WEBVTT 00:00:01.439 --> 00:00:08.960 This podcast is a ministry of Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:14.080 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit GrandProKway.org. 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:17.359 Praise God for this incredible time of worship. 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:17.839 Amen. 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:22.640 You may be seated. 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:40.079 What better gift for your birthday can you can have than being surrounded by so many passionate people, passionate for Jesus, for the word, for church, for fellowship, for Romania. 00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:54.719 Thank you so much, Pastor Neil, and the pastors of this church for allowing me to be here with my wife Adina to just share from the word with you and to just fellowship with you, to worship with you. 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:56.719 It's such a great, great honor. 00:00:57.439 --> 00:00:59.520 God is really uh spoiling us. 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:17.920 Uh I was telling your missions pastor uh a few minutes ago that um I have some passages in my notes that are in Romanian, so if I start um if you start hearing something new, um I'm not speaking in tongues, uh, he has to come and and to translate. 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:19.760 So it's it's his fault. 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:21.920 Um he trusted me. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:29.359 I don't want to do that because I don't want to skip lunch, I don't want to to not be invited back. 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:37.840 Uh let's let's look in the word of God this morning in uh Matthew 13, in the parable of the sower. 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:42.959 It's a parable of understanding the true conversion to the saving faith. 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:50.159 It's a parable that will challenge us to spread the seeds of the gospel, to to share the good news with people. 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:56.079 If we are the right people, uh we will do the right uh thing for God. 00:01:56.239 --> 00:02:08.479 Uh and this parable will will really challenge us um to the core of our hearts because it's really about some hearts, about four hearts, represented by four types of soil. 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:11.360 Let's read from from verse one. 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:19.680 And if you don't understand my my accent, my um English, please uh blame your pastor. 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:20.479 Amen. 00:02:23.919 --> 00:02:28.000 On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside. 00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:36.080 Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat and sat, and all the all the multitudes stood on the beach. 00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:41.840 He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, a farmer went out to sow. 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:47.919 As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them. 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:57.599 Others fell on rocky ground where they didn't have much soil, and immediately they sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:02.960 When the sun had risen, uh they were scorched. 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:07.599 Because they they had no root, they uh withered away. 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:10.080 Others fell among th thorns. 00:03:10.240 --> 00:03:12.400 The thorns grew up and choked them. 00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:16.400 Others fell on good soil and yelled uh yelled it fruit. 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:22.159 Some one hundred times as much, some thirty and some uh some sixty and some some thirty. 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:25.439 He who has ears to hear, let him hear. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:30.479 The disciples came and said to him, Why do you speak to them in parables? 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:36.960 He answered them, To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but it is not given to them. 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:43.840 For whoever has to him will be given, and he who uh and he will have abundance. 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:49.759 But whoever does not have from him will be taken away even that which he has. 00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:58.319 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don't see, and hearing they don't hear, neither they do understand. 00:03:58.639 --> 00:04:26.240 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, By hearing you will hear, and will uh in no way understand, seeing uh you will see, and in no way you will perceive, for this people's heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, they have closed their eyes, or else perhaps they might perceive with with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and would turn again, and I would heal them. 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:30.959 But blessed are your e your eyes, for they see, and your ears for they hear. 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:42.319 For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desire to see the things which you see and didn't see them, and to hear the things which you hear and they didn't hear them. 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:44.879 Hear then the parable of the farmer. 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:55.600 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away that which has been sown in the heart, in his heart. 00:04:55.839 --> 00:05:00.079 This is what uh this is what was sown by the roadside. 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:08.160 What was sown on the rocky uh rocky places, this is uh he who hears the word and immediately with joy receives it. 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:12.800 Yet he has no root in himself, but endures for for a while. 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:20.959 When oppression and persecution arises, because of the word, because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:32.079 What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becomes unfruitful. 00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:46.319 What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit and produces some 100 times as much, some 60 and some 30. 00:05:49.759 --> 00:06:00.399 Jesus is presented by um Matthew, former text collector, Israelite, um Jew. 00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:03.040 He's presented as a king. 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:10.160 All over the book of Matthew, you you will see his kingdom, you will see this terminology, um, he's he's the king. 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:20.639 Other uh uh other gospels present him as as like John presents him as God, uh Luke presents him as man, uh Mark presents him as a servant. 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:35.279 Um but Matthew wants the people of Israel to know him as king, and from the first begin from the very beginning, from the first chapter, he presents his um uh his line, the uh Davidic line, his uh royal line. 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:43.040 Um and uh he gets to the point of of to a very tough point to a turning point actually in his ministry. 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:59.279 If you look in the context in chapter 12, it is the um the the crucial point of of Christ's ministry where uh people started um perceiving him as the king, as the son of David, and and they started to rumor in the crowds this is this is Messiah. 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:09.600 And the religious leaders are very offended, and they they try to stop him, and immediately they they commit the sin um that is uh unpardonable. 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:14.079 They they come they consider Jesus Satan, they he Satan's messenger. 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:26.720 They say, You are working with Satan, you are working with with the demons, you are working with the uh the spirit of Belzebul, the the Lord of flies, and and uh uh you are not actually a messenger from God. 00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:45.360 So Jesus is turning um away from them, he's postponing the the kingdom for for them, for the Jews, and he's giving the kingdom, and he starts speaking uh starts speaking in parables from that on from that point on, he gives a series of parables, almost 40 parables. 00:07:45.439 --> 00:08:01.680 Um, of course, he he spoke, repeated them uh all over where he went, uh, and he's giving the kingdom uh to other people because the nation of Israel hardened their hearts and they didn't want to receive their king. 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:06.720 So the message continues even today. 00:08:06.800 --> 00:08:18.800 Uh the same message that Jesus had in the beginning, the first message um repent and believe that for the kingdom of God is um uh at hand, is is close to you, has has arrived. 00:08:19.040 --> 00:09:11.039 Uh, this is the same message that we are preaching today, because that's very relevant in a culture of our days and in Jesus' culture, um, people were so uh so far, so um um away from from the the kingdom, though they perceived themselves as part of the kingdom, as sons of Abraham, as being born into the kingdom, just because they were circumcised, just because some rituals were operated on them, they they simply thought that they are a part of the kingdom, and when in reality uh they were not, and John the Baptist is denying that, he's calling them to repentance um for not being into the kingdom and being part of the kingdom uh and showing that through a baptism, a ritual uh that was just for heathens, just for Greeks and for Romans or other people that were wanting to be become part of uh this message. 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:14.159 Um and that was outrageous for the for the religious system. 00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:20.000 They could not believe that people, thousands of them, embrace the baptism that was reserved for the heathens. 00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:22.639 That was a very offensive thing. 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:29.039 Uh, and that's why they they uh cooperate with the the uh Herod to kill him. 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:41.200 And Jesus is is continuing the message of John the Baptist, um, and is he saying, Hey, I am the I am the good news for for you to be part of the kingdom. 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:50.559 Stop trusting the the rabbinic traditions, stop trusting in the man-made rules and and um regulations. 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:54.159 Stop stop putting your trust in what you can do, trust me. 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:56.879 And that's that's what we are doing when we preach, right? 00:09:57.039 --> 00:10:12.639 We we are telling people about a person, not necessarily uh we're not prescribing a list of things to do and not to do, because we we believe that uh our salvation is in and our good news is a person that fulfilled all the law that we could not fulfill. 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:21.360 We don't want to be um we don't want to burden, we don't want to be burdened with the the consequences of not being able to fulfill the law. 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:25.120 That's why we rest on Jesus who's perfect, he's the only perfect one. 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:26.240 We are not perfect. 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:31.600 We're not we're not here today to brag about our our state, spiritual state. 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:44.480 We just want to praise Jesus for who he is, for the good news that he gave us, that delivers us, that gives us freedom and joy, and takes away all the burden of of trying to be perfect, to perform some something before God. 00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:48.720 You in reality you will never be able to accomplish anything. 00:10:49.200 --> 00:10:56.639 So the message goes on, the message of the kingdom, and we still pray uh thy kingdom come. 00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:02.480 Our uh his kingdom is in is in our hearts, it's not visible, it's it's right there. 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:05.919 And and it's it's sometimes it's hard to distinguish. 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:07.200 Um, is he in the kingdom? 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:08.639 Is she in the kingdom? 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:10.720 Um, are they in the kingdom? 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:15.679 Of course, Jesus is not is not calling us to put labels on people. 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:18.080 Labels are for jars, not for people, right? 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:37.039 Um we we are not called to point fingers to people, we are called to to just let um uh God work in our hearts and and live in such a way and preach in such a way as I heard uh in Louisville uh this week and past week in uh in together for the gospel conference with 12,000 people and all my heroes of faith. 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:46.639 One of them said, uh, live and preach in such a way that people in your church would really notice the difference between real Christians and false Christians. 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:54.559 It's not your responsibility to start differentiating between goats and and and sheep, right? 00:11:54.879 --> 00:12:09.279 It's it's your job to just live your faith, and and this message is calling us to check to test our hearts to see if we are in the faith, because it gives us uh four four ways to to see to check our hearts. 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:14.559 They're crucial, then these ways are very important because it has to do with the word. 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:26.399 Jesus is emphasizing before he explains the the parable, which is very simple, and uh it should it shouldn't take any any time, uh it should shorten the sermon for your joy. 00:12:26.559 --> 00:12:30.720 Um he he gives the the interpretation, and that's the easiest thing. 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:35.120 We wish all the passages in the Bible would be like that, but not not all of them are that like that. 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:38.960 They necessitate a lot of work to go and to interpret. 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:52.960 But here Jesus just gives you the interpretation, and uh between the parable and the interpretation, he he emphasizes the importance of hearing because the the kingdom of God has to do with the hearing, with the words. 00:12:53.759 --> 00:13:00.240 It's unbelievable how how God's word um uh remained over the generations. 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:11.200 And um, I was telling um um earlier in the morning, uh I was telling the people that were here about the um the museum of the Bible that I got to visit um uh last week. 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:15.440 It's unbelievable, it broke my heart to get into the third floor. 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:23.679 If you go there, if you ever go there in Washington to the Museum of the Bible, just go to the third third floor, start with that, and you'll be broken, and then you'll cry the whole day. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:32.960 Uh uh because you will you will see the impact of God, God's hand, caring for his um word that will never change, will remain the same. 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:39.360 Nothing, no kingdom, no, no, no rule, uh, no ruler of the the world will change his word. 00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:48.720 It's sovereign, it's what what once it was uttered, it will stay, it will uh take the history in that direction where he where he where where it's appointed to to be taken. 00:13:48.879 --> 00:13:57.679 And uh it's unbelievable uh to see that presentation in the most sophisticated technology that is is uh available um nowadays. 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:15.919 So let's get into the the um the first soil that has to do with with um with the word of God as he saw it, some seeds fell uh by the roadside and the birds came and devoured them. 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:27.279 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away uh that which has been sown in the heart, the hardened heart. 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:32.399 This is the first the first um um symbol here, the first uh soil. 00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:47.120 The fields in Jesus' times were separated by trails and paths that were beaten, that were um that were beaten by the sun, by the winds, by the feet of the animals, of the people that were traveling uh between these fields. 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:54.320 Seed, seed falling on on that type of ground, couldn't penetrate it, couldn't uh produce anything. 00:14:54.559 --> 00:15:06.879 And even though the seed had a little um point on it, it that didn't allow uh to get into the ground and um to to just come to life. 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:13.679 This type of soil, this type of soil symbolizes the hardened heart, the callous heart. 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:28.159 This this represents the hearer, the listener that is in apathy, that is is callous, that is um uh hardened, that doesn't want to understand, doesn't want to hear the gospel, the word of God. 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:33.279 Uh the gospel is is completely not uh having any contact with his heart. 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:35.919 These type of people are are not saved. 00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:49.200 The Lord warns about about this type of heart that can be um can become callous and hardened um um as the sin keeps keeps continuing and it becomes insensitive to the gospel. 00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:53.759 And the world is is filled with with so many we were there one time. 00:15:54.399 --> 00:16:13.039 The heart, this type of heart doesn't doesn't know repentance, doesn't know regret for sin, this type of heart doesn't know any any feeling of of guilt before God, and there's no no preoccupation for the things of God, uh things referring God and and life, eternal life, spiritual life. 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:26.320 This heart come is complacent um into the evil thoughts, into um hidden sins and all of these uh things that are are uh uh a disgrace to God. 00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:38.159 This is the heart that is is described in the book of Proverbs as the heart that believes that God does not exist, it doesn't hear, it despises the wisdom, it's locked. 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:44.720 And men, the man represented here is so bored with the calling of salvation. 00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:49.519 There are so many people like like this. 00:16:49.840 --> 00:16:59.039 You can you can pour trucks of seeds and you can present them the gospel one thousand times and and they're still blocked and they're still uh non-responsive. 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:05.839 And anytime you you meet them again, you gotta start again from from the same point where where you left them. 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:15.440 That's why we believe in in Romania, and you believe here for sure that uh evangelism is something that is done on on the long term. 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:24.559 It's it's a responsibility that it that takes time, it's not something uh um in instantaneously that that brings results uh just uh so easily. 00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:49.440 No, it takes time, and and you sometimes it takes 40 times, sometimes it takes, I don't know, in in in Romania, in one of the villages that you are partnering with, uh a man is is 73, he's coming, he came to church a month ago for the first time in his life with a wife that is crying for him and is praying for him every day. 00:17:49.759 --> 00:17:53.039 She's a member of the church, uh of the Baptist church there in Nohaba. 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:55.680 And and he's doing that, you know why? 00:17:56.000 --> 00:18:01.759 Because his daughter that he loves a lot is on the verge of getting divorced, and his heart is broken now. 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:07.839 God allowed things to to go through suffering, through tough times. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:18.400 This this type of heart needs regeneration, this type of heart needs a a huge, uh a divine change of desires. 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:25.839 The desires of this heart, of this type of heart that we had one time, the desires are not after God. 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:34.319 As Jonathan Edwards uh was saying in the 1700s, um uh a heart like this is morally incapable to choose God. 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:37.039 You cannot choose God if you don't desire God. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:46.640 That's why you need to have that change, that regeneration that we call regeneration, that the Bible calls regeneration, in order that you would desire God and that you will choose God. 00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:52.000 That's why we only believe in free in free will after we are converted, after we are regenerated. 00:18:52.240 --> 00:19:03.359 God is not at our mercy, God is not in the corner uh at our disposal, and and he's crying there in a corner, and and we are the sovereign uh beings, uh, allowing him to get in our lives only when we want. 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:03.920 No. 00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:17.039 He has to change our heart, he has to change our desires, and then morally we would be able to accept him and to enjoy him and to listen to him and to uh obey him and to love him forever. 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:32.480 We pray for people uh with callous hearts, we pray for people that do not desire God at all, that need this supreme, uh divine, uh supernatural intervention that only God can bring. 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:37.759 And and listen to this a person like this doesn't necessarily uh is an anti-religious person. 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:43.759 It can be very religious, it can be very uh it can have feelings of fulfillment. 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:45.920 Oh, I've been to church, oh I feel so good. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:50.000 Uh I've been to Easter service, I've been to Christmas service, I feel so good. 00:19:50.160 --> 00:20:05.440 Uh religion can give you, can release you a feeling of uh of fulfillness and you you you feel good, but nothing, nothing uh uh out of a heart like this is accomplishing anything for your salvation. 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:08.720 Salvation is from the Lord, it's from God. 00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:12.799 Salvation comes from God and is is continued through God. 00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:23.599 Never broken up, never softened by conviction, never softened by repentance, never softened by uh self-searching. 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:32.480 The heart grows grows callous, the terrors of the Lord aren't frightening, and the love of the Lord isn't even winsome. 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:36.799 The seed is good, the sour is okay, but the heart is unplowed. 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:43.440 We pray this morning for for the Lord to plow the hearts of the people here in Romania too. 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:53.200 Romania is very religious, it's a country that is one of the most religious countries on earth. 00:20:55.119 --> 00:21:01.039 A statement by a professor of ours from California that comes to a seminary that we are housing housing. 00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:14.079 Um he's been to 120 countries and um he he was facing the the toughness of our religious country and he's he said it's tough soil. 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:15.440 Tough soil. 00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:24.559 So pray pray for Romanians to experience repentance and and salvation and a change of desires, that they would desire God because of God. 00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:28.960 The second soil is is the uh um the superficial heart. 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:32.160 Others fell on rocky ground. 00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:44.960 When you when you hear rocky ground, when you hear about rocks, don't don't don't don't think that were those people in uh Israel in those times were neglect uh negligent about their lands, about their fields. 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:51.440 They did not have lots of rocks and were not able to take care of the their fields. 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:59.759 Um here Jesus is referring to the the soil that was very thin, was fertile. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:13.839 Soil, fertile, very very fertile on the surface, but under this very thin level of soil was rock, was rocky, all over, all over the place. 00:22:14.799 --> 00:22:25.599 So when the seeds get into such a soil, which is the superficial heart, the moisture that was originally in the plant evaporated in the heat of the sun. 00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:36.799 And when the roots tried to get more moisture, there wasn't any way to go down and get it, and the plant burned and died and was unproductive. 00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:38.079 And there was no result. 00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:49.039 And Jesus is not saying that salvation occurred in such a heart, and all of a sudden something happened and it disappeared, or this person uh lost their salvation. 00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:49.920 Never. 00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:59.519 This represents uh a very shallow um uh and very false idea of conversion. 00:22:59.680 --> 00:23:03.440 Um it's a superficial and fugitive and a false conversion. 00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:10.640 This hearts, this heart is is enthusiastic, but it's not profound, uh, is not deep. 00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:24.640 It does not involve the thinking, uh it's not involving the taking in consideration of the cost of discipleship of following Christ when when you hear the message, when God speaks to you. 00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:43.039 You don't take in consideration what is at stake following Jesus, it's just uh uh mere emotion, it's uh some euphoric state without a real understanding of what it means to become a disciple, and uh a superficial answer like this. 00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:56.799 It's uh epidemic in our century, in the 21st century, there are so many people that uh are presenting the gospel in a distorted way, in a deformed way, uh therapeutical way, a gospel of prosperity. 00:23:57.279 --> 00:24:12.960 Everybody wants to to embrace prosperity, everybody wants to to get rid of problems, everybody wants to come out of dilemmas, of disaster disasters, everybody wants to be healed from the wounds created by people that that hurt hurt them. 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:16.799 Everybody wants to get rid of problems. 00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:30.480 So when you when you present a gospel like this without the implications of sin and and following Christ all of your life, paying the price, everybody's answering, everybody's responding in a positive way. 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:37.359 But later it's it's the problems occur. 00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:55.920 I was talking to a pastor and his wife in uh Detroit, um, that was last year in December, and um uh they were uh worrying about their situation in their church, and they said, um we don't know, we we baptized so many people this year, but we have a problem. 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:56.880 We don't we don't see them. 00:24:58.160 --> 00:24:59.519 We don't we don't we don't see them. 00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:01.359 I don't know where they disappeared. 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:05.599 I'm so glad that this morning the church is is packed, is almost packed. 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:08.720 It's you you you have a problem, you don't have enough seats. 00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:09.920 That's a good problem. 00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:12.240 That's praise Jesus. 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:28.720 Um I pray that you would continue to to present the gospel um centered in Christ, presenting the real cost to be a Christian could cost you a relationship, it would cause you your family to turn against you. 00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:44.079 It happened so many times in our villages where where when we had disciples, families turn against them and deny them and and and treat them like garbage just because they were born Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, and they have to die Greek Orthodox. 00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:46.000 That's the greatest sin that you can commit. 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:53.920 To change your religion, to be baptized, and to follow this crazy uh I don't know, cults. 00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:55.680 They consider us cults. 00:25:58.640 --> 00:26:00.400 There will be a real price to pay. 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:07.279 It's the most joyous life there is there is, but it is a uh a cross-bearing. 00:26:07.359 --> 00:26:08.640 You gotta take take up your cross. 00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:16.559 And in Jesus' days, this was not anything uh this was not a message uh uh that was very abstract. 00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:17.920 No, it was simple. 00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:18.799 Take up your cross. 00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:23.839 That means that meant be ready to die physically, as you follow me. 00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:32.400 So Jesus had crowds, multitudes, like thousands of people that follow him. 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:35.279 He he looks successful in John 6. 00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:46.240 After they had lunch, after they had dinner, they came to him, they had a feast there, uh, eating fish and bread and sandwiches and all that, and and they they enjoyed life. 00:26:46.319 --> 00:26:51.680 And and in the morning they woke up, they were hungry, and they want they looked for more food, and they said, Where is Jesus? 00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:53.039 Where is our gin in a bottle? 00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:54.799 We want more food, we want a better life. 00:26:54.960 --> 00:26:55.680 Let's look for him. 00:26:55.839 --> 00:27:05.119 So they they they found him in John 6, and and Jesus knew their hearts, Jesus knew their motivation, and they he knew that there's nothing real there. 00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:13.759 Uh they even contradict him, they compare him with Moses that gave the people of Israel 40 years of the mana, when in reality God did that, not Moses. 00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:26.880 So Jesus is trying to test their hearts and says, is challenging them and tells them, drink my blood and eat my body if you if you want to follow me and be followers of God. 00:27:27.119 --> 00:27:34.000 And when they hear this type of cannibalism, they in their mind they are in shock and they say, What is this? 00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:37.759 We don't want to follow you, we don't want to, we don't want to identify with you. 00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:41.920 And they're scared and they leave, and only 12 people remain. 00:27:43.359 --> 00:27:45.519 You have the words of life. 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:51.359 That's a good time when Peter utters something positive. 00:27:51.759 --> 00:28:00.559 Um, you have the words of life, it has to do with the words, they all pay the price for the word. 00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:08.799 James was the first one that died, the brother of John, and John was the last the last one. 00:28:09.680 --> 00:28:11.839 They they all pay the price. 00:28:13.359 --> 00:28:19.519 When they were not changed completely by God, they asked for fire from heaven to to kill the people. 00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:26.559 They were not compassionate, they were not changed, but when the Lord is changing them, they show so much compassion for the people around them. 00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:30.640 And and from the sons of thunder, they become the sons of love. 00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:38.319 And then the the the apostle of love, John, is loving and he's writing the best things on on love in in the Bible. 00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:52.880 Enthusiasm is is is is there in the heart that is superficial, the seed is coming to life, seems to come to life for a while. 00:28:53.119 --> 00:29:05.119 Uh people are um this this type of people, listen to this, these type of people are the most disappointing people for pastors, for for people that want to do discipleship. 00:29:05.279 --> 00:29:19.119 If you want to do discipleship and you invest money, energy, time from your life, from your schedule, from your family, you you will be so disappointed uh by people that are are shallow, they are superficial with a heart uh superficial heart. 00:29:19.440 --> 00:29:29.440 So be on guard against conversions that are all smiles and cheers when when there's no sense of repentance and humility. 00:29:29.680 --> 00:29:42.240 When God changed the hearts of two people uh recently in our in our work in January and in February, two young people came to the Lord and they they both cried in separate places. 00:29:42.400 --> 00:29:44.079 Um they didn't know each other. 00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:51.680 They cried for their sins and they felt they felt that that burden of the sin, the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and they they keep coming. 00:29:51.759 --> 00:29:55.119 They did not skip a meeting and and they want the word of God. 00:29:55.359 --> 00:29:57.839 And that that's what a conversion is. 00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:02.480 When when you follow Jesus, when you when you cry for your sins and you you continue. 00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:03.119 You continue. 00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:04.720 It's not just crying, of course. 00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:07.440 It's not just uh contrition and sorrow. 00:30:07.680 --> 00:30:10.880 The worldly heart is the third, the third type of soil. 00:30:11.039 --> 00:30:16.559 Um it's the word it's the heart preoccupied with the earth uh earthly things. 00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:25.359 Weedy soil represents uh a heart that uh tries to serve two masters, the two masters, God and money. 00:30:25.599 --> 00:30:28.319 And money, I know it's a very sensitive problem. 00:30:28.400 --> 00:30:30.160 It's one of the most sensitive problems. 00:30:30.319 --> 00:30:33.200 We don't want anybody to touch our wallets. 00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:44.400 Um but uh the way we uh perceive money, the way we look for money, the way we administrate our money speaks tons about about our spiritual life. 00:30:44.559 --> 00:30:53.759 Um Adina, my wife, uh translated uh material of almost 400 pages on biblical economics, one one course from our seminary. 00:30:53.920 --> 00:30:55.519 It it was powerful. 00:30:55.680 --> 00:31:00.559 Uh money um can uh can be a blessing and can be a curse. 00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:04.400 Um the things of the world uh can be a blessing for you. 00:31:04.559 --> 00:31:10.319 I'm not here to to uh try to feel anybody uh to make anybody feel guilty because that's awful. 00:31:10.400 --> 00:31:13.279 Uh if you if you do that, we want to let the Holy Spirit do that. 00:31:13.359 --> 00:31:13.759 Amen. 00:31:14.160 --> 00:31:19.920 Uh I don't want to to um point anything any finger to Americans. 00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:22.799 I want to just tell you what's going on in Romania. 00:31:23.119 --> 00:31:28.559 Romania has lost over 5 million people in the last 10 to 12 years. 00:31:28.640 --> 00:31:31.440 Uh without a war, we are worse than Syria. 00:31:31.920 --> 00:31:36.880 Because people left Romania, they went to look for money and for material things. 00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:47.680 Because when communism fell, um uh we opened our eyes uh towards the material things of Western world, of Europe, and we said, we want we want to have that. 00:31:47.839 --> 00:31:51.680 We want to have what they have, we want to have more than what they have. 00:31:52.319 --> 00:32:04.640 So families were destroyed, kids were committed suicide because they were left uh by themselves, or they were left with their grandparents, and and uh there was such a mess, and and there is such a mess. 00:32:04.960 --> 00:32:11.599 And people are still unfulfilled, and people are looking for for material things um, and that's not bad. 00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:16.319 It's not bad to have material things, it's not bad to have money to to be uh prosperous. 00:32:16.559 --> 00:32:25.920 Um the the the point is how do you how do you pursue uh these uh things as your God as or as a gift from God? 00:32:26.240 --> 00:32:29.279 Do you treat your things as a as a gift from God? 00:32:30.559 --> 00:32:40.720 Do you do you consider everything you have something from God and you see this is my this is God's car, this is God's house, this is God's um money uh job. 00:32:40.960 --> 00:32:47.839 If you do that, you you are successful no matter where you are activating or moving and serving. 00:32:49.039 --> 00:32:57.279 Um you you know already the the the encounter of Jesus with the rich are rich and ruler. 00:32:57.440 --> 00:33:02.000 He was the Bible says that he was extremely rich in uh in Luke 18. 00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:12.559 And he he was very sad when Jesus is calling him not to gain his salvation by being uh charitable but by obeying to his word. 00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:14.640 He left. 00:33:14.799 --> 00:33:20.640 And Jesus is not negotiating, Jesus is not calling, hey, let's let's negotiate 50-50 or let's do something here. 00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:28.400 No, the last the last um type of soil, and I think I ran out of time. 00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:36.559 Um the fruitful soil, bearing fruit is the the positive. 00:33:36.720 --> 00:33:45.279 This is the real salvation, this is the real uh soil that uh will encounter the message and will bring fruit, and this is the proof of salvation. 00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:51.200 Uh in in the uh farming uh world, in the farming world, in agriculture, this is the goal. 00:33:51.279 --> 00:33:55.440 Uh, when you work, you want you want to see your crops, you want to see the harvest, right? 00:33:55.599 --> 00:34:06.079 You want to you want to uh be happy around what uh Mother Nature, what God gave you um to um after a lot of work. 00:34:08.320 --> 00:34:12.559 This is the final test uh of your salvation. 00:34:13.280 --> 00:34:33.920 If you are fruitful, if you continue to be fruitful, not once in your life, but continually fruitful, uh in spite of your sins, in spite of your um uh shortcomings, in spite of your uh uh problems that you have, that we all have, we continue to be fruitful. 00:34:34.159 --> 00:34:41.440 This this parable represents the soil, the best, the the only one that brings fruit. 00:34:42.320 --> 00:34:45.440 As a proof that God has changed the heart of the person. 00:34:45.840 --> 00:34:49.360 Uh, none of the the other three uh uh represent salvation. 00:34:49.599 --> 00:34:54.719 There's no salvation in in any of those three uh previous uh types of soil. 00:34:54.960 --> 00:34:58.960 There's just one one here, which is uh not perfection. 00:34:59.119 --> 00:35:08.000 When we are saved, we are not we are not uh in perfection, but we are in a state of producing uh bearing fruit. 00:35:08.159 --> 00:35:08.719 Bearing fruit. 00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:11.280 The Lord, the the Holy Spirit is bearing fruit. 00:35:11.519 --> 00:35:20.400 The lack of the lack of uh fruit in the in somebody's life is the sign, is the signal that salvation is not present in the life of that person. 00:35:25.199 --> 00:35:34.239 The proof of salvation is not speaking in tongues, it's not doing other things, but it's it's um fruit being fruitful, bearing fruit. 00:35:34.400 --> 00:35:38.159 You will know them uh uh uh by their fruit. 00:35:38.400 --> 00:35:40.320 Matthew 7, 16. 00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:42.400 Fruit is the test of true salvation. 00:35:42.559 --> 00:35:50.159 And I want to I want to close in challenging you um to be aware of of all these uh enemies of uh of bearing fruit. 00:35:50.400 --> 00:35:59.840 It's the weeds, um, it's the the worries of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, is the sun, the afflictions and the persecution will be there. 00:36:00.079 --> 00:36:07.119 If you want to live in a godly life, you will be persecuted, you will be uh afflicted by by people, by uh circumstances. 00:36:07.280 --> 00:36:18.559 Um the the birds are another another um symbol of of enemy of uh fruit being fruitfulness, fruitfulness, which is Satan that is trying to take the seed away. 00:36:18.960 --> 00:36:22.000 You will encounter hostility and resistance. 00:36:22.239 --> 00:36:26.559 No matter what what you'll try to do to avoid it, you will encounter it. 00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:45.920 And and God is Jesus is not uh leaving you uh in discouragement, he's encouraging you in an incredible way, giving you a powerful motivation, which is you will be fruitful 100 times, you will be fruitful 60 times or 30 times. 00:36:46.079 --> 00:36:49.039 It varies by the potential that God gave you. 00:36:49.199 --> 00:37:07.039 We're not the same, and we shouldn't compare each other um uh with discouragement that I'm not as fruitful as my mentor or Jesus is using uh um uh hyperbole here, an exaggeration, an unintentional exaggeration. 00:37:07.280 --> 00:37:23.039 And he says, like in in um in the farming time of Jesus, if if you uh saw something and and you um expected for results, if you had uh results seven times more than what you put into the land was good, it was great. 00:37:23.199 --> 00:37:29.360 If you had ten times more than what you what you put in there, uh was unbelievable, it was great. 00:37:29.519 --> 00:37:39.599 But Jesus is taking it to an extreme, and he says, You will bring you will be fruitful 100 times more, 60 more times or or 30 more times. 00:37:40.320 --> 00:37:43.920 You will you will be fruitful in an unimaginable way. 00:37:44.159 --> 00:37:47.199 You just obey the Lord, you just do his will. 00:37:47.760 --> 00:37:51.440 The results will will differ from um from person to person. 00:37:51.920 --> 00:38:03.440 We we live in disobedience sometimes, we we commit sins, and but uh ultimately we will continue to to be recognized by people around us as as being fruitful. 00:38:03.679 --> 00:38:04.320 Amen. 00:38:04.800 --> 00:38:10.239 That that's that's our continuous state, in spite of our shortcomings, as I said. 00:38:11.760 --> 00:38:15.679 This is a great encouragement for us to continue to do evangelism. 00:38:15.760 --> 00:38:19.360 This is a great encouragement to to not to not stop. 00:38:19.679 --> 00:38:20.719 Do not stop, please. 00:38:20.880 --> 00:38:25.679 Continue to throw the seeds wherever God is telling you, where God is putting you. 00:38:25.840 --> 00:38:28.559 Don't don't stop, don't don't uh throw just one seed. 00:38:28.639 --> 00:38:29.440 This is my favorite place. 00:38:29.519 --> 00:38:33.039 I throw just one seed a month or a year. 00:38:33.599 --> 00:38:42.960 Throw seeds as much as possible, be ready, um, be uh obedient, and the Lord will uh use you in a mighty way. 00:38:43.519 --> 00:38:47.519 He might use you in in ways that you cannot even conceive. 00:38:47.920 --> 00:38:51.440 Because he has the power, he has the might to do that. 00:38:53.519 --> 00:39:14.639 Let's let's come before him now in in a moment of uh reflection before let's bring our hearts and test them and meditate a little and see where we are in relation to the soils. 00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:20.719 Let's see if we are where God wants us to be. 00:39:23.440 --> 00:39:26.800 Father, we we praise you for speaking to our hearts. 00:39:27.119 --> 00:39:32.000 Father, thank you for allowing us to experience salvation. 00:39:32.239 --> 00:39:46.719 You changed us, Father, and you changed us, and you gave us another day to rejoice in you, but not just to rejoice because joy is not necessarily the ultimate sign of salvation, but fruitfulness bearing fruit, Father. 00:39:47.280 --> 00:39:55.039 You expect that from us to let the Holy Spirit bear fruit in us, bring the fruit. 00:39:55.840 --> 00:39:57.760 Thank you for changing us. 00:39:58.000 --> 00:40:09.199 Thank thank you for changing the history through people that were committed to to be obedient, to let your spirit conquer everything that was fleshy, that was carnal in them. 00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:16.719 That your word, that your gospel would penetrate the world, would change the world forever. 00:40:17.519 --> 00:40:25.840 You ask for forgiveness if we focused on things that were um temporary and we lost sight of eternal things. 00:40:26.639 --> 00:40:36.800 I pray that you turn this place and these people in into workers more and more as they have been already. 00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:45.840 And I pray that you would continue to use them for the uh salvation of so many people around uh Sugarland and and even Romania. 00:40:46.000 --> 00:40:53.039 I pray, Father, that you would continue to use them mightily locally, nationally, internationally for your glory. 00:40:53.679 --> 00:40:55.920 In your name, I pray Jesus, through your spirit. 00:40:56.239 --> 00:40:56.639 Amen. 00:41:05.519 --> 00:41:11.679 This is just one of the reasons we support uh the work that Avidio and his wife Adina are involved in in Romania. 00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:14.000 Uh it's because he's a gospel. 00:41:14.239 --> 00:41:17.679 They are gospel-centered, God-centered, and gospel-driven people. 00:41:17.840 --> 00:41:22.559 Uh, and so when you support the ministry of this church, these are the kind of people that you support. 00:41:22.719 --> 00:41:26.719 Would you join me in expressing your appreciation for to a video this morning? 00:41:26.960 --> 00:41:39.119 Uh at the conclusion of our service here in just a moment, he and his wife will be standing right down here front and center. 00:41:39.280 --> 00:41:43.119 If you'd like to come speak a word of encouragement to them, uh get them to pray with you. 00:41:43.280 --> 00:41:48.159 If you have a question about anything he said this morning, uh they'd be glad to answer that, okay? 00:41:48.320 --> 00:41:52.960 Uh let me just uh uh uh by way of announcement make you aware of a couple of things. 00:41:53.119 --> 00:41:55.519 Uh first of all, our marriage conference with Dr. 00:41:55.679 --> 00:41:57.840 Dan Allender is coming up May 4th and 5th. 00:41:58.000 --> 00:42:00.320 Tomorrow is the last day for early bird registration. 00:42:00.400 --> 00:42:01.440 After that, the price goes up. 00:42:01.519 --> 00:42:06.320 So if you're thinking about uh coming to the conference, and I hope you are, uh, it'd be a great time to register. 00:42:06.400 --> 00:42:08.559 You can just go to our website and just sign up there. 00:42:08.639 --> 00:42:11.920 It'll take you directly to the right link, and everything will be taken care of. 00:42:12.000 --> 00:42:14.320 Again, tomorrow is the deadline for early bird. 00:42:14.639 --> 00:42:15.679 Price goes up after that. 00:42:15.920 --> 00:42:18.079 Second thing I'm gonna remind you of is secret church. 00:42:18.159 --> 00:42:19.440 Uh, secret church is coming up. 00:42:19.519 --> 00:42:20.800 You say, what is secret church? 00:42:20.880 --> 00:42:27.840 Uh basically, it it is uh the topic this year is uh cults and false gospels, uh, counterfeit gospels. 00:42:27.920 --> 00:42:36.079 Uh in our multicultural day and age, uh, there's a lot of religious pluralism and syncretism, and people take from different things what they pick and choose what they like. 00:42:36.239 --> 00:42:42.800 It it's a great opportunity for us to become equipped and train our ears to hear the gospel as it's laid out in the Bible. 00:42:42.960 --> 00:42:50.159 And so from 5:30 to 11:30, we meet in the warehouse, we'll have Chick-fil-A and drinks and coffee and snacks available all through the night. 00:42:50.239 --> 00:42:54.639 There's breaks about every hour to uh 75 minutes, and so it's broken up. 00:42:54.719 --> 00:42:59.039 It's a fun time just to hang out with other people that kind of want to get trained in this area. 00:42:59.280 --> 00:43:00.480 A workbook is available. 00:43:00.559 --> 00:43:04.559 You can register online, or you can see Don Minton, our missions pastor, he's over all of that. 00:43:04.880 --> 00:43:07.119 Uh thirdly, I want to remind you of our men's breakfast. 00:43:07.199 --> 00:43:13.519 Our next men's breakfast is this Tuesday uh in the warehouse, which is our student ministry building at the back of our property back here. 00:43:13.679 --> 00:43:15.840 We start promptly at six, we end at seven. 00:43:15.920 --> 00:43:22.719 Uh, it's a great opportunity to meet other guys uh and just kind of connect and think uh intentionally about your faith. 00:43:22.880 --> 00:43:24.400 Would love you to come and be a part of that. 00:43:24.559 --> 00:43:26.960 Breakfast is free and everyone is invited. 00:43:27.119 --> 00:43:31.760 Each one's a standalone, so it's not like if you showed up, you'd be like, hey, I'm I'm six weeks behind. 00:43:31.920 --> 00:43:32.559 No, you're not. 00:43:32.639 --> 00:43:33.760 Each one stands alone. 00:43:34.000 --> 00:43:50.320 Last thing I want to make you aware of, we don't have a slide for this, uh, but coming up on April the 28th, our flourishing after 50, which is our women's ministry uh for women 50 and older, are having a luncheon at the Bement's Farm uh out in Fulster, uh, Texas, which is a beautiful, very peaceful place. 00:43:50.480 --> 00:43:51.760 Uh the cost is$10. 00:43:52.079 --> 00:43:52.719 It's a luncheon. 00:43:52.800 --> 00:43:56.480 Some of them are gonna meet here uh at the church and they're gonna carpool out together. 00:43:56.639 --> 00:44:05.920 But to register, if you'd like more information, they're registering for that right out this side door over here because we got two or three things being registered for in the lobby, and we don't want it to be like pinball out there. 00:44:06.000 --> 00:44:14.239 But if you'd like information, you have questions about that, there's a couple ladies right out of this door, my right, your left, uh, that can sign you up, answer any questions you may have. 00:44:14.400 --> 00:44:21.679 And again, it's our flourishing after 50 is for women 50 and older to luncheon on April 28th at the Bements Farm in Folshire, okay? 00:44:21.840 --> 00:44:22.880 Stand to your feet if you would. 00:44:22.960 --> 00:44:24.320 Let me speak a blessing over you. 00:44:25.920 --> 00:44:27.280 Hold your hands out. 00:44:34.639 --> 00:44:39.679 You're the beloved sons and daughters of God, and he's bestowed his seed of truth upon you. 00:44:39.920 --> 00:44:41.679 Depart now and take this with you. 00:44:41.840 --> 00:44:43.119 And so generously. 00:44:43.280 --> 00:44:46.800 In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen. 00:44:46.960 --> 00:44:47.679 Bless you.