The world is concerned
00:00:01.36\00:00:02.70
about what will happen
in the future with humanity.
00:00:02.73\00:00:06.50
How will the conflict
in the Middle East end?
00:00:06.53\00:00:09.37
What will finally come to pass
00:00:09.40\00:00:11.21
with global
financial uncertainty?
00:00:11.24\00:00:13.48
Is it nothing
more than a forecast?
00:00:13.51\00:00:15.98
The Bible has
answers for these questions
00:00:16.01\00:00:18.48
about the future and
they are totally reliable.
00:00:18.51\00:00:21.38
Prophets in the
Bible have predicted events
00:00:21.42\00:00:24.19
with impressive accuracy.
00:00:24.22\00:00:26.19
The Bible also
tells us that God has been
00:00:26.22\00:00:28.59
in control throughout history.
00:00:28.62\00:00:30.79
If every Bible prophecy
has been fulfilled in the past,
00:00:30.83\00:00:34.20
there is enough
argument to believe
00:00:34.23\00:00:36.26
and be totally sure
that additional prophecies
00:00:36.30\00:00:39.33
will also be fulfilled.
00:00:39.37\00:00:41.30
Read your Bible and believe God.
00:00:41.34\00:00:43.91
Why do some people believe
in God and others disbelieve?
00:00:47.24\00:00:51.31
Why do some people experience
richest spiritual lives
00:00:51.35\00:00:55.22
and others simply gather dust?
00:00:55.25\00:00:57.45
What would you do if you
found a treasure in a field?
00:00:57.49\00:01:00.82
Would you notify the owner?
00:01:00.86\00:01:02.49
Or would you just buy the field?
00:01:02.52\00:01:04.73
What makes a little
seed become a big tree?
00:01:04.76\00:01:08.00
And why do other
seeds just blow in the wind?
00:01:08.03\00:01:10.83
These and other
thought-provoking questions
00:01:10.87\00:01:14.00
are explored by
Pastor John Carter.
00:01:14.04\00:01:16.60
Welcome to the Carter Report
00:01:16.64\00:01:19.24
and the
Mysteries of the Kingdom.
00:01:19.27\00:01:21.74
Wayne, thank you so much.
00:01:26.38\00:01:28.68
I'm so glad that
you've joined us, my friend.
00:01:28.72\00:01:32.12
And we're today
still in Australia.
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We're in a state where,
well, it's just locked down.
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The nation has
sealed the borders.
00:01:41.36\00:01:44.17
So it's terribly hard to get in
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and it's even harder to get out.
00:01:46.27\00:01:48.50
We came for three
months to get away from it all.
00:01:49.90\00:01:54.08
We've been here for nine months.
00:01:54.11\00:01:56.01
In our house here in Australia,
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we're sending you this telecast.
00:02:00.58\00:02:03.18
David is on the camera.
00:02:03.22\00:02:05.72
Beverley is sitting
over on one of the sofas
00:02:05.75\00:02:08.59
and she's reading
the questions to me.
00:02:08.62\00:02:11.79
And back in the
United States of America,
00:02:11.83\00:02:14.00
we've got Wayne and
Marilyn Hackett and MK,
00:02:14.03\00:02:17.10
and they're putting
the program together.
00:02:17.13\00:02:19.63
So during these tough times,
we send you warm greetings,
00:02:19.67\00:02:25.31
lots of love and we
thank you for joining us today
00:02:25.34\00:02:28.94
at the Carter Report.
00:02:28.98\00:02:30.48
Why do some people
choose to believe in God
00:02:33.08\00:02:35.98
and others do not?
00:02:36.02\00:02:37.35
Why does some people
believe and others disbelieve?
00:02:39.72\00:02:42.76
I think we can try
to answer that today.
00:02:44.19\00:02:48.13
We're going to see
what the Bible says.
00:02:48.16\00:02:50.87
Jesus gave this
parable of a sower
00:02:50.90\00:02:54.34
who goes out to sow the seed.
00:02:54.37\00:02:57.51
The seed is the Word of God.
00:02:57.54\00:02:59.17
We're going to see that today.
00:02:59.21\00:03:00.54
That's as plain as
the nose on your face.
00:03:00.58\00:03:03.04
And there are four
different types of hearers,
00:03:04.18\00:03:08.82
four different classes of people
00:03:08.85\00:03:10.79
who listen to the Word of God.
00:03:10.82\00:03:13.86
Let me read it to you
out of the scriptures.
00:03:13.89\00:03:16.39
This is one of the most
amazing stories ever told
00:03:16.42\00:03:21.03
in the history of the Bible.
00:03:21.06\00:03:23.63
Matthew 13:1 and onwards.
00:03:23.67\00:03:27.14
Now are you
listening to me, my friend?
00:03:27.17\00:03:30.27
"On the same day,
Jesus went out of the house,
00:03:31.84\00:03:34.81
sat by the sea.
00:03:34.84\00:03:36.18
And great multitudes
were gathered together to Him,
00:03:37.45\00:03:41.88
so that He got
into a boat and sat,
00:03:41.92\00:03:44.09
and the whole
multitude stood on the shore."
00:03:44.12\00:03:46.82
Jesus was a
tremendous communicator
00:03:46.86\00:03:50.63
of the eternal
truths of the Word of God.
00:03:50.66\00:03:53.73
There was no person like
Him, not before or since.
00:03:53.76\00:03:57.60
And then verse 3 says,
00:03:58.63\00:04:02.54
"Then He spoke many things
to them in parable saying,
00:04:02.57\00:04:06.91
'A sower went out to sow."
00:04:06.94\00:04:11.18
Hey, just a simple story.
00:04:11.21\00:04:13.48
He is the sower and
he's broadcasting the seed.
00:04:13.52\00:04:17.09
He's throwing the seed here
00:04:18.42\00:04:19.79
and he's
throwing the seed there.
00:04:19.82\00:04:22.16
And the seed falls
on some rough places
00:04:22.19\00:04:25.06
and it falls into good
dirt and it falls among thorns
00:04:25.09\00:04:29.26
and all the rest of it,
we're going to see this today.
00:04:29.30\00:04:32.00
And Jesus describes
the four classes of people
00:04:33.20\00:04:37.67
who hear the Word of God
when it is proclaimed to them.
00:04:37.71\00:04:42.21
Please listen to this.
00:04:42.24\00:04:43.58
This is an amazing story.
00:04:43.61\00:04:45.81
It tells us why
some people believe
00:04:45.85\00:04:49.05
and other people
choose not to believe.
00:04:49.08\00:04:52.99
What is the meaning of
the farmer and the seed?
00:04:55.49\00:04:58.73
Can this story
help me to discover
00:04:58.76\00:05:01.63
what kind of a person I am?
00:05:01.66\00:05:03.77
Well, when you read this story,
00:05:07.44\00:05:09.27
it shows an insight
that is more than human.
00:05:09.30\00:05:13.21
Let me read on in the text.
00:05:13.24\00:05:14.94
It says, "Then
He spoke many things
00:05:14.98\00:05:17.81
to them in parables."
00:05:17.85\00:05:19.18
Simply stories,
illustration saying,
00:05:19.21\00:05:22.82
"Behold, a sower
went out to sow."
00:05:22.85\00:05:24.72
That is the preacher.
00:05:24.75\00:05:26.45
In fact, it is God
Himself broadcasting the Word.
00:05:26.49\00:05:31.69
He spreads it everywhere.
00:05:31.73\00:05:33.19
This is a picture
of true evangelism.
00:05:33.23\00:05:35.90
And it says, the text says,
00:05:35.93\00:05:37.70
"And as he sowed, some
seed fell by the wayside,
00:05:37.73\00:05:42.30
and the birds came
and devoured them."
00:05:42.34\00:05:46.98
So the Bible makes it
plain that some of the seed
00:05:47.01\00:05:50.78
that represents the Word of God,
00:05:50.81\00:05:53.11
it falls by the wayside.
00:05:53.15\00:05:55.05
If I was in Southern California,
00:05:56.45\00:05:58.82
today, I'd say that's
like trying to sow the seed
00:05:58.85\00:06:03.09
on the 101 freeway.
00:06:03.12\00:06:05.96
When I was living in
United States of America
00:06:05.99\00:06:08.50
and I'm missing America,
00:06:08.53\00:06:10.30
I've got to be candid with you.
00:06:10.33\00:06:11.67
I'm just missing it so much.
00:06:11.70\00:06:14.07
I drove around the
streets in the highways
00:06:14.10\00:06:17.57
and the freeways of Los Angeles,
00:06:17.61\00:06:20.31
about a million
kilometers or more.
00:06:20.34\00:06:22.78
And those freeways are
tough and they are hard.
00:06:22.81\00:06:27.62
And so some of the seed
00:06:27.65\00:06:29.28
falls upon the freeway,
00:06:29.32\00:06:33.62
on the side where
it's tough and hard,
00:06:33.66\00:06:37.73
and gritty and
dirty like many hearts.
00:06:37.76\00:06:42.30
Hey, you listening?
00:06:42.33\00:06:44.53
Hard, rough and tough like
00:06:44.57\00:06:48.34
many people beaten down stony.
00:06:48.37\00:06:51.67
The water runs off.
00:06:52.77\00:06:54.11
When they hear the Word of God,
00:06:55.48\00:06:56.81
their soul seemed to
be absolutely impervious
00:06:56.85\00:07:01.28
to the Word of God.
00:07:01.32\00:07:02.65
What's running in their minds?
00:07:03.65\00:07:05.85
Money, booze, sex, TV,
the next football game,
00:07:05.89\00:07:11.69
repeated booze, sex, football,
00:07:11.73\00:07:17.27
money, the stock exchange,
00:07:17.30\00:07:20.87
a spiritual
thought finds it very hard
00:07:20.90\00:07:23.87
to get into their minds.
00:07:23.91\00:07:26.17
This is the
first group of hearers
00:07:26.21\00:07:29.28
that Jesus describes.
00:07:29.31\00:07:30.91
And Jesus was
absolutely correct.
00:07:30.95\00:07:34.48
He's describing
the state of the world.
00:07:34.52\00:07:37.79
Maybe He's describing
your heart, my friend.
00:07:37.82\00:07:40.72
Listen.
00:07:40.76\00:07:42.09
This first class of hearers,
those with hearts of stone,
00:07:44.86\00:07:50.00
can their
hearts ever be changed?
00:07:50.03\00:07:52.03
Is there any hope for people
00:07:54.90\00:07:56.44
who've got hearts
as tough as this table
00:07:56.47\00:08:01.41
that's made out
of Tasmanian oak?
00:08:01.44\00:08:04.45
Is there any hope for people
00:08:04.48\00:08:06.28
whose hearts are as
hard as the 405 freeway
00:08:06.31\00:08:10.49
that runs down to
Los Angeles airport?
00:08:10.52\00:08:14.12
Nothing can grow
on those freeways,
00:08:14.16\00:08:16.89
except a little bit on the side,
00:08:16.93\00:08:19.63
where a bit of dirt accumulates.
00:08:19.66\00:08:21.86
Is there any hope
for people who are tough,
00:08:21.90\00:08:26.94
worldly and mesmerized
by the things of this world?
00:08:26.97\00:08:31.61
Listen to this.
00:08:31.64\00:08:33.41
Because you know
people like that.
00:08:33.44\00:08:35.11
Maybe you got
family members like that.
00:08:36.28\00:08:38.21
Maybe listening to
this telecast today.
00:08:39.31\00:08:42.25
Maybe you're sticking with
me for a little bit of time,
00:08:42.28\00:08:45.35
but maybe your
heart is like that.
00:08:45.39\00:08:48.22
Is there hope for
hard-hearted people?
00:08:48.26\00:08:51.86
Listen, my friend.
00:08:51.89\00:08:53.23
Listen to these
words, never give up.
00:08:54.16\00:08:58.40
God is in the work
of making miracles.
00:08:59.53\00:09:03.71
The Bible says
God can take the hard,
00:09:03.74\00:09:06.47
stony heart and turn
it into heart of flesh.
00:09:06.51\00:09:10.41
God is in the
miracle working business.
00:09:11.51\00:09:13.82
Never, never give up.
00:09:13.85\00:09:15.32
Winston
Churchill said those words.
00:09:15.35\00:09:18.22
I'm sort of a bit of a
fan of Winston Churchill,
00:09:18.25\00:09:21.06
this man who
stood against the Nazis.
00:09:21.09\00:09:23.83
When things were
looking terribly bad
00:09:23.86\00:09:26.29
and he spoke about the bad
days that were going to come.
00:09:26.33\00:09:29.23
Winston Churchill
said, "Never give up."
00:09:29.26\00:09:32.23
Can you hear his voice?
00:09:32.27\00:09:33.60
Never give up.
00:09:34.74\00:09:36.54
Never give up.
00:09:36.57\00:09:37.91
I said you never
give up on people.
00:09:37.94\00:09:39.67
I've seen God take
people who apparently
00:09:41.11\00:09:44.31
were the hardest
people that you can imagine
00:09:44.35\00:09:47.92
and He has turned those hearts
of stone into hearts of flesh.
00:09:47.95\00:09:53.39
Like the mafia chief, I
can't tell you his name.
00:09:54.82\00:09:58.26
He'd 400 soldiers under
him, all under machine guns,
00:09:58.29\00:10:03.00
are hard, as hard
as that 405 freeway,
00:10:03.03\00:10:07.20
as hard as the wayside
that Jesus is talking about.
00:10:07.24\00:10:11.01
But there's
nobody too hard for God.
00:10:12.24\00:10:15.74
Listen to me, there's
nobody too hard for God.
00:10:15.78\00:10:19.98
Never, never, never give up.
00:10:21.32\00:10:24.92
God is in the work
of taking hard hearts
00:10:24.95\00:10:28.72
and turning them
into soft hearts.
00:10:28.76\00:10:32.43
And so I say, pray
for your loved ones.
00:10:32.46\00:10:36.03
Don't be discouraged.
00:10:36.06\00:10:37.70
Never, never, never give up.
00:10:37.73\00:10:41.00
Are you listening to me?
00:10:41.04\00:10:42.57
You mentioned four
classes of hearers.
00:10:45.91\00:10:49.04
The first have hearts of stone.
00:10:49.08\00:10:51.58
Who are the
second class of hearers?
00:10:51.61\00:10:54.38
Now we're going to come to
the second class of hearers.
00:10:57.59\00:10:59.92
Now who are they?
00:10:59.95\00:11:01.29
Now we're going to read to
you from the words of Jesus,
00:11:01.32\00:11:05.53
the greatest
teacher, the greatest person.
00:11:05.56\00:11:09.06
He was the Son of
God, the divine Son of God.
00:11:09.10\00:11:12.23
He was the eternal Logos.
00:11:12.27\00:11:15.44
Now verse 5 and 6,
let me read it to you.
00:11:15.47\00:11:18.61
"Some fell on stony places,
00:11:18.64\00:11:21.38
where they did
not have much earth,
00:11:21.41\00:11:24.21
and they immediately sprang up
00:11:24.25\00:11:25.81
because they had
no depth of earth.
00:11:25.85\00:11:28.75
But when the sun was
up, they were scorched,
00:11:28.78\00:11:31.32
and because they had no
root, they withered away."
00:11:31.35\00:11:36.69
This is talking
about shallow soil.
00:11:36.73\00:11:41.13
Jesus describes these
people in the same chapter.
00:11:42.86\00:11:47.24
He says, "The soil is shallow."
00:11:47.27\00:11:52.54
He's talking
about shallow people.
00:11:52.57\00:11:55.44
Have you ever
met shallow people?
00:11:55.48\00:11:57.41
Often these people,
when they hear the gospel,
00:11:59.15\00:12:01.18
they put up their
hands, "Praise God.
00:12:01.22\00:12:02.82
Yeah, I'm going to do this."
00:12:02.85\00:12:05.35
But this describes so
many professing religionists.
00:12:05.39\00:12:09.66
They're all talk.
00:12:09.69\00:12:12.79
They're all talk,
but they are no walk.
00:12:12.83\00:12:16.56
And Jesus said,
00:12:18.00\00:12:19.53
"When the sun
comes up, they wither."
00:12:19.57\00:12:23.27
They just, they
don't last that distance,
00:12:23.30\00:12:27.64
my friend.
00:12:27.68\00:12:29.24
So the second class
of hearer is the person
00:12:29.28\00:12:33.72
who is shallow.
00:12:33.75\00:12:37.12
Like many
people that you've met,
00:12:37.15\00:12:39.29
and I've met them too.
00:12:39.32\00:12:40.66
Is there a danger
00:12:43.22\00:12:44.69
in accepting
salvation too quickly?
00:12:44.73\00:12:47.90
Well, let me take this
a little bit further now.
00:12:50.73\00:12:53.97
I want to read you
from Matthew 13:20-21.
00:12:54.00\00:12:58.67
This is the divine commentary
that was made by Jesus.
00:12:58.71\00:13:02.81
But he who received
the seed on stony places,
00:13:03.88\00:13:06.98
this is he who hears the word
00:13:07.02\00:13:09.15
and immediately
receives it with joy,"
00:13:09.18\00:13:11.95
hallelujah, he shouts,
00:13:11.99\00:13:15.49
"yet he has no root in himself,
00:13:15.52\00:13:18.46
but endures only for a while.
00:13:18.49\00:13:22.36
But when tribulation
00:13:22.40\00:13:23.73
or persecution
arises because of the word,
00:13:23.77\00:13:27.20
immediately he stumbles."
00:13:27.24\00:13:30.44
Jesus here is describing people
00:13:32.21\00:13:35.94
who accept the Word of God,
00:13:35.98\00:13:39.11
but without conviction.
00:13:39.15\00:13:40.98
They're very quick to respond.
00:13:44.12\00:13:46.76
Now, it's great
to respond quickly.
00:13:46.79\00:13:49.36
God wants us to respond quickly.
00:13:49.39\00:13:52.69
But there's got
to be conviction.
00:13:52.73\00:13:55.10
Now these people
who are shallow people
00:13:56.87\00:13:59.03
are all talk, they're all mouth,
00:13:59.07\00:14:01.50
but they're no soul.
00:14:01.54\00:14:03.07
Unlike my friends in
Russia who years ago,
00:14:05.24\00:14:08.14
I know these people,
00:14:08.18\00:14:09.74
I have baptized
thousands of them.
00:14:09.78\00:14:12.75
When they got baptized,
00:14:12.78\00:14:14.12
they got baptized
in the middle of winter
00:14:14.15\00:14:15.95
because of the persecution.
00:14:15.98\00:14:18.12
They had to go out and
get baptized in the rivers
00:14:18.15\00:14:21.19
and cut the ice.
00:14:21.22\00:14:22.66
The ice was two feet thick.
00:14:22.69\00:14:24.39
I've been to places
like that many times.
00:14:24.43\00:14:27.23
And after they were baptized,
they had to soar with a soar,
00:14:28.56\00:14:33.07
they had to soar their
baptismal robes off them.
00:14:33.10\00:14:37.64
They were not shallow people.
00:14:37.67\00:14:39.31
They'd thought about it,
00:14:40.48\00:14:41.81
but they had moved with alacrity
00:14:41.84\00:14:44.08
as the Spirit of God
drove them to Christ.
00:14:44.11\00:14:48.58
We need to be people
who let the Word of God
00:14:48.62\00:14:51.09
get down deep into our souls.
00:14:51.12\00:14:53.89
What do you think?
00:14:53.92\00:14:55.26
What is the meaning of the soil
00:14:57.86\00:14:59.56
that is filled
with thorn bushes?
00:14:59.59\00:15:01.90
Is this the
third class of hearers?
00:15:01.93\00:15:04.57
Well, let me read to
you a text on this one.
00:15:07.47\00:15:09.80
Is that okay?
00:15:09.84\00:15:11.17
I'm going to read
you the Lord's commentary
00:15:11.21\00:15:13.17
on His own parable.
00:15:13.21\00:15:15.24
Matthew 13:22,
00:15:15.28\00:15:19.11
He describes, He
explains the parable.
00:15:19.15\00:15:22.88
"Now he who receives
seed among the thorns
00:15:22.92\00:15:26.32
is he who hears the word,
00:15:26.35\00:15:28.62
and the cares of this world
00:15:28.66\00:15:31.19
and the deceitfulness
of riches choke the word,
00:15:31.23\00:15:35.86
and he becomes unfruitful."
00:15:35.90\00:15:39.03
This is the third class.
00:15:39.07\00:15:40.67
Nothing wrong with the
soil, the soil is super soil.
00:15:41.97\00:15:46.07
It's great soil, it's fertile.
00:15:46.11\00:15:48.98
And it's so fertile,
00:15:49.01\00:15:50.68
that it grows
all of these weeds.
00:15:50.71\00:15:53.48
Jesus speaks about the weeds,
00:15:53.52\00:15:57.42
the cares of this world,
00:15:57.45\00:16:00.09
the love of riches,
all of these things.
00:16:00.12\00:16:05.46
This person is so
busy making a living
00:16:05.49\00:16:11.20
that he's got no
time to be making a dime.
00:16:11.23\00:16:14.14
He's not a lazy person.
00:16:16.04\00:16:18.14
He's not a shallow person.
00:16:18.17\00:16:20.28
But he's a
person who loves money
00:16:20.31\00:16:22.84
and he loves the
things of this world.
00:16:22.88\00:16:27.32
And this is the
story of Western society.
00:16:27.35\00:16:31.02
It is the story
of Australian society
00:16:31.05\00:16:34.42
and American society.
00:16:34.46\00:16:36.56
It is the story of consumerism
00:16:36.59\00:16:40.93
that gets down into the soul
00:16:40.96\00:16:44.00
and chokes the Word.
00:16:44.03\00:16:47.24
Would you like to
hear a little story?
00:16:47.27\00:16:49.30
I can feel a story coming on.
00:16:51.37\00:16:53.71
There was a
certain very wealthy man.
00:16:54.91\00:16:56.91
He was a chief in the mafia.
00:16:56.95\00:16:59.48
I'm told this
happened in New York City.
00:16:59.51\00:17:01.82
Where else would it happen?
00:17:01.85\00:17:03.45
So it happens in New York City
00:17:03.49\00:17:05.62
and this very wealthy
mafia man is being buried.
00:17:05.65\00:17:10.19
He's being buried in
a gold-plated Cadillac.
00:17:11.76\00:17:15.30
And they got him propped
up against the steering wheel.
00:17:17.03\00:17:19.90
There he is in this
gold-plated Cadillac
00:17:21.00\00:17:23.17
and he's got on
the most expensive suit
00:17:23.20\00:17:26.37
and he's got a big
fat cigar in his mouth.
00:17:26.41\00:17:29.58
And a poor man walks past
00:17:30.85\00:17:32.38
and he sees this
extravagant funeral.
00:17:32.41\00:17:35.98
And in the spur of the moment,
00:17:36.02\00:17:37.55
he cries out,
"Man, ain't that living?"
00:17:37.59\00:17:42.52
Well, that ain't
living friend, that's dying.
00:17:44.89\00:17:49.66
And if you die in a gold-plated
Cadillac without God,
00:17:49.70\00:17:53.74
then you are a pauper.
00:17:53.77\00:17:56.67
The wealthiest
person, my friend,
00:17:56.71\00:17:58.41
is the person who
is rich towards God.
00:17:58.44\00:18:01.58
What is meant in the
parable of the sower,
00:18:04.21\00:18:07.45
about the fourth
group of hearers?
00:18:07.48\00:18:09.95
What does the
good soil represent?
00:18:09.98\00:18:12.32
Let me give you a text.
00:18:15.32\00:18:16.69
Wayne, thank you.
00:18:16.73\00:18:18.06
Matthew 13:8,
00:18:18.09\00:18:21.40
Jesus here describes
the fourth class of hearer.
00:18:21.43\00:18:26.63
I want to be in that class.
00:18:28.30\00:18:29.94
I don't know about you,
but I want to be in that class.
00:18:29.97\00:18:31.94
Matthew 13:8 says,
00:18:31.97\00:18:34.61
"And others fell on good
ground and yielded a crop,
00:18:34.64\00:18:38.05
some a hundredfold,
some sixty, some thirty."
00:18:38.08\00:18:41.88
Then He said, "He
who has ears to hear,
00:18:41.92\00:18:44.39
let him hear!"
00:18:44.42\00:18:45.92
And verse 23,
00:18:45.95\00:18:47.89
the Lord gives His
own divine commentary.
00:18:47.92\00:18:51.49
Verse 23, "But
he who received seed
00:18:51.53\00:18:56.40
on the good ground
is he who hears the word
00:18:56.43\00:18:59.80
and understands it,
00:18:59.83\00:19:01.87
who indeed bears
fruit and produces:
00:19:01.90\00:19:05.14
some a hundredfold,
00:19:05.17\00:19:07.11
some sixty, some thirty."
00:19:07.14\00:19:11.28
Thank God.
00:19:12.41\00:19:13.98
Thank God.
00:19:15.78\00:19:17.99
There will always
be those who respond
00:19:18.02\00:19:20.76
to the preaching
of the Word of God.
00:19:20.79\00:19:22.72
Now, I want you
dear friends of mine
00:19:24.13\00:19:26.49
to get this very plainly.
00:19:26.53\00:19:28.03
Jesus said,
00:19:28.06\00:19:29.40
"There are four
classes of hearers.
00:19:29.43\00:19:32.50
The first is
hard as this table...
00:19:32.53\00:19:35.17
Just doesn't take
the Word in at all.
00:19:37.27\00:19:40.48
Then you got the next class,
he's a very shallow person.
00:19:40.51\00:19:43.65
The Word comes
up, the seed grows up,
00:19:43.68\00:19:47.68
the bush comes up really fast
when the sun comes up, is gone.
00:19:47.72\00:19:52.49
The third class is the
person who's got good soil,
00:19:52.52\00:19:55.92
but he's a person
who's in love with money.
00:19:55.96\00:19:58.99
He's in love with this world.
00:19:59.03\00:20:00.73
He's in love with
the cares of this life.
00:20:00.76\00:20:03.06
He's too busy, too
busy to read his Bible,
00:20:03.10\00:20:07.14
too busy to go to church,
too busy to keep the Sabbath,
00:20:07.17\00:20:11.01
too busy for his own good.
00:20:11.04\00:20:13.78
But then you've
got the fourth class.
00:20:15.34\00:20:17.18
And Jesus said, "This
person is like good soil.
00:20:18.28\00:20:23.39
And the seed gets down
00:20:25.35\00:20:26.79
into it and the rain
comes down from heaven.
00:20:26.82\00:20:30.99
And up comes
the luxuriant bushes
00:20:32.66\00:20:38.17
and they grow and they thrive
00:20:38.20\00:20:41.24
and they last."
00:20:41.27\00:20:44.31
That is the fourth class.
00:20:44.34\00:20:46.27
Out here in
Australia where we're stuck
00:20:48.24\00:20:49.84
because of COVID-19,
Sydney is in shut down,
00:20:49.88\00:20:53.31
the borders are closed.
00:20:53.35\00:20:55.28
I've been going to a
little church down the road.
00:20:55.32\00:20:57.85
It's called the
Church at Toboggan.
00:20:57.89\00:21:01.12
You'd only have a church
00:21:01.16\00:21:02.49
by the name of
Toboggan in Australia.
00:21:02.52\00:21:04.16
Lovely people,
very kind, nice people.
00:21:05.23\00:21:09.93
Good soil.
00:21:09.96\00:21:11.30
I met a lady there.
00:21:12.43\00:21:13.90
This really cheered my heart.
00:21:15.27\00:21:18.37
It stirred me up.
00:21:18.41\00:21:19.74
It's cheered my heart.
00:21:19.77\00:21:21.81
Her name is Nola.
00:21:21.84\00:21:23.51
I baptized her 50 years ago,
00:21:25.01\00:21:28.98
in a little place
by the name of Tyalgum.
00:21:29.02\00:21:31.69
She's been faithful
ever since, good soil.
00:21:32.79\00:21:37.83
The Word of God went
down and got into good soil.
00:21:37.86\00:21:42.06
Over there in the great land
00:21:43.47\00:21:45.67
of the United States of America,
00:21:45.70\00:21:48.30
out in the great
city of Las Vegas,
00:21:48.34\00:21:52.37
there's a man by
the name of Victor.
00:21:52.41\00:21:54.71
Victor, I salute you today.
00:21:54.74\00:21:57.55
I send you greetings.
00:21:57.58\00:21:59.41
I send you love and blessings.
00:21:59.45\00:22:02.28
Victor was surfing
through the channels
00:22:02.32\00:22:05.09
and he came upon 3ABN.
00:22:05.12\00:22:07.26
I say thank God for
Danny Shelton and 3ABN.
00:22:07.29\00:22:12.56
And Victor
watched the Carter Report
00:22:13.83\00:22:16.30
and he heard the
preaching of the gospel
00:22:16.33\00:22:18.63
and the Word of God
got down into good soil.
00:22:18.67\00:22:22.94
What's different about Victor?
00:22:22.97\00:22:24.77
Victor had been
brought up in a home
00:22:24.81\00:22:27.84
of American communists.
00:22:27.88\00:22:30.31
You say there's no
such thing. Yes, yes, yes.
00:22:31.51\00:22:34.68
His parents were
American communists.
00:22:34.72\00:22:38.52
He was brought up in atheism
00:22:38.55\00:22:40.36
but there was a
hunger in his soul.
00:22:40.39\00:22:44.59
He's been
faithful for years now.
00:22:46.03\00:22:48.66
Faithfully keeping
the commandments of God
00:22:48.70\00:22:51.43
and keeping the Lord's Day.
00:22:51.47\00:22:53.10
The soil is prepared by God.
00:22:55.77\00:22:59.61
You can be that soil.
00:22:59.64\00:23:02.01
Then over there in
Russia 30 years ago now,
00:23:02.04\00:23:05.41
almost 30 years ago,
00:23:05.45\00:23:07.32
I had the privilege of baptizing
00:23:07.35\00:23:09.38
a very beautiful
lady along with thousands
00:23:09.42\00:23:12.15
of other
beautiful Russian people.
00:23:12.19\00:23:14.92
People say, "Why do
you believe in evangelism?"
00:23:14.96\00:23:16.79
I believe in it
because it works.
00:23:16.83\00:23:18.73
I believe in evangelism
because Jesus teaches it.
00:23:20.80\00:23:25.83
Why don't more
people do evangelism?
00:23:26.90\00:23:28.50
Well first starters it's hard.
00:23:28.54\00:23:30.84
And it's tough to do.
00:23:32.04\00:23:33.91
We baptized Julia, when was it?
00:23:35.14\00:23:37.35
Twenty nine, 30 years ago.
00:23:37.38\00:23:39.41
I go back to
Russia on occasions.
00:23:40.92\00:23:42.62
There she is faithfully
in charge of 3ABN in Russia.
00:23:42.65\00:23:47.52
Good soil,
faithful, strong and true.
00:23:47.56\00:23:51.86
Years ago, we traveled by train
on the Trans-Siberian Express
00:23:53.26\00:23:57.23
from Moscow
across to Vladivostok.
00:23:57.27\00:24:00.37
Every place we stopped,
00:24:00.40\00:24:02.10
the believers
knew we were coming.
00:24:02.14\00:24:04.07
They came out
two in the morning,
00:24:05.34\00:24:07.08
four in the morning,
two in the afternoon.
00:24:07.11\00:24:09.91
We went in the middle of winter,
00:24:09.94\00:24:14.05
some places minus 40 degrees.
00:24:14.08\00:24:16.92
We would get out
and preach the Word,
00:24:16.95\00:24:19.12
give them Bibles,
give them medicines.
00:24:19.15\00:24:21.22
And there we met the survivors
of the Russian Holocaust.
00:24:22.46\00:24:26.83
We met the people who'd gone
through that hell of communism,
00:24:26.86\00:24:32.13
when millions had
been put to death,
00:24:32.17\00:24:34.90
but they had remained faithful
because they were good soil.
00:24:34.94\00:24:39.97
Do you believe our
lives are predetermined by God
00:24:43.04\00:24:46.48
and that we have no choice
in determining our destiny?
00:24:46.51\00:24:50.45
I don't believe
in predestination.
00:24:53.09\00:24:55.02
I believe that God would
have all people to be saved.
00:24:56.66\00:25:00.46
And if you and I are
lost, at last, God forbid,
00:25:00.50\00:25:04.50
but if you and I should be lost,
00:25:04.53\00:25:06.23
it will not be
the fault of Jesus,
00:25:06.27\00:25:10.37
who gave His life as a
ransom for the whole wide world.
00:25:10.41\00:25:14.51
Now let me read you
a text Matthew 13:13.
00:25:14.54\00:25:20.32
Jesus said,
00:25:20.35\00:25:22.28
"Therefore I speak
to them in parables,
00:25:22.32\00:25:26.52
because seeing they do not see,
00:25:26.55\00:25:29.06
and hearing they do not hear,
00:25:29.09\00:25:31.69
nor do they understand."
00:25:31.73\00:25:35.23
Somebody once said,
00:25:36.40\00:25:39.23
"The cat looks at the king,
00:25:39.27\00:25:42.87
but the cat
doesn't see the king."
00:25:42.90\00:25:46.01
The cat has got sight, but
the cat hasn't got insight,
00:25:47.11\00:25:51.95
like most people in the world.
00:25:51.98\00:25:54.52
A lot of people in the church,
00:25:54.55\00:25:56.72
they've got sight,
but they got no insight.
00:25:56.75\00:25:59.49
Insight comes
from the Spirit of God.
00:26:00.76\00:26:03.89
God desires every
person, my friend,
00:26:06.26\00:26:09.33
I'm telling you, to be saved.
00:26:09.36\00:26:12.63
There are people
00:26:16.40\00:26:17.74
who close their eyes
willfully and willingly.
00:26:17.77\00:26:23.41
I've seen them.
00:26:23.45\00:26:24.78
Like the Jewish
leaders in the days of Christ
00:26:27.65\00:26:30.55
who put Christ on the cross.
00:26:30.59\00:26:33.22
But who was to blame?
00:26:38.33\00:26:40.16
Was Christ to blame?
00:26:40.20\00:26:41.53
He said, "You
will not come unto Me
00:26:41.56\00:26:44.03
that you might have life."
00:26:44.07\00:26:46.63
He said, "I wanted you to
be saved and to come to Me,
00:26:46.67\00:26:50.04
but you won't come."
00:26:50.07\00:26:51.84
Now please stay with us,
00:26:53.98\00:26:56.44
because we're going to
talk about predestination
00:26:56.48\00:27:01.02
and the gift of
eternal life, back soon.
00:27:01.05\00:27:04.92
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