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Excited But Not Saved | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series) · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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I in my savior. I'm happy and blessed.
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Are you blessed? Are you happy in?
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Jesus, I hope you are. And if you don't know Jesus
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today, I hope that you will come to know him and we will discover
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how we can know him as we come to the gospel of Mark in chapter
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4, Because we are continuing our series within a series.
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By carefully surveying the parable of the sower.
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And so let's read again from verse 1.
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And Mark for which reads again, he began to teach beside the sea
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and a very large crowd gathered about him so that he got into a
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boat and sat in it on the sea. And the whole crowd was beside
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the Sea on the land and he was teaching them, many things in
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Parables and in his teaching he said to them.
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Listen behold A sower went out to sow and as he sowed some Fell
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along the path and the birds came and devoured.
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It verse five. Other seed fell on Rocky ground
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where it did not have much soil and immediately it sprang up
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since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was
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scorched. And since it had no root it
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withered away. Other seed fell among thorns and
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the Thorns grew up and choked it and it yielded no grain and
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other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain growing up in
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increasing and yielding 30 fold and 60 fold and a hundredfold.
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And he said, he who has ears to hear, Let Him hear.
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Lord, give us those ears and we ask that as we come to the
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second soil that you have taught your people then and taught
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throughout the centuries and are intended to teach us today.
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Lord, we want to know where we are and we pray that you would
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help us by the spirit in Jesus name.
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Amen. In this Parable, the Lord, Jesus
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highlights four types of soil, that represent different heart
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conditions that respond differently to the gospel and to
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the word of God as a whole. And it's important to remember
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that the teaching that Jesus gives us here is not designed to
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describe the unchangeable condition of men's Hearts, as
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though it was sealed. In that way.
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But it aims to provoke the listeners to honestly examine
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themselves and the state of their own souls to say, which
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one am I? Where do I fit?
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In other words Jesus description of these categories is a
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challenge for us to identify which class we fit in and then
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with the Redemptive hope of making the appropriate
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repentance to be where we are. Where God wants us to be rather.
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So that we can bear fruit for his glory Spurgeon.
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Insightfully said that this Parable defines four classes of
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here's that are found in every congregation and I amen.
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That and I say Beyond these four walls, this also describes the
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types of listeners that are Waiting to receive the seed and
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we've been commissioned to plant this seed outside of these walls
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as well. And so you and I last week,
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heard about the first type of soil, which is really
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characterized by immediate rejection and disinterest and
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divine revelation like the paved paths and Jesus day that found
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themselves around Fields And even through the fields that
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have been compounded by foot traffic.
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There are some people who have hardened Hearts towards the
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truth and have zero receptivity to what God has to say to them
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the see tries to find a home. It tries to find a place to
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abide and instead it collides with a stiff ground, it bounces
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off only for Satan to take it away.
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Who is always ready to remove any potential influence of the
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truth? Seeping into your thoughts and
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your affections He is vicious. And the wicked one is most
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effective with those who have been callous by in irreverence
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and by a carelessness, towards spiritual realities.
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It's amazing when Jesus talks about the first type of soil, he
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says, in a different gospel account that men trampled,
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underfoot the seed, and Men Who Trampled Under Foot, which is
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really symbolic of being irreverent towards the word of
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God, attract, Satan's cruelty. And yet, Isaiah tells us that
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those who not trample, underfoot the seed, but who tremble at the
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word of God. Attract the mercy of God.
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The second type of soil is our Focus today.
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And as we will discover quickly, it is much different than the
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first for many reasons. This group is often referred to
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as the rocky soil in such individuals have a complex
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relationship with the truth and it might be you today.
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So here and listen. Their extreme emotional
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responses, both positively, and negatively can leave.
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Even genuine Believers perplexed of whether or not these people
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actually possess saving Faith or not.
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But Jesus is clear concerning the rocky soil.
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They share the same fate as those who have the roadside
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soil. In other words both are
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unbelievers. Both will not have eternal life,
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both are not saved and You and I by the grace of God will come to
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that conclusion. As we look at three things
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pertaining to this type of soil and the first one is how the
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rocky soil receives the seed. And from there we will look at
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how the rocky soil relates to the seed.
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And finally, we will discover why the rocky soil.
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He rejects the seed so how it is received how it is related and
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finally why it is ultimately rejected.
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And so let's come together to verse 5 of Mark, chapter 4 to
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look at the receiving of the seed from this type of heart and
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verse 5, we read other seed fell on Rocky ground where it did not
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have much soil and immediately Mark loves that word and
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immediately it sprang up since it had no depth of soil.
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Unlike the first kind of soil which was unresponsive the rocky
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ground promises a measure of openness.
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According To Jesus, his own interpretation, the presentation
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of the Gospel is met with warm exuberance.
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Such recipients do not put up a fight.
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They don't, they don't have any resistance against what is being
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said by the preacher, by the friend who is sitting them down
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to give them saving knowledge instead.
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They are quick to absorb it there, quick to act upon it.
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Whatever it Providence has brought their way, they're
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willing to nod their head. Yes, and embrace it.
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But the enthusiasm of the rocky heart is not after deep
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contemplation, of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus
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Christ. It's just a quick reaction.
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To the good news, it's good news.
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And they can recognize that it's good news and it's so good.
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They don't even hesitate to apply it to their lives.
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Scroll down with me to mark for 16.
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And these are the ones. Now, this is Jesus Exposition
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his expounding of the rocky soil.
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And these are the ones sown on Rocky ground, the ones who when
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they hear the word immediately receive it with joy.
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So both in the parable and in the explanation, the Lord
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emphasizes. How there are those who
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demonstrate a sudden, an exhilarating profession of faith
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and from the outside to both the sower and on Lookers, this, this
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kind of rapid growth would even be Dean Supernatural.
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There's an instant springing up there is this rapid acceleration
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and it can give that kind of impression just like somebody's
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immediate response to the Urgent call to being saved by Christ.
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But what would seem to be a supernatural work?
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Is in fact, the the fruit of a shallow heart Since this type of
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soil lacks the depth necessary to consider all of the
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implications of what it means to say, yes to Jesus.
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There's concern and here is where I want to say something
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extremely important that none of us can afford to forget and it
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is, this excitement is not the distinctive Mark that someone
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has been born again. That is not to say that emotions
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that are coupled with a genuine confession.
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Is always suspect of superficiality.
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But it does mean that emotionalism alone is no
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qualifier of genuine conversion. A flood of Tears or a wide
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glistening smile is no sure sign that somebody has been saved by
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Jesus. Hebrews 65 and you don't have to
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turn there. Warns us, that it is possible
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for a person to taste the goodness of the word of God and
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to Fall Away into Oblivion. To never repent again.
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You know, what's so interesting. When you look at this, this is
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really the only Parable that emphasizes emotion.
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And when you come down to verse 20 of Mark, for where Jesus
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describes the fertile soil, the good soil, the soil, that
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actually produces fruit. There's something missing look
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at verse 20 of Mark for quickly, but those that were sewn, on the
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good soil, are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear
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fruit. 30 fold and 60 fold and a hundredfold.
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Did you catch it? It, he who hears the word and
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accepts it. There's no mention of
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extravagant emotion here. There's no mention of
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overwhelming reaction. All we see here is an Earnest
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acceptance of the truth. After an honest and clear
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assessment of what they are signing up for And if emotions
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are aroused along with a genuine, exception and a sober,
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Judgment of what it means to be saved.
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Then praise God, let the tears flow, and let the laughter of
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Liberation ReSound into the heavens.
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But to look at somebody who has simply been stirred by strong
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emotion and deemed them as redeemed is dangerous, for many
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reasons, and more importantly, for that person whose foundation
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in the faith is ready to betray them.
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Eventually, There's something worth mentioning here.
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Also before we move on and it is this, although no sower can ever
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control the outcome of what happens to the CDC.
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The Sowers job is just to broadcast it and to scatter it
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and wherever it falls. It is not his duty to analyze
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where the seed will go. That's God's job.
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There is no control on the part of the deliver of the truth.
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Nonetheless, there is a responsibility that the so er,
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has particularly with this kind of heart posture.
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And it is to be careful not to do things for the sake of quick
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results. Our Evangelistic efforts as a
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church as individual. Believers must be protected from
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sharing in the guilt of those who will accept the gospel in
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the shallow way. How is that possible?
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How can I, as a sower, share the guilt of the person who receives
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the gospel in a shallow away. Very easy.
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Give it in a shallow way. Give the gospel in a shallow way
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and you share in the guilt. This soil is uniquely
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characterized by emotionalism. Then if that is the case, you
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and I have to resist the temptation of manipulating our
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presentation, for the sake of people, making a decision for
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the moment and not for a lifetime.
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And there are many ways this can be, but I think one of the most
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criminal schemes of bringing this about is by tampering with
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the substance of the seed. So that it can be more easily
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accepted. And you and I are going to learn
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in a moment. The reason why this c will be
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rejected is because of future tribulation and trials.
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So here's how the sneaky strategy goes.
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If it is going to be trials and persecution and difficulty,
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that's going to cause people to be turned off by the gospel.
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Then what do we do to make people accept it with with
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immediacy? Well, don't mention that stuff.
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Don't mention it. Don't tell people.
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They're going to suffer for Christ.
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Don't tell people. It's going to come at a cost.
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Don't tell people that they are accepting a new kind of Burden
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though. It is light is a burden, still
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don't talk about how bearing, the name of Jesus will come with
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different price. Unfortunately, this is exactly
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what many Ministries are doing. They are cancelling out, certain
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ingredients of the Gospel so that it can be more widely
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accepted to the detriment of those who accept it.
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And this is extremely dangerous. And what's the goal for it?
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Because we want to see things happen.
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Now, right now, We want to boast in the numbers of our
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attendance. We want to boast in our building
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project so that we can host. The crowds of people who come we
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want to. We want to tell people in our
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newsletters and and then and compare ourselves to other
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Ministries and look how many baptisms.
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We had over one weekend and look how many people confess Christ
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at our event and it's all manufactured Revival.
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It's man-made. What they are really doing, is
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setting up people for failure because when persecutions do
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come and they will, they won't have the root system to keep
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them grounded, and they will wither away.
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In Philippians 1:29, Paul says for it has been granted to you
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that for the sake of Christ, you should not only believe in him
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but also suffer for his sake and Paul's mind believing in Jesus
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Christ is a very close neighbor to suffering.
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They're Inseparable. It's part of the package.
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If you are going to follow Christ and enjoy the Assurance
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of your salvation, then you also must endure suffering for Christ
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as you await your Redemption. And suffering is not something
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that we share as a scare tactic or as a reverse psychology.
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Now it is a badge of honor. It is a privilege to suffer for
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Christ because he's infinitely, worthy to not just be believed
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on but too. suffer for So if you're going to believe in
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Paul's mind, in that same sentence, you want to believe,
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well, you're going to suffer, your flesh is going to suffer.
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Different parts of your social life will suffer.
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And in the world's eyes, you will look like a fool for
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following Jesus and 2022. But he is worthy.
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So if you and I want to minimize the production of shallow
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salvations in our midst, then all we have to do is have a firm
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conviction that we will teach and preach the whole counsel of
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God. And leave the results to God
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Alone. Just leave it to The Sovereign
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working of the Holy Spirit. And if anybody would say yes to
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the gospel and then Fall Away. Then, at least we will have a
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clear conscious to know that we offer the whole counsel of God.
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Which brings me to this important aspect.
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Jesus is not teaching her. That some will have a shallow
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salvation experience because of the solar was shallow and his
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delivery. The solar receives, no blame in
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all of this Parable. He is a faithful Steward who
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gives the true seed and as you heard last week, let me
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emphasize it again. The issue here is not with the
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seed, it's with the soil. And so, what that means is, even
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if you and I preach the whole counsel of God and preach the
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pure gospel. You're still going to have
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people like this. You're still going to have
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shallow soil, to deal with. Which now brings me to the
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second Point. Not just the reception of the
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seed, but The relationship with the seed.
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What's remarkable about this group?
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Of Heroes is not just a joy that they show at the beginning?
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It's how they continue to enjoy it.
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It's possible that while I've been preaching in the past few
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minutes here that people certain individuals have come to mind
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that really fit this description.
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Maybe even people that you have brought to a service or you have
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brought to an event that, you know, and knew that was going to
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preach the gospel. And you were praying that
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something would happen to that, lost loved one and to your
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astonishment, when the call went out, here is your friend, here's
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your sibling, here's her your cousin, your father, your
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mother, here they are. And with delight.
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And Eagerness they say yes? Only to never show up to church
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again. Only to not show an iota of
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interest in growing in their faith.
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In fact, they went they went back to the very same thing.
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They were in before that evening service. and as much as that as
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a regular occurrence which is unfortunate heartbreaking, this
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is not the type of person that Jesus is primary describing in
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this Parable, and I'll prove that to you, you have to come to
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Matthews version and Matthew 13:20 to see it in Matthew 13,
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verse 20 and 21, Jesus tells us how this kind of soil relates to
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the seed. And Matthew 13:20 Matthews
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before mark. Ask for what was sown on Rocky
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ground. This is the one who hears the
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word and immediately receives it with joy.
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Very similar to Mark verse 21 yet.
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He has no root in himself but indoors for a while that's scary
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stuff that's scary stuff but indoors for a while and when
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tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word
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immediately, he falls away. Luke's version would say that
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they believe for a while. Matthew says they endure for a
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while and indoor is important because it implies something
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more than just verbal adherence. There is a level of steadfast
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commitment. That's on display with this kind
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of soil. There is a practical follow-up
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after the initial impassion 'it confession, And such people
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might get baptized. They will gladly sit under sound
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teaching, they will regularly partake of the Lord's table and
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here's here's what's even more scary.
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They can even commit to a local church and serve in different
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ways. Such people can be found leading
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teaching cleaning. Serving organizing preparing.
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And they can function in this way, for weeks, months, and even
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years, before their faulty salvation is exposed.
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What this means is that this type of unbeliever is not easily
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identifiable like the soil on the Wayside.
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Do you know how that's possible? Look back at verse 21 of Matthew
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13 before he says they endure for a while.
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Jesus gives us an important detail.
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He has no root in himself. I don't know what comes to your
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mind in terms of imagination when you hear the rocky ground.
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I'm talking about literal picturing but it's not a bunch
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of rocks that sit on a bed of dirt.
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What? Jesus has a mind here.
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What was common is they was actually sheets of Rock.
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That was beneath a thin layer of soil.
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And so it wasn't immediately perceivable.
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So what would happen is when the seed would be scattered, it
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would fall into a level of soil that was warm enough and
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contained enough moisture for it to germinate and decompose and
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naturally, The Roots would try to reach down to try to
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establish itself and something more concrete and promising for
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long-term nutrition only to be rejected by a hard service.
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But because of that energy, it Versus and goes upward and
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springs up quickly. All to say that this kind of
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unbeliever. Is concealed.
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It's not so obvious. In fact, they look like the
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legitimate thing. And here's the thing, I was
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meditating on that and I thought to myself, you know, if I teach
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this it's possible for people to apply in the wrong way.
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Those who are genuine Believers and what do I mean by that?
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We can develop the wrong attitude as a church.
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The people that we serve with, we can become suspicious about,
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because we aren't sure if they're truly rooted in Christ.
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We can even start timing. How long they will last, we can
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start robbing ourselves of joy and God of his glory, when we
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see confessions of Christ, or when people display their
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obedience to Christ through things like water, baptism, and
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we clap. But we're just like, I don't
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know, we'll see what happens here.
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That is a Temptation. We have to avoid because our job
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as a community of faith is not to prematurely judge, those who
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will be legit and who will not be legit.
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The New Testament actually calls us to the contrary to encourage
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the week to pray for them to support them to embrace them,
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and listen to this, even when they walk away from the truth.
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According to James to fetch for them.
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And to bring them back from wandering, to save, his soul
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from death. So this this Insight is not,
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it's not something to encourage us to be skeptical all the time
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to the point where we distance ourselves less, we continually
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set ourselves up for disappointment, disappointments
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will come, but it's okay to rejoice and believe because love
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hopes for the best, love believes the best.
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So, don't let this stifle with. Your excitement for God, working
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in people. And here's the thing.
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It is not your duty or mind to discern a predict someone's
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status in Christ because Jesus tells us in this Parable that it
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will eventually be revealed without your participation or
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mine. Have you ever heard of Charles
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blondin? I haven't before yesterday.
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And you won't hear of that name unless you are a passionate
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historian concerning tightrope-walking, Charles
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blondin was the greatest tightrope Walker in all of human
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history and one of his greatest achievements was in 1859 when he
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dared to be the first man to walk on a tightrope that
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stretched across the Raging Waters of the Niagara Falls.
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As you can imagine a great crowd from both Canada and the United
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States gathered to witness this. Fearless Soul effortlessly
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across the northern border, not just once but multiple times and
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death-defying fashion, blond and gave his audience a show that
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they would never forget, because he would do this several times.
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And every single time he would challenge himself further
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keeping his fans in suspense. And so at some points, he would
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blindfold himself and he would walk without being able to see
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as he suspended over. The mighty Waters of the Niagara
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Falls and other times he would do so with stilts, those wooden
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little poles that extend you above the ground and he would,
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he would balance himself with these sticks while holding on,
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and he would cross and he would get creative at one point.
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He actually put a small stove on his back, came to the center of
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the rope and he cooked an omelet.
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And you can imagine how the people watching were holding
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their breath with absolute silence in the atmosphere.
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Only to be interrupted with Applause.
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That was perhaps louder than the Falls when he would make it
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through. Finally, at one point.
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Charles decided to push a wheelbarrow across Niagara Falls
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on that rope. And as he turned to his devoted
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fans who sang his Praises Charles noticed, one particular
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man, who was, especially excited.
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And so he looks at him and he says, sir, do you believe that I
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can push someone in this wheelbarrow across the falls?
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And this man without hesitation said, yes you can do it, of
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course you can and with a prepared response Charles asked
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him then get in And what do you think the answer was from this
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crazed fan? Who expressed his great faith in
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Charles with the same speed and strengthen that?
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Yes, he gave a hearty no way. That is the quality.
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Of faith that Jesus is describing with the rocky soil.
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People in the audience who testified saying I love him, I
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believe him, I will serve him. I will follow him until a
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personal test comes their way. Like that man who was buzzing
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with admiration and couldn't keep still at the sight of this.
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Fearless individual. This tightrope walking history
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maker Everything changed the moment that he realized that his
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confession can possibly cost him something.
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Look again here at Matthew 13 to understand what it is, that
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causes rejection of the seed. Matthew 13:20, but look at verse
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21. He has no root in himself but
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indoors for a while. And when tribulation or
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persecution arises on account of the word immediately, he falls
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away. Notice immediately.
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He falls away. So, immediately he receives it
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and he is just as quick to reject it.
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And what this tells us is that and enthusiastic unbeliever can
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blend in the crowd of the children of God as long as he's
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able to exercise his shallow faith without intimidation or
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criticism. Such a man is willing to ride
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the wave of faithfulness as long as he is being supported by the
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clear, sky of social ease and favor shining upon him.
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But the moment he feels the chill of gray clouds,
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overshadowing him. and the drops of persecution touching his
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sensitive skin. He's quick to get to the shore
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of compromise and take cover. He can't help, but recant.
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He can't help but say I didn't sign up for this.
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Persecution on account of the word is the key verse.
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The key phrase persecution is, the defining moments that
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distinguish between the authentic and the almost
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authentic. And this is just one example of
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why we don't say that. Someone lost their salvation
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when after even months and years of apparently walking with them
29:53
because this Parable is just one of many proofs that that person
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wasn't safe to begin with. It was shallow.
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It seemed to look real until the test came proving that it wasn't
30:07
real to begin with. And that's why what we're seeing
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in history. Let me go on a little bit of a
30:15
tangent here. What we're seeing in history
30:18
today, the fact that our politics are becoming more and
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more about morality. The fact that our popular
30:27
culture now is as making defining statements and
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Declarations of what is righteous and what is wrong?
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As much as it is proof of the last days, it is also a sifting
30:41
work of The Sovereign God over his church.
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So all these things that we're seeing right, what the Supreme
30:47
Court did with abortion and all this stuff that's happening,
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you're saying, well, why is it happening?
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And it would be it'd be wrong to just limited to the fact that
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we're headed towards a culmination of the age.
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It's more than that. The Lord is purifying those who
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profess his name. And that's what we're feeling
31:05
the heat a little bit and workplaces that are asking you,
31:08
you better choose your pronouns and you better write them in
31:11
your emails and you better stand by this narrative.
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That's what we're starting to see this.
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Now, this is now coming close to home.
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And you're wondering, why is it happening?
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Well, because God is allowing it to happen.
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And it's going to reveal those who are true to him and those
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who were just excited about him when all was well.
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It was easy to be a Christian in America.
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In the 50s 60s, early or even earlier than that, it's getting
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increasingly more difficult to associate with Christ and that's
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nothing short of God. And his work to reveal.
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True faith. And to expose counterfeit
31:54
conversions. Luke adds another detail of why.
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It is that some who have rocky soil will turn away.
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So go to Luke's version and 8:13.
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And Luke 8:13. And the ones on the Rock are
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those who when they hear the word receive it with joy.
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Notice every single Gospel writer except for John tells us
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that they receive it with joy. But these have no root they
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believe for a while. And in time of testing Fall
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Away, testing is a broader word than just persecution or
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tribulation according or because an account of the word.
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So what you have here is that Luke is saying by the spirit,
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people don't just abandon sound Doctrine.
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And discipleship, because of fear of social scorn know, there
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are people who will change course because of a variety of
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difficult trials. That are painful that persuade
33:05
them to ultimately reject the Redeemer and say, I don't want
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this. That includes physical material.
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Emotional relational Financial affliction.
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All it takes is for some people to abandon ship is for a loved
33:22
one to get cancer as tragic as that is or to die prematurely.
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And with the same passion that they said, yes with when it came
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to that one time, they heard the gospel.
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With the same level of intensity, they say no.
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How can this God be good? I will not give him a moment's
33:49
more of my devotion. All it takes is for people to
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have prolonged loneliness and that ache seemingly being
33:58
overwhelming for them. To say, he doesn't hear my
34:02
prayers, he's not real. This isn't make sense for
34:05
somebody who is a child of God, I'm not interested anymore.
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There's so many examples of how there are trials times of
34:16
testing, where things don't go necessarily to your natural
34:23
desires. For people to give up.
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Do you remember how Jesus described trials, Temptations
34:32
and persecutions and the parable Matthew 3:16 or 1366 rather
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tells us that Jesus uses the picture of the sun.
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Now, I don't have a green thumb by any means, I'm not an expert
34:45
in vegetation, or in planting this man is Pastor Ben has okay.
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But I know enough about gardening to understand that if
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a plant is going to grow, its going to need some exposure to
34:56
rays of light, right? Sunlight So I do understand
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here. Jesus says that when the Sun
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rises in my limited understanding of how this works,
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it's supposed to help the plant. It's supposed to give life to
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it, but instead, we're told it scorches it until it shrivels up
35:17
and dies. It's not really a mystery.
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It's not the son's fault, it's because the plants that grow
35:27
with this kind of soil lack, the moisture necessary to benefit
35:32
from the natural light. And so what was intended to grow
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them ends up killing them? And just like how the son is
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capable of both giving life or taking life.
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The same goes with the heat that comes from blazing trials.
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Over those who profess faith in Jesus.
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In other words, suffering is a divine's means by which God
35:58
either confirms genuine Faith or cancels the fake stuff.
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Why do people suffer what's God's intention with suffering
36:10
many things? But for the True Believer there
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in a category on their own that no one else can share.
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James 1:2 tells us count it all joy.
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My brothers, when you meet Trials of various kinds of same
36:25
word that he used in the parable trials when you meet trials,
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when you meet tests of various kinds for, you know, that the
36:34
testing of your faith produces steadfastness, The same word is
36:39
used here, and you know what, the brother of Jesus is saying
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you can be joyful when you are visited by the fierce heat of
36:47
difficult Seasons, because if you're the real thing, it's only
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going to grow you. It's only going to stretch your
36:56
soul. It's only going to bring you
36:58
higher. It's only going to strengthen
37:00
you. But the same object that is
37:04
willing to give life. Can also shrivel up unbelief,
37:12
And shallow Faith. You know some people innocently
37:16
say God allows suffering so that we can prove to him that we have
37:19
faith. God knows what's already in you.
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If suffering does anything and it does a lot, it demonstrates
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to you that you have saving faith.
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That's why you could count it all joy.
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You know, I've had many conversations with people who
37:38
doubt the Assurance of their salvation, but when I've done
37:42
inventory, of those people who have approached me genuinely
37:45
concerned whether or not they are saved, I realized something.
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A lot of them were young. Either young and years or young
37:53
in their journey in faith with the Lord.
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And I think there's something there.
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Because the longer you walk with the Lord, the more you're going
38:03
to go through. You gonna get some scars, we
38:07
live in a cruel cold world. And if you're walking according
38:10
to the plan of God, he will allow things to happen in your
38:14
life that doesn't feel good. And what's incredible is.
38:20
You pull through, don't you? Ten years walking with the Lord,
38:25
15 years, 20 years, 30 years, and I'm sure those who are
38:28
seasoned Believers here. You have some stories to share
38:32
You have seen some stuff you've been through some splits in the
38:35
church. You've probably endured some
38:37
kind of level of physical suffering.
38:39
You have watched a loved one die before you.
38:44
You've lost a job. You've lost lost friends and
38:47
just one episode after the next and yet.
38:50
Here you are. You still love him.
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You still trust him, you still worship Him, you still want to
38:57
serve him? You still want to meet with him.
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and so whether you realize it or not, where you are today even
39:07
though you went through, so much is a testament, Oh, that you
39:12
have fertile, soil. And at the faith that is in.
39:15
You is true Faith. It's genuine.
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It has really regenerated you and kept you.
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But those who have rocky soil Faith, they don't, they don't
39:29
have that testimony. They're out the moment that they
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feel like there is a cost to this thing.
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They're out the moment, they realize that this is no longer a
39:39
exciting, this is actually costly.
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This is actually painful. I didn't really understand all
39:45
of this. When I said yes, initially.
39:50
So trials. Remove them and they withered
39:56
away. But not for the one who has
39:59
endured. Enduring for a while, is not the
40:03
same as enduring until the end. But as you continue to walk with
40:10
the Lord, something happens to your confidence in God's saving
40:13
work in your life because you go through things and you come out,
40:18
loving him still I can imagine how this teaching might, cause
40:25
some people who are hearing to be more shaken to be more
40:29
assured in their faith. Right.
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And I understand where that's coming from because when you
40:32
look at the rocky soil, they look so similar to the genuine
40:37
Christian. And so questions can be running
40:40
through your mind. How do I know if my joy is the
40:42
real thing? How do I know if my testimony
40:45
when I when I was broken? And so overwhelmed by the love
40:50
of God, Tailored for me on the cross.
40:54
How do I know if that was true? How do I know if I'm going to
40:58
actually stand firm for Christ? When the temperature gets hot,
41:02
and I actually have to, to say yes and it might cost me this or
41:06
that or even my own life, how do I know if I won't turn back on
41:10
him? That's, that's a legitimate
41:12
concern. And my answer is not
41:16
philosophical. It's not multiple choice.
41:20
It's really easy. If those concerns cause you to
41:23
throw yourself at Christ and beg him to make your roots deep.
41:29
And be encouraged or you're listening to this Parable
41:32
correctly. You're hearing, right?
41:40
You see the rocky soil? Christian has a public display
41:44
of Faith. The plant is above the bed of
41:47
soil, but there is a lack of hiddenness.
41:52
In other words, there is the absence of private Devotion to
41:56
God, it's just not there. And if it is, it is extremely
42:02
shallow. There is no communion with God
42:06
and secret. There is no love and worship for
42:08
God when you're alone. It's just here.
42:13
And it's exciting, and it's great.
42:15
And it's wonderful. And you benefit from other
42:18
people's moisture. But there isn't a sense of a
42:23
secret investment in your relationship with God, just like
42:27
that plant that has very little to work with beyond the naked
42:32
eye. so, let me say this in love If you're a person here who has
42:41
a faith that is only seen by those in public, but deep down
42:45
inside, you know, that you have no depth in your spiritual life.
42:50
You have. Every reason to be concerned,
42:53
you do, I'm just being honest with you, you do You have every
42:58
reason to be worried. That's the point of this
43:00
parable. Are you shallow, is it real
43:03
beyond the surface is there evidence of roots and and Roots,
43:08
going deeper and deeper. And if not, you should be afraid
43:13
you should. We already saw in the past few
43:18
years. What has happened to Big Time
43:20
pastors and churches. When the son of persecution, and
43:27
tribulation test have arose over our nation.
43:32
The deafening silence in the Evangelical world, when abortion
43:38
was overturned was very concerning to me.
43:42
Very concerning to me. and so, as we prepared to partake, I
43:51
want to just end the way Peter ended his Second Epistle and
43:56
just listen to these words, you don't have to turn there.
43:59
Second Peter 3:17. You therefore beloved knowing
44:05
this beforehand, take care of that.
44:07
You are not carried away with the error of Lawless people and
44:11
lose your own stability. He's talking to Christians.
44:18
At least professing Christians beloved, don't lose your own
44:22
stability. but look at Verse 18, but grow You want to know how
44:29
you can minimize the risk of losing your own stability, Verse
44:33
18, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
44:36
Savior, Jesus Christ. Grow to him, be the glory both
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now, and to the day of eternity. Amen.
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Amen. The rocky soil should not be
44:52
confused with the genuine believer.
44:54
I think I need to say this and I hope it helps. who does endure
44:58
trials, but struggles And has intrusive thoughts that are
45:04
contrary to thoughts of faith and love and Devotion to Christ,
45:07
that is not the same. You and I will go through
45:10
challenges and you, and I will have moments even like Jeremiah
45:15
who said, am I being deceived here?
45:18
I'm serving you and it's it's just I don't understand.
45:21
I don't know if I really signed up for this, that's what
45:23
Jeremiah essentially said and he was still a true servant of God.
45:30
This kind of soil is so easy to turn on Christ is so quick to do
45:37
it. So if you're wrestling and
45:40
you're plowing through and you know down deep inside that he
45:46
has the words of eternal life and there's nowhere, you can go
45:49
even though it some nights you feel like I think I want to go.
45:57
He's with you. And he is for you.
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And he is near you even in those dark moments.
46:10
Lord, we thank you. For this word. and we ask that
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as we come to this table, We would realize.
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That it is not upon our works. That we have Assurance, we do
46:30
not rest in our efforts, Lord, we look to these elements and
46:35
remember that it is what you have done for us.
46:38
And yes, with joy, we celebrate and yes with excitement.
46:45
We Revive Our confession of Faith to you and our trust in
46:50
the finished work of Jesus Christ.
46:53
Lord help us with the right Hearts.
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Observe this and may it nourish us a fresh to be strong and
47:04
secure. In our walk with you.
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This is our desire and our prayer in Jesus name.
47:12
Amen.