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Good?

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Good morning.

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How's everyone?

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Good deal.

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Good deal.

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Is it about that time to begin our Bible class portion?

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Our prayers are with Aaron as he's over in the Philippines and we hope he has a good
successful trip over there and a good lectureship and has a safe trip back home.

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We'll be in the book of Luke today, Luke chapter 8, discussing the parable of the sower.

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So you will go ahead and turn to Luke chapter 8.

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Before we begin, we will have a word of prayer.

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Almighty God, most holy, most righteous heavenly Father, Lord, you are so far above us, so
far above our understanding, and yet, Lord, you love us so dearly.

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And Lord, we love you so much.

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We pray that we will always live our lives showing that love and showing our love for each
other.

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And we pray that in all things, we will seek to do your will and your will alone.

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And we pray that as we are striving to be more evangelistic that we will do so to your
glory and not to our own.

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And we pray that we will always be mindful of the reason why we evangelize.

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that other souls might be saved and come to that same knowledge of you that we have, that
same safety that we have in your family, that same love that we are able to enjoy.

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Lord, we pray that we will always live our lives remembering the home in heaven waiting
for us and remembering all that you have done for us, Lord.

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And it's your son's name we pray, amen.

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oh

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As we begin, Luke chapter 8 picks up where Jesus is talking.

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uh just healed the woman and resurrected the woman of Nain's son and the widow of Nain's
son in chapter 7.

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And he is in the region of Capernaum as we pick up.

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Starting in verse 1,

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And certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary Magdalene,
out of whom went seven devils, and Joanna the wife of Chuzzah, Herod's steward, and

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Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

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And when much people were gathered together and were come to him out of every city, he
spake by a parable." Now here we find that Jesus,

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is doing what he always does.

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In verse 1 it says that he was preaching and showing the glad tidings.

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Everywhere that we see Jesus, every place that he goes, he is always teaching.

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He is always showing the good news to others, always being an example to those around him.

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and this is no different.

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But what's interesting is that in the process of teaching, in the process of doing all
these miracles, people hear about him.

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You know, his fame is spread abroad and as such, when they hear that Jesus is in town,
when they hear that Jesus is nearby, everyone's like, okay, pack your bags, we're going to

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go hear him.

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Or we're going to go see, maybe see a spectacle.

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Because we know that some people that, well, many people sadly that went to go see Jesus,
went to go listen to him, were really just hoping for a miracle.

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They were hoping to see some fantastical event, but not really appreciating who he truly
is, who he truly was at this time.

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But Jesus takes this opportunity to teach people.

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And it's interesting to notice how Jesus teaches.

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Yes, we often think about his parables, and that is a major way that Jesus teaches, but he
also, teaches in just direct statements and answering questions and asking questions.

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As Rob noted, that most of the questions that Jesus has asked, he returns with another
question, getting the listeners to think, getting those who are hearing his words to

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really get their minds engaged and realize what's going on.

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and understand what he's trying to get across to them.

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But here we have him speaking in a parable.

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And as far as I can, uh as far as I could find in Luke chapter five and verse 36, it
records the first parable of Christ.

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So at this point, he has been teaching give or take about four or five parables up to this
point that we have recorded.

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Now,

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What's interesting is that in Matthew, this is the first recorded parable.

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Matthew doesn't record any of the other parables that Jesus taught before this point.

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He starts with the parable of the sower.

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And as we consider this parable, we understand why Matthew saw that this was, or well,
really the Holy Spirit saw that this was an important one, that not only Matthew, but also

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Mark and Luke need to record.

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This parable, it carries very great weight to it.

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And notice that as we consider it together.

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Starting in verse five, a sower went out to sow his seed and as he sowed some fell by the
wayside and it was trodden down and the fowls of the air devoured it and some fell upon a

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rock and as soon as it was sprung up it withered away because it lacked moisture and some
fell among thorns and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.

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and other fell on good ground and sprang up and bare fruit and a hundredfold.

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And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." In
the first century, we didn't have the...

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technology that we have today when it comes to farming.

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We didn't have all these heavy duty equipment that gives us precision and speed with
planting seed.

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No, they would have to prepare the soil of course and then they would have to go out with
these satchels filled with the seed and just start casting it.

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Just throwing it everywhere they could hoping that enough seed landed where they would
have a bountiful crop.

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but you get this picture of an individual who is just throwing this seed out.

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He is not particularly placing it, but rather it's just going everywhere.

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Wherever the wind takes it, wherever gravity lets it fall, he's just throwing it.

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And as he's sowing, of course, you have the situation where he falls on different types of
soil.

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The first soil that falls on is the wayside soil.

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Now,

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When we think about wayside soil, what we could think about is some of those back road
dirt roads.

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That's probably the closest equivalent we have today.

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It's this idea of really packed down dirt that has seen many feet trot upon it, many
animals trot upon it.

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So it's really almost like concrete.

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It's really hard.

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It's not easy to penetrate.

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And then we also have the rocky soil, which

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It can be likened to gravel, our modern day gravel.

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So it has rocks here and there.

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It's mostly kind of rocky, but there are still places where the seed can get to the soil.

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And then we have the thorny soil, which that really, if you look at what this thorny soil
is, it is good soil.

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because it was able to produce a plant and it was able also to produce the thorns.

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But as we'll see when Jesus explains the parable and as we go through the explanation of
the parable, we'll notice that those thorns weren't a good thing.

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Of course we understand that from the standpoint of planting, of farming, that we don't
want weeds in our garden.

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We don't want things that are taking life away, the nutrients away from the plant that we
want to grow, from the crop that we want to grow.

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But then of course there's also this good soil, the soil that has oh no competition, it
has nothing hindering the growth, rather it is prepared soil, it's tilled, it's

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well-moistured, it has everything that the seed needs to take hold and to grow, and to
grow abundantly as we see.

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But notice that as he concludes the parable, he says, he that hath ears to hear, let him
hear.

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Whenever a lesson is presented, whenever one studies the scriptures, whose job is it to
understand what's going on?

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the person reading, the person listening.

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What Jesus is saying here is that if you want to listen, then you will hear.

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In other words, he's saying the responsibility is on you, the listener.

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The responsibility is on you who are hearing my message to understand and to apply it.

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We have to be the furthest away, right?

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Right, absolutely.

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We can't force people to take the seat.

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Just like with what Jesus is saying, He couldn't force people to process what was
happening to understand the parable.

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I mean, He could have as He is the Son of God and He had that power, but that would take
away free will.

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And so because of free will, because that blessing is not infringed upon, the
responsibility is there.

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You know, we think about with the U.S.

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Constitution.

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We have all these rights, we have all these liberties, but with that liberty comes
responsibility.

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Innately, freedom equals responsibility.

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The more freedom you have, the more responsibility you have to not only take care of
yourself, but also take care of the things that maybe others aren't taking care of, that

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need to be taken care of.

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And so when we look at this,

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Yes, there is immense freedom, there is an immense blessing that we have as humans where
we are free.

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We have free will, but with that blessing comes the responsibility to listen.

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Comes the responsibility to heed the words of Christ.

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in verse 9, and his disciples asked him, saying, what might this parable be?

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For starters, who is it that's asking this?

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Who is asking Jesus what's going on here?

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his followers.

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I now, is this just the apostles?

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Is it just the 12th?

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It's not.

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If you look with me at Mark chapter four and verse 10, the sister account, one of the
sister accounts to this.

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Mark 4 10 says, and when he was alone, they that were about him with the 12 asked him of
that parable.

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It wasn't just the apostles asking Jesus.

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We often think about these quiet conversations that Jesus had with his apostles and with
his disciples and we think about it just being his apostles.

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Just these 13 people.

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sitting around a campfire, if you will, and asking, what does that mean?

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Why was this said?

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Jesus, what's your point with this?

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But here we find that it's not just the 12.

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No, there were other disciples there, and what that shows is that there are more people
who are hungry.

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for what that meant, for what the parable meant.

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They didn't want to just take it at face value.

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They didn't want to say, okay, well, that's a good story about planting seed, but where's
the significance?

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No, they wanted to know.

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They had a hunger for the word.

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They had a hunger to understand, and that's why they asked this question to Jesus, because
they wanted to understand.

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They wanted to know what was going on.

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Keep in mind, the apostles did not have divine uh knowledge at this point.

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The Holy Spirit had not fallen upon them to grant them this uh ability to understand
certain things.

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They had to ask the question.

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They had to ask Jesus to understand what was going on.

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uh

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But what is the question that they ask?

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They ask what might this parable be?

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But I guess if you were to modernize it, what would that question be?

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What were they asking?

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What does it mean?

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They're asking what does it mean?

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But also, as we find in uh Matthew's account, uh they also were asking why?

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Why are you teaching in parables?

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Let's look at Matthew chapter 13.

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Matthew 13 and verse 10 starting.

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Actually, just verse 10 for right now.

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And the disciples came and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

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So the question wasn't just, Jesus, what does this parable mean?

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No, the question was, Jesus, why are you teaching in parables?

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Shouldn't you just outright tell them what's going on?

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in a way we can understand their confusion.

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We think about maybe a preacher or a friend who goes through this long illustration or
gives this story and you're saying, oh but what does this have to do with anything?

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Why are you talking with the story?

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But if you actually take a step back and you realize the point behind the story, the moral
of the story, if you will, you say, there's the point.

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That's why.

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And we look at with Jesus why he taught in parables.

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As Brother Goodwin said in our parables classes this past week, past two weeks, the point
of Jesus teaching in parables was to format truth.

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Now some people will say it was to conceal truth, but that's not really a good way of
looking at it.

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In the sense that Jesus is not withholding truth from people.

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but rather he is putting it in a package that we can understand.

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He's putting in a package that those who are the intended audience can understand.

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I mean, we look at who is here at this point.

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Well, your common people, your farmers, your local villagers, people who would understand
the point, would understand the story that Jesus is telling.

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eh And as we'll see,

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the point behind this story.

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Ultimately, the purpose of a parable is to teach the truth.

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It is to reveal truth to those who are willing to understand.

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Why the change?

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oh As humans, don't like change.

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When things get a little different, we're like, hold on a second, we've been doing it this
way for years, what's the deal?

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And so with these disciples who have been with Jesus for all this time, who had seen the
Sermon on the Mount, who had heard all these teachings of Jesus where he is forthright, he

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is saying, you guys say this, but I say unto you, and he's very direct, very clear, and
all of sudden he's teaching in parables.

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And so the reason behind the question, it makes sense.

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We understand from a human perspective why they would be asking this question or
technically these questions to Jesus.

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But notice what Jesus says in response.

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Verse 10, and he said, unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

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but to others in parables, that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not
understand.

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If you were to be asked what does it take to know truth, to know God's will, what are some
answers that you would give?

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Study.

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Diligence, if you will.

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Right?

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You know, putting forth the work into studying.

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Because it's not just going to go through osmosis.

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You can't lay the Bible under your pillow at night and it's just going to, you're going to
wake up the next morning, I know everything about the Bible.

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That's not how that works.

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You have to study.

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You have to put forth work and diligence.

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But what are some other things?

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putting your heart into it.

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That is a great, great concept there because it's not just about, okay, well, got to read
all this.

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Okay, let me start reading, you know, 961 pages right here.

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No, it's, this is the word of God.

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And when we put our heart into it and we have this desire, if you will, for the word of
God, then it's not a...

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I have to read the Bible, but it's I get to read from God's word.

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I get to understand.

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I get to hear from my Lord, my God, my Father.

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I get to read His love letter, if you will, His wisdom imparted to me.

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So yes, putting your heart into it, absolutely.

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Are any other ideas that y'all have about why

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well, what it takes rather to understand God's will.

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right on the money.

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Open and honest.

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You cannot look at the scriptures and properly understand it if you're saying, I already
know what it means, I'm just looking to confirm what I already believe.

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We can't do that.

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When we look at the Bible with prejudice, we are doomed to misread it.

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to misunderstand it.

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have to look at it with an open and honest heart that not only looks at the Scripture with
open and with honesty, but also looks at ourselves with honesty.

210
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Looking inward and as we're studying the Scriptures, comparing it to our lives and saying,
are they the same?

211
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Are they matching up?

212
00:20:48,193 --> 00:20:50,674
Is my life pleasing to God?

213
00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:54,257
only the scripture can tell you that.

214
00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:58,671
That's why we have the Word of God.

215
00:20:59,272 --> 00:21:01,954
To know what we need to do.

216
00:21:01,994 --> 00:21:08,519
To have that standard by which we can compare our lives to see if we are who we are to be.

217
00:21:08,699 --> 00:21:12,522
If we are who God wants us to be.

218
00:21:18,862 --> 00:21:27,047
Notice also that Jesus is not ah pulling this phrase out of his hat, if you will.

219
00:21:27,047 --> 00:21:35,832
When he says that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand, he's
quoting from scripture.

220
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Look with me at Isaiah chapter six.

221
00:21:43,418 --> 00:21:48,500
It's interesting to notice how many times Jesus quotes from Isaiah.

222
00:21:49,281 --> 00:21:57,665
Makes you almost wonder if that wasn't one of his favorite books, but it was definitely
one of the most, uh well, what's the word?

223
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Reference, yes sir, but the one of the most, it's referred to as the Messianic book.

224
00:22:05,090 --> 00:22:07,591
That's what I was trying to get, I lost the word there.

225
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Well, in chapter six, starting in verse nine,

226
00:22:14,606 --> 00:22:24,655
And he said, Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not, See ye indeed,
but perceive not.

227
00:22:24,796 --> 00:22:35,376
Make the heart of this people fat, And make their ears heavy, And shut their eyes, Lest
they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And

228
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convert and be healed.

229
00:22:37,968 --> 00:22:40,240
Then said I, Lord, how long?

230
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And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitants, and the houses without
man, and the land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have removed men far away, and there

231
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be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

232
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but yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return and shall be eaten as a teal tree and
as an oak, whose substance is in them when they cast their leaves.

233
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So the holy seed shall be the substance thereof." In Isaiah chapter six, Isaiah is brought
before the throne of God.

234
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This is a vision that he gets to receive, a glimpse into heaven.

235
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And as he is in heaven after already going through the cleansing process, if you will,
because he says, I'm a man of unclean lips.

236
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I don't belong here.

237
00:23:34,689 --> 00:23:43,391
And that angel takes the coal from off the altar and purges him, cleanses him, makes him
acceptable, if you will.

238
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And as he's standing there, he hears, who shall go for us?

239
00:23:50,374 --> 00:23:51,934
Who shall we send?

240
00:23:52,354 --> 00:23:53,955
Israel needs to be taught.

241
00:23:53,955 --> 00:23:56,617
Israel needs to be warned, but who's going to go?

242
00:23:57,538 --> 00:24:03,043
You have to stop and just love Isaiah's enthusiasm, his mindset.

243
00:24:03,043 --> 00:24:05,084
He's standing before God.

244
00:24:05,084 --> 00:24:10,488
He's standing among the angelic host and he raises his hand.

245
00:24:10,809 --> 00:24:14,174
He says, Lord, here I am.

246
00:24:14,312 --> 00:24:17,714
Send me unashamed.

247
00:24:18,128 --> 00:24:22,319
to own his God, unashamed to do his Lord's will.

248
00:24:25,510 --> 00:24:30,034
You know, I wonder if I were in the same situation as Isaiah if I would raise my hand.

249
00:24:30,034 --> 00:24:34,058
Or if I would look around and okay, Gabriel, you going to go?

250
00:24:34,499 --> 00:24:35,979
Michael, you going to go?

251
00:24:37,590 --> 00:24:38,576
But.

252
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Hey now.

253
00:24:47,174 --> 00:24:52,562
But when you think about it though, this desire that Isaiah had.

254
00:24:54,318 --> 00:24:59,521
no doubt he didn't fully appreciate the message he was about to have to give.

255
00:25:00,082 --> 00:25:06,986
Because the message that Christ, or that God rather gives, is not one of much hope.

256
00:25:08,952 --> 00:25:15,167
Israel at this point had been so wicked that God is saying there's judgment coming on you.

257
00:25:16,348 --> 00:25:19,230
The time to repent has passed.

258
00:25:19,311 --> 00:25:20,932
Judgment is coming.

259
00:25:22,053 --> 00:25:24,755
Your sins are being called into account.

260
00:25:25,676 --> 00:25:28,899
And as he says it, he gives the reason why.

261
00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:31,361
They shut their ears from the Lord.

262
00:25:31,361 --> 00:25:33,904
They closed their eyes from seeing his word.

263
00:25:33,904 --> 00:25:37,146
They didn't want to understand and so they didn't.

264
00:25:37,538 --> 00:25:39,950
And in essence, God is saying, you don't want to understand?

265
00:25:39,950 --> 00:25:40,700
Well, fine.

266
00:25:40,700 --> 00:25:42,421
You don't get to understand.

267
00:25:43,902 --> 00:25:45,694
That's what's going on here.

268
00:25:45,694 --> 00:25:48,445
That's what Isaiah, the message Isaiah was preaching.

269
00:25:49,766 --> 00:25:54,850
But there again, you have to stop and just appreciate God because he doesn't leave them
there.

270
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He says a tenth will remain.

271
00:25:56,431 --> 00:25:58,833
He says there is coming a remnant.

272
00:25:58,833 --> 00:26:00,414
There is coming a return.

273
00:26:00,414 --> 00:26:06,918
You're not all going to be destroyed, but there is judgment because you have rejected me.

274
00:26:07,664 --> 00:26:11,297
because you have not listened.

275
00:26:12,398 --> 00:26:21,145
And so as we look at what Jesus is saying here, he's teaching in parables because he knows
that there are people who won't understand.

276
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He knows that there are people like the scribes and Pharisees who are just looking for
ways to trap him, for ways to find fault with him and not listen to the word he's

277
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bringing.

278
00:26:35,518 --> 00:26:36,310
And so.

279
00:26:36,310 --> 00:26:50,501
as he encases this truth in the format of a parable, those who are hungry for the word,
those who want to understand, they're asking Jesus, what does this mean?

280
00:26:51,182 --> 00:26:55,666
Those who want to understand are taking the time to understand it.

281
00:26:56,327 --> 00:27:00,710
Do you think that the scribes and Pharisees would give this parable a second thought?

282
00:27:01,271 --> 00:27:01,851
No.

283
00:27:01,851 --> 00:27:05,476
They'd say, here goes this babbler talking about

284
00:27:05,476 --> 00:27:10,480
some sower or something, I don't know, crazy.

285
00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:13,393
That's the attitude that they had because they had shut their ears.

286
00:27:13,393 --> 00:27:18,736
They had closed their eyes to understanding the truth because they saw Jesus as a threat.

287
00:27:19,377 --> 00:27:30,446
They saw Jesus as nothing more than a threat to their power, than a threat to their seat,
their position, and even a threat to their nation.

288
00:27:32,390 --> 00:27:34,691
But really Jesus was the greatest gift.

289
00:27:34,732 --> 00:27:37,893
Jesus is the greatest giver.

290
00:27:39,214 --> 00:27:45,188
It's sad though to see how they reacted and how people react to him today.

291
00:27:48,838 --> 00:27:50,072
But let's continue.

292
00:27:52,804 --> 00:27:58,800
In verse 11, now the parable is this, the seed is the word of God.

293
00:28:00,323 --> 00:28:04,007
Plain and simple, cut and dry, no complications here.

294
00:28:04,007 --> 00:28:06,869
The seed is the word of God.

295
00:28:07,631 --> 00:28:10,734
Look with me at 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 23.

296
00:28:14,066 --> 00:28:16,846
1 Peter 1, 23.

297
00:28:23,570 --> 00:28:26,110
Back up to verse 22 starting.

298
00:28:27,330 --> 00:28:38,930
Seeing ye have purified your souls and obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfamed
love of the brethren, seeing that ye love one another, see rather, that ye love one

299
00:28:38,930 --> 00:28:53,110
another with a pure heart fervently, being born again not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever.

300
00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:57,052
As Christians, we are born again.

301
00:28:57,053 --> 00:29:06,682
We are raised to walk in a newness of life because of the gospel, because of the seed, the
Word of God that was planted in our hearts.

302
00:29:13,380 --> 00:29:17,308
in Mark's account, Mark chapter 4.

303
00:29:19,631 --> 00:29:20,678
In verse.

304
00:29:22,980 --> 00:29:37,503
in verse 13, it's interesting to note what he says here because while Luke has it
immediately going from, they're asking this question to Jesus providing the reason,

305
00:29:37,584 --> 00:29:46,786
providing the reason, the meaning behind this parable, in Mark chapter four in verse 13,
Jesus says, know ye not this parable?

306
00:29:46,866 --> 00:29:49,706
And how then will ye know all parables?

307
00:29:50,227 --> 00:29:52,027
In essence, he's asking them,

308
00:29:52,443 --> 00:29:54,023
Why don't you know?

309
00:29:54,983 --> 00:30:03,923
It's one of those situations where the answer is obvious, but sometimes we just need a
little help to get there.

310
00:30:04,483 --> 00:30:09,503
And so Jesus is saying to them, you know enough to know what I mean by this.

311
00:30:09,503 --> 00:30:18,383
You have the ability to know what I mean by this, but I'm going to explain it to you
anyway, because I know at this point, you need this.

312
00:30:18,383 --> 00:30:20,263
You need this explanation.

313
00:30:27,427 --> 00:30:30,588
In verse 12, he continues explaining the parable.

314
00:30:30,588 --> 00:30:53,779
uh

315
00:30:53,825 --> 00:31:06,867
And that which fell among thorns are they which, when they have heard, go forth and are
choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

316
00:31:07,709 --> 00:31:18,479
But that on the good ground are they which in honest and good heart, having heard the
word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience.

317
00:31:21,647 --> 00:31:25,093
Plain and simple, the seed is the Word of God.

318
00:31:25,415 --> 00:31:28,259
And so the Sower is casting the seed out.

319
00:31:29,903 --> 00:31:31,805
But notice that he's not picking.

320
00:31:32,186 --> 00:31:41,379
He is not saying, well, this ground looks good, so I'll plant there, but this ground over
here doesn't look good, so I'm just gonna skip over that.

321
00:31:43,149 --> 00:31:53,284
If you were here for the school of evangelism seminar, Rob mentioned that we can't be
prejudging whether or not the seed will work.

322
00:31:53,445 --> 00:31:57,447
We cannot be picking and choosing who gets to hear the gospel.

323
00:31:58,207 --> 00:32:01,889
The gospel is not ours to control like that.

324
00:32:02,510 --> 00:32:05,271
Our responsibility is to cast the seed.

325
00:32:05,271 --> 00:32:08,353
Our responsibility is to share the word of God.

326
00:32:08,693 --> 00:32:12,175
And sadly, it will fall on hard hearts.

327
00:32:12,385 --> 00:32:18,518
at times, but what we're looking for are those good hearts, those hearts that are honest
and good.

328
00:32:21,371 --> 00:32:28,451
But notice here that this first heart is so hardened that it doesn't even take the seed
in.

329
00:32:29,490 --> 00:32:35,291
This would be like one who today, you try to talk them about the gospel and say, I don't
care about God.

330
00:32:35,291 --> 00:32:37,431
I don't want any of that Bible stuff.

331
00:32:37,871 --> 00:32:42,091
You do you, I don't care, but don't bring it on me.

332
00:32:42,151 --> 00:32:43,971
I don't want it.

333
00:32:44,631 --> 00:32:48,431
That's the kind of heart that is expressed here.

334
00:32:48,631 --> 00:32:51,231
A heart that refuses

335
00:32:51,621 --> 00:32:54,134
to even listen to the Word of God.

336
00:32:55,865 --> 00:32:58,237
but don't miss something that's very powerful here.

337
00:32:58,579 --> 00:33:02,093
Don't miss the power of the word of God.

338
00:33:05,167 --> 00:33:06,757
What is Satan afraid of?

339
00:33:15,675 --> 00:33:19,435
Satan is deathly afraid of the word of God.

340
00:33:20,655 --> 00:33:22,175
Think about it.

341
00:33:22,175 --> 00:33:26,695
And when you realize how the word is described, it makes sense.

342
00:33:27,295 --> 00:33:38,255
In Ephesians chapter 6, starting at verse 10 and following, we are shown by Paul, by the
inspired apostle Paul, how to resist the devil.

343
00:33:39,423 --> 00:33:48,174
And resisting the wiles of the devil and resisting the darts, the temptations that he's
throwing at us, he says to take on the armor of God.

344
00:33:49,596 --> 00:33:53,340
And what just so happens to be the sword in that armor?

345
00:33:53,902 --> 00:33:55,343
The Word of God.

346
00:33:57,901 --> 00:34:15,583
in Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12, the word is referred to as a sword, a double-edged
sword that's alive, that's powerful, that's able to cut even to our very soul.

347
00:34:18,273 --> 00:34:22,505
Satan knows the power of God that is in the Word.

348
00:34:23,465 --> 00:34:28,547
So much so that he won't even let the Word be near a person.

349
00:34:28,787 --> 00:34:31,068
This person has flat out rejected the seed.

350
00:34:31,068 --> 00:34:35,410
This heart has flat out said, don't want it.

351
00:34:35,410 --> 00:34:38,771
But Satan's like, I don't even want that near him.

352
00:34:39,192 --> 00:34:42,813
Because if the Word is near, it just might take root.

353
00:34:42,813 --> 00:34:47,255
You know, we think about ice.

354
00:34:47,395 --> 00:34:59,650
We think about looking at in Alaska, the glaciers that are there, that's so strong, you're
not going to just tap that and the ice is going to fall over.

355
00:34:59,650 --> 00:35:01,781
No, it's strong.

356
00:35:02,341 --> 00:35:04,542
But you get enough heat on that ice.

357
00:35:05,122 --> 00:35:07,353
You get enough sunlight.

358
00:35:07,353 --> 00:35:09,794
You get warm enough temperatures.

359
00:35:09,794 --> 00:35:11,685
And what happens to that ice?

360
00:35:12,765 --> 00:35:13,846
It melts.

361
00:35:14,386 --> 00:35:17,177
Even that hard ice can melt.

362
00:35:17,316 --> 00:35:23,610
Even ice that sank the Titanic, even that ice can melt.

363
00:35:25,539 --> 00:35:30,827
And so a heart that is this hard, just because it's hard right now doesn't mean it always
will be.

364
00:36:35,875 --> 00:36:40,257
Satan, he is a devious foe.

365
00:36:40,718 --> 00:36:42,058
He's very...

366
00:36:43,439 --> 00:36:45,840
Well, the Bible describes him as a roaring lion.

367
00:36:46,141 --> 00:36:54,765
And when you think about a lion stalking its prey, it almost makes no sound until it's
ready to make a sound.

368
00:36:56,167 --> 00:36:58,107
Satan knows what he's doing.

369
00:36:59,448 --> 00:37:04,251
But we also have the means to defend ourselves.

370
00:37:04,501 --> 00:37:07,437
We have the means to defeat Satan.

371
00:37:08,582 --> 00:37:12,411
And it's amazing to see someone

372
00:37:14,329 --> 00:37:24,103
who Satan is working so hard to stop him, like our dear brother, and yet he works through
it.

373
00:37:24,103 --> 00:37:27,065
He is determined, he's going to do what's right.

374
00:37:27,065 --> 00:37:32,199
it's amazing, it's encouraging to see that, but that shows you the power of the gospel.

375
00:37:32,199 --> 00:37:38,669
It shows the power of God's word, and it shows to us the power's not in us.

376
00:37:39,930 --> 00:37:41,951
The sower didn't break up.

377
00:37:42,529 --> 00:37:45,477
He didn't find the right ground rather.

378
00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:47,926
No, he just cast out the seed.

379
00:37:50,297 --> 00:37:52,237
The power is in the word.

380
00:37:54,073 --> 00:37:57,865
There are times when we think of ourselves as not being adequate.

381
00:37:58,245 --> 00:37:59,966
Maybe I don't know enough.

382
00:37:59,966 --> 00:38:02,847
Maybe I can't speak well enough.

383
00:38:04,708 --> 00:38:06,369
But it's not about you.

384
00:38:07,390 --> 00:38:08,550
It's about God's Word.

385
00:38:08,550 --> 00:38:13,612
It's about sharing God's Word because that's where the power lies.

386
00:38:14,573 --> 00:38:18,175
And when we look at Satan, we look at his devices.

387
00:38:24,345 --> 00:38:26,285
Sadly, he is very effective.

388
00:38:28,619 --> 00:38:40,465
as we see here where the birds are coming and take away the seed prevent even the
afterthought of, well, maybe this is right.

389
00:38:41,226 --> 00:38:47,739
Satan hates the thought of a lost soul saying, you know, maybe there is something to this
God stuff.

390
00:38:47,739 --> 00:38:51,531
You know, maybe there is something to this Bible.

391
00:38:53,999 --> 00:38:55,511
Maybe I am a sinner.

392
00:38:57,283 --> 00:38:59,309
and maybe Jesus does have the key.

393
00:39:12,219 --> 00:39:13,819
Absolutely.

394
00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:15,442
Absolutely.

395
00:39:15,442 --> 00:39:22,528
And therein too, with the context of that, where Paul is saying, don't be following after
these men because they're not anything.

396
00:39:22,809 --> 00:39:26,573
It's not about, well, I'm Paul or I'm Peter.

397
00:39:26,573 --> 00:39:28,274
No, that's not important.

398
00:39:29,515 --> 00:39:32,718
We're all working together to grow Christian.

399
00:39:32,839 --> 00:39:37,983
We're all working together to serve our God, our King, our Lord.

400
00:39:39,789 --> 00:39:52,738
And so when we think about Satan, as powerful as he is, as good as he is at his job, he
cannot compare to an army of God's people fighting together.

401
00:39:54,607 --> 00:39:57,816
to serve God and to save souls.

402
00:39:58,561 --> 00:40:01,750
He has no power that can touch God's.

403
00:40:04,845 --> 00:40:06,099
Very quickly.

404
00:40:07,150 --> 00:40:09,038
Continuing on, we notice.

405
00:40:10,893 --> 00:40:24,511
that these are on the rocky soil, they hear, but while it takes root for a time, while the
word takes root for a time, they do not remain in the truth.

406
00:40:25,091 --> 00:40:33,676
When the going gets tough, instead of them getting tougher and them staying with God, they
fall away.

407
00:40:33,857 --> 00:40:36,298
They're washed away because they have no root.

408
00:40:36,458 --> 00:40:38,329
We think about those who are

409
00:40:38,739 --> 00:40:42,201
baptize those who become Christians on a spiritual high.

410
00:40:42,421 --> 00:40:52,307
Maybe those such as at a youth camp where there's this atmosphere of serving God, there's
this great and strong atmosphere that...

411
00:40:54,321 --> 00:40:56,140
is unlike any other time.

412
00:40:58,043 --> 00:41:09,043
But when the times get tough, when Satan comes on strong, when you feel all alone, and you
say, well, that was a good run, but I'm done.

413
00:41:09,583 --> 00:41:11,383
That's the heart that's here.

414
00:41:11,383 --> 00:41:13,983
This heart that did not take root.

415
00:41:14,363 --> 00:41:20,435
This heart that did not put God first enough to say, I'm going to be faithful to God no
matter what.

416
00:41:23,449 --> 00:41:34,445
Sadly, it's a heart that many Christians have, that many in the church today have that,
well, while the times are good, while things are fine, yeah, I'll be a Christian, but the

417
00:41:34,445 --> 00:41:36,606
second things get a little dicey.

418
00:41:37,287 --> 00:41:37,757
I'm good.

419
00:41:37,757 --> 00:41:43,170
That's not the attitude we're to have, and that's not the attitude that will produce
fruit.

420
00:41:43,470 --> 00:41:52,887
But notice also verse 14, talking about the thorns of the plants, or of, well,

421
00:41:52,887 --> 00:41:53,867
Back it up.

422
00:41:53,868 --> 00:41:58,572
Of the seeds that took root, this one's unique.

423
00:41:59,054 --> 00:42:06,902
We look at the stony soil, but what's the difference between the plant planted in the
stony soil and the plant with the thorny soil?

424
00:42:06,902 --> 00:42:08,533
What was the difference in the out?

425
00:42:13,093 --> 00:42:16,687
Well, they both grew, but one died.

426
00:42:17,068 --> 00:42:19,671
The stony was scorched to death.

427
00:42:19,671 --> 00:42:21,993
The thorny, it doesn't say that it died.

428
00:42:23,456 --> 00:42:26,799
Rather, it says that it did not produce fruit.

429
00:42:29,060 --> 00:42:30,337
as Christians.

430
00:42:32,003 --> 00:42:42,554
We can be just as in danger as someone who abandons God if we do nothing to bear fruit, to
save souls.

431
00:42:43,456 --> 00:42:46,359
Brothers and sisters, evangelism isn't just a good thing.

432
00:42:46,359 --> 00:42:49,653
It's not just something, well, we'll do it from time to time.

433
00:42:49,653 --> 00:42:52,505
No, it is a requirement.

434
00:42:52,646 --> 00:42:53,867
It is a must.

435
00:43:02,254 --> 00:43:03,254
Absolutely.

436
00:43:06,147 --> 00:43:06,868
Right.

437
00:43:06,868 --> 00:43:11,251
And that's the thing we got to remember is that we don't have to do everything.

438
00:43:11,251 --> 00:43:17,435
We only are required to do what we can do, but that thing that we can do, we better be
doing.

439
00:43:17,607 --> 00:43:19,456
And that's what God tells us.

440
00:43:19,456 --> 00:43:23,179
That's what we are seeing here with this thorny soil.

441
00:43:23,179 --> 00:43:28,833
This soil that was choked out by the world that said, I'm going to keep my Christianity on
the down low.

442
00:43:28,833 --> 00:43:32,405
I'm not going to try to share the gospel with others.

443
00:43:32,706 --> 00:43:34,907
The plant doesn't die.

444
00:43:35,545 --> 00:43:37,407
but it is not pleasing in God's sight.

445
00:43:37,407 --> 00:43:49,846
And if we look at John chapter 15, where Jesus compares the Christians to being vines and
branches on the vine, what happens to those vines that are unfruitful?

446
00:43:50,067 --> 00:43:56,872
And verse two, the father comes through and cuts off those that are unfruitful.

447
00:43:58,094 --> 00:44:04,923
We can lose our souls sitting in a pew, being at every single service, if we are not doing
our part.

448
00:44:04,923 --> 00:44:06,284
to evangelize.

449
00:44:08,397 --> 00:44:10,640
I believe that is all the time we have for today.

450
00:44:10,640 --> 00:44:12,032
Thank you for your kind attention.