1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:04,320 Bless you for this wonderful opportunity to come and share my 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:09,800 heart with you this morning. Roger, my husband and I live in 3 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:13,480 a charming old farmhouse, and many of you have actually been 4 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:15,280 to have tea or meals with us there. 5 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:20,880 And as you know, it's surrounded by fields all around, different 6 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,080 crops growing. So I've had the joy over the 7 00:00:24,080 --> 00:00:28,890 years to watch little sprites coming up growing sometimes 8 00:00:28,890 --> 00:00:33,570 wheat, barley, rape seed and then the harvesting and it's now 9 00:00:33,770 --> 00:00:37,250 the harvest season. And what's amazing is that 10 00:00:38,050 --> 00:00:41,450 before it used to be the old farmer ploughing up and down, 11 00:00:41,450 --> 00:00:46,770 but now it's these huge combine harvesters and ladies drive them 12 00:00:46,770 --> 00:00:50,730 too, which is great, and they go up and down with amazing 13 00:00:50,730 --> 00:00:54,290 precision because it's all computer controlled and 14 00:00:54,290 --> 00:00:58,340 sometimes drones are used. So it's high tech, but it's 15 00:00:58,340 --> 00:01:01,380 fascinating to see the change of the seasons. 16 00:01:02,180 --> 00:01:06,780 But then inside of our garden we've got an old apple and pear 17 00:01:06,780 --> 00:01:12,460 tree and a very reluctant plum tree, but the apples and pear 18 00:01:12,460 --> 00:01:16,060 trees are old and Nall, but they still keep producing so much 19 00:01:16,060 --> 00:01:18,700 fruit. And this summer our two little 20 00:01:18,700 --> 00:01:22,580 granddaughters, twins of eight years old and I, have been 21 00:01:22,580 --> 00:01:27,540 climbing the trees and picking the fruit baskets full of apples 22 00:01:27,900 --> 00:01:30,860 and pears. And it's been a thrill to cut 23 00:01:30,860 --> 00:01:37,020 those fruits open and see the amazing perfection of the seeds 24 00:01:37,020 --> 00:01:40,500 inside. I know the computer generated 25 00:01:40,500 --> 00:01:45,100 harvester does this incredible rescission, but the way the 26 00:01:45,100 --> 00:01:50,660 pattern of seeds is formed inside the fruit is just a 27 00:01:50,660 --> 00:01:54,180 thrill. Do you know how many seeds are 28 00:01:54,180 --> 00:02:00,320 in an average apple? Well, a Granny Smith has got 26 29 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:07,240 seeds, Golden Delicious or Red Delicious has nine and a Gala 30 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:08,840 apple is 10. So it goes. 31 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:13,200 But isn't it amazing that each kind has its own pattern and its 32 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,840 own number of seeds? It's astounding. 33 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,320 And if you plant a pip you don't just get another apple. 34 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:24,400 If you get a whole tree, all of apples that each have pips and 35 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:30,020 or more abundance is just written into the DNA and this 36 00:02:30,020 --> 00:02:34,100 has been a summer of lots of lovely salads and you cut open a 37 00:02:34,100 --> 00:02:38,060 tomato and if you've seen the pattern it's almost like a tree 38 00:02:38,060 --> 00:02:42,340 of life inside a tomato and an average tomato. 39 00:02:43,700 --> 00:02:47,860 How many? 300 pips isn't that amazing? 40 00:02:48,340 --> 00:02:51,780 300. So you plant a tomato and just 41 00:02:51,780 --> 00:02:54,580 think of all the abundance. It's amazing. 42 00:02:55,390 --> 00:02:58,510 So after I was just thinking about this and researching, I 43 00:02:58,510 --> 00:03:02,070 went to the supermarket and had a hundred of tomatoes in my hand 44 00:03:02,070 --> 00:03:05,230 waiting to check out. And I thought in this little 45 00:03:05,230 --> 00:03:09,830 punish of 100 grams, 27,000 seeds. 46 00:03:10,230 --> 00:03:13,110 Isn't that astounding? So we are wired. 47 00:03:13,110 --> 00:03:15,550 We are created for abundance in everything. 48 00:03:16,230 --> 00:03:22,670 It's been a time of barbecues, corn on the cob, 800 pips in 16 49 00:03:22,670 --> 00:03:24,590 rows. Isn't that amazing? 50 00:03:25,390 --> 00:03:27,230 We haven't even got to the watermelons. 51 00:03:27,230 --> 00:03:32,350 Yes, so watermelons also about 800 pips. 52 00:03:33,150 --> 00:03:35,990 And I just always bless the dear people in these research 53 00:03:35,990 --> 00:03:41,630 laboratories who counting pips. And what about pomegranates? 54 00:03:41,750 --> 00:03:45,190 Well, that is phenomenal. We won't have to go there, but 55 00:03:45,430 --> 00:03:53,230 in one Pomegranate 1370, I didn't personally count them, so 56 00:03:53,270 --> 00:03:55,350 it's amazing. So you get the message 57 00:03:55,870 --> 00:03:58,110 abundance. It's abundance. 58 00:03:58,110 --> 00:04:01,990 That's what's in a seed. And to me what's a thrill is 59 00:04:01,990 --> 00:04:06,710 that the miracle of the seed is that it's encapsulated in this 60 00:04:06,710 --> 00:04:14,270 tiny little dot and it's the master of everything in the DNA 61 00:04:14,310 --> 00:04:18,470 of that seed. It has the capacity to grow into 62 00:04:18,470 --> 00:04:22,610 that particular fruit or crop. So you look at this tiny little 63 00:04:22,610 --> 00:04:27,970 seed, and it grows not into just another fruit, but into a tree 64 00:04:28,370 --> 00:04:34,330 or a Bush to produce myriads. God is a God of abundance. 65 00:04:35,010 --> 00:04:38,330 And so of course, as we're talking about the parables, you 66 00:04:38,330 --> 00:04:41,530 guessed it, it's a parable of the sower. 67 00:04:42,330 --> 00:04:49,370 And I've called this talk God's Abundance, and it's available to 68 00:04:49,490 --> 00:04:51,470 us. It really is. 69 00:04:52,230 --> 00:04:55,870 But how many of us tap into that abundance? 70 00:04:56,990 --> 00:05:01,390 The miracle of the seed? Just remember, that encapsulates 71 00:05:01,750 --> 00:05:06,230 all the magnificence of the taste, the color, the texture, 72 00:05:06,230 --> 00:05:09,750 the fragrance. It's absolutely wrapped up in 73 00:05:09,750 --> 00:05:15,910 what looks like a dry dead husk, but given the right conditions, 74 00:05:17,190 --> 00:05:22,500 it starts to grow and the roots become shoots and the shoots 75 00:05:22,620 --> 00:05:25,980 become roots. I'm going to repeat that. 76 00:05:26,340 --> 00:05:31,860 The roots become shoots and the shoots become roots, but it 77 00:05:31,860 --> 00:05:37,500 starts with that seed, with all that locked up potential being 78 00:05:37,500 --> 00:05:39,940 in the right condition to make it grow. 79 00:05:41,300 --> 00:05:45,540 Over the weeks we've listened to amazing sermons by all these 80 00:05:45,540 --> 00:05:48,950 lovely gifted speakers. We've had Trevor talk about the 81 00:05:48,950 --> 00:05:52,310 wise and foolish builder. We've had Chris give a sermon 82 00:05:52,310 --> 00:05:56,430 that really struck deep to me when the Good Samaritan had Mark 83 00:05:56,430 --> 00:06:00,470 talking about the last coin, Heather talking about Be the 84 00:06:00,470 --> 00:06:04,630 Light, which is just amazing. If you've missed them, catch up. 85 00:06:05,550 --> 00:06:09,270 But it's interesting that today's sermon on the Parable of 86 00:06:09,270 --> 00:06:14,190 the Sower Jesus said these words about the Parable of the Sower. 87 00:06:15,110 --> 00:06:20,680 Mark Chapter 4, verse 13. Do you not discern and 88 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:23,000 understand this parable? Is that right? 89 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:28,520 How then is it possible for you to discern and understand all 90 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:34,360 the parables? This is a key parable, and it's 91 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:39,120 interesting that it's the last one, because this is the essence 92 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,960 of all the powerfuls, and I'll be unpacking why. 93 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:47,280 So I ask you to bear with me as we dig a little deeper. 94 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:49,840 Sorry about that. It's a very weak one. 95 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:55,240 But basically what I would love to share with you is why did 96 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:59,640 Jesus say that? Why is this such a significant 97 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:04,400 and key parable? It's actually mentioned in all 98 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:08,960 three of the Synoptic Gospels. It's in Matthew chapter 13, one 99 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:13,760 to 23. It's in Mark chapter 41 to 20, 100 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,110 and it's also in Luke chapter 81 to 12. 101 00:07:17,110 --> 00:07:22,830 All of them mention this parable, and it's so interesting 102 00:07:22,830 --> 00:07:26,350 that Jesus actually explains it because he didn't always do 103 00:07:26,350 --> 00:07:28,630 that. It's key. 104 00:07:29,030 --> 00:07:31,990 It's vital. It's important that you get 105 00:07:31,990 --> 00:07:36,710 this, that I get this, and not just that we get it here, but 106 00:07:36,710 --> 00:07:40,750 that we get it here and that we receive it and live it. 107 00:07:42,070 --> 00:07:44,430 John's gospel doesn't have any parables. 108 00:07:46,350 --> 00:07:52,990 But this parable, the sower is rimful in the Gospel of John, 109 00:07:53,670 --> 00:07:55,910 and I'll be showing you a little bit later. 110 00:07:56,230 --> 00:07:59,590 The Gospel of John is throbbing with this parable. 111 00:07:59,830 --> 00:08:01,510 It's so exciting. I love it. 112 00:08:02,630 --> 00:08:05,870 So why did Jesus use parables? We've gone through that 113 00:08:05,870 --> 00:08:08,310 parabola. It's a comparison. 114 00:08:08,830 --> 00:08:11,190 And Jesus liked to provoke his audience. 115 00:08:11,430 --> 00:08:16,300 He was a master storyteller. He could hold hundreds, 116 00:08:16,420 --> 00:08:20,700 thousands of people's attention in days without the light 117 00:08:20,700 --> 00:08:25,460 speakers and the big mics because of who he was, the 118 00:08:25,460 --> 00:08:28,340 presence, the authority that he had. 119 00:08:28,980 --> 00:08:32,179 He could hold their attention because he didn't just give 120 00:08:32,460 --> 00:08:35,500 earthly stories like the parables, but they have a 121 00:08:35,900 --> 00:08:39,500 heavenly meaning. That's what this is about. 122 00:08:40,179 --> 00:08:42,780 Everyday things that people really knew about. 123 00:08:43,789 --> 00:08:46,550 Didn't know about the combine harvesters and the drones and 124 00:08:46,550 --> 00:08:50,870 the technology and the app on your mobile, but they saw so as 125 00:08:51,190 --> 00:08:56,110 they saw people in seeds fields. And that's what Jesus speaks 126 00:08:56,110 --> 00:08:59,830 about the parable of the So let's read it together. 127 00:09:00,430 --> 00:09:04,750 Mark chapter 4128 from the new international version. 128 00:09:06,630 --> 00:09:09,230 Again, Jesus began to teach by the lake. 129 00:09:10,100 --> 00:09:13,620 The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got 130 00:09:13,620 --> 00:09:18,100 into a boat and sat down in it on the lake while the people 131 00:09:18,100 --> 00:09:20,260 were along the shore at the water's edge. 132 00:09:20,460 --> 00:09:23,980 You could just imagine that crowds pressing right along the 133 00:09:23,980 --> 00:09:26,860 water's edge and Jesus sat down in the boat. 134 00:09:27,460 --> 00:09:31,100 In those days, the rabbi always sat down to give his teaching. 135 00:09:31,380 --> 00:09:33,740 So it's it's amazing. That's what Jesus did. 136 00:09:34,580 --> 00:09:39,600 He taught them many things by parables and in his teaching 137 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:46,200 said listen, and when Jesus says listen we listen. 138 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:52,600 A farmer went out to sow his seed as he was scattering the 139 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:55,680 seed. Some fell along the path and the 140 00:09:55,680 --> 00:10:00,440 birds came and ate it up. Some fell in rocky places where 141 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:04,600 it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the 142 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:09,130 soil was shallow. When the sun came out, the 143 00:10:09,130 --> 00:10:15,290 plants were scorched and they withered because they had no 144 00:10:15,770 --> 00:10:18,810 root. Remember what I said about roots 145 00:10:19,210 --> 00:10:24,050 become shoots and shoots become fruit without roots. 146 00:10:24,890 --> 00:10:27,730 Bad news. Other seed fell among the 147 00:10:27,730 --> 00:10:32,130 phones, which grew up and choked the plants so that they did not 148 00:10:32,130 --> 00:10:36,410 bear grain. Still other seed fell on good 149 00:10:36,410 --> 00:10:41,010 soil and it came up grew, reduced a crop, some 150 00:10:41,010 --> 00:10:46,050 multiplying, 30, some 60, some 100 times. 151 00:10:46,370 --> 00:10:48,770 We talked about the abundance, and there it is. 152 00:10:50,410 --> 00:10:54,690 Well, I love this story of the parable, but so much of what 153 00:10:54,690 --> 00:10:58,530 Jesus has taught in the past in the Bible, we might have learned 154 00:10:58,530 --> 00:11:02,570 in Sunday school or children's church or somewhere in our past. 155 00:11:02,890 --> 00:11:07,280 So when we hear these very familiar words, we think so, you 156 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:09,840 know, kind of know it just secretly. 157 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:13,000 I mean, you wouldn't admit that. You kind of think, you know. 158 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:18,840 Well, I'm hoping that as we dig down and look very carefully at 159 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:23,320 some of these aspects that there will be a new revelation for 160 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,960 you. I really do, because I'm going 161 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:31,960 to be asking you a very deep and a very personal question at the 162 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:37,270 end of my talk that only you will be able to answer. 163 00:11:38,110 --> 00:11:43,310 And I say this lovingly to you. Listen, because there were many 164 00:11:43,310 --> 00:11:48,990 in that grip with Jesus who just casually listened, didn't take 165 00:11:48,990 --> 00:11:53,830 things too seriously and they missed it all together. 166 00:11:55,230 --> 00:12:00,390 But they were those who were intentional, who sat and soaked 167 00:12:00,390 --> 00:12:05,830 in every word, and their lives were changed forever. 168 00:12:07,110 --> 00:12:12,110 Something happened because they allowed what Jesus said, the 169 00:12:12,110 --> 00:12:19,670 truth of that to penetrate. So we all know that this story 170 00:12:19,670 --> 00:12:23,310 is about the sower sowing seeds, and I love the way he's 171 00:12:23,310 --> 00:12:25,950 generous. This isn't a sower that walks 172 00:12:25,950 --> 00:12:28,950 along and thinks, well, that looks pretty fertile. 173 00:12:28,950 --> 00:12:32,350 I drop a few there. That's not so good. 174 00:12:32,350 --> 00:12:37,980 Rocks that I'll drop. No, this survey just splashed it 175 00:12:37,980 --> 00:12:39,420 everywhere. He just. 176 00:12:40,180 --> 00:12:43,980 And at first you think, what was he A clever farmer just to be 177 00:12:43,980 --> 00:12:46,660 wasting seeds where he thought it wouldn't grow. 178 00:12:46,660 --> 00:12:50,020 It couldn't grow. But that's the father's heart. 179 00:12:50,900 --> 00:12:53,740 He loves you. He loves you. 180 00:12:54,380 --> 00:12:57,140 And you might look as if you are the hard soil. 181 00:12:57,820 --> 00:13:01,300 But he knows your heart. So he's just putting the seeds 182 00:13:01,300 --> 00:13:04,390 there. He's putting them everywhere is 183 00:13:04,390 --> 00:13:09,390 just abundantly flinging seeds because this is the message of 184 00:13:09,390 --> 00:13:13,750 life. This is the message of life, the 185 00:13:13,750 --> 00:13:16,670 hard soil. Let's look at the different 186 00:13:16,670 --> 00:13:21,350 soils. It's all the heart response to 187 00:13:21,350 --> 00:13:25,630 that seed. Many of us have had times in our 188 00:13:25,630 --> 00:13:28,830 lives where we have been like that hard soil. 189 00:13:29,150 --> 00:13:32,720 Maybe that's where you are at this moment and if you're 190 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:35,760 watching online or on catch up, I just want to welcome you 191 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:40,800 especially and say this is a message that I really pray will 192 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:45,480 penetrate into your hearts hard soil. 193 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:50,920 Why is that? Many times it's hardened just 194 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:54,200 because we've had to toughen up in order to cope. 195 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:59,320 Things have been so hard. We've suffered so many 196 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:03,060 disappointments. Maybe there's been abuse, maybe 197 00:14:03,060 --> 00:14:06,100 there's been a lack of of understanding. 198 00:14:06,100 --> 00:14:09,580 Maybe there's just been an appalling set of circumstances 199 00:14:09,940 --> 00:14:12,740 and you think, why is this all happening to me? 200 00:14:13,340 --> 00:14:16,940 And in order to cope you've become very hard. 201 00:14:18,500 --> 00:14:21,340 I understand that. And Jesus understood that. 202 00:14:21,860 --> 00:14:25,780 That's why he mentioned that first, because he said so often 203 00:14:25,780 --> 00:14:30,380 when you like that I'm still throwing the seed, I'm still 204 00:14:30,380 --> 00:14:33,340 reaching out to you because I love you. 205 00:14:33,940 --> 00:14:39,660 I want you to change. But if you don't open and make 206 00:14:39,660 --> 00:14:44,300 yourself available to that message of life, it's going to 207 00:14:44,300 --> 00:14:48,580 be snatched away. Hard hearts. 208 00:14:48,940 --> 00:14:54,940 We understand why, but I pray if that's you just aloud what we 209 00:14:54,940 --> 00:14:58,700 were singing about, the drenching of the Holy Spirit to 210 00:14:58,700 --> 00:15:03,300 soften you. There's the shallow heart, the 211 00:15:03,300 --> 00:15:07,260 heart that has so many rocks and stones and things that have 212 00:15:07,260 --> 00:15:12,620 happened again, that they're little pockets of soil and maybe 213 00:15:13,060 --> 00:15:16,540 there's a little bit of a growth taking place, but when the sun 214 00:15:16,540 --> 00:15:19,940 comes up, or when there's persecution, that Withers and 215 00:15:19,940 --> 00:15:25,060 dies because you tried it. But it just doesn't work. 216 00:15:25,820 --> 00:15:28,540 Not for me. Oh, I heard you. 217 00:15:28,740 --> 00:15:33,200 If that's you change. Open your heart. 218 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:35,240 Listen. Seriously. 219 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:39,880 It doesn't have to be that way that you struggle for the rest 220 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,640 of your life with these rocks and these stones. 221 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:45,800 That's what Jesus wants to come and take away. 222 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:55,680 The third is the thorny heart, the crowded heart, because you 223 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:57,880 receive that word. You want to believe it. 224 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:02,150 You want to get going. Then life happens. 225 00:16:02,710 --> 00:16:05,550 There's just so many worries. There's so many anxieties, 226 00:16:05,550 --> 00:16:08,150 There's so many problems and pressures. 227 00:16:08,190 --> 00:16:11,230 And you know, where will you get the money to pay the bills? 228 00:16:11,790 --> 00:16:14,550 And there's all of this interesting stuff that other 229 00:16:14,550 --> 00:16:17,110 people are doing that you'd rather like to go along with. 230 00:16:18,670 --> 00:16:24,190 And the thorns and the weeds just crowd out the birth and it 231 00:16:24,190 --> 00:16:28,190 with us and dies. And then there's the fruitful 232 00:16:28,190 --> 00:16:32,950 soil, soil, where it actually does take root and start to 233 00:16:32,950 --> 00:16:35,430 grow. And the little roots become 234 00:16:35,430 --> 00:16:39,670 fruits because they first become roots and shoots and fruits. 235 00:16:40,150 --> 00:16:43,430 And there is fruit. But if you look at what she 236 00:16:43,510 --> 00:16:46,030 said, it's so interesting. It's not. 237 00:16:46,470 --> 00:16:49,230 And then there's fruit. He was so wise. 238 00:16:49,590 --> 00:16:55,230 Some are 30%, some are 60% and some are 100%. 239 00:16:56,790 --> 00:17:01,830 Some are just less than half the potential of what it would be. 240 00:17:03,030 --> 00:17:07,430 Some have just weaked over the 50 to get to 60. 241 00:17:08,349 --> 00:17:11,270 You're still not the capacity of what you have created for 242 00:17:11,270 --> 00:17:15,390 abundance. And then there are those who are 243 00:17:15,710 --> 00:17:19,790 100 percenters, we just rejoice. And those that they are bearing 244 00:17:19,869 --> 00:17:23,950 fruit, that's the parable of the sower. 245 00:17:24,430 --> 00:17:29,730 It's quickly to verse 13. Jesus said to them, don't you 246 00:17:29,730 --> 00:17:32,370 understand this parable? Because the disciples were 247 00:17:32,370 --> 00:17:35,570 asking him to explain. How then will you understand any 248 00:17:35,570 --> 00:17:39,730 parable? Verse 14 is key. 249 00:17:40,370 --> 00:17:47,530 The farmer sows the word, and in Greek that is the Logos. 250 00:17:48,170 --> 00:17:51,090 Remember that the Logos. That's what Jesus says. 251 00:17:51,370 --> 00:17:56,050 This is powerful. The farmer is sowing the word 252 00:17:56,570 --> 00:17:59,980 the logos. Some people are like see it 253 00:17:59,980 --> 00:18:01,900 along the path where the word discern. 254 00:18:02,260 --> 00:18:05,780 Soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes it away. 255 00:18:06,260 --> 00:18:09,580 Interesting here we've been talking about the enemy in this 256 00:18:09,620 --> 00:18:14,540 restore course, but how amazing that Jesus actually calls him by 257 00:18:14,540 --> 00:18:16,540 name. We have an enemy. 258 00:18:16,820 --> 00:18:21,460 We are in a battlefield, and where you are responding to the 259 00:18:21,460 --> 00:18:25,300 things of God, you can be sure that Satan, the enemy, would try 260 00:18:25,300 --> 00:18:29,180 to snatch that away. So it's vitally important that 261 00:18:29,180 --> 00:18:32,140 we are in fellowship with other believers who can pray with us, 262 00:18:32,380 --> 00:18:37,140 hold us up, be strong with us, listen to worship music in the 263 00:18:37,140 --> 00:18:41,580 things of God, all the tools which we would love to help you 264 00:18:41,580 --> 00:18:44,980 with. You don't have to be alone and 265 00:18:44,980 --> 00:18:50,420 battling any longer. Others, like seed zone and rocky 266 00:18:50,420 --> 00:18:54,380 places hear the word at once, receive it with joy. 267 00:18:55,140 --> 00:18:58,770 But they have no root. They last only a short time. 268 00:18:59,650 --> 00:19:02,490 I mean, trouble or persecution comes because of the word. 269 00:19:02,890 --> 00:19:07,090 They quickly fall. The deceitfulness of the wealth, 270 00:19:07,090 --> 00:19:10,410 the desires of other things come and choke it. 271 00:19:11,050 --> 00:19:14,650 That's the weeds. So the worries of this life. 272 00:19:14,690 --> 00:19:21,490 So we have the seeds, So hard ground, rocky ground amongst the 273 00:19:21,490 --> 00:19:27,170 thorns, and then the good soil. And Jesus explains all of this 274 00:19:27,170 --> 00:19:31,530 so carefully because he really wants us to get this message. 275 00:19:33,010 --> 00:19:37,810 But I want to just look for a moment at the word, What was 276 00:19:37,810 --> 00:19:40,210 sown? Because we've talked about the 277 00:19:40,210 --> 00:19:44,570 soil, we've talked about the heart response. 278 00:19:48,090 --> 00:19:57,330 I'm now wanting to just focus on that seed, the logos before I 279 00:19:57,330 --> 00:20:00,290 talk about the no grass and the impact of the word. 280 00:20:02,010 --> 00:20:04,330 The question that I said I was going to ask you at the 281 00:20:04,330 --> 00:20:11,570 beginning is still simmering. Part of it is for you to think 282 00:20:11,570 --> 00:20:20,450 about what kind of soil you are. You are one of these if you 283 00:20:20,450 --> 00:20:23,850 feeling that you. Have had so many disappointments 284 00:20:23,850 --> 00:20:27,370 and hurts and pains along the way that you have become 285 00:20:27,370 --> 00:20:31,250 hardened. Or maybe there are just so many 286 00:20:31,250 --> 00:20:33,890 rocks and stones in your situation. 287 00:20:35,090 --> 00:20:38,170 If nobody will understand, I want to encourage you by saying 288 00:20:38,410 --> 00:20:42,090 Jesus knew exactly you are here this morning and you are 289 00:20:42,090 --> 00:20:46,770 listening online for a reason. It's not an accident because he 290 00:20:46,770 --> 00:20:51,840 has a beautiful purpose for you, a purpose of abundance, the 291 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:56,280 purpose of freedom, a person of enjoying his presence. 292 00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:05,200 The seed is the Logos. As I said, John and his gospel 293 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:11,000 didn't give any parables. If John's gospel starts by 294 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:17,560 saying in the beginning was the Word the logos and the word was 295 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:25,130 with God and the word was God and then in verse 14 it says we 296 00:21:25,130 --> 00:21:30,810 beheld his glory, he took flesh and blood and came and lived 297 00:21:30,810 --> 00:21:36,210 amongst us. And John 1010 says the thief 298 00:21:36,210 --> 00:21:38,210 comes to steal, kill and destroy. 299 00:21:38,610 --> 00:21:43,010 Just what I was saying about the birds Satan coming again. 300 00:21:43,010 --> 00:21:47,090 But Jesus said, I have come that you would have life in 301 00:21:47,410 --> 00:21:49,490 abundance. There it is again. 302 00:21:49,770 --> 00:21:52,230 Abundance. It's the same. 303 00:21:52,270 --> 00:21:57,230 So a message that John is giving chapter after chapter after 304 00:21:57,230 --> 00:22:00,830 chapter. And this is the essence of this 305 00:22:00,830 --> 00:22:03,190 parable. And This is why it's so vital we 306 00:22:03,190 --> 00:22:07,350 understand the seed. Remember what I said at the 307 00:22:07,350 --> 00:22:10,270 beginning? Everything that's wrapped up in 308 00:22:10,270 --> 00:22:15,910 that, it's a capsule of the DNA of that master perfect plant. 309 00:22:16,470 --> 00:22:20,690 The taste, the texture, the color, the energy is 310 00:22:20,810 --> 00:22:26,930 encapsulated in the seed. And Jesus said so is so is the 311 00:22:26,930 --> 00:22:33,490 sea, which is the logos. I am the Word made flesh. 312 00:22:34,490 --> 00:22:39,450 Open your hearts. You might think it's dry, crusty 313 00:22:39,450 --> 00:22:40,930 soil. It might be rocky. 314 00:22:40,930 --> 00:22:48,570 So I can deal with that. The response I ask you open your 315 00:22:48,570 --> 00:22:51,640 heart. Let the locust, the living 316 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:57,080 Jesus, come and dwell with you. That's John chapter 15. 317 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:02,080 He starts with the logus, which is all about this parable, the 318 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:07,000 Word, the seed. And right at the end, before 319 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,200 Jesus went to the Christ, when he had his closest people with 320 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:17,400 him, the discourse was this all right in me? 321 00:23:19,260 --> 00:23:27,060 Let me live in you. The implanting of this living 322 00:23:27,060 --> 00:23:31,740 word Jesus in our hearts changes everything. 323 00:23:32,220 --> 00:23:35,140 And he, through parables, was trying to wake up people, 324 00:23:35,140 --> 00:23:39,500 provoke them to see. This is the truth about the 325 00:23:39,500 --> 00:23:42,540 Kingdom of God. It's glorious. 326 00:23:42,580 --> 00:23:47,120 It's wonderful. It's worth rejoicing over like 327 00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:50,480 the last coin and the rejoicing and all these other parables. 328 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:54,320 The Good Samaritan who came along the side and you cleaned 329 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:58,520 up that man who was attacked and nurtured him and put oil on his 330 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:02,400 wounds and put him in the hostelry and paid all of this. 331 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:08,040 When you understand this parable of who Jesus is and what he's 332 00:24:08,120 --> 00:24:12,600 doing in your life, when you open to him, everything makes 333 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:14,480 sense. Isn't it wonderful? 334 00:24:15,100 --> 00:24:17,620 It's beautiful the way the Lord's just unpacked and 335 00:24:17,620 --> 00:24:22,540 orchestrated this. The abundant life is in the 336 00:24:22,540 --> 00:24:28,500 seed, it's not in the soil. So no amount of striving on our 337 00:24:28,500 --> 00:24:31,620 part, no amount of doing good exercise. 338 00:24:31,620 --> 00:24:33,300 I mean all of that's really good. 339 00:24:33,580 --> 00:24:35,340 We need to keep fit and do stuff. 340 00:24:35,660 --> 00:24:38,580 But you get all of these self help courses saying it depends 341 00:24:38,580 --> 00:24:40,940 on you. It's all up to you. 342 00:24:41,140 --> 00:24:45,350 And we are saying no. We're saying, Lord, I've made a 343 00:24:45,350 --> 00:24:48,230 real mess. I've become hard. 344 00:24:48,790 --> 00:24:52,070 I've allowed the rocks to just put me up over and over. 345 00:24:52,550 --> 00:24:56,230 I've allowed the thorns to entangle me and just catch me. 346 00:24:57,270 --> 00:25:01,790 But I'm coming to you and releasing all of this and asking 347 00:25:01,790 --> 00:25:05,510 that you will fill me with yourself like a seed. 348 00:25:05,990 --> 00:25:09,950 And how amazing. When that seed, which is Jesus 349 00:25:09,950 --> 00:25:16,250 Christ, the designer of this fantastic glittering cosmos, the 350 00:25:16,250 --> 00:25:21,170 perfector and author, it dwells us. 351 00:25:21,810 --> 00:25:24,770 What a difference it makes to life, doesn't it? 352 00:25:25,210 --> 00:25:28,610 I think it's exciting. It really is. 353 00:25:30,970 --> 00:25:41,130 It's not just a tomato pip. It's Jesus Christ, the Logos of 354 00:25:41,130 --> 00:25:45,810 Word made flesh. We can receive Him, and the 355 00:25:45,810 --> 00:25:50,010 capacity is unending of what He can do through us. 356 00:25:50,410 --> 00:25:53,610 That's why he says all things are possible to those who 357 00:25:53,610 --> 00:25:58,010 believe, and it's true. Who would think all the things 358 00:25:58,010 --> 00:26:00,410 that he's done through your life, through my life, through 359 00:26:00,650 --> 00:26:05,570 people, hear the testimonies, shifts of hopeless, hopeless 360 00:26:05,570 --> 00:26:11,160 situations, but we haven't given up because we clinging to that 361 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:13,280 hope. Oh, there's so much more I could 362 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:15,160 share, but the time is marching on. 363 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:19,720 But if you can get this, the sower will never be the same for 364 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:23,600 you again, because he's sowing the Word. 365 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:28,400 And Jesus knew exactly that. And John, who was listening to 366 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:33,680 this, possibly was penning how he would write his gospel. 367 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:41,670 The word, the seed made flesh. Well among us we saw his glory. 368 00:26:42,270 --> 00:26:47,030 So then you understand all these scriptures as you start to read 369 00:26:47,030 --> 00:26:51,990 them. Christ in you the hope of glory, 370 00:26:52,950 --> 00:26:57,750 May the word of God well richly in you through Jesus Christ. 371 00:27:01,110 --> 00:27:03,990 There's so many of you. I think of James 121. 372 00:27:03,990 --> 00:27:08,560 James is such a practical little book, and he says put aside all 373 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:14,280 the filthy stuff and clutter, for goodness sake and in 374 00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:21,920 meekness seek the implanted seed, the word in your hearts. 375 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:26,360 That's what James says. So all through scripture, these 376 00:27:26,360 --> 00:27:31,510 themes just recur over and over. And the book of Hebrews, there's 377 00:27:31,510 --> 00:27:33,430 one that we don't even know who wrote it. 378 00:27:33,430 --> 00:27:35,390 It could have been Lydia, it could have been a woman. 379 00:27:35,390 --> 00:27:37,710 We just don't know. But it's so interesting. 380 00:27:38,070 --> 00:27:40,710 The book of Hebrews is beautifully written, but I'm 381 00:27:40,710 --> 00:27:44,230 going to just go very quickly from the version that I love, 382 00:27:44,230 --> 00:27:49,710 this amplified classic version, Hebrews 12/1. 383 00:27:49,710 --> 00:27:53,990 And two, let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance. 384 00:27:54,270 --> 00:27:58,830 This is the nitty gritty of how to let's make a decision today 385 00:27:58,830 --> 00:28:01,740 to do that. It's an unnecessary wait, and 386 00:28:01,740 --> 00:28:06,100 it's a sin which so readily, deftly, and cleverly clings to 387 00:28:06,100 --> 00:28:09,740 us, entangles us. And let's run with patient 388 00:28:09,740 --> 00:28:13,020 endurance and steady perseverance, the waste before 389 00:28:13,020 --> 00:28:15,060 us. And then verse two, looking away 390 00:28:15,060 --> 00:28:18,980 from all that distracts. And this is again, the parable. 391 00:28:19,340 --> 00:28:23,540 Don't let distractions come, Don't be entangled, but just get 392 00:28:23,540 --> 00:28:26,460 rid of it. Now let's do that and let's go 393 00:28:26,460 --> 00:28:29,380 for all that God has got for us in His abundance. 394 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:34,200 And then Hebrews 13-5 and six. This is a heavy one. 395 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:39,000 Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of 396 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:41,400 money. And that is this obsession with 397 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,280 Gimme, Gimme. My name is Jimmy. 398 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:50,320 Not quite the love of money, including greed, Everest, lust, 399 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:52,560 craving all the earthly positions. 400 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:56,770 We know all of this stuff. He's satisfied with your present 401 00:28:56,770 --> 00:28:59,930 circumstances because Christ infills you and indwells you. 402 00:29:00,810 --> 00:29:04,450 And I have included this because I really believe there might be 403 00:29:04,450 --> 00:29:10,010 somebody here today. We're feeling alone and feeling 404 00:29:10,610 --> 00:29:15,530 nobody has really understood. And if I knew your name, I would 405 00:29:15,530 --> 00:29:19,090 just say it. But I believe this is what God 406 00:29:19,090 --> 00:29:24,650 is saying to you. For he God himself, has said, I 407 00:29:24,650 --> 00:29:31,090 will not in any way fail you, or give you up, or leave you 408 00:29:31,370 --> 00:29:34,610 without support. I will not. 409 00:29:35,130 --> 00:29:41,890 I will not, says it again. I will not in any degree leave 410 00:29:41,890 --> 00:29:50,410 you helpless, or forsake you, or let you down, or relax my hold 411 00:29:50,570 --> 00:29:53,890 on you. Assuredly not. 412 00:29:54,630 --> 00:29:58,790 Oh, I pray you get that message. That's a strong one. 413 00:29:59,830 --> 00:30:02,710 And therefore the next verse six. 414 00:30:03,670 --> 00:30:08,430 Don't be seized by alarm. These are all the things that 415 00:30:08,430 --> 00:30:13,110 stop the flourish. Just give it to him with the 416 00:30:13,110 --> 00:30:15,950 band coming up, please. And I know it's just Mark. 417 00:30:17,630 --> 00:30:21,110 So we've looked at the soil, the response of your heart. 418 00:30:21,470 --> 00:30:25,520 We've looked at this amazing seed and then as we close, 419 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:30,560 that's extraordinary is as we've received this message. 420 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:35,440 And we know Jesus for ourselves. We've given him all of the 421 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:39,800 mistakes and the mess, and we've received the newness of life. 422 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:44,400 What happens is extraordinary. We become, so is. 423 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:53,130 We get to sling that seed. We become the so is what you 424 00:30:53,130 --> 00:30:59,130 sow, you grow what you sow, you grow. 425 00:31:00,570 --> 00:31:05,130 If you're sowing love into your children, into your family in 426 00:31:05,130 --> 00:31:07,650 spite of circumstances, maybe you're getting a whole lot of 427 00:31:07,930 --> 00:31:12,530 negative stuff back. But if you sow love, you grow 428 00:31:12,690 --> 00:31:17,210 love. If you sow joy, you grow joy. 429 00:31:18,050 --> 00:31:22,150 So I encourage you as we close, please just pray. 430 00:31:23,790 --> 00:31:32,150 Father God, what a joy to share the sower, the essence of who 431 00:31:32,150 --> 00:31:38,390 you are, the magnificence of the capacity of all your 432 00:31:38,630 --> 00:31:45,030 characteristics, the energy of creativity, life and abundance. 433 00:31:46,070 --> 00:31:48,390 And we can have you in dwelling us. 434 00:31:49,710 --> 00:31:54,070 Oh, Father, I pray if there's somebody here who doesn't know 435 00:31:54,070 --> 00:32:01,910 you, may today be the day where they just ask to come in to 436 00:32:01,950 --> 00:32:07,150 penetrate whatever hard crust, whatever Stony rocky base, 437 00:32:08,630 --> 00:32:12,870 Whatever thorn tangled mess come in. 438 00:32:14,350 --> 00:32:19,110 Oh, come in. And fellas, the newness of life 439 00:32:19,110 --> 00:32:21,550 is weak. Yield ourselves fully to you, 440 00:32:23,550 --> 00:32:30,590 God of abundance, God of glory. Thank you that you've made all 441 00:32:30,590 --> 00:32:35,510 of this available to us through Jesus. 442 00:32:36,590 --> 00:32:36,990 Amen.