this kind of hearer does not want

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Jesus as Lord over his life for he himself is his own Lord and there's no room for another master he is his own master and of course this person will most certainly be banished from the presence of Christ at his coming the

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Lord here mentions the involvement of the evil one the devil preventing these people from responding to the word when anyone hears the word of the kingdom does not understand it the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart recognize that Satan is able to take good and true thoughts out of our hearts that is he's able to cause us to forget truth that we've heard the devil is able to lead a hearer of the

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Word of God to forget what was proclaimed to him so that it will bring no benefit to him a little hesitant to interject this but I will

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I followed a very good preacher to the church in Munich he was a very eloquent in so many ways was there seven years and then he he went off and started another church and he was a good man is a good man

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God bless him well I came in and I wasn't eloquent all right

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I'm not that way that's just not my guess but I remember one friend of mine coming to me you know when

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I heard so -and -so speak it really stirred my heart you know and I went out of church as thrilled he says but with you

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I find myself on Wednesday thinking about it I thought that's what I want amen that's what

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I prefer but this one forgets the devil takes it out the devil is able to put wrong thoughts into your minds and place temptations before people that lead them away from Christ into further depths of sin the devil is the true

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God of these lost people they serve him unwittingly for his major thrust is to entice people to serve themselves to be their own gods that's how the devil controls you by urging you and putting you in a place of temptation so you can serve yourself you don't think you're serving the devil but that's what you're doing when you serve yourself that's what the devil did to Adam and Eve in the garden denying the

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Lord you're not gonna die if you eat of this fruit God knows the day that you eat of it you will become like God you will be able to determine for yourself what to think and how to live serve yourself first and of course when they did they became servants of the devil the devil would have you serve yourself rather than Jesus it would seem that earlier our

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Lord described this kind of here are the word Jesus said earlier we read it whoever has to him more will be given but he will have abundance but whoever does not have even what he has will be taken away from him and therefore

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I speak to them in parables because seeing they do not see here and they do not hear nor do they understand so the one who who is like hardened soil doesn't understand the word proclaimed to him

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Spurgeon wrote of these Satan is always on the watch to hinder the word then come at the wicked one even at the moment when the seed fell he's always afraid to leave the truth even in hard and dry contact with a mind and so he catches it away at once and it's forgotten or even disbelieve it's gone at any rate and we have not in our own here is mine a cornfield corn is old

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English word for wheat of course but a highway hard much frequented the man was not an opposer he received seed but he received the truth as it was without the soil of his nature being changed the seed remained as it was till the foul bird of hell took it off the place and there was an end of it and so far as the truth was sown in his heart it was in his natural unrenewed heart and therefore it took no living hold how many hearers we have to these we preach in vain for what they learn they unlearn and what they receive they reject almost as soon as it comes to them the seed sown on hard soil the path by way but then our

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Lord of course told about a second kind of soil in which the seed of the gospel of the kingdom is sown the seed sown in rocky soil

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Jesus told his disciples but he who received the seed on stony places this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy yet he has no root in himself but endures only for a while for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word immediately he stumbles in other words he stops believing now the word has affected this person he advanced farther than the first but he too failed to bring forth fruit and yet he immediately received the word with joy everyone was hopeful for this person he became a believer in fact

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Luke's account says so specifically and the ones on the rock are those when they hear the word received with joy but these have no root they believe for a while and in time of testing they fall away they had faith but it wasn't saving faith

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J .C. Ryle wrote we may listen to a sermon with pleasure while the impression produced on us is only temporary and short -lived our hearts like the stony ground may yield a plentiful crop of warm feelings and good resolutions but all this time there may be no deeply rooted work in our souls and the first cold blast of opposition or temptation may cause our seeming religion to wither away alas there are many such hearers the mere love of sermons is no sign of grace thousands of baptized people he's talking from the

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Church of England thousands of baptized people are like the Jews of Ezekiel's day thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument for they hear they for they they hear thy words but they do them not

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Ezekiel 33 and so here in this story stony ground here we see a very joyous enthusiastic believer and I put believer in quotation marks he seemed to grow more rapidly than all around him but the problem is he only believed for a while sadly he's only a nominal believer he has a kind of faith but it's not saving faith the effects of the word were only temporary and there is no salvation promise to the temporary believer this is an example of an apostate he seems so enthusiastic and so responsive

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I'm not talking about a Christian who backslides I'm talking about a person who completely rejects Christ he formerly claimed to be a

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Christian and now no more I want to believe that I reject that he seemed to be set on fire for the cause of Christ he had aspects about his faith that we would press desire for ourselves why surely a true work of salvation has been done in this man's heart but not so fast a time of testing and trial comes perhaps in the form of temptation to said or maybe false teachers deceive him maybe it was pressure from friends family or persecution from others about him or perhaps the testing was in the form of very difficult circumstances encountered in life perhaps he hears some hard teaching in the holy scriptures and refuses to accept it

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I had a woman tell me once in church she was an older lady been in church all her life and I thought the doctrines of grace if your

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God is like that I will not believe on him walked away scared me this is the emphasis that Matthew gives in his account when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word immediately he stumbles in other words he stops believing many of Jesus's followers left him due to the fact they didn't like what he was teaching them in John 6 opening of John 6 the 5 ,000 he fed the day before wanted to make him king at the end of John 6 after he got done teaching them the

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Word of God only his disciples were standing there and they were tempted to leave the point is this the stony ground here endures only for a while but his trials lead him to give up he abandons his faith in Christ repudiates the

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Word of God as binding on his life he ceases to do the Word of God that he's heard salvation only belongs to those who continue to hear and continue to order their life according to the

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Word of God they bring forth fruit it's not that this person lost his salvation he never had salvation and his testing only revealed what was not there from the beginning there was no true substance in his profession of faith he had some understanding he would have told you he was a believer his emotions had been stirred he was enthusiastic but in reality it was but superficial from the beginning and the time of testing only revealed what it what was already there or rather not there two points may be concluded considering this kind of here first do not be so quick to lead people to make a decision for Christ and if they do do not be too quick to label professors of Christ as numbered among the people of God we've emphasized this in this series and we've quoted

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I think these words aspersion already do not therefore consider that soul winning is or can be secured by the multitude of baptisms the swelling of the size of your church what means these dispatches from the battlefield he's talking about evangelistic

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Crusades last night 14 souls were under conviction 15 were justified 8 received full sanctification

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I'm weary of this public bragging this counting of unhatched chickens this exhibition of doubtful spoils lay aside such numberings of the people such idle pretense of certified in a half a minute that which will need the testing of a lifetime hope for the best but in your highest excitements be reasonable and so yes be encouraged you know as we watch over their souls be in prayer for them encourage them in the faith continue to sow the good seed of the

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Word of God secondly you might we might answer the question how do you know that you're not one of these kinds of heroes and the answer is

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I would say you don't unless and until your faith is tested and that testing is probably coming on upon us

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I think we all acknowledge that the way the world is going our society culture is going the testings coming upon us you hear reports every day about it upon Christians throughout the world

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Peter wrote of the need of testing it's essential it's necessary every

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Christian will experience it this is how you're able to prove that you have saving faith Peter wrote bless me the

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God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ according to his great mercy he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable undefiled unfading kept in heaven for you so God has got it safe there for you you can't lose it who by God's power are being guarded to faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in this land in the last time

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God is guarding you your faith cannot be extinguished you've been born again for six in this you rejoice though now for a little while though for now a little while and if necessary and in the

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Greek it is necessary if necessary you've been grieved by various trials and then what's the reason for these trials

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Lord why are you put me through this verse 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith more precious than gold that perishes though it's tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ that's why you're going through the trials you are or the trials that are coming our way this is how we are confirmed that we're not just shallow superficial here but they we have genuine faith because you can't beat a

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Christian off of Christ in any way at all the power of God undergirds that person's faith we're saved by grace to faith he uses as an instrument and so though you have not seen him you love him though you do not see him now you believe in him you rejoice with joy and expressible filled with glory obtaining the outcome of your faith that is the end of your life of faith the salvation of your souls and so when you experience a severe trial of your faith and it'll let come at you of course in ways that you don't anticipate

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I didn't see that one coming and a way where you're most vulnerable it hits you at a soft spot and and you're overwhelmed but what are you going to do the disciples at the end of John 6

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Jesus is now your chance you can go away too you want to go away Peter where are we going to go

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Lord you know you've got the words of eternal life you know we don't understand what you're saying to us eating your flesh and drinking your blood but but we're sticking with you because there are no other basis the reason of hope and so it is with the

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Christian under extreme trials you're hit with things that you had you were clueless it was coming your way but by the time the smoke clears and the dust settles there you are standing professing faith in Christ and it was the power of God that sustained you anyone that had a faith that wasn't sustained by the power of God well that's it for me like pliable in the slew of despond that's it for me you can you can have the celestial city for your own if we've got this much trouble just starting now just think how bad it's going to be down I'm going back to the city of destruction that was this guy here the stony ground here and so when you experience a severe trial of your faith but you come through on the other side believing and following the

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Lord you will show yourself not to have been a stony ground here the Lord will send trials to his people through which they will only be able to withstand and remain in faith because the power of his grace sustains them but then our

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Lord gave a third kind of hearer of the gospel top page nine of your notes the seed sown among thorns and this perhaps is the most dangerous

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I think condition a person can find themselves in explained to his disciples what he had intended by speaking of a third type of soil under the under which the seed is cast as for what was sown among thorns this is the one who hears the word but cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches choke the word in it proves unfruitful here again the person responded to the word he too became a believer in quotation marks but he is the one before had faith but it was not saving faith for it failed to bring forth fruit this here a response to the word a real change occurs in his life and perhaps this continues for a while what's the problem with this here doing the will of God obeying the

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Word of God is not the most important concern for this person in life he's a hearer but he's not a doer of the word this is an example of a hypocrite this person can continue to be a professing

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Christian throughout his entire life there's no salvation promised for the hypocrite he's a hearer not a doer he's deceiving himself that he has salvation and the hypocrite will find himself consigned to the same place as the unbeliever on judgment day that's what

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Jesus taught in Luke 12 46 the hypocrite you're going to be appointed the same fate as the unbeliever this is scary the nominal

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Christian is really a hypocrite they don't have saving faith so here's a man who hears the word he knows the truth he sits under the truth but the truth does not impact his life because he has this sin that prevents the word from possessing his soul he is not a godly man for he's a covetous man the covetous will not inherit the kingdom of God he wants to possess riches but really riches have possessed him and so it is that there are many who claim to be

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Christian attend churches week after week but whose lives bear little evidence of the life of Christ because of this sin because they long to be rich they were tempted by the world and as a result they were caught in the snare the noose tightened around them and the spiritual life was choked out of them it was not riches that did this but the deceitfulness of riches and the love of riches which choked him so that the word did not govern his affections or direct his actions as Matthew Henry wrote no worldly cares are great hindrances to our profiting by the

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Word of God and our proficiency in religion they eat up that vigorous soul which should be spent in divine things divert us from duty distract us in duty and do us most mischief of all afterwards quenching the sparks of good affections or emotions bursting the chords of good resolutions our commitments those who are careful and covered about many things commonly neglect the one thing needful that's an allusion to Martha and Mary by the way

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Martha was encumbered with much serving Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus desired the one thing needful but maybe this one was not so much consumed with acquiring riches but rather the cares of the world consumed him it did not so at first there was a time when the profession of faith seemed to be genuine there was regular attendance on hearing the word gathering with the

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Lord's people but over time spiritual interest waned diminished as a desire and delights offered by the world further possessed the soul children growing up in church we see this happen sadly so that the carriers of this world choked out the

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Word of God so the word no longer govern the thoughts and affections of this professing Christian but rather the world and all its glory was achieved for sweet pursuit and delight of the soul and gradually his life became so accustomed with the affairs of this life the

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Word of God no longer governed his life other issues the weeds choked the word there was still a plant there but it wasn't very fruit it was choked by these things other things other issues become more important than the

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Word of God so again two issues are mentioned by Matthew cares of the world my health family my job

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God's claims on my heart will follow after these Jesus is not first and we live in a world that demands so much of our time and energy all of us time for Christ time with Christ and his people is constantly under restraint by the demands of life in this fallen world system the kind of workload that's demanded of so many people today their whole soul has to be given to it but the

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Lord must retain first priority in our hearts even the seemingly most important matters of life must be kept subordinate to him and matters of his kingdom did he not say who's whoever loves father mother more than me is not worthy of me whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me and if you love yourself more than you love

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Jesus you're in a bad way and then of course the deceitfulness of riches he's either accumulating wealth or longing after wealth you need not have any money to fall into this error some of the most covetous people

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I've known were relatively poor and some of the least covetous people I've met were people who had quite a bit of wealth it's not the possession of money but the unbridled desire and pursuit for riches that'll damn the soul it's the love of money not money that is a root sin that causes many to be defiled you cannot serve

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God and mammon or money you'll choose one over the other and then the pleasures of this life as set forth in Luke's gospel in effect this here it says my time my hobbies my activities my activities are my principal pursuits yes

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I will be a Christian because it fills out that area of life that's so important it'll help me to be all

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I can be and should buy but it's just a supplement he's not first just an add -on

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Paul wrote with sorrowful heart regarding Demas who was a faithful it would appear disciple of Christ he began his journey to follow

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Christ having loved but he loved this present world and so he departed he desired to gain it preserve it for himself and so Demas walked away from the faith and so these they follow

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Christ for a while but then they walk away from following Christ no perhaps they would not say forthrightly they've done so they would claim to believe be believers still but their lives indicated they love the world not

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Christ but each of us heed the warning that this man Demas is left for us

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Jesus said one day you know remember lots wife and we might say remember

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Demas life again Bunyan puts that in pilgrims progress doesn't he he has

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Christian C is Demas there at the end of one of those valleys he went through as a warning to him the fact is each of us has worldly concerns to which we must give our attention we have family work friends other relationships we have desires weaknesses plans and purposes and God has given all of these for us to enjoy of course through which and with which we may serve him but we must keep them subordinate to the

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Lord Jesus himself he must be loved above all else because many interests and so many possessions can squeeze out our love for Christ and our willingness to follow him anything can do it hobbies can become your primary interest and concern in life it drives your thoughts hobbies sports television books video games anything can squeeze out love for the

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Lord Jesus may the Lord help us always to keep a proper perspective of these matters and maintain their subordination to the things of Jesus Christ and we should pray that the

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Lord would restore us and keep us close to himself Spurgeon said of these professors of the faith this class of here as we know by personal acquaintance in this busy age that was the middle of the 19th century

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London they hear the word they are affected by the gospel they take it as seed into their minds it grows well for a season but the heart cannot belong to two absorbing objects at the same time and therefore these men cannot long yield themselves up to the world and Christ to care to get money covetousness trickery and sins which come from hasting to be rich or else pride luxury oppression other sins which will come from having obtained wealth prevent the man from being useful in religious matters or even sincere to himself and he becomes unfruitful he keeps his profession in other words he continues to claim to be a

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Christian he occupies his place he's in his pew every week but his religion does not grow in fact it shows sad signs of being choked and checked by worldliness the leaf of outward religiousness is there but there is no dew on it the ear of promised fruit is there but there are no kernels in it the weeds have outgrown the wheat and smothered it we cannot grow thorn and corn at the same time the attempt is fatal to a harvest for Jesus but thankfully the

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Lord then described this fourth kind of soil the seed and good soil for what was sown and good soil this is the one who hears the word understands it indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold in another 60 and another 30 this is the true disciple of Jesus Christ a true citizen of the kingdom of God he hears just like all the rest but in contrast to all the rest first this here understands the word that is he's not only understood it intellectually but he understood its importance and relevance its implications and secondly he retains the word persevering in his faith based upon the word he heard understood and came to believe those who fail or refuse to do so believed in vain

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Paul warned the Corinthians about this who believed moreover brethren

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I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you which also you received in which you stand by which also you are saved and gave this conditional phrase or clause if you hold fast that word which

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I preach to you unless you believed in vain you believe in vain if it doesn't impact your life you believe in vain if you only believe temporarily like the seed sown and sown of soil you believe in vain if the cares of riches and the cares of this world choke out the word so so that the

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King Jesus is no longer the predominant center of your faith and focus but rather the world is this here in contrast to them bears fruit this is the only for soil of the four that did so the seed accomplishes design bringing forth a life of fruit and this this one not only here's the word but the

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Word of God governs his existence it was not because this here is more intelligent more deserving than the others no rather this difference lies in the fact this here had been the object of a deep thorough work of God's grace his heart had been prepared to receive the word the hard fallow heart had been plowed thoroughly the rocks removed the weeds uprooted the ground was prepared by God to receive the good word of God we recognize the harvest varies of course different places in the field in one case a hundred another 60 some 30 fold all good ground is not alike some good ground brings forth much fruit some good ground brings forth less fruit but all good ground brings forth some fruit let's pray a

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Spurgeon Lord if I cannot reach a hundred fold let me at least prove to be good ground by bearing 30 fold amen and then we'll close with the words of J .C.

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Ryle in the last place let us learn from this parable that there is only one evidence of hearing the word rightly the evidence is to bear fruit the fruit here spoken of is the fruit of the

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Spirit repentance towards God faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ holiness of life and character prayerfulness humility charity or love spiritual mindedness these are the only satisfactory proofs at the seed of God's Word is doing its proper work in our souls and without such proofs our religion is vain however high our profession is no better than sounding brass and tinkling cymbal

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Christ has said I chose you ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit there is no part of the whole parable more important than this we must never be content with a barren orthodoxy in other words you believe all the right things and a cold maintenance of correct theological views we must be not be satisfied with clear knowledge warm feelings or a decent profession claim that we're

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Christian we must see to it that the gospel we profess to love produces positive fruit in our hearts and lives

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Lord have mercy on us and help us at the Holy Spirit work in us producing us true

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Christian character this is real Christianity these words of St. James should always ring in our ears be doers of the word not here is only deceiving your own selves let's pray father we thank you that you are sovereign in this work and that there is good ground that you prepared that will hear the word of the kingdom and they'll be converted help us our

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God to be faithful sowers help us to sow good seed our God in the world in which you've placed us and we pray that we would see an abundant harvest our

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God those bringing forth good fruit those who truly show themselves have been converted to Christ and may you help each of us our

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God who profess Christ as Lord and Savior that you would produce greater fruit in our lives help us to be

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Christ like in our thinking our attitudes and our actions forgive us of our sins our