1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:04,560 There's a lot to think about this week. 2 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:13,800 We've lost another warrior of the gospel and Brother Don King. 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:19,120 It wasn't too long ago we lost Brother Paul Nichols, Johnny 4 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:24,240 Elmore, Ronnie Wade. It seems like we are some of 5 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:30,750 those people that were so much I know in 2004 when I found the my 6 00:00:30,750 --> 00:00:36,990 way to the church. Those were people that I read 7 00:00:36,990 --> 00:00:45,430 about, read lessons, met, talked with, interacted with and it's 8 00:00:45,750 --> 00:00:51,470 it's I wasn't as close to say Brother Don as many of you are 9 00:00:51,470 --> 00:00:56,830 here. But it's they're special people 10 00:00:57,150 --> 00:01:03,780 and the lessons they prepared and spoke, just ring aloud the 11 00:01:04,620 --> 00:01:08,260 the gospel. So from our moment this morning, 12 00:01:08,260 --> 00:01:11,500 I'm going to use one of Brother Paul Nichols lessons to help 13 00:01:11,500 --> 00:01:17,700 guide me as much for my frailty of mind, as much as many other 14 00:01:17,700 --> 00:01:23,020 things. But Brother Paul, I appreciate 15 00:01:23,020 --> 00:01:26,060 it being able to sit before him and and talk with him. 16 00:01:26,060 --> 00:01:29,560 And I think about people like Brother Wayne Mccaney that set 17 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:32,840 with me in the middle of the desert in the mobile home and 18 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:37,360 talked with me for hours. It's it's special. 19 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:42,240 And and it's like I ask myself, you know, this is the evangelist 20 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:47,160 and people preach, They're preaching some similar lesson 21 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:49,320 from the Bible. It's over and over. 22 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:54,360 You'll never preach all of it, but some of the lessons are 23 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:57,200 special, especially when they get written down and you want to 24 00:01:57,750 --> 00:02:00,830 go back to him. I know recently Chris had in the 25 00:02:00,830 --> 00:02:05,750 Pope or his Pew there, passing it along by Lynnwood Smith. 26 00:02:05,750 --> 00:02:09,870 So these are all things I know there's CD's, there's there's 27 00:02:09,870 --> 00:02:14,190 cassette tapes that many people have and go back and listen to. 28 00:02:14,230 --> 00:02:16,870 And that's, that's something here. 29 00:02:17,590 --> 00:02:23,710 This morning we'll turn our attention to Matthew, Chapter 30 00:02:23,710 --> 00:02:29,250 13. Now there's a parable there and 31 00:02:29,250 --> 00:02:35,930 Matthew 13 that would speak to the parable of the sore. 32 00:02:36,890 --> 00:02:40,810 Now that's what it's mainly thought about, is this Parable 33 00:02:40,810 --> 00:02:44,810 of the sore. But as we go into this lesson, 34 00:02:46,130 --> 00:02:52,170 we're probably going to focus more on the the study of the 35 00:02:52,250 --> 00:02:57,210 actual souls that are there. And there's four different souls 36 00:02:57,210 --> 00:03:01,850 that we'll talk about and four different hearts, as it were, of 37 00:03:01,850 --> 00:03:04,970 man. And we want to focus on those 38 00:03:04,970 --> 00:03:09,530 because we know that Jesus Christ came to spread that seed, 39 00:03:09,970 --> 00:03:16,170 that good word, the gospel, and we know that that seed, that 40 00:03:16,170 --> 00:03:19,850 good word is the gospel. And we'll talk about that. 41 00:03:20,010 --> 00:03:25,350 And I appreciate in the prayer and the songs today because they 42 00:03:25,350 --> 00:03:32,270 lend to the fact that we pray the gospel will find fall and be 43 00:03:32,270 --> 00:03:36,310 heard by good hearts, and they would obey the gospel and be 44 00:03:36,310 --> 00:03:39,830 faithful Christians. But we know both those that in 45 00:03:39,830 --> 00:03:43,270 the world that have never obeyed the gospel and even those that 46 00:03:43,270 --> 00:03:46,790 have, they're going to fall in some category here. 47 00:03:47,550 --> 00:03:56,680 So as we read here, we'll start in in 13 and verse one on the 48 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:01,920 same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea, and 49 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:06,560 great multitudes were gathered together to him, so that he got 50 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,640 into a boat and set, and the whole multitude stood on the 51 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:12,600 shore. And he spoke many things to them 52 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:17,640 in parables, saying, Behold, a sore went out to soul, and as he 53 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:21,600 sold, some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and 54 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:25,760 devoured them. Some fell on Stony places where 55 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,960 they did not have much earth, and they immediately sprang up, 56 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:30,920 because they had no depth of earth. 57 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,440 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they 58 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:39,320 had no root they withered away, And some fell among thorns, and 59 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:43,080 thorns spring up and choked them, but others fell on good 60 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:48,640 ground, and yielded A crop some 100 fold, some 60, some 30. 61 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:52,160 He has ears to hear. Let him hear. 62 00:04:53,090 --> 00:04:55,970 So that's the basics of the parable. 63 00:04:55,970 --> 00:05:01,290 Now as it goes on, we will rereading and going from looking 64 00:05:01,290 --> 00:05:05,970 at those verses to the latter part of the verses there where 65 00:05:05,970 --> 00:05:10,370 the apostles ask why are you preaching in parables? 66 00:05:10,370 --> 00:05:15,570 And he goes on to explain the parable of the solar. 67 00:05:16,090 --> 00:05:20,290 So as we look at this, this is while our Lord was upon the 68 00:05:20,330 --> 00:05:24,750 earth, He used parables as his method of teaching many times 69 00:05:24,750 --> 00:05:28,070 and conveying spiritual truths. Now, according to the 70 00:05:28,070 --> 00:05:33,030 dictionary, a parable is an allegorical story designed to 71 00:05:33,030 --> 00:05:35,230 convey some truth or moral lesson. 72 00:05:35,710 --> 00:05:39,630 It's something that is laid down beside the truth to help explain 73 00:05:39,630 --> 00:05:42,630 it. And again, keep in mind that 74 00:05:42,630 --> 00:05:48,990 he's speaking to Jewish people. He's speaking to people that 75 00:05:48,990 --> 00:05:54,530 were trying to be faithful Jews, we would expect, but at the same 76 00:05:54,530 --> 00:05:56,450 time, he's bringing something new to them. 77 00:05:56,970 --> 00:06:00,490 He's bringing the gospel word. He needs these apostles and 78 00:06:00,490 --> 00:06:04,290 those that would follow him to understand and they live. 79 00:06:04,290 --> 00:06:07,490 You got to remember that these people are living in a land 80 00:06:07,490 --> 00:06:10,250 where crops are sown. It's very important. 81 00:06:10,810 --> 00:06:13,010 If the crops aren't grown, they're going to starve. 82 00:06:14,010 --> 00:06:16,730 There's not too many farmers left in this congregation. 83 00:06:16,730 --> 00:06:20,920 I don't expect most people are working somewhere else in the 84 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:26,040 world besides the ground. You may have a garden and you 85 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:29,120 may have grown up on a farm. You may have worked in a farm, 86 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:32,280 but there are probably young people here today might not have 87 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:36,120 any expectation of what a seed does when it grows. 88 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:43,560 So me, I have an affinity for being able to touch the soul and 89 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:46,160 grow things. So it it it means a lot to me in 90 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:51,630 this parable here, but this is just one of Christ's many 91 00:06:51,630 --> 00:06:54,550 parables. Brother Mike Criswell and his 92 00:06:54,550 --> 00:06:57,950 Continuing for the Faith commentary on Matthew has these 93 00:06:57,950 --> 00:07:02,510 introductory comments verse one the same day when Jesus went out 94 00:07:02,510 --> 00:07:05,590 of the house. The parables of this chapter 95 00:07:06,350 --> 00:07:12,030 follow those happenings in chapter 12 of Matthew. 96 00:07:12,750 --> 00:07:17,260 Actually, they're all the same day, and you've got to think 97 00:07:17,260 --> 00:07:22,220 about there was a lot happening in Jesus Christ's life on that 98 00:07:22,220 --> 00:07:25,540 day. If we were to go back and look 99 00:07:25,540 --> 00:07:28,860 at Mark's narrative, which is Mark's chapters, essentially 3 100 00:07:28,860 --> 00:07:33,140 through 5, using that narrative is the basis of chronology of 101 00:07:33,140 --> 00:07:35,700 the day. It includes the healing of a 102 00:07:35,980 --> 00:07:39,060 demoniac, the rebuff of the Pharisees, the warning of the 103 00:07:39,060 --> 00:07:43,230 unpardonable sin, the plea of the family to come home of 104 00:07:43,230 --> 00:07:46,590 multiple parables with interpretation of two of those 105 00:07:46,870 --> 00:07:50,390 by Christ speaking to his disciples, and a stormy boat 106 00:07:50,390 --> 00:07:52,870 ride to the land of the Gatherings. 107 00:07:54,430 --> 00:07:58,870 Now Robertson, who is a biblical scholar, linguist, he writes 108 00:07:59,070 --> 00:08:03,430 this day serves as a specimen of many others that were filled to 109 00:08:03,430 --> 00:08:06,350 the fulfillment of stress and strain. 110 00:08:06,870 --> 00:08:12,030 But it was all about the spreading of the gospel that man 111 00:08:12,030 --> 00:08:15,750 can might know it now. The parable, the sore. 112 00:08:16,910 --> 00:08:20,870 It is a farm scene. There's a farmer, a field, some 113 00:08:20,870 --> 00:08:24,670 seed, and the soul. The soul is important thing here 114 00:08:24,670 --> 00:08:28,110 because it represents the ears of God's word. 115 00:08:28,630 --> 00:08:34,429 So this lesson about the sore could be called the four souls. 116 00:08:35,230 --> 00:08:37,990 There are two kinds of ground that are referred to in this 117 00:08:38,270 --> 00:08:41,440 parable, Good ground and bad ground. 118 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,880 Now these kinds of ground are divided into 4 conditions of 119 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:49,640 salt. Now if you've ever tried to put 120 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:54,440 a seed in the ground, it's going to grow depending upon what kind 121 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,680 of ground it is, what kind of condition it is. 122 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,520 Now some people may look and say, oh, I need to apply some 123 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,920 type of fertilizer. I may need to put some manure in 124 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:08,530 the ground. When I was in Tucson, AZ, living 125 00:09:08,530 --> 00:09:13,330 out on five acres of open range, they had scraped the land down. 126 00:09:13,690 --> 00:09:17,610 All the top soil was gone and all it was, was was Kalichi 127 00:09:17,610 --> 00:09:19,970 clay. You wouldn't be able to grow 128 00:09:19,970 --> 00:09:23,490 anything much there, but maybe maybe some type of cactus or 129 00:09:23,490 --> 00:09:25,810 weed because you couldn't hardly. 130 00:09:25,850 --> 00:09:29,170 You had to take took a pickaxe to dig into the soil. 131 00:09:29,810 --> 00:09:32,890 So that's what we did. We took a pickaxe and we dug a 132 00:09:32,890 --> 00:09:35,010 hole out. Then we put soil in it. 133 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,520 They mixed it up so we could grow plants as we planted the 134 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:41,480 seeds. So you may have to go to a lot 135 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:44,280 of efforts here in preparing the ground. 136 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,120 But as we look at this, there's good ground and bad ground, and 137 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:51,000 the kinds of ground are divided into these four conditions. 138 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:55,680 There is the wayside soul that's spoken of in the parable, the 139 00:09:55,680 --> 00:09:59,640 Stony soul, the thorny soul and the good soul. 140 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:04,680 Now the good soul is that which produces 30 fold, 60 fold, and 141 00:10:04,680 --> 00:10:08,500 100 fold, and we'll talk more about that toward the end of the 142 00:10:08,900 --> 00:10:11,700 lesson. The farm that Jesus is talking 143 00:10:11,700 --> 00:10:13,940 about is 1, where the soil is not. 144 00:10:13,980 --> 00:10:17,900 All the same, some of the soil will naturally produce better 145 00:10:17,900 --> 00:10:21,540 than other parts of the farm. You might find this mix of soils 146 00:10:21,540 --> 00:10:25,540 on farms today where there's an area of a farm where the soil is 147 00:10:25,780 --> 00:10:30,100 kind of thin and the earth is not, you know, deep or an area 148 00:10:30,100 --> 00:10:32,700 where it's Stony. Or you might have another area 149 00:10:32,700 --> 00:10:36,830 on the farm where it just grows weeds and thorns. 150 00:10:37,950 --> 00:10:41,070 And then there's the area that is good sold, which is expected 151 00:10:41,070 --> 00:10:45,030 to produce a good crop. Man has not always had 152 00:10:45,030 --> 00:10:49,270 sophisticated machinery which to farm today. 153 00:10:49,270 --> 00:10:52,510 And I know some older people here have probably been around 154 00:10:52,510 --> 00:10:58,430 the farm and have used machinery erode a piece of machinery where 155 00:10:58,590 --> 00:11:01,110 a plant was set or seeds were sown. 156 00:11:01,270 --> 00:11:04,280 So they just in a row and that type of thing. 157 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:10,760 But back during the time of Christ, seeds were cast, they 158 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:15,280 were broadcast and you may have done that even in your garden. 159 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:18,480 I mean we had some wildflowers that that's essentially what we 160 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:22,680 did in our area of our yard this year, Charlotte. 161 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:25,760 And we had some wildflowers and we just spread them out there 162 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:29,960 and they're all mixed together and they've come up, you know, 163 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,290 and and kind of crowded one another for the most part. 164 00:11:35,570 --> 00:11:39,410 But in the prayerable of Jesus, the seed is sown not with the 165 00:11:39,410 --> 00:11:41,410 planner but by the broadcast method. 166 00:11:41,810 --> 00:11:45,530 The farmer goes out and simply throws the seed by a handful and 167 00:11:45,530 --> 00:11:48,770 out over the soul. Now this is the way the word of 168 00:11:48,770 --> 00:11:53,450 God really is preached today. It has been men are taught by 169 00:11:53,450 --> 00:11:56,050 the broadcast method. The conditions of the soul 170 00:11:56,050 --> 00:11:57,890 represent the conditions of the heart. 171 00:11:58,290 --> 00:12:03,130 We read in Proverbs 423 Keep thy heart with all diligence, for 172 00:12:03,130 --> 00:12:07,130 out of it are the issues of life concerning the people that heard 173 00:12:07,130 --> 00:12:10,570 the parable that day. Jesus said this as he referred 174 00:12:10,570 --> 00:12:16,090 back to the words of Isaiah and 6th Isaiah. 610 For the hearts 175 00:12:16,090 --> 00:12:19,690 of this people have grown dull, Their ears are hard of hearing, 176 00:12:20,090 --> 00:12:23,650 and their eyes have closed, lest they should see with their eyes 177 00:12:23,650 --> 00:12:27,210 and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with 178 00:12:27,210 --> 00:12:31,750 their hearts and turn, So thy should heal them. 179 00:12:31,750 --> 00:12:38,790 And like the song that was sung today, Jesus can save you, He 180 00:12:38,790 --> 00:12:42,270 can heal you. The various conditions of men's 181 00:12:42,270 --> 00:12:45,630 hearts are typified by the conditions of the soul in the 182 00:12:45,630 --> 00:12:48,270 parable. When a farmer goes out to sow 183 00:12:48,270 --> 00:12:51,870 his seed, he wants to know that the seed is the very best so 184 00:12:51,870 --> 00:12:55,630 that he can secure at least a reasonably sure he's going to 185 00:12:55,630 --> 00:13:00,580 produce a good crop. I maintain that the word of God 186 00:13:00,580 --> 00:13:05,420 is the very best seed that can be sown in the hearts of men. 187 00:13:06,700 --> 00:13:10,180 The Apostle Paul certified that the gospel he had preached was 188 00:13:10,180 --> 00:13:13,740 that which he had received from the Lord Jesus Christ. 189 00:13:14,460 --> 00:13:20,740 As in Galatians of 111 through 12, Jesus says in Luke 811 the 190 00:13:20,740 --> 00:13:25,460 seed is the word of God. There is no better seed than 191 00:13:25,460 --> 00:13:28,960 that. However, neither the seed or the 192 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:32,440 farmer really is the focus of importance in this parable. 193 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:36,720 It is the soul, the field in which the seed is soul. 194 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:43,040 And as we look at the wayside soul in verse four, and as he 195 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:46,800 sold some seed, failed by the wayside, and the birds came and 196 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:50,040 devoured them. In Jesus explanation to his 197 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:55,000 disciples in Matthew 1319, the explanation is this. 198 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:58,490 When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom and does not 199 00:13:58,490 --> 00:14:02,490 understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches it away. 200 00:14:03,050 --> 00:14:07,810 What was sown in his heart? This is he who has the seed by 201 00:14:07,810 --> 00:14:11,210 the wayside. When the broadcast method of 202 00:14:11,210 --> 00:14:15,890 sowing the seed is used, it is only natural that some of the 203 00:14:15,890 --> 00:14:19,810 seed falls in places where the farmer does not intend it to go. 204 00:14:21,210 --> 00:14:23,930 When the Word of God is preached, the seed is not always 205 00:14:23,930 --> 00:14:29,240 going to find lodgment in good and honest hearts. 206 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:33,560 Often the seed falls on individuals who care not to 207 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:37,440 understand God's word, who could care nothing for it. 208 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:42,080 There are several kinds of minds or hearts that may be regarded 209 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:47,240 as wayside, so so in which the seed of the Kingdom is wasted. 210 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:51,800 For instance, there are those whose minds wander while hearing 211 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:55,800 God's Word. The Bible warns in Hebrews 2, 212 00:14:56,260 --> 00:15:01,060 one through three in Hebrews 2, one through 3. 213 00:15:01,780 --> 00:15:06,140 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we 214 00:15:06,140 --> 00:15:08,340 have heard. Less we drift away forth, the 215 00:15:08,340 --> 00:15:11,460 word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every 216 00:15:11,460 --> 00:15:15,580 transgression and every and disobedience received a just 217 00:15:15,580 --> 00:15:18,020 reward. How shall we escape if we 218 00:15:18,020 --> 00:15:22,540 neglect so great as salvation, which at the first began to be 219 00:15:22,540 --> 00:15:27,430 spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by her who heard 220 00:15:27,430 --> 00:15:30,790 him? So there are people who hear the 221 00:15:30,790 --> 00:15:34,110 word, and they don't want to take it in. 222 00:15:35,270 --> 00:15:39,070 So we ought to give ourselves earnest heed to the things we 223 00:15:39,070 --> 00:15:41,870 hear. Because when a person lets his 224 00:15:41,870 --> 00:15:45,150 mind wander from the subject that is being considered, and in 225 00:15:45,150 --> 00:15:48,990 his attention is not centered on the teaching of God's word, the 226 00:15:48,990 --> 00:15:52,350 seed of the Kingdom is being wasted on him because it 227 00:15:52,350 --> 00:15:55,950 produces no fruit. Another person may be looked 228 00:15:55,950 --> 00:15:59,150 upon at wayside. Saul is the person who listens 229 00:15:59,150 --> 00:16:06,830 to God's word with scorn. In X754 through 57 we read about 230 00:16:08,070 --> 00:16:14,830 Steven and we read about Steven, and he's talking to the Jews and 231 00:16:14,830 --> 00:16:18,310 an assembly there. They brought him in and tried to 232 00:16:18,310 --> 00:16:23,530 charge him that he was speaking blasphemy against Moses and and 233 00:16:23,530 --> 00:16:28,410 the Old Testament we know. And it really was speaking the 234 00:16:28,410 --> 00:16:30,450 truth of what had happened to the Israelites. 235 00:16:30,450 --> 00:16:34,250 And he came down to the point that he was telling them that 236 00:16:34,250 --> 00:16:38,650 they were murderers, that they had murdered the Messiah, Jesus 237 00:16:38,650 --> 00:16:43,530 the Christ. And in verse 54 he says when 238 00:16:43,530 --> 00:16:46,330 they heard these things they were cut to the heart and they 239 00:16:46,330 --> 00:16:51,020 gnashed at him with their teeth. But he being full of the Holy 240 00:16:51,020 --> 00:16:54,860 Spirit, now this is Steven, gazed in the heaven and saw the 241 00:16:54,860 --> 00:16:58,540 glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and 242 00:16:58,540 --> 00:17:01,940 said, look, I see the heavens open, and the Son of Man 243 00:17:02,220 --> 00:17:03,940 standing at the right hand of God. 244 00:17:04,260 --> 00:17:09,060 Then they, those Jewish people cried out with a loud voice, 245 00:17:09,060 --> 00:17:12,819 stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord. 246 00:17:13,099 --> 00:17:17,579 And they cast him out of the city and stoned him and stoned 247 00:17:17,579 --> 00:17:20,800 him. Talk about people that would 248 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:24,000 refuse to hear what was being said. 249 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:28,920 They simply scorned the word that was being taught. 250 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:36,400 So it's important that people listen and listen with an open 251 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:42,080 mind and that good heart. These were certainly sold on 252 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:46,240 which the seed was wasted. In Acts 24 we also hear the case 253 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:50,710 of another man who was typified by the wayside, saw his name was 254 00:17:50,710 --> 00:17:53,550 Felix. He was a man of some importance 255 00:17:53,550 --> 00:17:57,750 and authority, and the apostle Paul had reason with him of 256 00:17:57,750 --> 00:18:00,950 righteousness, temperance, and of judgment to come. 257 00:18:01,910 --> 00:18:04,910 And Felix listened, and it caused him to be stirred. 258 00:18:05,430 --> 00:18:10,470 The Bible tells us that he trembled, but he says go away 259 00:18:10,710 --> 00:18:14,230 for now, for when I have a convenient time, I will call for 260 00:18:14,230 --> 00:18:16,150 you. Acts 2425. 261 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:19,640 He doesn't call for him to come back. 262 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,880 The seed was wasted, and all the reasoning and teaching that Paul 263 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:28,640 did availed nothing because of the hardness of Felix's heart. 264 00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:33,040 There was nothing wrong with the seed that was sown, or was there 265 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:34,760 anything wrong with the man who sold it. 266 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:38,040 It was the condition of the heart of Felix that made it 267 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:40,960 impossible for that seed to produce fruit. 268 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:46,610 That seed that was sown in the wayside saw is just as good, a 269 00:18:46,610 --> 00:18:49,050 seed that is sown in good ground. 270 00:18:49,570 --> 00:18:52,730 If the teaching of Paul had found lodgment in that good 271 00:18:52,730 --> 00:18:56,290 heart of Felix, it would have produced fruit. 272 00:18:56,490 --> 00:19:00,170 But there was no good heart. It was as hard as the Kalichi 273 00:19:00,170 --> 00:19:03,410 Clay. But the heart of Felix was too 274 00:19:03,410 --> 00:19:06,530 hard to receive the seed of the Kingdom, and it availed nothing. 275 00:19:07,250 --> 00:19:12,510 It was wasted. Some fell on strong Stony ground 276 00:19:12,510 --> 00:19:18,070 or places where much earth where there was not much earth, and 277 00:19:18,070 --> 00:19:21,350 the seeds immediately sprang up and they had no depth of of 278 00:19:21,350 --> 00:19:24,950 earth. So this would be a seed that's 279 00:19:24,950 --> 00:19:30,510 sown just by the Stony praise place and then the cracks and 280 00:19:30,510 --> 00:19:38,680 crevices and it would pop up, but the sun would be there and 281 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:40,720 it was scorching because it was no root. 282 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:43,760 They would be withered away. You know, a good farmer's not 283 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:46,960 going to deliberately sow good soil and a Stony place. 284 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:49,440 Wow, there's a good crop of rocks over here. 285 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,840 Let me sow some seed over here. You might do it if you're doing 286 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:57,000 some type of wildflowers or something like that, but not to 287 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:00,320 get a good crop that's going to feed somebody that's going to 288 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:04,480 produce fruit. He knows that crop cannot 289 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:08,290 preproduce because. He has other soil in which the 290 00:20:08,290 --> 00:20:10,690 sow seed. He knows that in such a place on 291 00:20:10,690 --> 00:20:12,610 this, the root system will not be good. 292 00:20:13,090 --> 00:20:16,130 It would be extremely difficult to say at least to reap the crop 293 00:20:16,690 --> 00:20:20,090 if it ever produced. Obviously he wants to sow his 294 00:20:20,090 --> 00:20:23,650 seed in the good ground in order to be reasonably sure he's going 295 00:20:23,650 --> 00:20:26,650 to have a good crop. But when you broadcast and use 296 00:20:26,650 --> 00:20:31,290 that broadcast method of sowing, it will naturally fall in some 297 00:20:31,570 --> 00:20:36,330 Stony places. Jesus explains to his disciples 298 00:20:36,750 --> 00:20:42,270 in chapter 13, verses 20 and 21, it says, But he who received a 299 00:20:42,270 --> 00:20:45,830 seat on Stony places, that is he who hears the word and 300 00:20:45,830 --> 00:20:47,350 immediately receives it with joy. 301 00:20:48,070 --> 00:20:51,910 Yet he has no root in himself. But in there's only for a while. 302 00:20:52,430 --> 00:20:55,950 For when tribulation or persecution arises because of 303 00:20:55,950 --> 00:20:58,430 the word, immediately he stumbles. 304 00:20:59,150 --> 00:21:03,150 So we're talking about someone that above obeys the gospel, and 305 00:21:03,150 --> 00:21:07,520 then because the word hasn't taken proper root, they're going 306 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:16,200 to stumble and fall away. It is really better for someone 307 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:21,720 sometimes it's that they hear the word, but you need to hear 308 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:25,280 it, not just with a quick response or an emotional 309 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,720 response, because then the conviction's going to be too 310 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:31,680 shallow. The religion is superficial and 311 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:34,840 when tribulation and persecution come, they arise. 312 00:21:35,260 --> 00:21:38,780 That person's going to be offended, quit, and stop serving 313 00:21:38,780 --> 00:21:41,140 the Lord. It is better for a person to 314 00:21:41,140 --> 00:21:45,660 weigh carefully what it means to follow Jesus before he responds 315 00:21:46,020 --> 00:21:49,460 to the gospel. The example would be in Luke 9 316 00:21:49,980 --> 00:21:59,700 and 57 through 62, verse 57 of Luke 9. 317 00:22:00,460 --> 00:22:02,700 Now what happened? As they journeyed on the road, 318 00:22:02,700 --> 00:22:08,030 that someone said to him that being speaking to Christ, Lord, 319 00:22:08,030 --> 00:22:10,630 I will follow you wherever you go. 320 00:22:11,630 --> 00:22:15,470 And Jesus said to him, foxes have holes and birds of the air 321 00:22:15,470 --> 00:22:18,150 have nest. But the Son of Man is nowhere to 322 00:22:18,150 --> 00:22:20,830 lay his head. Then he said to another, follow 323 00:22:20,830 --> 00:22:23,110 me. But he said, Lord, let me first 324 00:22:23,110 --> 00:22:26,550 go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, let the dead 325 00:22:26,550 --> 00:22:29,390 bury their own dead. But you go and preach the 326 00:22:29,390 --> 00:22:34,150 Kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I 327 00:22:34,150 --> 00:22:37,870 will follow you, but let me first go and bid them farewell 328 00:22:37,870 --> 00:22:41,710 who are at my house. But Jesus said to him, no one 329 00:22:41,710 --> 00:22:46,350 having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the 330 00:22:46,350 --> 00:22:50,830 Kingdom of God. You know the individual who is 331 00:22:50,830 --> 00:22:56,950 typified by the Stony soul is is talked about right here. 332 00:22:57,470 --> 00:23:00,430 The first man decided that he would follow Jesus without 333 00:23:00,430 --> 00:23:03,740 counting the cost. Jesus pointed out to him that he 334 00:23:03,740 --> 00:23:05,740 should realize what it means to follow him. 335 00:23:06,420 --> 00:23:09,620 After he had explained this to the first man, he turned to the 336 00:23:09,620 --> 00:23:12,140 second man. The 2nd man understood that 337 00:23:12,140 --> 00:23:15,620 there was some sacrifice connected with it, but was not 338 00:23:15,620 --> 00:23:20,740 willing to make that sacrifice. He excused himself by saying let 339 00:23:20,740 --> 00:23:24,900 me first go bury my father. Now he might have been willing 340 00:23:24,900 --> 00:23:28,460 to follow Jesus, but first he wanted to do something else. 341 00:23:28,900 --> 00:23:32,860 He offered something that was reasonable excuse to himself. 342 00:23:32,860 --> 00:23:36,620 Anyway, Lord, I will follow thee, but first let me go. 343 00:23:36,900 --> 00:23:41,340 The third man, he says, Lord, I will follow thee, but let me 344 00:23:41,340 --> 00:23:42,860 first go bid farewell to my house. 345 00:23:42,860 --> 00:23:44,860 This is not seem to be unreasonable. 346 00:23:45,100 --> 00:23:49,020 None of these situations might seem unreasonable to common 347 00:23:49,020 --> 00:23:51,660 everyday people. But here the Lord is saying, 348 00:23:51,900 --> 00:23:56,060 surely this people, if they're saying they will follow Jesus 349 00:23:56,060 --> 00:23:59,860 Christ, they would need to follow him and do that. 350 00:24:00,540 --> 00:24:05,460 We think about to the apostles that Christ called what did they 351 00:24:05,460 --> 00:24:08,300 do? They dropped their Nets, they 352 00:24:08,300 --> 00:24:12,420 dropped what they were doing and they followed Jesus Christ. 353 00:24:13,220 --> 00:24:16,660 Matthew left the tax booth and followed Christ. 354 00:24:17,260 --> 00:24:22,900 We have these people that would do this, but these men that they 355 00:24:22,900 --> 00:24:30,950 met along the way and too many excuses, sometimes excuses for 356 00:24:30,990 --> 00:24:35,670 us seem to kind of make everything okay. 357 00:24:37,310 --> 00:24:38,990 It's all right. I don't have to do this. 358 00:24:39,270 --> 00:24:40,870 I don't have to come to church services. 359 00:24:41,190 --> 00:24:44,190 I don't have to read the Bible. I don't have to do this. 360 00:24:44,670 --> 00:24:48,790 Well, you're putting yourself of of stirring up the soul and 361 00:24:48,790 --> 00:24:53,910 maybe causing the dust cloud to blur your vision and what you 362 00:24:53,910 --> 00:24:56,550 need to be doing in your life and serving Christ. 363 00:24:57,950 --> 00:25:02,940 But you can't. It says here that we need no one 364 00:25:03,260 --> 00:25:06,220 in the last that says no one, having put his hands on the 365 00:25:06,220 --> 00:25:09,420 plow, looking back as fit for the Kingdom of God, can't turn 366 00:25:09,420 --> 00:25:11,620 around and go back. If you're going to commit, you 367 00:25:11,620 --> 00:25:13,620 must go forward. You must go on. 368 00:25:14,140 --> 00:25:17,900 And in this parable, you're talking about seeds that grow. 369 00:25:18,900 --> 00:25:22,860 And if it's a good seed and growing in a good heart, you 370 00:25:22,860 --> 00:25:26,740 continue to grow. You continue to be that faithful 371 00:25:26,740 --> 00:25:32,410 Christian that continues to go on and and supporting all that 372 00:25:32,410 --> 00:25:36,090 is Jesus Christ. That is apparent here that Jesus 373 00:25:36,090 --> 00:25:38,970 wants every man to consider carefully before deciding to 374 00:25:38,970 --> 00:25:41,730 follow him. The resolution to follow Jesus 375 00:25:41,730 --> 00:25:45,930 wherever he goes is the greatest that can be made before a man to 376 00:25:45,930 --> 00:25:49,890 start serving Jesus. His desire to go to heaven must 377 00:25:49,890 --> 00:25:53,450 be more important to him than anything else. 378 00:25:54,290 --> 00:25:59,560 The thorny ground and some fell among thorns, and the thorns 379 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:01,800 spring up and choked him in verse 7. 380 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:06,000 Whenever seed is sown, regardless of how good that seed 381 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:09,600 is, if the soil is already occupied by other things, the 382 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,080 good seed cannot produce as it should. 383 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:16,360 The soil needs to be cleared of all weeds and former clot crops. 384 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:20,160 The soil must be perceived prepared to receive the seed 385 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:23,640 when the ground is ready. Then the seed will can be sown 386 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:26,560 with the expectation that it will produce. 387 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:33,520 I know there's a lesson that I've commented on before about 388 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:37,520 the unfinished prayer and that little poem that goes with that. 389 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:40,880 It talks about you have to make sure you're hoeing between the 390 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:44,520 roads. Even today I mentioned to 391 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:47,720 Charlotte, I need to get back out there and hold some weeds 392 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:49,760 that are growing up among the Oakland. 393 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:54,320 So we need to make sure that we we're keeping the weeds and 394 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:58,260 thorns out, because if the ground is filled with the we 395 00:26:58,260 --> 00:27:02,060 cannot expect much. Likewise, when see the soul in a 396 00:27:02,060 --> 00:27:05,860 heart that is occupied with the cares of this world, with money 397 00:27:05,860 --> 00:27:10,020 and worldly pleasure, the Lord cannot expect very much out of 398 00:27:10,020 --> 00:27:14,020 that life. In the parable, Jesus explains 399 00:27:14,020 --> 00:27:16,940 about this individual who is considered thorny ground. 400 00:27:17,580 --> 00:27:25,330 In Matthew 1322 we read where it's explained Doctor Matthew 401 00:27:25,330 --> 00:27:33,530 here in verse 22. Now he receives seen among the 402 00:27:33,530 --> 00:27:37,410 thorns as he who hears the Word, and the cares of this world and 403 00:27:37,410 --> 00:27:40,730 the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word and he becomes 404 00:27:40,730 --> 00:27:48,110 unfruitful. The thorny ground here pictures 405 00:27:48,110 --> 00:27:50,590 a person who receives the Word, obeys the gospel. 406 00:27:50,670 --> 00:27:53,630 He becomes a Christian, but in the process of time he allows 407 00:27:53,630 --> 00:27:58,020 the cares of this world and a deceitful of riches to cause him 408 00:27:58,020 --> 00:28:00,780 to become unfruitful. The World Word. 409 00:28:00,860 --> 00:28:02,540 The Word is choked out of his life. 410 00:28:02,900 --> 00:28:05,020 He does not have time to do what he should. 411 00:28:05,380 --> 00:28:08,820 As a child of God, he no longer has time to take care of his 412 00:28:08,820 --> 00:28:13,060 responsibilities and duties as a Christian and thereby produce 413 00:28:13,060 --> 00:28:16,540 fruit for Jesus. Other things become so important 414 00:28:16,540 --> 00:28:20,900 that the affairs of the Kingdom pale into insignificance. 415 00:28:21,220 --> 00:28:29,220 The word is simply choked out the good saw, but others fell on 416 00:28:29,220 --> 00:28:32,820 good ground and yielded A crop some 100 fold, some 60 and some 417 00:28:32,820 --> 00:28:36,500 30. The Lord recognized that every 418 00:28:36,500 --> 00:28:40,100 man is not able to produce the same amount of Christian fruit. 419 00:28:40,620 --> 00:28:44,580 He points that out in this parable the good ground is 420 00:28:44,580 --> 00:28:48,180 expected to produce. However, otherwise it would not 421 00:28:48,180 --> 00:28:54,980 be considered good ground as we talk about the 100 fold and the 422 00:28:54,980 --> 00:28:59,790 60 fold and the 30 fold. My personal thoughts, this is 423 00:28:59,790 --> 00:29:04,670 just a personal thought on my part, is I have to think of it 424 00:29:04,670 --> 00:29:08,110 like this. Everybody, every Christian, 425 00:29:08,110 --> 00:29:14,190 every Christian needs to be contributing to the work of the 426 00:29:14,190 --> 00:29:17,230 gospel, to being the best Christian they can be. 427 00:29:17,830 --> 00:29:22,430 Some people have more abilities, so the expectation is they 428 00:29:22,430 --> 00:29:26,230 should be producing maybe more fruit, as it were. 429 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:33,080 Somebody that is not as capable in some capacity is doing 60 and 430 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:36,640 someone less than 30. But the reality is, in my mind, 431 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:40,680 my personal opinion is every single one that's producing is 432 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:43,880 doing it at 100% of their effort. 433 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:45,880 They're doing what will please the Lord. 434 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:52,240 Everybody should be producing. Not everybody can stand up and 435 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:55,990 sing a song that maybe stirs the soul and the congregation. 436 00:29:56,030 --> 00:29:59,510 Not everybody can be an evangelist and stand up and 437 00:29:59,510 --> 00:30:03,830 teach and preach. But everybody has the ability to 438 00:30:03,990 --> 00:30:08,110 sit down and talk with a neighbor and bring someone in to 439 00:30:08,110 --> 00:30:12,390 hear the gospel word taught or sit down across and have a cup 440 00:30:12,390 --> 00:30:15,870 of coffee and talk about it. Everybody has something to be 441 00:30:15,870 --> 00:30:17,630 able to do. To be the good example, as you 442 00:30:17,630 --> 00:30:21,710 go about from day-to-day to say a prayer, when you're in a 443 00:30:21,710 --> 00:30:25,810 restaurant somewhere, someone come over and said something to 444 00:30:25,810 --> 00:30:27,410 you. Then you speak to them and you 445 00:30:27,410 --> 00:30:31,130 say, oh, well, next thing you know, you're talking about, 446 00:30:31,850 --> 00:30:34,170 you're a member of the Church of Christ and there's some 447 00:30:34,170 --> 00:30:37,690 something else, but you talk with them. 448 00:30:37,690 --> 00:30:40,970 The next thing you know, they're coming and they're hearing 449 00:30:41,650 --> 00:30:44,250 because hearing the gospel we know is the first thing you need 450 00:30:44,250 --> 00:30:49,290 to be doing to understand it. Let us read now. 451 00:30:49,290 --> 00:30:59,700 In John 15 one through 5 and John 15 one through 5 talks 452 00:30:59,700 --> 00:31:02,900 about the vine. Jesus says, here I am the true 453 00:31:02,900 --> 00:31:05,460 vine, and my father is the vine dresser. 454 00:31:06,060 --> 00:31:09,340 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away in 455 00:31:09,340 --> 00:31:13,460 every branch that bears fruit. He proves that it may bear more 456 00:31:13,460 --> 00:31:15,860 fruit. You are already clean because of 457 00:31:15,860 --> 00:31:17,780 the word which I have spoken to you. 458 00:31:18,220 --> 00:31:19,780 Abide. Excuse me? 459 00:31:19,860 --> 00:31:25,020 Abide in me and I and you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of 460 00:31:25,020 --> 00:31:29,420 itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you 461 00:31:29,420 --> 00:31:32,660 abide in me. I am the vine. 462 00:31:33,140 --> 00:31:37,420 You are the branches He who abides in me and I and him bears 463 00:31:37,420 --> 00:31:40,340 much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. 464 00:31:41,180 --> 00:31:44,900 So we need to make sure that we are that faithful Christian, 465 00:31:45,220 --> 00:31:50,380 abiding in Jesus and the gospel word that he brought to mankind, 466 00:31:50,940 --> 00:31:55,620 that which saves man through his precious precious sacrifice on 467 00:31:55,620 --> 00:31:59,060 the cross, the blood that was shed on that cross. 468 00:31:59,900 --> 00:32:03,140 So here we can see that this parable that Jesus expects every 469 00:32:03,140 --> 00:32:06,420 branch to bring forth fruit. If we are considered good soul 470 00:32:06,500 --> 00:32:10,500 in the eyes of the Lord, it is because we're producing fruit. 471 00:32:11,700 --> 00:32:16,020 I may not be able to produce as much fruit as you do, or on the 472 00:32:16,020 --> 00:32:18,620 other hand, you may not be able to produce as much fruit as 473 00:32:18,620 --> 00:32:23,950 another here. But we all need to be producing 474 00:32:23,950 --> 00:32:27,990 for God, and we don't need to limit ourselves. 475 00:32:27,990 --> 00:32:31,310 We all need to work and strive to do more. 476 00:32:32,310 --> 00:32:36,470 But He does expect us to produce as much as we're capable in 477 00:32:36,470 --> 00:32:39,870 producing in order to be considered that good ground. 478 00:32:40,310 --> 00:32:42,630 The good soil represents the good, honest heart. 479 00:32:43,110 --> 00:32:45,630 When the seed of the Kingdom of soda and the good and receptive 480 00:32:45,630 --> 00:32:49,480 heart the person obeys the gospel becomes a child of God. 481 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:51,640 Then he produces the fruit of the Spirit. 482 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:55,360 Paul the Apostle Paul says the fruit of the spirit is love, 483 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:59,600 joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 484 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,160 maintenance, tempers against sons. 485 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:07,360 There's no law. Galatians 5/22/23 If we are good 486 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:11,040 ground, we will produce the kind of fruit in our lives. 487 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:15,160 If we have the ability to do something in the Kingdom, God 488 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:18,030 expects us to do it. If a man does not have the 489 00:33:18,030 --> 00:33:21,710 ability God makes is not requiring that as much. 490 00:33:22,270 --> 00:33:25,150 Do what you're capable of doing, but do it and do it with all 491 00:33:25,150 --> 00:33:27,710 your heart and all your might and all your strength. 492 00:33:27,710 --> 00:33:31,590 To Scripture, say, what we learn from the parable of the four 493 00:33:31,590 --> 00:33:36,630 souls of the solar is that on good soil the good seed takes 494 00:33:36,630 --> 00:33:39,990 root and produces fruit for God. Some produce fruit. 495 00:33:40,110 --> 00:33:44,110 It says 100 fold, 60, and 30, but all produce according to 496 00:33:44,110 --> 00:33:47,790 their ability. All are of 1 accord to produce 497 00:33:47,790 --> 00:33:52,870 fruit for the glory of God. We must recognize that we obey 498 00:33:52,870 --> 00:33:55,750 the gospel. We do not Bay it just to sit 499 00:33:55,750 --> 00:33:59,830 down and relax. We obey the gospel to be useful 500 00:34:00,350 --> 00:34:04,430 and working for Jesus. Our hands are the only hands. 501 00:34:04,430 --> 00:34:07,590 The Lord has to minister the needs of mankind. 502 00:34:08,030 --> 00:34:11,949 Our feet are the only feet. The Lord has to carry the gospel 503 00:34:12,190 --> 00:34:14,590 to the loss since sick dying world. 504 00:34:15,060 --> 00:34:19,219 Our miles are the only miles that Jesus has to speak His word 505 00:34:19,540 --> 00:34:23,659 to the alien center. In the lost backslider we think 506 00:34:23,659 --> 00:34:28,340 about Second Corinthians 47, but we have this treasure in earthen 507 00:34:28,340 --> 00:34:32,219 vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not 508 00:34:32,219 --> 00:34:34,380 of us. That earthen vessel. 509 00:34:34,659 --> 00:34:38,020 It's each Christian sitting here today. 510 00:34:39,540 --> 00:34:43,139 And in that earthen vessel is the gospel that you obeyed. 511 00:34:43,580 --> 00:34:46,110 You know the word. You live the word. 512 00:34:46,710 --> 00:34:50,830 So as faithful Christians, the treasure of the gospel exist in 513 00:34:50,909 --> 00:34:56,510 us to be shared with others. As Christians, we are supposed 514 00:34:56,510 --> 00:34:58,670 to be producing that fruit in our lives. 515 00:34:59,150 --> 00:35:01,070 Then we're considered that good soul. 516 00:35:01,630 --> 00:35:05,590 We each need to determine whether we are going to produce. 517 00:35:06,990 --> 00:35:10,750 Christians are then to serve the Lord to the best of the ability. 518 00:35:11,150 --> 00:35:13,950 This is the only way to be acceptable to him and the 519 00:35:13,950 --> 00:35:18,830 judgment that we did. He's Ecclesiastes 12/13/14. 520 00:35:20,990 --> 00:35:23,350 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. 521 00:35:23,350 --> 00:35:26,470 Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's 522 00:35:26,470 --> 00:35:28,710 all. For God will bring every work 523 00:35:28,710 --> 00:35:31,910 into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or 524 00:35:31,910 --> 00:35:37,790 bad, in Revelations 2212. And behold, I am coming quickly, 525 00:35:38,270 --> 00:35:42,310 and my reward is with me to give everyone according to his work 526 00:35:44,410 --> 00:35:47,370 First Peter 225. For you were like sheep gone 527 00:35:47,370 --> 00:35:52,290 astray, but have now returned to the shepherd and Bishop, or 528 00:35:52,290 --> 00:35:58,410 overseer of your souls. As Christians we found Christ. 529 00:35:59,730 --> 00:36:03,050 Those that have not found Christ, you need to have that 530 00:36:03,290 --> 00:36:05,890 word fall on that good honest heart. 531 00:36:06,530 --> 00:36:11,370 For those here today that have not obeyed the gospel, you have 532 00:36:11,370 --> 00:36:15,220 a good heart, surely, And that word is there. 533 00:36:16,220 --> 00:36:22,260 It's in that good heart. And we know that that good seed 534 00:36:22,460 --> 00:36:26,820 that has fallen in hearts here is because people heard the 535 00:36:26,820 --> 00:36:34,260 gospel. We know that Romans 10/17 says 536 00:36:34,260 --> 00:36:36,580 that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. 537 00:36:37,260 --> 00:36:40,660 And I pray again this day that the lesson has been taught and 538 00:36:40,660 --> 00:36:46,630 truth and spirit and in love, and that truly you can have 539 00:36:46,630 --> 00:36:50,430 heard the word of God and it's been sown in your good heart. 540 00:36:50,430 --> 00:36:55,230 Today believe Mark 1616. We're told that he who believes 541 00:36:55,470 --> 00:36:59,910 it is baptized will be saved, but he who does not will be 542 00:36:59,910 --> 00:37:05,990 condemned to be saved, be baptized to be that good seed 543 00:37:06,150 --> 00:37:10,590 that's going to grow and grow and become a strong Christian. 544 00:37:11,910 --> 00:37:17,320 Repent Luke 13 Three Christ says I tell you no, but unless you 545 00:37:17,320 --> 00:37:19,920 repent you all like W Paris. We need to repent of those 546 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:24,800 scents, need to turn turn away from that life of the world and 547 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:27,840 turn to be able to live. For Christ be a seed that 548 00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:30,680 produces fruit. Confess the name of Jesus 549 00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:35,320 Christ. Matthew 103233 Jesus speaking 550 00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:39,160 says, therefore whoever confesses me before men, him I 551 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:42,120 also will confess before my Father who was in heaven. 552 00:37:42,720 --> 00:37:47,000 But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before 553 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:51,440 my Father who was in heaven. Then of course, the plan of 554 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:55,680 salvation one needs to be baptized, baptized into Christ 555 00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:59,160 for remission of sins. Then Peter said to them, repent, 556 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:03,040 Let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for 557 00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:07,760 remission of sins. That's what they spoke to Back 558 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:12,980 to people, Peter on that Pentecost day and that first 559 00:38:12,980 --> 00:38:15,900 gospel sermon was preached to the Jewish people. 560 00:38:17,020 --> 00:38:21,700 So we thank you for. Listening to our podcast put on 561 00:38:21,700 --> 00:38:26,700 by the Church of Christ at 2215 Plans Rd. in Bakersfield. 562 00:38:27,420 --> 00:38:30,860 If you would like any additional information or you would like to 563 00:38:30,860 --> 00:38:33,860 receive a free Bible correspondence course by mail, 564 00:38:34,580 --> 00:38:39,940 please e-mail us at info@churchofchristbakersfield.com. 565 00:38:40,770 --> 00:38:45,850 Our service times are Sundays at 10:30 AM and 5:00 PM and 566 00:38:45,850 --> 00:38:50,330 Wednesdays at 7:30 PM. Please make plans to join us. 567 00:38:50,810 --> 00:38:52,970 We would love for you to be our honored guest.