WEBVTT 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:05.200 Thank you for joining us on the CCW podcast. 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:11.039 Make sure you connect with us on social media to stay up to date on ministries and events happening at CCW. 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:14.960 We hope you're encouraged, inspired, and motivated by today's message. 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:19.120 To find out how to connect with us, keep listening after the message ends. 00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:22.399 Good morning, CCW. 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:25.440 Good morning. 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:26.559 Glad to see you. 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:33.600 I want you to take your Bible and turn to Luke chapter 8, looking at this morning the parable of the sower. 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:38.479 And as we think about that, I want to share a prayer request. 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:54.000 On to that, we have a team of people gone this week that are on mission down in Mobile, building some roofs and serving some people in the community down in Mobile, including our uh two of our pastors, Pastor Joe and Pastor Dave. 00:00:54.240 --> 00:00:59.759 So they're there and they have this opportunity to be sowing seed all week. 00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:00.960 We'll be looking at that. 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:05.200 I was meeting up with Deidra Brown, our missions coordinator last week. 00:01:05.359 --> 00:01:08.959 She was here, and you see Deedra just very sporadically. 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:17.920 Um but Deedra since March has been to Nepal, Peru, Zambia, and Alaska on missions trips. 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:20.159 And I thought, what an amazing. 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:22.879 She's gonna come home and not know what home is. 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:27.840 But anyhow, if you want to know how to get involved in missions at CCW, see one of us. 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:35.200 We have some stuff on the website, but we send out teams throughout the year and um and it's exciting opportunities. 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:53.920 The week before last Sunday, the the week leading up to on Friday and Saturday, as we get ready for vacation Bible school that's coming, we took a group of our teenagers, and we took about 15, 17 kids and went into Chelsea Park. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:02:14.319 We went to villages of Westover, we went to Willow Oaks, we went to Chester Plantation, and I'm missing one, but there were five neighborhoods, and we took them students with a gospel track, a VBS postcard, and information of our church to every single house in every one of those neighborhoods. 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:17.120 So let's give a hand to our teenagers. 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:26.879 And let me tell you, it was a hundred degrees, and man, talk about a smelly church van. 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:32.319 But what a blessing we had to go. 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:37.759 And when I thought about all those things, how appropriate as we jump into this parable today. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:45.759 The opportunity for all of these things is to sow precious seed everywhere that we're able to go. 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:46.960 And so let me pray. 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:53.199 Father, pray that you would bless and help us to understand this parable. 00:02:53.599 --> 00:03:01.680 God, help us to understand the meaning of your word, penetrate our hearts with this picture that we have precious seed. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:12.560 And God, I pray that you would allow us opportunities, creative ways, and means, measures to meet with people that need the precious truth of your gospel. 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:14.319 We love you in Jesus' name. 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:15.280 Amen. 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:19.520 The parable of the sower, Luke chapter 8, starting in verse 5. 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:24.879 And the first point as you jump in there this morning is there is one sower. 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:35.680 Luke chapter 8, verse 5 says, A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:41.759 Some fell on rock, and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:46.400 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:51.840 But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold. 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:57.439 When he had said these things, he cried, He who has ears to hear, let him hear. 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:02.639 First thing I want you to see there is that this picture, it's called the parable of the sower. 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:08.240 We're going to see in a little bit some soils, but it's purposefully called the parable of the sower. 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:19.199 There's one sower in Matthew chapter 13, it's describing another parable, but it says, He who sows the good seed is Jesus Christ. 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:25.759 And so there's one sower, letter A, the sower is perpetually casting out seed. 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:27.360 And so you're going to see that. 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:30.399 The sower is a picture of a farmer who's spreading seeds. 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:32.560 Do I have any farmers in the house today? 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:33.920 Right. 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:36.480 Do we have anybody who has a garden? 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:38.879 Alright, we're close. 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:44.560 Alright, so we have this picture of one who is spreading seeds in hopes of a harvest. 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:57.519 In John chapter 4, Jesus said to the disciples, You are nourished by food, but my meat is to do the will of the Father who has sent me, and my meat, my nourishment comes from a harvest. 00:04:57.920 --> 00:04:59.439 A harvest of souls. 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:06.560 You see, they'd been debating on why Jesus would be talking to the Samaritan woman at the well. 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:10.240 And Jesus was telling them, My meat is to do the Father's will. 00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:18.560 You see, the disciples had all kinds of distractions, and they had restrictions on the way that they sowed seed in life. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:24.079 And their restrictions came about by class, by distinction, by gender. 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:28.240 They said, Why would he be spending his time with the Samaritan women? 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:34.879 We don't spend time with Samaritans or women, and they have all these restrictions as sowers. 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:38.560 Now, Jesus as a sower always had seeds. 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:44.079 And you know what it says in the scripture that he did not come for the well, but that he came for the sick. 00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:48.079 And I want to tell you, as a church, we're here for the sick. 00:05:48.319 --> 00:06:03.360 And you may come in and you come in with a church bias, a restrictive mindset of saying, this is how seeds should be sown, and this is what a person needs to look like for me to spend time with them, or this is who needs to be my type of friend. 00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:06.959 And I want to tell you something today, church, that I heard a long time ago. 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:11.600 You've got to catch a fish before it can be cleaned. 00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:15.600 You've got to catch a fish before it can be cleaned. 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:19.920 Now, I don't know how I went from farming to fishing, but I get some bonus points with the fishers, right? 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:22.160 You've got to catch a fish. 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:30.079 Jesus is a master sower, and his goal is to accomplish the Father's will. 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:36.560 And as a seed planter, that was to plant, to water, and harvest seeds. 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:39.439 There's many measures to cast seed. 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:44.639 And by extension, I want you to know, church, that we are sowers of the master sower. 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:45.839 We are an arm. 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:48.160 Look at your neighbor and say, nice arm. 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:51.920 Look at the other one and say, You got a little work to do. 00:06:54.720 --> 00:07:02.160 Matthew 28, 19 and 20 tells us that we're to go, therefore, reaching the world with the gospel. 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:06.160 By an extension, we're an arm of the master sower. 00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:07.600 Nature is an arm. 00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:14.319 In Psalms 19, it says that the heavens declare the glory of God, so that we're without excuse. 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:16.480 I want you to see another scripture about that. 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:18.639 Turn to Romans chapter 1. 00:07:19.519 --> 00:07:24.480 They say, What are the arms of God's sowing of seed? 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:26.079 No one is with an excuse. 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:37.360 Romans 1, 18 through 20 says, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and all unrighteousness of men, who suppress, what do they suppress? 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:39.839 The truth, the seed, and unrighteousness. 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:45.759 Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:54.800 For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made. 00:07:54.959 --> 00:08:00.079 Even his eternal power, the Godhead, the Trinity, so that they are without excuse. 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:09.279 Nobody can live through this life, according to Romans, by Paul, and look at the world, look at nature and say, There's no God. 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:11.920 He says, They are without an excuse. 00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:19.839 Even nature itself, you hear scripture say, if you don't praise them, the rocks will cry out in glory to exalt his name. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:30.879 And so the heavens declare, and how often have you seen a sunset or a sunrise or went to the ocean and said, Wow! And this speaks to the glory of God. 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:37.279 And so we see an arm just in nature, an extension of his sowing of seed. 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:40.559 Another extension of sowing seed is giving. 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:44.879 When we give to the work of the Lord, we're giving in a way to help. 00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:55.679 When I talk about Deedra going from here to that, I couldn't go to Nepal, and I couldn't go to Zambia, and I couldn't go across the planet like she has, but I sure could give to help it. 00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:57.840 And we're giving as an arm. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:00.399 I want you to know, you are sowing. 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:04.080 You are sowing every day that you breathe, you are sowing. 00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:07.600 Galatians 6 7 says, Be not deceived, God is not mocked. 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:10.320 Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. 00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:13.759 You are a sower in this life. 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:18.799 You're sowing to something, and you will make no mistake reap something. 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:21.840 So he says there further down in the parable. 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:22.639 Interesting. 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:23.600 This is so cool. 00:09:23.679 --> 00:09:32.240 If you look down in verse 8, he gives a parable, and then he answers a question that's going to be asked by the previous parable that he gave. 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:36.720 They asked him a question following the parable which he just answered. 00:09:36.960 --> 00:09:38.879 Look at what it says in verse 8b. 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:45.200 It says, When he had said these things, he cried, He who has the ears to hear, let him hear. 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:49.440 Then the disciples asked him, saying, What does this parable mean? 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:51.360 Interesting. 00:09:51.679 --> 00:09:56.639 Disciples asked this important question in between parables, why did you teach this? 00:09:57.279 --> 00:10:12.159 And Jesus says to them in verse 10, and he said to you, It's been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest, it's given in parables, seeing that they may not see, and hearing that they may not understand. 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:16.639 That sounds pretty complicated if you're just reading it or hearing it. 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:27.200 What he's saying is, there are some people that are going to understand these parables, because their heart has been opened unto them. 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:37.679 And then he goes on, and the parable before he described seed is cast out, some seed took root, some seed fell on hard ground, hard hearts. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:38.799 It couldn't understand. 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:40.960 It says some seed fell on thorny. 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:43.200 It says some fit seed fell on stony. 00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:47.519 And he's actually describing it as they're getting ready to answer the question. 00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:52.320 He says, There are mysteries revealed to those who can understand. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:55.679 I tell my boys some mysteries of living. 00:10:56.000 --> 00:11:02.559 Not so much a mystery, but when they're old enough to find out what it means to be a man, I said, listen, there's four rules as a man. 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:05.519 I said, as a man, this is what you don't do to any other man, Benji. 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:06.000 This is true. 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:07.840 I said, you don't mess with his sleep. 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:09.600 You don't ever mess with a man's sleep. 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:10.320 Don't do it. 00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:11.679 Don't mess with his food. 00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:13.120 Don't mess with a man's food. 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:13.759 That ain't right. 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:14.960 Don't mess with his money. 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:16.480 Don't touch a man's wallet. 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:17.919 And don't mess with his woman. 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:20.480 If you can do that, you have kept a friend. 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:21.840 Am I right, man? 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:25.840 You can walk out of here now and say, Well, we got enough, Pastor. 00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:31.919 And so I tell them what I think is the rules of understanding. 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:39.039 Well, he says, there are certain people at a certain point who will understand, and there's a lot of people who won't. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:42.639 Jesus said, You can understand this parable. 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:50.799 There are those four reasons that are our identified previously, and I'm going to say it again, who will not. 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:55.919 And so we see the sower is perpetually, he's casting out seed. 00:11:56.480 --> 00:11:58.399 I want you to know something else about the sower. 00:11:58.720 --> 00:11:59.600 Letter B. 00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:02.159 He's periodically cast down. 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:05.679 He's periodically cast down. 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:07.759 What does that mean, Pastor? 00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:11.440 Casting seed is unpredictable business. 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:15.120 Ecclesiastes 11 6 gives us a mandate. 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:16.639 Why don't we turn there? 00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:21.759 I had a few people raise their hands and said they're gardeners, so you probably need to hear this. 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:24.720 Ecclesiastes 11 6. 00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:28.879 I don't know a whole lot about gardening or farming, but I know this. 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:31.120 The Bible tells me some things. 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:41.440 It says this in the morning, sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good. 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:43.039 But this is what it tells me. 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:44.799 Cast seed. 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:46.720 It tells me to cast seed. 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:47.840 It's unpredictable. 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:53.360 I've heard it said before that the greatest gamblers on planet earth were farmers. 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:55.200 Because we just don't know. 00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:57.039 We don't know when rain's gonna happen. 00:12:57.120 --> 00:12:59.440 We don't know when something's gonna take root. 00:12:59.679 --> 00:13:07.519 But the reaction I want you to know that Jesus Christ has towards seed production is not robotic. 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:16.399 It's not as if he's just casting seed, and then because he knows the end of the story, that there's no response. 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:19.200 He's impacted by the response to the seed. 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:20.559 How do we know this? 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:32.399 Hebrews 4.15 tells us we have not a high priest who could not be touched by the feelings of our infirmities, but was tempted at all points as we are, yet without sin. 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:35.600 He feels the way that we felt. 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:42.240 So Jesus Christ was constantly coming and hopeful, and it says he came to seek and to save that which was lost. 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:46.799 He was casting seed, but he was often rejected. 00:13:48.879 --> 00:13:56.320 In Luke 19, 41, it says, as he drew near to the city, he saw the city and he wept over the city. 00:13:56.559 --> 00:14:00.480 Jesus, you see, was overcome by the lostness of a people. 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:12.960 Jesus had healed their sick, he had raised a leper in the city, he had helped them, he had fed them, and for the most part, John 1.11 says he'd been rejected. 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:16.879 It says he came to his own, and his own did not receive him. 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:20.080 It's heartbreaking to watch the lost. 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:22.879 Jesus Christ grieved as a sower. 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:24.960 I want to ask you a question. 00:14:25.279 --> 00:14:27.440 Do we grieve over lostness? 00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:33.200 When did it become so commonplace to be so busy? 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:39.759 Tied up doing and building of this life that we stopped being broken over lostness. 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:43.519 Do you get upset over lostness? 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:47.360 That family member, that friend, does it grieve you? 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:52.639 We had a girl and a guy in youth mystery went to a place called Sky Zone. 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:56.159 The first time that it was open, we were there within months. 00:14:56.559 --> 00:14:59.200 And it's a trampoline park. 00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:01.360 And we went to Sky Zone. 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:03.679 We were in there for five minutes. 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:12.480 Haley catapulted into the trampoline, went flying in the air, came down, crashed, and immediately she was taken off to the side. 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:13.840 Something was wrong. 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:18.399 We found out later that it was her knee that had been torn. 00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:22.960 And Haley is over there, and she was sitting at a table and she was gutting it out. 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:24.159 She was gritting it out. 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:26.879 I didn't see one tear come down Haley's face. 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:28.559 Didn't really know what was wrong. 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:31.600 Hunter was a 16-year-old boy. 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:34.879 He's jumping and jumping and flying and flipping around. 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:42.639 Hunter later on, about two hours later, comes up and there is tears coming down Hunter's cheek, and I'm like, what is wrong with you, Hunter? 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:45.120 I lost my wallet. 00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:47.600 And there was$40 in it. 00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:50.480 He was supposed to have a date later that night, and he lost$40. 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:52.879 The Hunter is weeping over his$40. 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:55.519 Haley broke her knee, not a tear. 00:15:55.759 --> 00:15:58.000 I'm like, what is going on here? 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:02.879 When we look at lostness, does it even impact us? 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:05.759 Have you ever lost your phone? 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:07.840 Your keys, your wallet. 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:12.000 You want to see some dignified people get undignant? 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:14.320 Lose one of these items. 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:16.559 You see Benji up under his bed. 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:22.720 You'll see people all over their car, groveling, right? 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:24.159 You'll be in a place in a restaurant. 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:26.240 I've been in a restaurant before, and I'm sorry, ma'am. 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:29.759 I'm gonna have to ask you to get up, move the bench, and I'm over in the bench. 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:31.519 I mean, it's a mess, right? 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:35.919 I lost something that was important to me. 00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:39.200 We'll get undignified, unsettled. 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:44.080 What will it take for us to be unsettled over a lost soul? 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:51.519 They're losing out on the most important thing that life will ever have to offer in eternal life. 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:56.159 And so we see that the sower can be cast down. 00:16:56.320 --> 00:17:01.440 The second point this morning I want you to see is there is one seed. 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:08.480 Look again, verses 9 through 11. 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:16.000 They ask this question to you has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables. 00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:19.359 Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. 00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:20.640 And verse 11. 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:26.000 Now, this the parable is this the seed is the word of God. 00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:27.599 So what is the seed? 00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:30.240 The seed is the Bible, the seed is the word of God. 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:33.839 I don't know if y'all grow up singing little songs in Sunday school. 00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:38.240 We used to sing a song, the word of God is like itty-bitty seeds scattered all around. 00:17:38.400 --> 00:17:41.759 Some in the roads, some in the weeds, but everywhere you look, little bitty seeds. 00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:45.359 The word of God is like litty bitty seeds scattered all around. 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:48.559 And so we're to scatter this seed. 00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:53.200 Letter A is this the seed needs great cultivation. 00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:56.880 Farmers, you understand this. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:18:02.720 Proverbs 28, 19 says, He who tills his land will have plenty. 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:09.839 He who works the land, who works different soils will have plenty. 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:14.079 If you rent a tiller, this is what a tiller does. 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:18.240 It heavily disturbs the current soil. 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:20.559 It runs it up. 00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:24.400 It creates then an easy-to-plant area. 00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:27.599 And I want to tell you, it requires a large amount of labor. 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:29.599 It takes a lot of effort. 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:35.920 If you care about the lostness of a soul, it's going to take cultivation. 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:42.000 It's going to take a lot of effort to get that person to first shed that first layer. 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:52.720 For a person in their lostness to recognize their lostness, they have to look in the mirror, which tells them, I am a person who's sinful and in need of a savior. 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:57.759 And everything on planet earth right now outside of church tells them something else. 00:18:57.920 --> 00:18:59.039 You don't need a savior. 00:18:59.119 --> 00:19:00.640 You are your own best. 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:02.079 You are your own good. 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:03.839 Just go and do you. 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:07.839 So it takes a lot of cultivation for a heart. 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:10.400 But let me tell you some encouraging truth. 00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:21.759 Hebrews 4 12 says the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, even to the dividing asunder of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:24.319 It's a great tiller that we have. 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:27.680 And it goes and it gets to that heart. 00:19:28.480 --> 00:19:31.440 Even to the hard soil, it can get to the heart. 00:19:31.599 --> 00:19:36.079 And so we have cultivation within the Word of God. 00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:39.279 What's that mean practically for you and me? 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:44.400 That means if we want to see fruit in people, we have to talk about the Bible. 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:46.240 This is our practical point. 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:48.079 We talk about a whole lot of things. 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:50.799 We'll catch up, and you guys already, it's starting. 00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:53.359 You're talking about Auburn, it's talking about Alabama. 00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:55.839 It's going because it's something you think about. 00:19:57.200 --> 00:19:58.720 What else do we think about? 00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:04.160 What do we think on is what we feed on, and so we have to feed on something to cultivate it in others. 00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:09.680 In order to talk about the Bible, it has to be tilling at our hearts. 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:15.119 You talk about what you love and what you're learning. 00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:24.720 The psalmist said it this way, Psalms 1, 2, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and he doth meditate on it day and night. 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:34.960 And it says this, and then he will be like a tree planted by rivers of water who will produce fruit in every season. 00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:36.799 Are you seeing this? 00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:44.240 When I meditate on that word of God, when my heart is tilled by the word of God, I'll be like a fruitful tree. 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:46.720 We need seeds. 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:54.799 Well, I wanted to share with you there's some charts that I came across this week on uh opinions of the word of God. 00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:55.920 I want you to see this. 00:20:56.160 --> 00:20:59.279 Perception of the Bible in America as of 21. 00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:05.039 Do you think our country would be worse or better off or about the same without the Bible? 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:07.680 54% said we would be worse off. 00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:09.200 So I want you to hold that. 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:09.680 Okay. 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:14.160 We believe by and large that we would be worse off without it. 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:15.680 Next chart. 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:22.160 The Bible contains everything a person needs to live a meaningful life. 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:22.640 Okay. 00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:23.839 Agree strongly. 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:34.240 There's 30% that agree strongly, 54% that at least agree on some manner, uh, all the way up to a s strongly agree. 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:39.759 Okay, and so we believe that it's meaningful for life and that we'd be worse off without it. 00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:41.839 But let me show you the last chart. 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:44.079 Okay. 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:48.960 How many people daily, seven days a week, are in the Bible? 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:49.839 11%. 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:55.680 It keeps going, four down to several, five percent, nine percent. 00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:59.440 There's over, I think the number was fifty two percent that really. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:03.279 Read it once a month or never at all. 00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:11.119 We say we believe in something, yet we're not allowing it to cultivate our own hearts. 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:14.079 And so we have to cultivate the Word of God. 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:17.359 We have to get in the Word of God, this would tell us. 00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:21.279 So that we're able to till into others. 00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:24.400 Well, we're not just called to till the land, we're also called to water. 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:39.599 1 Corinthians 3, 5 through 9 is a passage that Paul, if you look at the way that it plays out, there's a debate going back and forth who is following the camp of Paul, who is following the camp of Apollos. 00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:45.200 And the way that the scripture plays out is this some follow Paul, some Apollos. 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:47.200 And he says, no, no, no, no, no, listen. 00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:53.759 One plants seed, one waters seed, but God is the one that gets the increase. 00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:57.359 You're following the wrong idea if you think you've got to follow a man. 00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:00.799 You're here to follow a God. 00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:05.440 So we're called then to plant and we're called to water. 00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:09.119 And if you look at the word in that scripture there, it's actually the word servant. 00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:12.160 Paul says, me and Apollos are servants. 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:17.119 The word broken down servants there is the word for table waiter. 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:22.319 In the analogy, Paul and Apollos, they're not honored guests. 00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:24.240 They're not the head of the table. 00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:26.160 They're not even the owner of the house. 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:29.039 They're not even the person cooking the food. 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:30.640 They are table workers. 00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:33.200 And they come in and say, Hello, my name is Rick. 00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:34.400 I'll be serving you today. 00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:37.039 Can I start you off with cold water? 00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:40.960 And so anyone that you follow, listen to me. 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:42.400 This is what we are. 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:43.839 We're to water. 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:48.319 The purpose was to let you know it wasn't about the person, it was about the drink. 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:50.400 Are you with me? 00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:54.559 It is my honor to serve water today, church. 00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:56.480 I mean, this is better than Fiji. 00:23:56.880 --> 00:24:00.000 This is living water that we serve. 00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:01.599 It's the word of God. 00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:07.839 And so Jesus said to the woman at the well, whoever drinks of this water I give, they'll never thirst again. 00:24:08.079 --> 00:24:10.079 It'll actually fill you. 00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:14.480 A person that's looking for fulfillment in all these ways, it'll fill you. 00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:20.960 The word of God is water in a dry and barren land. 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:24.240 It's water in a desert. 00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:28.240 You can come with a cool, penning, penetrating glass of truth. 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:29.599 It's refreshing. 00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:34.400 In a world of lies and mistruth and agenda and spin. 00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:36.000 We have truth. 00:24:36.640 --> 00:24:42.240 Truth, the Bible says, sets men free and encourages, it motivates, it challenges. 00:24:42.799 --> 00:24:48.400 Letter B this morning is this the seed we sow has great capability. 00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:55.759 The seed that we sow, this seed is the word of God. 00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:58.559 In Psalms 119, it's called a light. 00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:00.880 In James 1, it's called a mirror. 00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:06.079 In Jeremiah 23, it's called a fire that burns within my chest. 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:08.960 It's called a hammer that breaks into pieces. 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:12.400 In 1 Peter, it's called food for the hungry soul. 00:25:12.559 --> 00:25:15.279 In Deuteronomy, it's called Sweet Morning Dew. 00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:18.240 In Ephesians and Hebrews, it's called a sword. 00:25:18.640 --> 00:25:24.000 In 1,400 years, over 30 authors, this book remains. 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:27.119 There's 1,189 chapters. 00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:33.920 There's 31,173 verses, and it is the book that has lasted the test of time. 00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:34.880 The Bible. 00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:36.400 It's a traveler's map. 00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:37.920 It's a pilgrim's staff. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:39.200 It's the pilot's compass. 00:25:39.440 --> 00:25:40.480 It's the soldier's sword. 00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:42.160 It's the Christian's charter. 00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:44.559 It should fill your memory and rule your heart. 00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:47.279 It should guide your feet because it's a mine of wealth. 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:48.559 It's health to the soul. 00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:50.319 It's a pleasurable river. 00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:55.039 We have to pray it in and read it through, live it out and pass it on. 00:25:55.839 --> 00:25:57.920 It's forever settled in heaven. 00:25:58.079 --> 00:25:59.440 This book is eternal. 00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:04.640 And they've tried to burn it, they've tried to ban it, they've tried to belittle it, and they've tried to brush it aside. 00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:12.000 Decade after decade, century after century, age after age, but it's still the greatest selling book of all time. 00:26:12.720 --> 00:26:14.559 It is the B-I-B-L-E. 00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:17.279 It's alive, it's vibrant, it's vital. 00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:19.279 It is the breathing words of God. 00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:23.440 And you can love a lot of books, but this one loves you back. 00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:24.480 The Bible. 00:26:24.640 --> 00:26:26.960 Can somebody give an amen today? 00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:29.839 It's truth. 00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:34.480 There's no greater weapon. 00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:36.640 There's no greater seed. 00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:41.599 Well, we take that seed and we take it into two places. 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:44.480 The third point this morning, the two soils. 00:26:45.119 --> 00:26:47.759 Verse 12 through 15, we're going to look at. 00:26:49.279 --> 00:26:50.799 There's two soils. 00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:55.039 Look what it says. 00:26:56.240 --> 00:26:57.599 The seed is the word of God. 00:26:57.759 --> 00:27:07.440 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:12.000 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, they receive the word with joy. 00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:17.920 But these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:29.039 Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 00:27:29.279 --> 00:27:37.680 But the ones that fell on good ground are those who have having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. 00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:42.319 So letter A is this bad soil yields a great paralysis. 00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:53.039 I want you to think on today for yourself or people that you know, what kind of soil is going on right here? 00:27:54.319 --> 00:28:02.400 The first one that he points out is hard ground or the wayside that's mentioned in Matthew, hardened by sin. 00:28:02.880 --> 00:28:05.440 The hardened heart is unrepentant. 00:28:05.519 --> 00:28:08.319 The hardened heart is a prideful heart. 00:28:08.720 --> 00:28:13.359 You see it through scripture in the New Testament, the Pharisees were a picture of a hardened heart. 00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:15.519 Oh, they were religious people. 00:28:16.160 --> 00:28:21.440 They loved their religion, but they had no relationship with Jesus Christ. 00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:29.759 There's a lot of religious people in society today running through, but their hearts are hardened. 00:28:29.839 --> 00:28:31.680 The Sadducees was another group. 00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:37.279 My example for modern day people, there's a lot of religious atheists. 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:43.359 They've made an intellectual decision that this heart is not going to be penetrated by the truth. 00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:47.200 The evolutionist today, the agnostic today. 00:28:47.680 --> 00:28:54.880 But it's not just limited to those who have hardened their hearts because of informational decisions. 00:28:55.359 --> 00:28:59.279 In the Bible, it talks about Pharaoh who had hardened his heart. 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:06.559 There's 14 times in Scripture that the phrase, the heart was hardened, is mentioned. 00:29:06.720 --> 00:29:10.480