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Three Signs You are Good Soil | 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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Meet Me In The Gospel According to Mark, please in chapter 4 and
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let's Draw our attention to one verse verse 8 of Mark, chapter
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4. And our brother just prayed and
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it was a powerful prayer, but if we can just pray, one more time
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as we come to this, very important verse, very important
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text, that will be a source of great encouragement to many of
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you and even perhaps a challenging verse for others.
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But we need God's help. And so Lord, we petition and we
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come before you with a humility recognizing that we have your
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voice before. Us today.
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And Lord we are humbled by the awesome blessing that the
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fullness of your Revelation has been provided to us.
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But oh God. Mighty God glorious God!
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Incomparable! God lord!
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We need your help for this word to work in US.
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Truly But we are so capable of being hardened.
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We're so capable of being forgetful irreverent careless
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distracted. So apprehend us and have your
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way in our hearts so that it would produce miraculous fruit
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phenomenal. Growth Lord, we want all that,
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you have reserved for us. We don't want to miss out on a
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drop of your will, in our lives. And so, Lord May today be a
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glorious turning point in every life.
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For some, a greater growth for others, the beginning, Of a walk
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with you, we just want all that you have, Lord May there be a
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special empowerment of the holy spirit with the delivery of this
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word. And with the reception of it, we
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ask these things in the matchless name of Jesus Christ.
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Amen. Mark 4 verse 8 reeds.
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And other seeds fell into good soil, and produced grain growing
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up and increasing and yielding 30 fold and 60 fold and a
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hundredfold. And he said, he who has ears to
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hear, Let Him hear. In the past three weeks.
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You and I have patiently examined, the parable of the
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sower where Jesus our lord gave us wonderful.
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Insights about the different ways that hearers, like, you
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this afternoon, here's of God's word Embrace and apply God's
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word in their lives. There are the hardened hearts
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and I pray not one of you are them so hardened and so
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calloused. Absolutely no interest in divine
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revelation. And it immediately rejects the
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word upon impact. And then, there are those who
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have shallow Hearts, who seem to show great interest in the
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things of God, and even display erupting emotion upon initial
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interaction with the truth. But their submission to the
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gospel, is contingent upon a trial, free life.
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And the moment tribulation comes, they abandoned the
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gospel. They once professed to hold on.
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To And there is another type of soil, another type of heart who
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also is open to welcoming Christ into their lives, but their
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hearts are also preoccupied with the cares of this life, the
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Ambitions of this life, the goals of this life.
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And so that seed that was planted is choked. and left
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fruitless because that heart is already dominated by other
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Lords, other Masters and so, approves to be unfruitful, And
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lacking the genuine result that God intended.
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But you and I today come to the final words of Jesus in this
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wonderful teaching, and he will conclude this.
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Parable on a hopeful note, He would do so by making mention of
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a final type of soil that does not share the same tragic end as
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the first three. And what they have in common.
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No the Lord Jesus. Now informs us that it is
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possible. It is possible for hearts to
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take in the truth and to produce a lasting Harvest from it.
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And though this is encouraging, it is also sobering.
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Can I tell you why? It is sobering?
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It's sobering because out of all the four categories of, here's
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of Truth. There is only one that genuinely
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receives the gospel Just like in the days of Jesus ministry,
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good-hearted, listeners of the truth are far.
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Fewer than those who hear the word of God in vain.
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And I want you to remember now, when Jesus taught this Parable,
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there was a massive crowd before him and here he is pointing out
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the different ways that people can receive the truth.
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And it makes me wonder what their reaction was.
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When Jesus is essentially saying, that one quarter of the
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audience of those who hear my message will be responsive to my
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message. I'm sure that would have been
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shocking. At least of the ones who are
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listening correctly. It is like me today.
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Looking to you and saying, around 25% of you in this room,
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if that will actually take the word of God, seriously, 75% of
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you, you're going to listen here today in vain, and that's
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startling. And Jesus here is not giving
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exact statistic he's giving a principle that is true.
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Unfortunately, a minority of those who are exposed to the
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truth, will actually apply it in a saving way.
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The rest are headed for a tragic Grim end.
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I think that's supposed to comfort the preacher to some
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degree. And I think it's supposed to be
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a shock and alarm for those who are listening to God's word and
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there was other times where Jesus made the same statement in
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different ways. Do you remember after dealing
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with the Rich Young Ruler? He walks away sorrowful because
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there was one thing he would not let go of.
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And the Lord says out loud. Again, I tell you.
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It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than
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for the rich to enter into the kingdom of God, Matthew 19.
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Or now, if you think that that is some distant commentary.
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The average American today is considered rich on the world
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while skill. If you make more than two
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dollars a day and are surviving more than with two dollars a
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day, you are considered rich on the global scale and Jesus said
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it is much easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a
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needle than for a rich person to step foot into eternal life.
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And his closest followers heard this.
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And they were startled, and so they respond in Matthew 1925.
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Who then can be saved. Who then can be saved and maybe
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you have that question after hearing in the past three weeks
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of false, professors of Christ, those who will confess Christ,
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who are actually not born again. Perhaps the question has run
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through your mind, who then will be saved. if only a quarter of
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the audience here, if only just a small portion of listeners
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will actually respond to the truth, what do we make of this?
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Well, let me tell you. There's there is no doubt that
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the spectrum of defective faith is diverse with shades of
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unbelief. But don't mistakenly think that
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the narrowness of people who will actually be saved.
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It's caused by God's unrealistic standards for salvation.
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It is always because of the stubbornness of men's hearts
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always God is not to be blamed for anybody not being saved.
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And this might sound unnerving but take hold because today,
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we're going to learn that. Not all hearts are equally
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obstinate. But let's not study the subject
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from afar, let's not just like look at this mechanically.
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Bring it home. Examine your own heart and ask
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yourself. Soberly am I the good soil?
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Am I the type of heart? That the master of the vineyard
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Praises am. I numbered among the minority?
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Am I walking on the Narrow Path? Am I truly engaging with this
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seed? Have, I truly received it in the
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way that will savingly produce fruit in my life and the way you
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and I will discover that and confirm that is by simply.
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Looking at each gospel, writers version of the good soil and see
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what kind of insights, they give us, they say, similar things.
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But you've learned up to this point that they each carry
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certain Details that differ. And so Mark has a commentary of
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what the good soil looks like. Luke has a commentary of what
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the good soil looks like. Matthew has his own
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interpretation inspired by the spirit that is not
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contradicting, but also giving a slight different underscore of
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what it means to be good soil. And if you can confirm with
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Matthew, if you can amen, with Mark, if you can celebrate with
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Luke, Praise God. And so, let's look at Matthew
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first together in Matthew 19. Rather, Matthew 13, scuse me
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verse 23. I want to speak to you this
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afternoon about three signs that you are good, soil, three signs
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that you are good soil. In Matthew 13:23.
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Here is Matthew's. Explanation of what good soil
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looks like the soil, that receives the gospel that
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received God's word and the way that God designed it to be
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received in verse 23, Matthew says, ask for what was sown on
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good soil. This is the one who hears the
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word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields
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in one case, a hundredfold, and another 60, and in another 30,
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who hears the word and understands it sign, number one
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that you are fertile. Ground, is that you understand
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the seed? You understand the word?
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This is the exact opposite commentary of the Wayside soil
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that we touched on week 1. If you scroll up to verse 19 of
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this chapter, you will quickly remember.
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The hardened heart hears the word but what does not
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understand it. Jesus is not proposing that
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those who are more intellectually Advanced or
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educated are those who are more likely to be saved.
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This understanding, doesn't deal with comprehension, it doesn't
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deal with your IQ. It deals with an attitude.
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It deals with a heart posture. When Jesus said that the good
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soil understands the word and he hears it, it means that he is
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longing to grasp the meaning of what God has revealed.
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He he's exposed to the truth. He takes it to the next level.
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He wants to have a grasp on the truth.
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He wants to know the implications of the truth.
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He wants to know the promises the everything involved with the
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truth is what his heart is yearning for.
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And I think it's important to say up front that what makes the
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good soil. Good.
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Is not that he is a less sinful. Or that he has more moral
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respectability. That is not what makes the good
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soil, good. It's not because he is a
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upstanding citizen in society. Now, he is good in the sense
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that he chooses, not to be careless, but to be frivolous,
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not to be senseless. Not to be irreverent about
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divine revelation, he takes it, seriously, he knows that God's
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word is authoritative, he knows that there's a Transcendent
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being that has Rule and Reign Over creation.
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And he realizes that the message of god holds personal
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implications that cannot be ignored.
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And so, the good heart is attentive.
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The good heart is alert, he is leaning in, he's inquiring, he
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is questioning and he is concerned about the condition of
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his soul and he desires to be in the light.
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Based on what the Lord is teaching here.
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It is possible for some who are outside of Christ who have this
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kind of a disposition. It is possible for those who are
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outside of Jesus to develop an openness to the truth over time.
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Not everybody out. There is hardened to the point
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where they won't even, listen, that would cause you to go Jesus
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saying here, there there are people whose hearts are more
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open than others, who go even more than that.
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Who are hungry for true though? They don't know where to go to
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find it just yet and I want to give you a case study of that a
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case study. That is so inspiring.
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The man named Cornelius in Acts chapter 10.
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Read this with me. Would you in verse 1?
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Look at the description of this man who was a gentile Who is
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successful? Who its status in society.
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But it was a man who said, oh, I really want to know God, I
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really want to know God. In Acts 10 one the Holy Spirit
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tells us that's just a rear. There is a man named Cornelius.
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A centurion of what was known as the Italian cohort.
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A devout man, who feared God now, pay attention to this
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description of this man. A devout man who feared God with
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all his household gave alms generously to the people and
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prayed continually to God. Can I read that one more time
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verse 2? A devout man, who feared God?
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With all his household. He was a good father.
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He was a good husband. He gave alms generously to the
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people. He was charitable and he prayed
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continually to God to the first time reader this man.
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Not only sounds like he's a Believer.
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He sounds like he is a fervent zealous follower.
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But if you're not a first-time reader, you know, this about
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Cornelius. And if you don't know the about
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this, you perhaps think I'm lying.
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Would you believe me if I told you that this man after reading,
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this description was not saved. He's not saved.
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And that's not my personal interpretation of it.
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That's what the Holy Spirit tells us in the next chapter,
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you don't believe me. Then go to acts 11 and look at
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verse 13. 14 after Peter is standing before his Jewish
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Partners in the ministry, who are concerned that he went to a
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gentile, to preach the gospel. And he's trying to explain how
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this happened and an axe 11 verse 13.
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We read and he told us Peters talking about his experience
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with Cornelius and he told us how he had seen the angels.
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Stand and his house and say, send to Joppa and bring Simon
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who is called Peter verse 14. He will declare to you a message
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by which you will be saved. You and all your household.
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So after that description of Cornelius and Angel appears to
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him and he tells him to send for a man in Joppa, who is Peter,
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and that man is going to come to your household and he's going to
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preach the gospel and Cornelius. Once you hear the gospel that
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was save you, then you will be saved.
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Well, hold on, he's a devout man.
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He gave alms he feared. God, he prayed continually, that
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man is not safe. Then he looks more safe than
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saved people. How does that work?
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Well, I put that with Jesus commentary about the good soil.
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There are some people who are soft towards truth.
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Who are prepared to receive the truth, who hunger for the truth,
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though, they don't have saving knowledge, but once they are
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exposed to it, they are ready to accept it.
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You see Cornelius had limited light, he had what we would call
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Natural Revelation to work with, in other words, with whatever he
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saw, with his eyes with whatever God had put his fingerprint on
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in the universe in his world. With that light, was he able to
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relate to God? Scripture tells us that the
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heavens declare the glory of God Psalm 19.
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Scripture tells us in Romans to that every man's conscience
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Bears witness to him that there is right and wrong.
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And that the law has been inscribed on each of our hearts.
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And so with natural Revelation with nature and with it, with
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this own, internal alarm system, Cornelius, was able to realize
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at least that there is a God and he can be communicated to, and
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he can intervene in life and he is everywhere, and he is all
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powerful. And he does see.
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And so, I will fear Him and walk in his ways to the best of my
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knowledge. And here's what I see from this
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because this Gentile honored god, with the light that he had,
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God was ready to honor him by granting him.
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The light that would save him. You know, I think this text is
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totally permissible to be used to help the struggling.
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Soul was wrestled with the thought of those who are out
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there out in the jungles. Out in the North.
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There's very little civilization life who have never heard about
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Jesus. And who died without hearing,
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Jesus Will such people be condemned by God.
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Will such people be judged by God, though, they have never
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even heard the name of Jesus in their lifetime throughout the
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generations of their tribes. And I look at this and I resist
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the philosophical pull of trying to come up with ideas of how God
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would relate to such people and stick to the word of God.
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I look at Cornelius and I see something about God as a case
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study men who are capable to responding to Natural
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revelation. Men who have a heart with a deep
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sincerity and Purity that aches to know the truth.
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Such men God will move Heaven and Earth to make sure they get
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the gospel. God in his great sovereignty and
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his Providence will do what he can to make sure that the gospel
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comes to their front door. And in the case of Cornelius, we
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see the compassion of God, he sends angels, He grants Visions,
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he raises up missionaries. He performs miracles for the
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gospel to get to the one who desires to know it, Who doesn't
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know what steps to take? Who doesn't know how his sins
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can be forgiven but he knows he's a sinner.
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Don't doubt that about God. And this raises up.
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Another interesting point, doesn't it you read about
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Cornelius and he's devout and he fears God?
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And he gives alms generously and he prays continually and one day
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an angel comes before him. What a privilege.
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What an honor. What a miracle and you know
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what? I what I wonder.
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You're already there. Why don't you just tell them the
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gospel? You know what the gospel is?
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Don't you? You're in the presence of God
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day and night. You look over the balcony of
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Heaven. You saw when the Son of God was
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crucified, I'm sure you had some knowledge of the Eternal Plan of
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Salvation. And here you are now entering
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into the world. And you are before.
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A man who is hungry for the truth?
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Unnamed angel. Why don't you just tell them the
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gospel? And we could have saved some
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time and we didn't have to get another Vision to Peter and the
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Holy Spirit to tell him it's okay.
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Go with the people who were sent by Cornelius, it's you'll be
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safe. Why do all of that?
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When you could have just told him the truth right there.
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And then and I'm sure you would have been better at sharing than
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Peter. I'm sure you've been a much more
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articulate much more powerful, much more convincing.
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Do you know why God sent the angel so that he can send for
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Peter because in God's absolute Delight.
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He reserved the privilege of the Proclamation of the gospel for
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forgiven. Sinners God in his good
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pleasure. reserve the right for the proclamation of the truth,
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to solely belong, to those who have experience, as transforming
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power, Maybe that doesn't move you.
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That moves me? And that will move you.
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I hope. In those days where you are
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weary or tired, or maybe discourage with your
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proclamation of the truth, your testimony of what Christ has
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done in your life. But in those moments where you
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worked all week and you know, that some friends are coming
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over and they know you're a Christian and they're just
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curious about why you believe what you believe and your bone
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tired and you've done this before with your other friends
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and they just hear it with interest but move on in their
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sin in those moments where you think is this really worth to
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give my 23 hours of my Friday night to our my Saturday night.
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Would you remember Angels cannot do what you can do?
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Would you realize that Heavenly beings?
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Heavenly Creatures? Can only send for those who have
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been set apart to preach the gospel.
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And would you realize the great honor and privilege it?
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Is that the Lord has a reserve that right for you.
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As a trophy of his grace. To go into the trenches of a
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satanic world. And to preach the true that can
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save man from eternal hell. Don't take those moments where
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you plant a seed for granted. God reserve them for those who
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are in him. But before I move on about
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Cornelius, allow me to say one more thing about him, he's not
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only an example of what God is willing to do for the hungry
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open heart. But he's also a reminder of the
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universal depravity of man. What do I mean by that?
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This man is devout, his prayerful, he's respected his
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charitable and yet he was just as much in need of Salvation, as
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a Matthew, the tax collector or Mary.
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Who was possessed with Seven Devils?
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he was just as much in need of the Gospel, then the guy in the
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trenches, then the woman in the gutter, Cornelius is a wonderful
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statement after that great description of who he is as a
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person that has good. As you might see him and look,
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You're not good enough. And you will never be good
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enough. No one's goodness is good
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enough. When it is measured by God's
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goodness, you will always fall short.
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You always have need for a savior.
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You will never be able to live up to such a degree in, which
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you find yourself in a different category than the other Sons.
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Our daughters of Adam, you are just as wretched, whether you're
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a Cornelius or the man who was possessed with devils and Mark
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chapter 5, chained to a rock. Because of his filthy habits and
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his perverted mind. If there's any good and
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Cornelius like the good soil that Jesus describes, it is in
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his realization that he needs saving.
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The good soil Jesus speaks of does not does not say to
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himself. Like what I know people say
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about themselves especially the traditionalist, Especially with
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those who find great comfort and confidence in ancient.
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Religion. Ancient.
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History, ancient churches. They hear the gospel and they
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say, well, what a wonderful message that guy's really
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passionate? And he's very convincing.
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This is perfect for that. Hopeless neighbor, I have who's
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an alcoholic who abuses his wife, his children.
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Now this would be this would be life-changing for the the city
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of Chicago with all the drug dealers and all the gang
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violence. Surely they are in need of such
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a truth. Oh surely.
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This is this is good for those who lack purpose or like,
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guidance in life. Surely this message.
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That is preached, provide some barriers and some framework Some
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men do not run aimlessly while they live.
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That's not how the good soil. Here's the truth.
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When the good soil, here's the truth.
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Even though he can point to some moral evidence in his life.
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At the same time, he says, I need a savior I'm wretched.
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Christ didn't just die for those people out there.
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Who are not devout. Who are not prayerful.
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Who don't have some kind of relation with religiosity.
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He came to die for me. My goodness isn't good enough.
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In light of the Holiness of God filthy rags.
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I need the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.
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I needed to be imputed to me. I need him to take my place.
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I need him to look upon me with his favor.
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The good soil, understands the truth.
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Which transition us perfectly to Marks commentary.
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Let's go back to Mark to look at the second sign.
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Of good soil. Mark 420 is the explanation you
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and I read Mark 48, Mark 420. But those that were sewn on the
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good soil, are the ones who hear the word and accept it.
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And bear fruit 30 fold and 60 fold and a hundredfold.
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Matthew tells us that the good soil, he hears the truth, but he
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understands it because he seeks to understand it.
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Mark says, when he hears the truth, he doesn't just hear it.
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You're hearing it now. He doesn't just understand it.
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He accepts it. He accepts it.
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Hearing the truth. All the soils do that.
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You can hear sermons until you go to hell.
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The Next Step from that is you want to understand it, but even
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then understanding it, or being curious about, it can be
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temporal, it could be misunderstood, it could be
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interpreted subjectively and applied wrongly.
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The one with the good soil, the minority of those who accept it.
28:34
What does that mean accept it? Well, think about it this way.
28:37
The rocky soil is willing to hear willing to understand and
28:41
willing to accept it as long as it is trial free.
28:46
The moment things, get tough, the moment you suffer for
28:49
Christ. I no longer accept it.
28:52
Then you have the thorny soil. They hear the truth.
28:54
They accept the truth. But as long as it is,
28:57
subordinate to its other desires and passions and goals in life.
29:03
But this is so important, the fertile ground, when he hears
29:06
the truth, he understands the truth.
29:08
He accepts the truth. He accepts the truth completely
29:12
on God's terms. I mix all the difference.
29:17
God's terms because when he understands the truth, he
29:20
realizes that the good news. The good news of the Gospel is
29:25
also a call to Sweet surrender. Total surrender.
29:31
And it is a call that is not up for subjective interpretation or
29:35
negotiation. You hear God's terms and you
29:39
accept it and he makes the necessary preparation and his
29:43
heart so that the seed can abide and Thrive the way God designed
29:47
that see to live in a human heart.
29:50
What do I mean by that? Well, it's very simple.
29:53
Do you notice that the good soil is void of rocks?
29:59
Is void of thorns, there's no description of the realities of
30:07
the soil other than the fact that it was good and part of it
30:10
being good, is that it was free of certain things.
30:16
This is what you and I called true repentance.
30:19
True repentance God, help us in America to get back to the
30:24
message of true repentance. True repentance.
30:32
A willingness not be surface level with Christ, like the
30:34
shallow soil, a willingness to uproot all the cares and all the
30:38
competitions in your heart. All the things that will
30:41
challenge the supremacy of the lordship of Jesus Christ over
30:45
your life. The good soil removes all of
30:49
this. He accepts all that Christ
30:51
commands and he submits and welcomes.
30:54
All that, discipleship demands. We tell people about Jesus,
30:59
nowadays as overdoing Jesus a favor.
31:03
You know, Jesus is lonely and he's in heaven and he want to
31:05
populate heaven. And you know what?
31:07
He really wants you to be with him and so he dies and would you
31:09
just make some room in your life pathetic?
31:15
Pathetic at the end of the road. My brother, and my sister.
31:19
This may shock your version of Jesus, but there will be a
31:22
Heavenly Orchestra when men are judged for rejecting Jesus.
31:29
Because they receive their just do.
31:34
I want to show you an example of a man who is willing to accept
31:37
what Christ destined for him. An example of a man who was
31:41
willing to walk toward anything which the rocky soil refuses to
31:46
do, I'm willing to Lord, I wanted to hold your hand until
31:49
we get there. It was nice.
31:51
Knowing you this man I'll walk with you Tommy to walk but not
31:55
just that he was also willing to walk away from that which Christ
31:59
told him to walk away from which the thorny soil is not willing
32:03
to do. Well, I'm going to hold your
32:04
hand as long as I can hold these things too.
32:07
The rocky ground will not worship.
32:09
If he suffers the good soil will, the thorny heart will give
32:12
priority to money and temporal things and Comforts, but the
32:16
good soil cannot fathom it. He accepts it, let me show you a
32:22
man. We talked about Cornelius.
32:25
Can I point you to the man who preached the Cornelius?
32:29
And one of one of my favorite chapters in the New Testament?
32:32
When it comes to stories and narratives in John 21 when Peter
32:35
was restored by Christ. Oh, he's a restoring.
32:39
God, he's a compassionate, God, a forgiving God.
32:42
And in John 21. I want you to meet me in verse
32:44
15. Here's Peter post-resurrection.
32:51
And Peter here was impatient because there is some delay with
32:57
further instructions from Jesus. But he wasn't just impatient.
33:03
I believe he was greatly discouraged.
33:06
I think he was humiliated. Because when he professed his
33:12
Devotion to God, he failed miserably, he embarrassed
33:15
himself. And so, here's Peter with his
33:20
leadership, Magnetic Personality.
33:23
And he tells himself, I'm going fishing and the others around
33:27
him says, we're going with you now.
33:30
Fishing isn't a sin, but it's a problem when Jesus called you
33:34
away from fishings to be a fisher of man.
33:38
Peter is not just doing something while waiting for
33:41
Christ further instructions. Peter is going back to what
33:45
Christ called him from. That sign.
33:50
And so, he gets back into that boat and he fishes all night
33:54
with several other of his friends.
33:57
And there's Jesus who appears on the shore and all we can spend
34:00
the next 30 minutes. Just looking to those wonderful
34:02
details. How John was able to perceive
34:05
that? It was the Lord and how Peter
34:06
jumps into the wall. Those things are just filled
34:09
with glorious truths but let's fast forward.
34:14
They have this miraculous catch, they pull it onto the shore, 153
34:20
fish? Hey, this is massive.
34:24
This is a great prophet and Jesus has a barbecue already set
34:29
up. And he asked for some of that
34:31
fish to come so that they can have breakfast together.
34:34
And so they eat And once their bellies were full.
34:41
John 21:15, reeds. When they had finished
34:45
breakfast, Jesus said to Simon, Peter Simon.
34:50
Kind of hurts. That was Peter's name before he
34:54
was called by Jesus. And unfortunately Peter the new
34:59
name that Christ gave him was acting more like Simon than he
35:04
was Peter. Simon.
35:09
Son of John. Do you love me more than these?
35:14
He said to him? Yes.
35:15
Lord, you know that I love you, he said to him, feed my Lambs.
35:19
We know this is very familiar to us.
35:21
There is great debate about what Jesus meant when he says.
35:23
Do you love me more than these? But I think if you just wanted
35:28
the context, it's pretty clear. Peter's going back fishing.
35:34
He's going back to his other love.
35:37
He's going back to what he's familiar with.
35:39
He's going back to his days, BC. Before Christ.
35:43
And Christ allows him to make probably one of the greatest
35:47
catches apart from the one that he knew in the initial call to
35:50
follow him 153 fish, he can make some good money from that. and
35:58
once they eat from it, I could picture Jesus just looking over
36:02
and saying Peter. Knowing that he went back to
36:05
what he was not supposed to do a banding, the call of Christ.
36:10
Peter. Do you love me more than these?
36:17
And Peter. Says.
36:22
You know that I love you. You know that I love you.
36:27
Sometimes we read the Bible so fast, man.
36:29
We miss so much. Notice Jesus said, Do You Love
36:33
Me? Do you love me more than these?
36:40
That is the heart of Christianity.
36:43
Do you love me? Not, do you love Doctrine?
36:48
Not do you love theology? Not.
36:49
Do you love Christians? Not do you love Ministry?
36:52
Not. Do you love feeding my Lambs?
36:54
Not do you love feeding my sheep?
36:56
Do you love me? Do you have a personal desire
37:04
for me? Not for heaven.
37:12
Not for conservative values, not for law.
37:15
Keeping not for sermons. Do you love Jesus personally, as
37:22
a person As a relatable being do you love me how many Christians
37:29
can say, yeah, I love him. I think a lot of professing
37:34
Christians love things about him or around him, but the question
37:38
of the Lord is, do you love me? That's the heart of our faith.
37:46
And it's also the essence of what we do in the Name of
37:48
Christ. I mentioned this on Wednesday,
37:51
Jesus could have said and it would have made sense to us.
37:53
Do you love my sheep? Notice his sheep.
37:56
Not the pastor's sheep, his sheep.
37:59
You belong to him. We belong to him.
38:02
He could have said, do you love my sheep?
38:04
Feed my sheep. Do you love my Lambs feed my
38:09
Lambs? He doesn't say that he says.
38:10
Do you love me? Yes, I love you.
38:13
Then serve me. The greatest motivation to
38:17
serving the Sheep is loving the shepherd.
38:21
And we got all twisted. Yeah, there's a level of love
38:24
that has to come to her but the greatest motivation, the thing
38:27
that should drive us and all other things is love for the
38:30
person of Jesus Christ. So many things can be done if we
38:36
just come back to the basics of what our faith is all about.
38:40
Now, this is a familiar story. I can go on about Jesus
38:42
returning the question and Peter answering over and over again,
38:46
but many people stop it here. So, so Jesus asked him.
38:49
Do you love me Peter confirms his love for him?
38:52
Three times. We know because he denied him
38:54
three times, and then he's recommissioned.
38:56
Now, to be the apostle that he was called to be, but Jesus
38:59
doesn't end there. This is not the final inquiry
39:03
Before Peter starts following Jesus.
39:06
Again, he mentioned something else that is not often referred
39:09
to. When we talk about the
39:10
restoration of Peter back into total and True Discipleship.
39:14
Scroll down to verse 18 of the same chapter.
39:19
Truly, truly, I say to you when you were young, you used to
39:23
dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted.
39:27
But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and
39:30
another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.
39:37
Verse 19, this he said to show by what kind of death he was to
39:41
glorify God and after saying this, he said to him, follow me
39:47
after that. What's Jesus doing it?
39:51
It's a prophecy Peter before I ask you to follow me.
39:56
I have to tell you something one, I'm glad that you love me.
39:59
I'm glad you confirmed your love for me but I need to confirm
40:01
something to you. There's a Time coming in your
40:04
old age where someone will take ahold of you forcefully and will
40:11
stretch out your hands, everything about that, imagery
40:14
speaks about execution, and a very specific type of execution
40:18
crucifixion Your hands will be stretched out at one point.
40:22
You can go wherever you want it but there's going to come a
40:24
point where you're going to be apprehended.
40:26
You're going to be arrested and you're going to go where your
40:28
natural man does not want to go. And history says that when Peter
40:33
was crucified, he asked to be crucified upside down, because
40:36
he felt like he wasn't worthy to be crucified like his master
40:42
You're gonna die, you're gonna die in a specific way, in a way
40:45
that will be include much suffering.
40:49
But in your death, you're going to glorify me.
40:53
You're gonna glorify me. That is the essence of
40:55
discipleship that you, and I glorify him until death until
41:00
death and even in your death. Now, you might not have a
41:05
prophecy about how you're going to die and how that will glorify
41:07
you may not be a martyr. But if you want to know how you
41:11
can glorify God in your death, just glorify him in your life.
41:15
Just glorify him. Well, I will die for Jesus.
41:19
Well, you know, you barely live for him.
41:23
Just live for him. Glorify him in your life and you
41:26
will glorify him in your death. I had dinner with a friend not
41:29
too long ago and he said something to me.
41:31
They just like stuck with me ever since he said, you know
41:34
what brother? Every Christian has three
41:37
Crusades in their life. What are you talking about?
41:39
Three. Crusades not.
41:41
Every Christian is going to have the chance to stand on a great
41:43
platform and preach to thousands like some who have been called
41:46
throughout history. But every average believer will
41:49
have three opportunities to have an above average audience in
41:53
which they can testify of the Relationship to Christ.
41:57
I'm interested. What is it says number one.
41:59
Your baptism, your baptism and that's why I tell people don't
42:04
waste your baptism. Don't waste your baptism.
42:06
Use that opportunity to stand before people, and to testify of
42:10
Christ, that's an obvious one. You want to know the second one,
42:13
he said your wedding. Your wedding.
42:16
You can have more than the average crowd in that event of
42:21
your life. You're gonna have the same crowd
42:23
in your living room. You're going to have that kind
42:26
of a crowd uniquely as something as special as a wedding.
42:30
So at your wedding that is another opportunity where you'll
42:33
be able to testify to Christ in a crusade like Manner.
42:36
And lastly, your funeral Your funeral.
42:42
The first two you're able to testify about it, the last one
42:45
people will testify about you. And we were just talking about
42:51
how Believers are capable of wasting those opportunities.
42:58
Peter was not going to, he was going to glorify.
43:00
God, yes, day by day, but even in his death, And when he said,
43:04
follow me, it encompassed something.
43:07
This, this is the point that I'm driving at here when Jesus said,
43:11
follow me, it included Peter walking away from something his
43:17
business, his Prophet, his success and also a Readiness to
43:23
walk towards something suffering, Suffering that would
43:28
not be in vain but suffering that would glorify his Lord.
43:32
And if you think that that standard is anything less for
43:36
you than you're not good soil, Because the good soil accepts
43:43
the terms of the gospel and that includes walking away from
43:47
certain things and being willing to walk towards anything.
43:50
If Christ says go The terms for Peter, no less for us today.
43:59
Are you good soil? If you're good soil then you
44:02
will accept this. If you're not good soil, you
44:05
will deceive yourself or you will try to negotiate with God.
44:08
When God says, I this is not open for for a deal.
44:13
Peter, do you love me more than these?
44:16
You know that I love you Peter. You're gonna die.
44:21
I've ordained for you to die in a way that will glorify me now
44:23
follow me and Peter followed him.
44:28
The one who has a good heart, the one who will produce true
44:30
fruit, the one who will know, true saving knowledge,
44:32
understands the truth. Accepts the truth.
44:37
And thirdly, Luke tells us the final sign meet me in Luke 8:15.
44:54
Luke 8:15. As for that in the good soil.
44:59
They are those who hearing the word?
45:01
Well, yes. Okay, we've covered that.
45:03
Hold it, fast in an honest, and good heart.
45:07
That goes back to understanding it Cornelius, having an honest
45:11
and good heart, not good in that he was better than other
45:15
Sinners. Good, in that he was looking and
45:16
yearning for the truth. And look at this and bear fruit
45:20
with patience. Every gospel writer.
45:24
When they spoke about the good soil, include the necessity of
45:27
genuinely bearing fruit. Not one of them omit, this
45:32
detail because it is crucial, it is the core message of the
45:37
Fertile ground that when the seed becomes one, with that
45:42
heart, there will be observable and there will be a lasting
45:46
change, but Luke does add a detail to the concept of bearing
45:50
fruit. He tells Us in those final words
45:52
they will bear fruit with patience.
45:57
That is meant to help the sower and the soil.
46:02
Because spiritual New Birth is inevitable for the one who truly
46:06
receives the seed. But the growth is gradual, and
46:10
the sower needs to know that less, he becomes impatient and
46:15
the soil needs to comprehend that less.
46:17
He also becomes discouraged and both might be tempted to think
46:22
that this Divine transaction was was faulty.
46:29
When the seed comes into a heart that is good, we cannot have the
46:34
expectation of an immediate Mega Harvest.
46:38
There is change, but at the beginning level things will take
46:42
time. There is a new, there's a new
46:44
trajectory. Now, there's a new Direction now
46:47
and and Time Will Reveal as this.
46:49
The seed now begins to grow, and we have to understand that, you
46:53
know why? Because you have some people who
46:55
think they are good soil, and they are not good soil and then
46:58
you have people who are genuinely good soil, but they
47:00
don't believe that they're good soil because they're not seeing
47:03
the growth that they would like at the rate that they desire.
47:07
So you get people, you got to kind of people who are tricked
47:09
here, you got people who are really have thorns in the hearts
47:12
and I think I'm good there deceived and you have people who
47:15
are truly truly receiving the seed, who questioned who
47:20
question their status in that parable.
47:23
Because they are impatient. Good soil does not cancel the
47:28
reality. Of unhurried development.
47:34
This is what it will mean for you.
47:36
As a True Believer, you will undergo learning.
47:38
You will know supplementation. You will know pruning, you will
47:42
know protecting. You will know, unfortunately,
47:45
sometimes failing along the way and that does not negate the
47:48
reality that you are good soil. I mean, let's go back to Matthew
47:53
13:23 quickly. Jesus says As for what was sown
48:02
on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and
48:05
understands it, he indeed, Bears fruit and yields.
48:12
He indeed. It's going to happen.
48:16
It will happen. There is no such thing as a
48:19
person who receives the seed and is fruitless impossible.
48:25
The very DNA of the seed promises that there will be
48:29
something that will change. Life will come a fragments will
48:33
erupt? There will be, there will be
48:37
results for the person who says, I understand it and I say yes to
48:42
it. But notice what else?
48:48
Matthew says. In one case.
48:53
A hundredfold. And another 60 and in another
48:58
30. Now some have made that to be
49:01
that, the person who is good soil, who receives the seed, who
49:05
is fertile ground will win, certain amount of people to
49:09
Christ that the number here of the Harvest speaks about the
49:12
Harvest of Souls and some will win this amount.
49:15
Someone went down about someone, when that amount, I don't lean
49:18
into that interpretation. And some might even say well
49:21
this is this is a description of people who yes have received the
49:25
seed, but they will bear fruit differently based on their
49:29
future obedience and they're yielding to the instructions
49:32
that are in the word of God. And I think there's more
49:34
legitimacy there, but then again, I don't see.
49:37
Jesus leaving any room for criticism with the good soil.
49:43
When we see here that there's different levels of harvest,
49:47
there's different levels of fruit, it's perhaps, because
49:51
Jesus is just saying that for those who receive the soil will
49:54
bear fruit differently. It's going to look different
49:59
depending on your context and your capacity and your gifting.
50:04
The fruit will be there and notice thirtyfold sixtyfold
50:07
100-fold. That is not natural growth.
50:10
That is, that is phenomenal. That is awesome that will that
50:14
will make any farmer happy And so there is no there's no shade
50:19
being thrown here. There's nothing like well
50:21
there's going to be some Christians who are better than
50:23
others. I don't think that's what the
50:24
Lord is communicating. I think with the Lord is
50:27
essentially trying to say, is every believer will generate
50:31
christlikeness and character and service differently.
50:34
So here's the college student, who's not married who doesn't
50:37
have a job who's studying and they accept Christ.
50:41
They're going to bear fruit in a certain way.
50:43
And here is the, the husband of one wife.
50:48
And has five children, and they came to a meeting and they
50:51
understood it. They accepted it.
50:53
And they are truly good soil and they're going to bear fruit in
50:57
this way. And here's, here's the young
51:01
lady. Who hears the gospel.
51:02
She says, yes to it. She accepts it.
51:04
And in time she is raised up to be a missionary and she goes
51:08
overseas and her friend who was also at the same meeting.
51:11
Here's that truth, accepts it as she grows up.
51:14
She gets married and she stays at home, and she raises Her
51:17
three babies and she will bear fruit in that way. here's the
51:22
main point and my final verse for you, in 2nd 1st
51:27
Thessalonians, 2:13 this will be a good way to end. 1
51:34
Thessalonians 2:13. Paul says, and we also thank God
51:47
constantly for this. What is Paul going to thank God
51:52
for that. When you received the word of
51:55
God, which you heard from us, you accept it.
52:00
Accept it it right, good soil. Accepts the word of God.
52:03
You accepted it, not as the word of men, but as what it really
52:09
is, because what, like the first point, he understands it the
52:13
word of God. So, what we have there, they
52:16
accepted it because they understood it, but look what
52:19
happens next, which is at work in you believers.
52:25
I can thank God for you. Why?
52:28
Because when you heard the word you understood it, not as just
52:31
some guy with a history book telling you some moral lessons
52:35
you understood it as that's God's word.
52:38
That's God's Will and because you understood it in such a way
52:42
you accepted it. I want to submit to what God is
52:47
saying. And because you truly accepted
52:50
it, you know what he tells us church.
52:52
It's it's at work in you. It's at work in you believers.
52:58
If this seed really gets in your heart, it's going to work.
53:02
It's going to, it's going to conform.
53:04
It's going to produce. It's going to overtake.
53:07
It's going to yield, it's going to create.
53:10
Things are going to happen. I refused to believe, I don't
53:14
care what's on your Instagram description, and I don't care if
53:18
you put a verse with your selfie, if this word is not
53:24
working in your life, If with patients, you are not seeing a
53:30
development as you add to the initial word with more word,
53:34
something's wrong. And it's not because there's
53:37
judgment here, it's because the word of God judges.
53:40
And so, here's my final question, as we end this series
53:42
in the parable of sore and continuing Mark, are you good
53:45
soil? Are you.
53:49
Look. I try to be like Christ as much
53:52
as I can and I want to think like Christ I'm fully aware of
53:54
the reality of what happens in these moments.
53:57
Jesus said, one out of the four soils will take you seriously.
54:04
And so I hope you are in that category.
54:08
And you know, just check your heart.
54:10
You know you know if you do not answer the call of discipleship
54:15
because you're not willing to walk away for some things and
54:17
you're not willing to walk towards some things, okay, good.
54:20
As long as you're honest, may God grant, you repentance and
54:23
you know in this place, if you are waiting for me to stop
54:27
because you have more interest in the stock market than the
54:30
will of God, you know, And you know, if your heart and soil
54:35
because as I've been preaching in these past four weeks, you
54:39
could care less of what I am saying.
54:42
God, have mercy on you. but if you're a good soil, you're
54:47
taking this in like a sponge. You want it all, you want the
54:53
blessing, the promises, the rebuking the correction.
54:55
You want to go where Jesus tells you to go and you will stay with
54:58
Jesus tells you to stay you hear this as the word of God.
55:02
You come here knowing that God is going to speak and you will
55:06
respond by whatever Grace he grants you to respond.
55:11
And you will bear fruit. Be patient with your growth, be
55:13
patient with your development. Don't lose heart, don't condemn
55:18
yourself. Because Christ is not condemn,
55:20
you he celebrates over you. You want to tell you about
55:23
something about the Lord, when you go to Genesis 1, this is
55:26
something that I love about the Lord.
55:27
Right from the beginning of the book, I learned Sing About God
55:30
right from the beginning, not just that he created everything.
55:33
He creates the world and progression stage by stage, but
55:37
with every single stage he says it is good.
55:41
The next day. It is good.
55:42
The next day. It is good.
55:43
Well, it's not done yet. Yeah.
55:44
But it's still good. It's still good.
55:47
And he says the same as he is, creating, christlikeness in you
55:52
day by day, though, you may not see a complete picture.
55:55
God says it's good. I'll look at that.
55:58
It's good. Another year goes by, it is
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good. Look at all the lessons from the
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failure from from losing track from coming back.
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It's good, it's good, it's good, it's good, it's good.
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Pray that your good soil this afternoon.
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I pray that you understand it, you accept it and that because
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of the power of that word in you your bearing fruit.
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Lori. Thank you.
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Well, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
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Of how accurate your word is. and Lord, we just we just beg
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you that we would have ears to hear not just for the gospel.
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But for every time we hear your word, And Lord we thank you that
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in this place. We can say what Paul said to the
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church in 1st Thessalonians. That people in this house, have
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received the word, not as the word of men, but as the word of
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God they accepted as such and they are seeing the word work in
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them may that only continue Well, we rejoice in you.
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We glorify you. And Lord for the person in here,
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who is ready to really be good soil.
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Midday remove and pull out by your power.
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All filthiness all rampid wickedness, all
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self-righteousness and with meekness receive the word, which
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is able to save their souls. You are a good God.
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Thank you for your word. Thank you for showing us and
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comforting us, and convicting us.
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How we can have the right hearts for you.
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We sing to you now with gratitude in Jesus name.
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Amen let's stand together and closing.