Once again, friends,
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it's good to be
here with you today.
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We're with Secrets Unsealed
here in the islands of Hawaii
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in Oahu particularly
and having a blessed time
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studying in this
series, "Equipping the Saints."
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We're looking at
what does God expect of us
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in His work in the earth today.
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And so we want to go right
into the Bible and study that
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and this message today
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is "Why Jesus was
always talking about plants."
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Why Jesus was always
talking about plants?
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That's an odd
title, but we're gonna see
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where we're headed with
it in just a few minutes.
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But before we do any
study from God's Word,
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as usual, let's begin
with a word of prayer.
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Dear Heavenly
Father, I thank You so much
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that You give us the opportunity
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to be connected with Jesus
through working with His body,
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which is the church.
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Please help us to not
only be members in attendance,
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but be missionaries for You.
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Please teach us
Christ's method of working.
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Show us what we should do
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and then strengthen us to do it,
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for we pray it in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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"Why Jesus was
always talking about plants"
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and again, it's an odd title.
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But if you look
through the Bible account
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when Jesus talks to
people and gives parables.
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Now sure, He talks
sometimes about money,
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and sometimes He
talks about fishing
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and these kind of things.
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But over and over again,
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you see that Jesus
repeatedly comes back to that
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agricultural theme.
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He was always talking
about soil, and seeds,
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and plants, and
harvest, and crops, and grain
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and why was Jesus
always talking about plants?
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Well, let's go and
find this from the Bible.
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Go to Luke Chapter 4
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Luke Chapter 4, Jesus comes in
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to His hometown of Nazareth
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and He attends
the church service.
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Verse 7, I'm
sorry, Matthew Chapter...
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Luke Chapter 4, I apologize.
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Verse 16 says, "So
He came to Nazareth,
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where He had been brought up.
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And as His custom was,
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He went into the
synagogue on the Sabbath day,
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and stood up to read."
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Now I want to
highlight a couple of things
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before we get into
the meat of our sermon.
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This is kind of a
parenthetical aside,
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but please notice,
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Jesus went to the church
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or the synagogue on
the Sabbath day. Why?
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Because it was His custom.
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It's just what
you do on the Sabbath.
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Did Jesus go because
people always love to hear
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what He had to say,
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or eager to have Him attend?
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No.
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How did Jesus day
end later this Sabbath?
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Those very people tried
to throw him off a cliff.
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But you know, He
did the next Sabbath,
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He went back to the synagogue.
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Why? Because it was His custom.
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Notice this also,
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He went to the
synagogue on the Sabbath day
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and stood up to read.
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He wasn't just
a passive watcher,
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He was an active participant
in the worship service.
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And this day, He goes
to His hometown church,
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which He always did
when He was growing up.
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And He prepares to
read the scripture reading.
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And it says in verse 17,
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"He was handed the
book of the prophet Isaiah.
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And when He had opened the book,
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He found the place
where it was written:
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The Spirit of
the Lord is upon Me,
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because He has anointed me
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to preach the
gospel to the poor,
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He has sent Me to
heal the brokenhearted,
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to proclaim
liberty to the captives
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and recovery of
sight to the blind,
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to set at liberty
those who are oppressed,
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to proclaim the
acceptable year of the Lord."
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Verse 20,
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"Then He closed the book,
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and gave it
back to the attendant
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and sat down.
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And the eyes of all
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who were in the
synagogue were fixed on Him."
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Verse 21,
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"And He began to say to them,
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'Today this Scripture is
fulfilled in your hearing.'"
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Put it another way,
Jesus just said that
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what we just
read is all about Me.
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Jesus Christ recognized
that His mission statement
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for His work on the earth
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was found in the
prophecy of Isaiah,
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where we would find
in the Codex Bible today,
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Chapter 61.
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So let's go back and
read it in the original.
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Isaiah Chapter 61.
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This is where Jesus
drew His inspiration
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to declare to the
believers in Nazareth
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that this was His mission.
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Again, He quoted verses 1 and 2,
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but I want to
draw your attention
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to the last verse, verse 11.
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Clearly, we've established
that Jesus recognized Isaiah 61
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as His personal
mission statement
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for the work God had
given Him to do on the earth.
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He said, "Today this Scripture
is fulfilled in your hearing."
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But I want you to see that
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Isaiah 61 has more than
just those first two verses.
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And it concludes
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with how the
ministry that Jesus came to do
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will eventually be
spread with the whole world.
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Notice verse 11.
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It says, "For as the earth
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brings forth its bud,
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as the garden causes the things
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that are sown in
it to spring forth,
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so..."
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Now I'll just pause
and let's think about
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our sentence structure.
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As this, so that.
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So He's making a
comparison in the same way
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that a garden
causes things to grow,
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as the earth brings forces,
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but so in like manner,
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what will happen?
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Look again in verse 11,
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"So the Lord God
will cause righteousness
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and praise to spring
forth before all the nations."
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Jesus identified Isaiah 61
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as His personal
mission statement
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and He recognized
that the righteousness
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that He came to
reveal would be spread
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throughout all the
earth in the same way
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that a garden
causes the seed to grow.
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He recognized there was
this agricultural metaphor
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that was the guiding principle
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for how the gospel
would be given to the world.
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Thus, it is little wonder
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why Christ
repeatedly compared soul winning
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to agriculture
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because it was written
into His mission statements,
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why Jesus was always
talking about plants.
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Like Isaiah 61:11, Christ's use
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of the agricultural metaphor
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repeatedly emphasized
not just in a general way
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that the gospel we given
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and the earth will
be grown like a garden
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or something like that.
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He actually in
His ministry breaks
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that agricultural process
down to its sequential elements.
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It's piece by piece.
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Participants, notice
that what it says here.
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Christ use of the
agricultural metaphors
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repeatedly emphasized
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the sequential
nature of the work,
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akin to agricultural production
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evangelism is a
process, not merely an event.
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If there was one idea
I'd wish for you to take away
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from this message
today, is that evangelism,
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the winning of souls
to Christ is a process
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and not merely an event.
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It's a process,
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akin to the agricultural process
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from by which a
seed becomes crop, okay?
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Just as the agricultural cycle
includes preparing the soil,
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planting or sowing the seed,
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cultivating, harvesting,
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and preserving the crop.
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This cycle of evangelism
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requires corresponding phases
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that are essential
for true success, okay?
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So when you look
at the agriculture,
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how do plants grow?
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Well, you have to
prepare the soil first,
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then you have to sow the
seed in that tilled soil,
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then you have to water,
and fertilize, and weed,
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and otherwise
cultivate the crop in the ground
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and it will
begin to spring forth,
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you got to
continue to care for it.
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Then after it is grown,
you have to harvest that crop.
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And then once
you've plucked that fruit,
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that grain, you have
to do something with it.
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You have to preserve
it and put it to use.
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This is exactly what Jesus says
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throughout the gospel
record and the Bible itself
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about the
process of soul winning,
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that it's not just an event,
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it is an ongoing process
with multiple sequential,
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essential phases.
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Let's start with
soil preparation.
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Just like the
agricultural cycle,
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you have to start
by fixing the dirt,
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you have to go
straight to the ground.
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The same thing
happens in the gospel,
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giving gospel to the world.
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Let's go to Luke Chapter 8.
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Let's see Christ
put this into action.
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Luke Chapter 8 Jesus
taught this very idea.
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He gives a parable
surprise, surprise of a sower.
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Luke Chapter 8
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starts in verse 4, says,
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"When there great
multitude had gathered
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and they came to
him from every city,
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He spoke by a parable,
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'A sower went
out to sow his seed
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and as he sowed,
some fell by the wayside,
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and it was trampled down,
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and the birds of
the air devoured it.
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Some fell on rock,
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and as soon as it sprang up,
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it withered away
because it lacked moisture.
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And some fell among thorns,
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and the thorns sprang up with it
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and choked it.
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But others fell on
good ground, sprang up,
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and yielded a
crop a hundredfold.'
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When He had said
these things He cried,
00:10:05.43\00:10:07.00
'He who has ears to
hear, let him hear!'"
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Now, he explains
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what he meant with that parable.
00:10:13.38\00:10:14.81
Go to verse 11.
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"Now the parable is this:
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The seed is the Word of God."
00:10:19.15\00:10:23.02
Okay, so notice,
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we can start
making the application
00:10:24.42\00:10:25.79
he uses the
agricultural metaphor,
00:10:25.82\00:10:27.69
and then he makes a
spiritual application.
00:10:27.72\00:10:29.52
He starts by saying
that the seed is what?
00:10:29.56\00:10:32.79
The Word of God.
00:10:32.83\00:10:34.16
It is Bible
truth, the word of God.
00:10:34.20\00:10:38.23
So notice in the parable
00:10:38.27\00:10:40.44
that all the different results
started with the same seed.
00:10:40.47\00:10:46.11
Whether it hit rocky
ground, or fertile ground,
00:10:46.14\00:10:48.64
or thorny ground, or whatever,
00:10:48.68\00:10:50.58
it all was the same seed.
00:10:50.61\00:10:52.41
It's not like
sometimes he sowed good seed,
00:10:52.45\00:10:54.42
but other times
he sowed bad seed.
00:10:54.45\00:10:56.08
No, no, they all
got the same seed,
00:10:56.12\00:10:58.22
yet there is different results.
00:10:58.25\00:11:00.76
So what made the difference?
00:11:00.79\00:11:02.29
It must have been his
technique for sowing the seed.
00:11:02.32\00:11:06.36
But the Bible
doesn't say that either.
00:11:06.39\00:11:08.20
It does not say that
some he tossed over his back,
00:11:08.23\00:11:11.33
some he was scientifically
analyzing one by one by one,
00:11:11.37\00:11:14.84
some he scattered to the wind,
00:11:14.87\00:11:16.37
it doesn't say that
he had a different method
00:11:16.40\00:11:18.17
for sowing the seed either.
00:11:18.21\00:11:19.74
It's the same seed and
the same sowing technique.
00:11:19.77\00:11:25.41
So it's not a
difference in the seed
00:11:25.45\00:11:27.28
and is not a
difference in the sowing.
00:11:27.32\00:11:29.55
What made the difference
in the result of the work?
00:11:29.58\00:11:34.02
It was the
condition of the soil itself,
00:11:34.06\00:11:37.23
was it not?
00:11:37.26\00:11:38.59
Look again, Jesus said,
"Now the parable is this,
00:11:38.63\00:11:40.50
the seed is the Word of God.
00:11:40.53\00:11:43.16
Those by the wayside
are the ones who hear,
00:11:43.20\00:11:47.44
then the devil comes
and takes away the word
00:11:47.47\00:11:49.47
out of their hearts,
00:11:49.50\00:11:50.84
lest they should
believe and be saved."
00:11:50.87\00:11:52.64
Notice the people
that fell by the wayside,
00:11:52.67\00:11:54.64
the seed that
fell by the wayside,
00:11:54.68\00:11:56.04
I should say.
00:11:56.08\00:11:57.41
The wayside represents people
00:11:57.45\00:11:59.88
who hear the message,
but it never sinks in.
00:11:59.91\00:12:03.45
The devil comes
and snatches away
00:12:03.49\00:12:04.82
and immediately
that even start to grow,
00:12:04.85\00:12:06.45
they just in one
ear out the other.
00:12:06.49\00:12:10.03
Look at verse 13,
00:12:10.06\00:12:11.89
"But the ones on
the rock are those who,
00:12:11.93\00:12:14.43
when they hear,
00:12:14.46\00:12:16.13
receive the word with joy,
00:12:16.16\00:12:19.40
and these have no root,
00:12:19.43\00:12:21.57
who believe for a while
and in time of temptation,"
00:12:21.60\00:12:25.61
what happens?
00:12:25.64\00:12:26.98
"They fall away."
00:12:27.01\00:12:28.34
So notice the second group
00:12:28.38\00:12:30.05
actually received
the word with joy,
00:12:30.08\00:12:32.78
but they didn't dig
down and put down roots.
00:12:32.81\00:12:35.58
They didn't stay in the message
and in a time of temptation,
00:12:35.62\00:12:39.45
they were gone.
00:12:39.49\00:12:41.02
So they had a
mountaintop experience.
00:12:41.06\00:12:42.76
Amen,
00:12:42.79\00:12:44.13
they might have come
down front for the appeal,
00:12:44.16\00:12:45.49
they might have
given their heart,
00:12:45.53\00:12:46.86
but they really
didn't surrender all
00:12:46.90\00:12:48.56
and continue in it,
00:12:48.60\00:12:50.03
and lo and behold,
00:12:50.07\00:12:51.40
the first difficult
when that comes through,
00:12:51.43\00:12:54.17
they're gone.
00:12:54.20\00:12:56.91
Verse 14,
00:12:56.94\00:12:58.27
"Now the ones that
fell among the thorns
00:12:58.31\00:12:59.74
are those who,
when they have heard,
00:12:59.77\00:13:01.34
go out and are
choked with cares,
00:13:01.38\00:13:03.71
riches, and pleasures of life,
00:13:03.75\00:13:05.08
and bring no fruit to maturity."
00:13:05.11\00:13:08.18
Notice it does not
say, they don't grow,
00:13:08.22\00:13:10.19
they just don't
ever bring forth fruit.
00:13:10.22\00:13:12.69
They just grow up with the weeds
00:13:12.72\00:13:14.12
and they get caught
up in the cares of life,
00:13:14.16\00:13:15.96
you know, the hode-hum,
00:13:15.99\00:13:17.76
jump drums kind of life,
00:13:17.79\00:13:19.43
and they don't
bring forth fruit.
00:13:19.46\00:13:22.63
They never have a harvest.
00:13:22.66\00:13:25.43
But verse 15,
00:13:25.47\00:13:26.80
"The ones that
fell on the good ground
00:13:26.84\00:13:28.64
are those who,
00:13:28.67\00:13:30.37
having heard the word
with a noble and good heart,
00:13:30.41\00:13:34.58
keep it and bear
fruit with patience."
00:13:34.61\00:13:40.28
So think about
the only difference
00:13:40.32\00:13:42.75
in the results of
the sowing of the seed
00:13:42.78\00:13:46.42
and the harvest
was not the technique,
00:13:46.45\00:13:49.96
or the quality of the seed.
00:13:49.99\00:13:52.29
It everything had
to do in this parable
00:13:52.33\00:13:55.13
with the condition of
the heart of the receiver.
00:13:55.16\00:13:59.53
Notice this from the
book Adventist Home, page 145,
00:13:59.57\00:14:02.50
"As the garden must be
prepared for the natural seed,
00:14:02.54\00:14:06.17
so the heart must be
prepared for the seed of truth.
00:14:06.21\00:14:09.88
No one settles
upon a raw piece of land
00:14:09.91\00:14:12.11
with the expectation that it
will at once yield a harvest."
00:14:12.15\00:14:16.38
You can't just go
to a raw piece of land,
00:14:16.42\00:14:18.32
drop some seed on
it, say all right,
00:14:18.35\00:14:20.12
let's see it grow.
00:14:20.16\00:14:23.89
"Diligent, persevering
labor must be put forth
00:14:23.93\00:14:26.70
in the preparation of the
soil, the sowing of the seed,
00:14:26.73\00:14:30.83
and the culture of the crop.
00:14:30.87\00:14:33.47
So it must be in
the spiritual sowing."
00:14:33.50\00:14:38.07
We read this when in
Christ's Object Lesson, page 57.
00:14:38.11\00:14:41.14
"The sowers of the
seed have a work to do
00:14:41.18\00:14:43.85
in preparing hearts
to receive the gospel."
00:14:43.88\00:14:47.32
And this is cutting deep
as a pastor, it says this,
00:14:47.35\00:14:49.85
"In the ministry of the word
there is too much sermonizing,
00:14:49.88\00:14:56.06
and too little of
real heart-to-heart work.
00:14:56.09\00:15:01.70
There is need of personal
labor for the souls of the lost.
00:15:01.73\00:15:06.57
In Christlike sympathy,
00:15:06.60\00:15:08.00
we should come
close to men individually,
00:15:08.04\00:15:10.81
and seek to
awaken their interest
00:15:10.84\00:15:13.41
in the great
things of eternal life.
00:15:13.44\00:15:16.24
Their hearts may be as
hard as the beaten highway,
00:15:16.28\00:15:18.98
and apparently may
be a useless effort
00:15:19.01\00:15:21.52
to present the Savior to them.
00:15:21.55\00:15:24.32
But while logic
may fail to move,
00:15:24.35\00:15:27.82
and argument be
powerless to convince,
00:15:27.86\00:15:31.66
the love of Christ,
00:15:31.69\00:15:33.50
revealed in personal ministry,
may soften the stony heart,
00:15:33.53\00:15:38.10
so that the seed of
truth can take root."
00:15:38.13\00:15:41.54
Sometimes one of our failings
00:15:41.57\00:15:43.84
in evangelism is
we go to sow seed,
00:15:43.87\00:15:46.14
and we just keep
throwing seed at rocks,
00:15:46.17\00:15:49.68
instead of first taking
the time to prepare the soil
00:15:49.71\00:15:53.21
to receive the message from God.
00:15:53.25\00:15:58.29
So the first step in this
00:15:58.32\00:16:00.06
what we call the
cycle of evangelism
00:16:00.09\00:16:02.16
based on this agricultural cycle
00:16:02.19\00:16:04.83
is the preparation
of the soil of the heart
00:16:04.86\00:16:07.50
by doing good works
and personal ministry.
00:16:07.53\00:16:10.83
You come close to the
people, you befriend them,
00:16:10.87\00:16:13.27
you mingle with them as
one who desires their good.
00:16:13.30\00:16:17.61
Also that their
heart is softened
00:16:17.64\00:16:20.38
to receive the
word when it is sown.
00:16:20.41\00:16:25.18
Preparation of the
soil, step number one.
00:16:25.21\00:16:27.05
Step number two,
00:16:27.08\00:16:29.38
sowing the seed.
00:16:29.42\00:16:32.69
Now I know this sounds
like a very elemental concept,
00:16:32.72\00:16:35.19
but hear me out.
00:16:35.22\00:16:36.76
The purpose of
preparing the soil
00:16:36.79\00:16:40.70
is so that you can sow seed.
00:16:40.73\00:16:43.90
Does that make sense?
00:16:43.93\00:16:45.43
No one goes out
and tills the ground
00:16:45.47\00:16:48.00
and prepares the soil,
00:16:48.04\00:16:49.64
looks back at what he's
done and say, oh, that's good.
00:16:49.67\00:16:52.31
And then he just
goes and does it again.
00:16:52.34\00:16:54.68
And then he turns
around looks that's good.
00:16:54.71\00:16:56.28
And he goes back in it,
00:16:56.31\00:16:57.65
he doesn't spend his whole time.
00:16:57.68\00:16:59.05
No farmer goes
out and just tills
00:16:59.08\00:17:00.72
in the spring and in the summer,
00:17:00.75\00:17:02.08
and he's just always
turning over the dirt.
00:17:02.12\00:17:04.55
At some point he prepares
that soil for what purpose?
00:17:04.59\00:17:07.66
To sow the seed.
00:17:07.69\00:17:10.63
The purpose of
preparing the heart
00:17:10.66\00:17:12.73
is to make entrance
for the Word of God.
00:17:12.76\00:17:17.67
In Christ parable, the
seed is the Word of God.
00:17:17.70\00:17:21.90
At some point,
00:17:21.94\00:17:23.34
my Christian
brothers and sisters,
00:17:23.37\00:17:25.11
you must sow seed.
00:17:25.14\00:17:28.98
Now I know a lot
of us might think,
00:17:29.01\00:17:30.35
oh good, my ministry,
00:17:30.38\00:17:31.71
my call to ministry is to
simply be a friend to people.
00:17:31.75\00:17:35.15
I'm gonna smile at my neighbor,
00:17:35.18\00:17:37.22
and therefore I
have done my part.
00:17:37.25\00:17:40.56
No, you haven't done your part,
you've done part of your part.
00:17:40.59\00:17:44.96
You've done the first part,
00:17:44.99\00:17:47.40
which is starting to
break down those barriers
00:17:47.43\00:17:50.47
and soften the
ground and till the soil
00:17:50.50\00:17:53.23
and you might, you know,
00:17:53.27\00:17:55.47
give them a gift
on their birthday
00:17:55.50\00:17:57.01
or a member to
come by and do whatever,
00:17:57.04\00:17:59.57
doing neighborly thing,
00:17:59.61\00:18:00.94
bring them some nice
loaf of bread or something.
00:18:00.98\00:18:04.08
But that is not the end
of your ministry, friends,
00:18:04.11\00:18:06.38
that's the
beginning of the work,
00:18:06.41\00:18:08.18
that's the
preparation of the soil.
00:18:08.22\00:18:09.75
At some point,
00:18:09.78\00:18:11.39
you must go beyond
just merely good deeds
00:18:11.42\00:18:13.66
of disinterested benevolence
00:18:13.69\00:18:15.32
and do evangelistic labor
00:18:15.36\00:18:17.03
of putting in their
hand a piece of literature
00:18:17.06\00:18:19.19
or speaking from your
mouth, a part of your testimony
00:18:19.23\00:18:21.86
or sharing some truth
or some little sample seed,
00:18:21.90\00:18:25.37
some something
00:18:25.40\00:18:28.50
that you can test the soil
00:18:28.54\00:18:30.07
and see if they're truly ready
00:18:30.11\00:18:33.04
for the Bible
study that needs to come.
00:18:33.07\00:18:36.95
Too many people make the mistake
00:18:36.98\00:18:38.98
of not sowing the seed of truth
00:18:39.01\00:18:40.95
because they're afraid
they might do it poorly.
00:18:40.98\00:18:44.52
Right?
00:18:44.55\00:18:45.89
You might even think
this in your own mind,
00:18:45.92\00:18:47.26
you know, I would go
00:18:47.29\00:18:48.62
and share the
gospel with my friends.
00:18:48.66\00:18:50.36
But you know what?
I won't do it well.
00:18:50.39\00:18:53.40
I wanna let you know a secret.
00:18:53.43\00:18:56.50
You probably won't
do that well at first.
00:18:56.53\00:19:00.50
We remember from our
previous presentation,
00:19:00.54\00:19:02.37
not being good at something
00:19:02.40\00:19:03.74
is not evidence
you need to do less,
00:19:03.77\00:19:05.47
its evidence
you need to do more.
00:19:05.51\00:19:08.01
Practice makes perfect.
00:19:08.04\00:19:09.58
And the same is true
in the spiritual sense.
00:19:09.61\00:19:11.71
And if you're afraid, well,
I don't want to do it wrong,
00:19:11.75\00:19:14.28
so I'm just not
gonna do it at all.
00:19:14.32\00:19:17.62
Let's think about
the logic of that.
00:19:17.65\00:19:19.95
So you're afraid that
you might do it wrong,
00:19:19.99\00:19:23.49
so you're gonna
guarantee to not do it at all.
00:19:23.53\00:19:27.53
I'm afraid if I do it wrong,
they won't hear the message.
00:19:27.56\00:19:31.37
So the best thing I should
do is not ever say the message.
00:19:31.40\00:19:36.20
That doesn't
increase the odds of success.
00:19:36.24\00:19:38.21
It guarantees failure.
00:19:38.24\00:19:41.71
Well, we never
want to approach someone
00:19:41.74\00:19:43.81
with Bible truth in a
careless or prayerless manner.
00:19:43.85\00:19:47.78
We far too often
00:19:47.82\00:19:49.22
go to the opposite
extreme of being so cautious
00:19:49.25\00:19:54.19
that we never
actually sow the seed.
00:19:54.22\00:19:56.89
We make friends,
we do good deeds,
00:19:56.93\00:19:58.66
we have lots of neighbors
who like us and blah-blah,
00:19:58.69\00:20:00.46
but we never say,
00:20:00.50\00:20:01.83
"Hey, would you
like to study the Bible?"
00:20:01.86\00:20:03.30
It is far better to risk failure
00:20:07.10\00:20:10.91
because of a poor approach
00:20:10.94\00:20:13.01
than to guarantee failure
00:20:13.04\00:20:15.34
by making no approach at all.
00:20:15.38\00:20:19.11
Listen to the
words from scripture,
00:20:19.15\00:20:20.52
Ecclesiastes 11:4-6,
00:20:20.55\00:20:24.05
the counsel is given.
00:20:24.09\00:20:26.62
"He who observes the wind
00:20:26.65\00:20:29.66
will not sow,
00:20:29.69\00:20:32.56
and he who regards
the clouds will not reap."
00:20:32.59\00:20:37.83
Think about what
he's saying, again,
00:20:37.87\00:20:39.20
using that
agricultural metaphor.
00:20:39.23\00:20:41.00
He's saying if you
are always as a farmer,
00:20:41.04\00:20:43.10
as a sower of seed
00:20:43.14\00:20:45.37
waiting for all the
meteorological elements
00:20:45.41\00:20:48.61
to be just right
before you sow seed,
00:20:48.64\00:20:51.18
you know what's gonna happen?
00:20:51.21\00:20:52.55
You're never gonna sow seed.
00:20:52.58\00:20:54.38
You're like, it's too windy up,
00:20:54.42\00:20:55.95
it's too cloudy, it's too sunny,
00:20:55.98\00:20:57.32
it's too rainy, it's
too cold, it's too hot,
00:20:57.35\00:20:59.02
it's too this, it's too that,
00:20:59.05\00:21:00.49
you can always
come up with an excuse
00:21:00.52\00:21:02.29
for why you
don't go sow the seed.
00:21:02.32\00:21:03.89
But at the end of the day,
00:21:03.93\00:21:05.26
you're gonna have
a field with no seed.
00:21:05.29\00:21:07.90
"He who observes
the wind will not sow
00:21:07.93\00:21:10.30
and he who regards
the cloud will not reap."
00:21:10.33\00:21:12.43
And listen to
what he says to do,
00:21:12.47\00:21:14.24
"As you do not know
what is the way of the wind,
00:21:14.27\00:21:17.01
or how the bones in the
womb of her who is with child,
00:21:17.04\00:21:20.71
so you do not
know the works of God
00:21:20.74\00:21:22.94
who makes everything."
00:21:22.98\00:21:24.31
So what should we do?
00:21:24.35\00:21:25.68
"In the morning sow your seed,
00:21:25.71\00:21:28.52
and in the evening do
not withhold your hand,
00:21:28.55\00:21:32.49
for you do not
know what will prosper,
00:21:32.52\00:21:37.53
either this or that,"
00:21:37.56\00:21:40.06
and I love this third option,
00:21:40.10\00:21:41.63
"or whether both
alike will be good."
00:21:41.66\00:21:45.03
You could say, I don't know
00:21:45.07\00:21:46.40
if I should share
this with my neighbor
00:21:46.43\00:21:48.54
or with my co-worker
or with my family member
00:21:48.57\00:21:51.34
or with my friend
or with my stranger
00:21:51.37\00:21:53.91
or with...
00:21:53.94\00:21:56.11
'Cause I think that that one
will reject it for this reason.
00:21:56.14\00:21:58.48
I think this one won't
like it, because I think this
00:21:58.51\00:22:00.78
and you're
always second guessing
00:22:00.82\00:22:02.38
as though you're a
prophet of the Lord
00:22:02.42\00:22:04.12
to know what will happen.
00:22:04.15\00:22:05.49
The Bible says you don't know.
00:22:05.52\00:22:06.86
This one might accept it,
00:22:06.89\00:22:08.22
that one might
not or you know what?
00:22:08.26\00:22:09.59
They all might take it,
00:22:09.62\00:22:10.96
but wouldn't it be better
to try than just stand back
00:22:10.99\00:22:14.23
and watch second guessing,
00:22:14.26\00:22:15.60
waiting for the
perfect one moment.
00:22:15.63\00:22:19.47
So beside all
waters, the scripture says,
00:22:19.50\00:22:22.64
2 Corinthians
9:6, listen to this.
00:22:22.67\00:22:25.84
And the Apostle Paul says,
00:22:25.87\00:22:27.98
"He who sows
sparingly will also reap," how?
00:22:28.01\00:22:32.21
"Sparingly,
00:22:32.25\00:22:34.35
and he who sows bountifully
will also reap bountifully."
00:22:34.38\00:22:38.75
Now I know this
sounds a little bit crass,
00:22:38.79\00:22:40.56
but this is true.
00:22:40.59\00:22:42.42
At some point, the
work of soul winning
00:22:42.46\00:22:45.96
is basically a numbers game.
00:22:45.99\00:22:49.46
For instance, if you send
out for an evangelistic series
00:22:49.50\00:22:52.23
you're gonna do when
you send out handbills.
00:22:52.27\00:22:54.00
Let's say you send
10,000 handbills back,
00:22:54.04\00:22:56.50
how many people
should you expect
00:22:56.54\00:22:57.91
to come to your meeting
00:22:57.94\00:22:59.27
because you sent
out 10,000 handbills?
00:22:59.31\00:23:01.04
Should you rent an
auditorium has 10,000 seats?
00:23:01.08\00:23:04.68
It seems almost
laughable, right?
00:23:04.71\00:23:06.05
No.
00:23:06.08\00:23:07.42
You recognize that
00:23:07.45\00:23:08.98
some are going to
accept it but not all.
00:23:09.02\00:23:12.62
So does that mean oh,
I should never send out?
00:23:12.65\00:23:14.36
No, you send them out
and you recognize that
00:23:14.39\00:23:16.46
only a certain
few are gonna be drawn
00:23:16.49\00:23:18.46
at that time by
that particular approach.
00:23:18.49\00:23:21.50
So what you do
is you expect that
00:23:21.53\00:23:23.70
and if you want to
get your numbers up,
00:23:23.73\00:23:25.23
you know, what you do?
00:23:25.27\00:23:26.60
You send out more.
00:23:26.63\00:23:28.47
Let's make it 20,000.
00:23:28.50\00:23:29.84
If we want more
than 10 people here,
00:23:29.87\00:23:31.21
we want to double that.
00:23:31.24\00:23:32.57
Let's now double it,
that's the principle.
00:23:32.61\00:23:35.08
He who sows sparingly
will also reap sparingly
00:23:35.11\00:23:37.25
and he who sows bountifully,
will also reap bountifully.
00:23:37.28\00:23:40.62
In Isaiah Chapter 32
00:23:40.65\00:23:41.98
we read this
passage in verse 20,
00:23:42.02\00:23:43.79
"Blessed are you
who sow beside," what?
00:23:43.82\00:23:47.02
"All waters,
00:23:47.06\00:23:49.06
who send out
freely the feet of the ox
00:23:49.09\00:23:51.13
and the donkey."
00:23:51.16\00:23:54.10
We're blessed when we
sow besides all waters.
00:23:54.13\00:23:56.36
Listen, the
Publishing Ministry, page 395,
00:23:56.40\00:23:58.63
The Spirit of
Prophecy gives us this counsel.
00:23:58.67\00:24:01.60
"From the light
which God has given me,
00:24:01.64\00:24:04.11
He desires that His people
shall improve every opportunity
00:24:04.14\00:24:08.81
for disseminating light."
00:24:08.84\00:24:11.95
If you have a
little business card thing,
00:24:11.98\00:24:13.72
leave in the gas
pump card register.
00:24:13.75\00:24:15.52
If you have an
opportunity to speak to someone,
00:24:15.55\00:24:17.22
use your mouth.
00:24:17.25\00:24:18.59
If you have a DVD
ministry you want to share,
00:24:18.62\00:24:20.16
slide it into their door.
00:24:20.19\00:24:21.52
Whatever opportunity you
have, like here's my resource
00:24:21.56\00:24:24.16
what can I do in
this moment to share crew,
00:24:24.19\00:24:26.33
even if it's just a
little tiny sliver of a thing.
00:24:26.36\00:24:29.70
Every opportunity
increases the odds
00:24:29.73\00:24:32.47
of finding a receptive heart.
00:24:32.50\00:24:36.77
Testimonies for the
Church, volume 7, page 35,
00:24:36.81\00:24:39.77
"In the parable of the sower,
00:24:39.81\00:24:41.44
Christ gave an
illustration of His own work
00:24:41.48\00:24:43.48
and that of His servants.
00:24:43.51\00:24:45.15
The seed fell
upon all kinds of soil.
00:24:45.18\00:24:47.32
Some seed fell upon poor soil,
00:24:47.35\00:24:49.18
yet the sower did not
therefore cease his work.
00:24:49.22\00:24:53.36
You are to sow
besides the seeds of truth
00:24:53.39\00:24:56.26
in every place,
00:24:56.29\00:24:57.93
wherever you can gain access,
hold forth the Word of God.
00:24:57.96\00:25:01.53
Sow beside all waters.
00:25:01.56\00:25:04.27
You may not at once see
the result of your labors,
00:25:04.30\00:25:07.84
but be not discouraged.
00:25:07.87\00:25:10.11
Speak the words
that Christ gives you.
00:25:10.14\00:25:12.94
Work in His lines.
00:25:12.97\00:25:15.11
Go forth everywhere as He did
00:25:15.14\00:25:17.48
during His
ministry on the earth.
00:25:17.51\00:25:19.58
Now listen to this sentence.
00:25:19.61\00:25:20.95
The world's
Redeemer had many hearers,
00:25:20.98\00:25:24.85
but few followers.
00:25:24.89\00:25:28.79
What was Christ's example
when it came to sowing the seed
00:25:28.82\00:25:31.46
and giving the truth
and preaching to the people?
00:25:31.49\00:25:35.20
He had multitudes listen to Him,
00:25:35.23\00:25:37.90
but did multitudes follow Him,
00:25:37.93\00:25:40.60
sacrificially
giving of themselves,
00:25:40.64\00:25:42.50
becoming
disciples of Jesus Christ?
00:25:42.54\00:25:44.11
No.
00:25:44.14\00:25:46.68
Almost everybody heard Him
and almost nobody followed Him.
00:25:46.71\00:25:50.75
Remember, John Chapter 6,
00:25:50.78\00:25:52.91
He prepares a
feeding of the 5,000,
00:25:52.95\00:25:54.65
it's a beautiful miracle.
00:25:54.68\00:25:56.02
The next day, they come
back looking for seconds
00:25:56.05\00:25:58.95
and Jesus says, "No bread today.
00:25:58.99\00:26:01.52
I am the bread
that you get today.
00:26:01.56\00:26:04.03
You don't get
seconds, you get a savior.
00:26:04.06\00:26:06.29
How about it,
you want to join me?"
00:26:06.33\00:26:08.50
John 6:66,
00:26:08.53\00:26:10.50
"From that time on,
many followed Him no longer."
00:26:10.53\00:26:15.37
Got so bad that He
went to His core 12,
00:26:15.40\00:26:17.64
His disciples and said,
"Are you too going to leave?"
00:26:17.67\00:26:22.51
He went from 5,000 the
day before to 12 the next day.
00:26:22.54\00:26:27.12
Don't be discouraged
00:26:27.15\00:26:28.48
when you don't
see massive numbers
00:26:28.52\00:26:29.88
come out of your humble efforts.
00:26:29.92\00:26:32.19
God knows what He's doing.
00:26:32.22\00:26:33.86
He wants you to be
faithful to the work.
00:26:33.89\00:26:36.62
So step number two,
after you prepare the soil,
00:26:40.00\00:26:44.33
is to sow the seed.
00:26:44.37\00:26:46.53
Look for those
spiritual interest
00:26:46.57\00:26:47.97
gather opportunity to
share truth with others.
00:26:48.00\00:26:51.71
So step number three now.
00:26:51.74\00:26:54.54
It's cultivating the crop.
00:26:54.58\00:26:55.91
Let's say that you
did as a individual
00:26:55.94\00:26:58.31
and this by the way,
this cycle of evangelism,
00:26:58.35\00:27:00.32
I should say this now
00:27:00.35\00:27:01.68
is not just
applicable to an individual,
00:27:01.72\00:27:04.15
but this is how our churches,
00:27:04.19\00:27:06.05
our local churches should
be thinking about evangelism.
00:27:06.09\00:27:09.72
Oftentimes when you say,
does your church do evangelism?
00:27:09.76\00:27:12.56
Yes. They say, yes.
00:27:12.59\00:27:13.93
We did that three years ago.
00:27:13.96\00:27:15.96
We did evangelism.
00:27:16.00\00:27:17.33
And what do you think they mean?
00:27:17.37\00:27:18.80
They meant they hired a speaker,
00:27:18.83\00:27:20.24
they put out
banners, they advertise,
00:27:20.27\00:27:21.97
they held meetings
for two, three, four weeks
00:27:22.00\00:27:24.47
and therefore we did evangelism
00:27:24.51\00:27:28.54
and we do it every few years.
00:27:28.58\00:27:31.41
But, friends,
evangelism is not an event.
00:27:31.45\00:27:33.95
Evangelism is a holistic cycle
00:27:33.98\00:27:36.99
of winning souls systematically.
00:27:37.02\00:27:40.59
So you don't just cultivate,
I mean, you don't just,
00:27:40.62\00:27:43.86
you know,
00:27:43.89\00:27:45.23
prepare the soil
and then sow some seed,
00:27:45.26\00:27:47.73
then let's say
that as a local church,
00:27:47.76\00:27:49.90
you did some outreach event
that was merely to help people.
00:27:49.93\00:27:53.13
You did, let's say,
a health expo, right?
00:27:53.17\00:27:54.94
You're checking blood pressures,
00:27:54.97\00:27:56.30
and this kind of stuff,
00:27:56.34\00:27:57.67
and helping
people to be more mindful
00:27:57.71\00:27:59.04
of their physical bodies.
00:27:59.07\00:28:00.98
And in doing that
good deed for others,
00:28:01.01\00:28:03.95
the last stop was trust in God.
00:28:03.98\00:28:06.18
Let's say, you're
doing the NEWSTART program
00:28:06.21\00:28:07.78
and trust in God and
you say, I don't know
00:28:07.82\00:28:09.78
if you want to just want
to lower your blood pressure
00:28:09.82\00:28:11.45
and this but
there's a wonderful way
00:28:11.49\00:28:12.82
to find rest and peace and joy,
00:28:12.85\00:28:15.32
and it's in a
relationship with Jesus Christ,
00:28:15.36\00:28:16.96
would you like
to study the Bible?
00:28:16.99\00:28:20.06
What happens if that
person comes to the event?
00:28:20.10\00:28:22.63
He is blessed by finding out
00:28:22.66\00:28:24.20
that they have such a
problem, they need to address
00:28:24.23\00:28:26.43
and they're so thankful
00:28:26.47\00:28:27.80
that they hear about
the message and they say,
00:28:27.84\00:28:29.17
"Yes, I'd love to
study the Bible with you."
00:28:29.20\00:28:31.94
What do you do next?
00:28:31.97\00:28:35.78
A lot of times,
this is what happens.
00:28:35.81\00:28:37.65
You take down their
name and information.
00:28:37.68\00:28:40.08
Oh, great, great, great
00:28:40.12\00:28:41.45
and you get
little information card,
00:28:41.48\00:28:43.79
and you set it down.
00:28:43.82\00:28:45.15
And let's say that you have
00:28:45.19\00:28:46.52
100 people come to
your event that day,
00:28:46.55\00:28:48.16
and five of them
decide to sign up
00:28:48.19\00:28:50.56
and follow through
your five little cards,
00:28:50.59\00:28:53.26
what do you do with those cards?
00:28:53.29\00:28:54.63
Most places do
something like this,
00:28:57.47\00:28:59.07
they'll gather up the cards,
00:28:59.10\00:29:01.00
and humbly approached the pastor
00:29:01.04\00:29:03.91
and lay them on his desk.
00:29:03.94\00:29:07.14
There you go,
Pastor, we've done our part,
00:29:07.18\00:29:08.94
now it's your turn.
00:29:08.98\00:29:11.68
Because we have this mentality,
00:29:11.71\00:29:14.22
that giving Bible
studies and winning souls,
00:29:14.25\00:29:16.35
that's the pastor's job.
00:29:16.38\00:29:17.85
But, friends,
that's still your job.
00:29:21.56\00:29:24.73
Listen to this,
00:29:24.76\00:29:27.46
once the seed has taken root,
00:29:27.50\00:29:29.73
the new plant
must be cultivated.
00:29:29.76\00:29:31.73
This nurturing work is by
far the most time consuming
00:29:31.77\00:29:35.34
and labor intensive
phase of the growing cycle.
00:29:35.37\00:29:38.41
Let's just think
about an agriculture itself.
00:29:38.44\00:29:40.54
If you had a plot of land,
00:29:40.58\00:29:41.91
let's say a
garden in your backyard
00:29:41.94\00:29:43.68
that you wanted to turn
into a fruit and vegetable,
00:29:43.71\00:29:46.11
you know paradise.
00:29:46.15\00:29:47.48
You'd have to start
by tilling the soil,
00:29:47.52\00:29:49.45
how long would it
take you to till that soil?
00:29:49.48\00:29:53.62
And if you had a rototiller
it maybe not that long at all.
00:29:53.66\00:29:57.03
In the latter of
an hour maybe or less.
00:29:57.06\00:29:59.53
If you did it by hand,
it might be a little longer
00:29:59.56\00:30:01.33
and maybe take a full day,
00:30:01.36\00:30:02.70
but it's not like it's a
three week process, right?
00:30:02.73\00:30:04.93
It's just pretty much an event,
00:30:04.97\00:30:08.24
and how about the
sowing of the seed?
00:30:08.27\00:30:09.74
How long does that take?
00:30:09.77\00:30:13.07
Probably not long at all.
00:30:13.11\00:30:14.44
You might want to, you know,
00:30:14.48\00:30:15.81
organize it a little
bit put tomatoes here,
00:30:15.84\00:30:17.21
put potatoes here, you know,
00:30:17.25\00:30:18.58
but you lined it up, you sow it,
00:30:18.61\00:30:19.95
you pack the soil on top of it,
and your seed sowing is done.
00:30:19.98\00:30:23.85
How long does it take to
hand someone a GLOW tract?
00:30:23.89\00:30:27.89
Not long, few seconds.
00:30:27.92\00:30:31.59
Make friends, hand
them the literature.
00:30:31.63\00:30:33.36
Ask them if they'd like
Bible, that's the fast part.
00:30:33.40\00:30:36.67
But what happens if they
say, you know, praise the Lord,
00:30:36.70\00:30:38.67
I would love to
have Bible studies,
00:30:38.70\00:30:41.44
then what do you do?
00:30:41.47\00:30:43.61
Then you got to take your
time and cultivate that crop.
00:30:43.64\00:30:48.28
You got to take the time.
00:30:48.31\00:30:50.35
Just like the agriculture cycle,
00:30:50.38\00:30:51.91
once that seed is in the ground,
00:30:51.95\00:30:53.28
that's when the
hard part starts.
00:30:53.31\00:30:55.52
That's when it's gonna take
weeks of arduous labor, right?
00:30:55.55\00:31:00.06
You got to water it,
you got to fertilize it.
00:31:00.09\00:31:02.96
As it starts to grow up,
00:31:02.99\00:31:04.33
you got to weed
it and protect it,
00:31:04.36\00:31:05.69
you got to
shade it and shield it
00:31:05.73\00:31:07.06
from birds and animals,
00:31:07.10\00:31:08.43
you got to take
care of that crop
00:31:08.46\00:31:09.80
as its tender and growing.
00:31:09.83\00:31:12.83
It's the same thing
in giving Bible studies.
00:31:12.87\00:31:15.74
It takes a while.
00:31:15.77\00:31:18.07
It's not easy work.
00:31:18.11\00:31:21.04
The primary way
to nurture growth
00:31:21.08\00:31:23.68
of a new believer is
00:31:23.71\00:31:28.15
giving Bible studies.
00:31:28.18\00:31:29.52
Listen to this, 1 Peter 2:2,
00:31:29.55\00:31:34.02
the apostle
writes, "As newborn babes,
00:31:34.06\00:31:36.79
desire the pure
milk of the word,
00:31:36.83\00:31:40.20
that you may grow thereby,
00:31:40.23\00:31:42.63
if indeed you have tasted
that the Lord is gracious."
00:31:42.66\00:31:45.53
So if you've had your
first encounter with Jesus,
00:31:45.57\00:31:47.47
your first
taste of His goodness,
00:31:47.50\00:31:50.07
the way that you grow in
Christ is through the Word.
00:31:50.11\00:31:55.51
Let me tell you
something, friends.
00:31:55.54\00:31:56.88
Every single member
00:31:56.91\00:31:58.25
of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:31:58.28\00:31:59.98
every single one,
00:32:00.02\00:32:01.75
at some point,
00:32:01.78\00:32:03.12
if you become a baptized member
00:32:03.15\00:32:04.49
of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:32:04.52\00:32:05.85
you have gone through
a set of Bible studies.
00:32:05.89\00:32:07.99
Now not everyone
00:32:08.02\00:32:09.36
who becomes a
member of the church
00:32:09.39\00:32:10.73
has gone to a health
expo or vacation Bible school
00:32:10.76\00:32:13.13
or some outreach
event of that kind.
00:32:13.16\00:32:15.00
And not everyone has had a
GLOW tract put in their hand,
00:32:15.03\00:32:17.73
but every single
member of the church
00:32:17.77\00:32:19.73
at some point has to
learn what the Bible says.
00:32:19.77\00:32:24.67
And that's only
done in a couple of ways,
00:32:24.71\00:32:26.64
either through a
public evangelistic series
00:32:26.68\00:32:28.44
or for personal Bible studies.
00:32:28.48\00:32:32.31
This is the most important
area of the agricultural cycle,
00:32:32.35\00:32:37.09
is the longest,
the most hard working
00:32:37.12\00:32:38.82
and let me tell you something,
00:32:38.85\00:32:40.19
it's the least
active amongst our members.
00:32:40.22\00:32:44.76
We have people who are
soldiers with their GLOW tracts
00:32:44.79\00:32:46.70
and their DVDs and
their literature media.
00:32:46.73\00:32:48.50
That's great. Praise the Lord.
00:32:48.53\00:32:50.60
And we have people who
are great at friendship,
00:32:50.63\00:32:52.20
evangelism, social networking,
00:32:52.23\00:32:53.77
and all kinds of
collaborative things
00:32:53.80\00:32:55.50
to make friends
and break down...
00:32:55.54\00:32:56.87
Praise the Lord for that.
00:32:56.91\00:32:59.27
But the purpose
of making the friends
00:32:59.31\00:33:01.11
and giving up the GLOW tracts,
00:33:01.14\00:33:02.48
so they become
interested in Bible truth
00:33:02.51\00:33:04.08
and when they are,
00:33:04.11\00:33:06.38
we need to offer
them that precious truth.
00:33:06.41\00:33:10.49
Acts Chapter 8.
00:33:13.56\00:33:14.89
If you're there
in the Book of Luke,
00:33:14.92\00:33:16.26
go two more to the
Book of Acts Chapter 8.
00:33:16.29\00:33:19.76
Acts 8:30.
00:33:24.13\00:33:26.07
Here the deacon Philip
00:33:32.84\00:33:35.71
is charged with going to
find this particular individual
00:33:35.74\00:33:39.58
who's returning from
Jerusalem worshiping.
00:33:39.61\00:33:41.88
Says in verse 30,
"So Philip ran to him,
00:33:41.92\00:33:43.89
and heard him reading
the prophet Isaiah, and said,
00:33:43.92\00:33:46.15
'Do you understand
what you are reading?'
00:33:46.19\00:33:50.83
"Now let me pause
right here for a moment.
00:33:50.86\00:33:53.63
This man is coming back
00:33:53.66\00:33:57.83
from worship in Jerusalem.
00:33:57.87\00:34:01.64
He has a Bible in his hand,
00:34:01.67\00:34:03.07
and he's reading it for himself.
00:34:03.10\00:34:06.07
He is clearly a believer in God.
00:34:06.11\00:34:08.68
But are there things he
still does not understand?
00:34:08.71\00:34:12.51
Yes.
00:34:12.55\00:34:14.58
Friends, don't
for a moment think,
00:34:14.62\00:34:15.95
well, if they're already
a member of another church,
00:34:15.98\00:34:17.85
they've got their
Bible in their home,
00:34:17.89\00:34:19.22
they're fine,
we'll skip this house.
00:34:19.25\00:34:20.79
No, no, no, no, no.
00:34:20.82\00:34:22.56
There is present truth to share,
00:34:22.59\00:34:25.29
the Sabbath message,
the State of the Dead,
00:34:25.33\00:34:27.10
the Spirit of
Prophecy, the Second Coming that
00:34:27.13\00:34:29.53
all of these
wonderful, precious truths.
00:34:29.56\00:34:33.64
This man was a believer in God
and a worshiper in Jerusalem,
00:34:33.67\00:34:37.07
yet he didn't
understand what he was reading.
00:34:37.11\00:34:41.38
It says here,
00:34:41.41\00:34:42.74
"So Philip ran to him
00:34:42.78\00:34:44.11
and heard him reading
the prophet Isaiah and said,
00:34:44.15\00:34:45.48
'Do you understand
what you're reading?'
00:34:45.51\00:34:46.85
"And he said, 'How can I
unless someone guides me?'"
00:34:46.88\00:34:51.05
What did he need?
00:34:51.09\00:34:52.42
He wanted somebody to
give him Bible studies.
00:34:52.45\00:34:55.46
And he asked Philip to
come up and sit with him.
00:34:55.49\00:34:58.46
And of course, we
read and he was reading
00:34:58.49\00:34:59.83
from the Prophet
Isaiah from Chapter 53.
00:34:59.86\00:35:03.13
And the clarification is
given and Philip works with him.
00:35:03.16\00:35:07.34
"So the eunuch, verse
34, answered Philip and said,
00:35:07.37\00:35:09.77
'I ask you, of whom
does this prophet say this?
00:35:09.80\00:35:12.34
Of himself or of
some other man?'"
00:35:12.37\00:35:14.84
Now notice what Philip
does with this question.
00:35:14.88\00:35:16.95
"Then Philip opened his mouth,
00:35:16.98\00:35:19.71
and beginning at this scripture,
00:35:19.75\00:35:21.98
preached Jesus to him."
00:35:22.02\00:35:23.85
Was that the
only scripture he had?
00:35:23.89\00:35:25.75
No, but that was
the starting point.
00:35:25.79\00:35:27.72
He said, you have a question,
00:35:27.76\00:35:29.09
let me answer it
with a Bible answer
00:35:29.12\00:35:30.86
from the place you're reading,
00:35:30.89\00:35:32.23
and then he
developed from the Scripture,
00:35:32.26\00:35:34.60
the truth about Jesus Christ.
00:35:34.63\00:35:37.87
"Now as they went down the road,
00:35:37.90\00:35:40.24
they came to some water.
00:35:40.27\00:35:41.60
And the eunuch
said, 'See, here is water,
00:35:41.64\00:35:42.97
what hinders me
from being baptized?'"
00:35:43.00\00:35:45.07
Now that he
understands Bible truth,
00:35:45.11\00:35:47.81
he feels confident to say,
00:35:47.84\00:35:49.24
yes, I'm ready to
commit my life to Jesus Christ.
00:35:49.28\00:35:51.61
Now I know who He is.
00:35:51.65\00:35:54.15
Let me just
pause right here also
00:35:54.18\00:35:55.62
and tell you something, friends.
00:35:55.65\00:35:57.32
This example in
Scripture from Acts Chapter 8
00:35:57.35\00:36:00.06
is often used to say
that we don't need to preach
00:36:00.09\00:36:03.26
all the distinctive
doctrines before baptism,
00:36:03.29\00:36:05.53
just as soon as
they say they love Jesus,
00:36:05.56\00:36:08.36
baptize!
00:36:08.40\00:36:11.40
But that is not
what we see here.
00:36:11.43\00:36:12.93
First of all, let me
ask you these questions,
00:36:12.97\00:36:15.07
if he was in
Jerusalem worshiping
00:36:15.10\00:36:17.41
which the Bible says he was,
00:36:17.44\00:36:18.81
would he'd been aware
of the Seventh-day Sabbath?
00:36:18.84\00:36:22.14
Of course.
00:36:22.18\00:36:23.51
If he was
worshipping at the temple,
00:36:23.55\00:36:24.88
would he be
aware of the sanctuary
00:36:24.91\00:36:26.78
and its services?
00:36:26.82\00:36:28.28
Of course.
00:36:28.32\00:36:29.65
If he was worshiping with
the brothers in Jerusalem,
00:36:29.68\00:36:31.25
do you think he would have
been aware of the health message
00:36:31.29\00:36:33.82
that they were to carry
and their dietary lifestyle
00:36:33.86\00:36:36.09
based on Bible principle?
00:36:36.12\00:36:37.73
Yes, he would have.
00:36:37.76\00:36:39.79
He would have known the truth
about the State of the Dead,
00:36:39.83\00:36:41.56
about all kinds of things.
00:36:41.60\00:36:43.06
The one piece of his theology
00:36:43.10\00:36:44.83
that was missing was
the centerpiece of it
00:36:44.87\00:36:47.80
all which is
Jesus Christ Himself.
00:36:47.84\00:36:50.14
The present truth at that time
was that Jesus is the Messiah.
00:36:50.17\00:36:53.48
In beginning at that scripture,
he preached Jesus to him.
00:36:53.51\00:36:56.85
Our culture today is
completely the opposite.
00:36:56.88\00:36:59.41
Everybody's heard of Jesus,
00:36:59.45\00:37:00.78
but they don't know
the distinctive truths.
00:37:00.82\00:37:03.89
So the goal is not just
as soon as they say the name,
00:37:03.92\00:37:07.16
baptize them and say,
all right, we won one.
00:37:07.19\00:37:09.02
Good, good, good.
00:37:09.06\00:37:10.56
No, our goal is to teach them
00:37:10.59\00:37:12.19
the whole truth of
Scripture and then notice
00:37:12.23\00:37:14.60
that Jesus is
the center of it all.
00:37:14.63\00:37:17.57
It is they love Jesus,
00:37:17.60\00:37:18.93
they love the
doctrine of His Word.
00:37:18.97\00:37:21.97
Evangelism, page 338.
00:37:22.00\00:37:23.34
Listen to this,
00:37:23.37\00:37:24.71
"It is not preaching
alone that must be done.
00:37:24.74\00:37:27.14
Far less preaching is needed."
00:37:27.18\00:37:29.48
Again, it cuts to
my pastor's heart.
00:37:29.51\00:37:32.81
"More time should be devoted
to patiently educating others,
00:37:32.85\00:37:36.89
giving the hearers opportunity
to express themselves.
00:37:36.92\00:37:41.52
It is
instruction that many need,
00:37:41.56\00:37:43.53
line upon line,
precept upon precept,
00:37:43.56\00:37:46.53
here a little,
and there a little.
00:37:46.56\00:37:49.86
Listen to that,
giving opportunity
00:37:49.90\00:37:51.30
to express themselves.
00:37:51.33\00:37:53.94
Is it possible that
when you introduce someone
00:37:53.97\00:37:55.90
to say the truth
about the state of the dead,
00:37:55.94\00:37:57.67
you're informing them
00:37:57.71\00:37:59.04
that your
grandmother is not in heaven,
00:37:59.07\00:38:02.51
like you've always thought?
00:38:02.54\00:38:05.68
Do you think they
might have a question or two,
00:38:05.71\00:38:08.88
maybe a frustration to share,
maybe a confusion to sort out.
00:38:08.92\00:38:14.89
They might even be
emotional about it,
00:38:14.92\00:38:17.13
might shed a tear.
00:38:17.16\00:38:20.30
That's why the
personal work is so important.
00:38:20.33\00:38:22.26
Often, you come to
an evangelistic series
00:38:22.30\00:38:23.93
and tonight,
00:38:23.97\00:38:25.30
your grandmother
is not in heaven,
00:38:25.33\00:38:26.67
like you thought.
00:38:26.70\00:38:28.04
And tomorrow
night, that secret rapture
00:38:28.07\00:38:29.40
you believe, that was wrong,
00:38:29.44\00:38:30.77
and the next day,
00:38:30.81\00:38:32.14
you've been going to church
on the wrong day of the week,
00:38:32.17\00:38:33.51
and the next, you know,
00:38:33.54\00:38:35.21
it's all true.
00:38:35.24\00:38:36.58
But they need a
context, a framework
00:38:36.61\00:38:38.21
where they can talk to people
00:38:38.25\00:38:40.45
and sort it out
and express themselves
00:38:40.48\00:38:42.98
and weave those
truths into the tapestry
00:38:43.02\00:38:45.55
of their own experience.
00:38:45.59\00:38:47.32
You know, we often pray
00:38:50.53\00:38:51.86
for the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit
00:38:51.89\00:38:53.23
and latter rain power.
00:38:53.26\00:38:56.00
But I ask you, what
do we expect to happen
00:38:56.03\00:38:57.93
when that occurs?
00:38:57.97\00:38:59.30
What is this great
reformation that's gonna happen?
00:39:02.37\00:39:08.41
In The book
Testimonies for the Church,
00:39:08.44\00:39:09.78
volume 9, page 196.
00:39:09.81\00:39:13.05
Mrs. White was shown
what that would look like
00:39:13.08\00:39:17.02
and it might surprise you.
00:39:17.05\00:39:20.39
"In visions of the
night representations passed
00:39:20.42\00:39:22.92
before me of a
great reformatory movement
00:39:22.96\00:39:25.39
among God's people.
00:39:25.43\00:39:27.90
Many were praising God.
00:39:27.93\00:39:30.57
The sick were healed,
00:39:30.60\00:39:32.70
and other miracles were wrought.
00:39:32.73\00:39:35.70
A spirit of
intercession was seen,
00:39:35.74\00:39:37.91
even as was manifested
00:39:37.94\00:39:39.27
before the great
Day of Pentecost."
00:39:39.31\00:39:40.88
And then she adds,
00:39:40.91\00:39:42.24
"Hundreds and thousands
were seen visiting families
00:39:42.28\00:39:48.12
and opening before
them the Word of God."
00:39:48.15\00:39:52.49
When the Holy
Spirit is poured out,
00:39:52.52\00:39:53.89
we're not gonna be watching,
we're gonna be working.
00:39:53.92\00:39:57.33
Hundreds and
thousands of individual members,
00:39:57.36\00:40:00.40
little family groups
going to their neighbors
00:40:00.43\00:40:02.66
and opening before
them the Word of God.
00:40:02.70\00:40:06.30
Friends, we don't need
a revolution in the church
00:40:06.33\00:40:08.44
and turn over the tables.
00:40:08.47\00:40:09.80
We need a
reformation in the church
00:40:09.84\00:40:11.47
to bring us back
to what we were called
00:40:11.51\00:40:13.41
to be in the first place.
00:40:13.44\00:40:15.14
We need a Bible
study reformation.
00:40:15.18\00:40:18.58
We need individual members,
ministers alike to go around
00:40:18.61\00:40:22.12
wherever they have opportunity,
prepare the soil, sow the seed,
00:40:22.15\00:40:25.75
and share the truth of God
00:40:25.79\00:40:27.46
as we cultivate that
precious crop for harvest.
00:40:27.49\00:40:32.19
Which brings me to
that next phase, harvest.
00:40:32.23\00:40:36.87
Here's a
principle in agriculture
00:40:36.90\00:40:38.23
that works in evangelism too.
00:40:38.27\00:40:39.70
It's very simple one sentence.
00:40:39.73\00:40:41.50
Crops never harvest themselves.
00:40:41.54\00:40:47.94
I don't care if
you have a garden,
00:40:47.98\00:40:49.61
if you have a farm,
if you have an orchard,
00:40:49.64\00:40:52.01
anywhere where you
have a fruit bearing crop,
00:40:52.05\00:40:55.05
it never harvest itself.
00:40:55.08\00:40:58.62
When you go to the apple trees,
00:40:58.65\00:40:59.99
those apples are
gonna stay on there
00:41:00.02\00:41:01.36
until they rot and fall off.
00:41:01.39\00:41:03.26
But they're never
gonna organize themselves
00:41:03.29\00:41:04.89
in a bucket,
00:41:04.93\00:41:06.26
walk over to your house
and land on the front porch
00:41:06.29\00:41:08.73
and say we're ready.
00:41:08.76\00:41:11.20
That's not how it works.
00:41:11.23\00:41:12.80
Same thing is true
with apples, and oranges,
00:41:12.83\00:41:14.54
and tomatoes, and potatoes,
00:41:14.57\00:41:15.90
and peanuts, and
squash, and watermelon.
00:41:15.94\00:41:17.37
You go down the list.
00:41:17.41\00:41:18.74
There is not one
plant, not one crop
00:41:18.77\00:41:21.04
that ever whenever it gets ripe,
00:41:21.08\00:41:22.84
announces itself,
clips it off from the vine,
00:41:22.88\00:41:25.75
comes into your
house, and sits on the,
00:41:25.78\00:41:27.58
you know, the deck.
00:41:27.62\00:41:30.09
Crops never harvest themselves.
00:41:30.12\00:41:32.42
The same is true in evangelism.
00:41:32.45\00:41:33.92
Psalm 126:5-6 reads,
00:41:36.93\00:41:39.49
"Those who sow in tears,"
00:41:39.53\00:41:41.23
by the way that sowing
process is not always happy,
00:41:41.26\00:41:43.93
it could be hard.
00:41:43.97\00:41:45.30
Let me tell you something.
00:41:45.33\00:41:46.67
When you get that
Bible study interest,
00:41:46.70\00:41:49.20
you know, what
they're gonna probably do?
00:41:49.24\00:41:52.47
Fizzle out.
00:41:52.51\00:41:55.18
It's not gonna be your fault.
00:41:55.21\00:41:57.38
That's what happened
with the sower of the seed,
00:41:57.41\00:41:58.75
right?
00:41:58.78\00:42:00.12
When he sow that
seed, how many of...
00:42:00.15\00:42:01.48
Within the
majority received the word,
00:42:01.52\00:42:03.35
and we're happy,
and we're fruitful,
00:42:03.39\00:42:04.72
and multiple.
00:42:04.75\00:42:06.09
No.
00:42:06.12\00:42:07.46
Some had this
problem, some had that problem,
00:42:07.49\00:42:08.82
that you're
gonna run into people
00:42:08.86\00:42:10.19
and as soon as they get
an interest in Bible study,
00:42:10.23\00:42:11.56
all of a sudden,
00:42:11.59\00:42:12.93
my kids got a soccer schedule,
oh, we got sick this week.
00:42:12.96\00:42:14.33
Oh, I'm not interested.
00:42:14.36\00:42:15.86
Things just fall
apart and you're gonna say,
00:42:15.90\00:42:17.37
"Oh, I just
invested this much time."
00:42:17.40\00:42:20.60
And now I got
to start over. Yep.
00:42:20.64\00:42:24.17
It's hard work.
00:42:24.21\00:42:27.64
"Those who sow in
tears shall reap in joy."
00:42:27.68\00:42:30.18
But praise the Lord,
some will come through.
00:42:30.21\00:42:34.22
"He who
continually go forth weeping,
00:42:34.25\00:42:36.82
bearing seed for sowing,
00:42:36.85\00:42:38.22
shall doubtless come
again with rejoicing,
00:42:38.25\00:42:40.72
bringing his sheaves with him."
00:42:40.76\00:42:46.09
Listen to this from
Welfare Ministry, page 93,
00:42:46.13\00:42:49.43
"Personal, individual effort
00:42:49.46\00:42:52.17
and interest for
your friends and neighbors
00:42:52.20\00:42:54.20
will accomplish more
than can be estimated.
00:42:54.24\00:42:58.04
It is for the want
of this kind of labor
00:42:58.07\00:43:00.38
that souls for whom
Christ died are perishing.
00:43:00.41\00:43:03.61
Your work,"
00:43:03.65\00:43:05.05
speaking to an
evangelist here, she says,
00:43:05.08\00:43:07.18
"Your work may
accomplish more real good
00:43:07.22\00:43:09.88
than the more
extensive meetings,
00:43:09.92\00:43:12.52
if they lack in
personal effort."
00:43:12.55\00:43:16.42
So she said
there's the public work,
00:43:16.46\00:43:18.33
and then there's
the personal ministry,
00:43:18.36\00:43:20.36
and personal ministry is
better than public ministry.
00:43:20.40\00:43:24.60
But that's not to say you
stop doing public ministry.
00:43:24.63\00:43:26.63
Here's where the
recommendation is.
00:43:26.67\00:43:28.54
"When both are combined,
00:43:28.57\00:43:31.37
a more with the blessing of God,
00:43:31.41\00:43:33.68
a more perfect
00:43:33.71\00:43:35.04
and thorough work maybe wrought.
00:43:35.08\00:43:37.05
But if we can
have but one part done,
00:43:37.08\00:43:38.71
let it be the individual
labor of opening Scriptures
00:43:38.75\00:43:42.05
in households,
00:43:42.08\00:43:43.42
making personal appeals,
00:43:43.45\00:43:46.15
and talking familiarly
with the members of the family,
00:43:46.19\00:43:48.76
not about things
of little importance,
00:43:48.79\00:43:50.69
but of the great
themes of redemption."
00:43:50.73\00:43:52.59
She says making personal appeal,
00:43:52.63\00:43:54.70
now that you
presented the truth,
00:43:54.73\00:43:56.20
do you actually seal the deal
00:43:56.23\00:43:57.83
and make an appeal for
them to actually surrender
00:43:57.87\00:44:00.30
and commit their lives to Jesus.
00:44:00.34\00:44:03.97
Let me give you a
somewhat embarrassing,
00:44:04.01\00:44:06.24
but hopefully providential
illustration from my own life.
00:44:06.27\00:44:13.11
I have a
beautiful wife named Emily.
00:44:13.15\00:44:15.08
And we now have three children.
00:44:15.12\00:44:16.69
So I can tell you
now how the story ends.
00:44:16.72\00:44:19.42
But when I was ready to
propose marriage to her,
00:44:19.45\00:44:24.46
and I was certain
she would say yes.
00:44:24.49\00:44:26.90
But you don't
wanna go in too early,
00:44:26.93\00:44:28.36
you wanna nail this down, right?
00:44:28.40\00:44:30.80
I went to her house and I said,
00:44:30.83\00:44:33.84
tonight, we're
going out to dinner.
00:44:33.87\00:44:35.84
When you get back from class,
I want you to be well dressed,
00:44:35.87\00:44:38.27
I'm gonna be dressed up,
we're gonna hit the town.
00:44:38.31\00:44:41.18
It happened to be
Valentine's Day is very...
00:44:41.21\00:44:43.98
I know what I'm doing.
00:44:44.01\00:44:47.78
She comes and while
she was in school that day,
00:44:47.82\00:44:49.98
I went downtown.
00:44:50.02\00:44:51.75
And I went to the
most expensive restaurant
00:44:51.79\00:44:53.62
I could find, we've
never done that again.
00:44:53.66\00:44:57.46
And I looked at
the menu to make sure
00:44:57.49\00:44:58.99
they had something would we want
00:44:59.03\00:45:01.60
and I put down my
name on the reservation.
00:45:01.63\00:45:03.16
I even told them how
to pronounce my name.
00:45:03.20\00:45:05.87
It's De Vasher,
none of this De Washer,
00:45:05.90\00:45:07.47
Du Washer business.
00:45:07.50\00:45:08.84
It's De Vasher.
00:45:08.87\00:45:10.57
I wanted to come in.
00:45:10.61\00:45:11.94
Oh, Mr. De Vasher,
your table's ready.
00:45:11.97\00:45:13.38
I wanted to look smooth.
00:45:13.41\00:45:15.21
And I did.
00:45:15.24\00:45:16.58
Go back to the table.
00:45:19.35\00:45:20.72
Man, we had a good time.
00:45:20.75\00:45:22.78
Beautiful meal.
00:45:22.82\00:45:24.79
And I knew she was
expecting something.
00:45:24.82\00:45:29.26
And I didn't do anything.
00:45:29.29\00:45:31.59
I just sat there
and let the meal go on.
00:45:31.63\00:45:35.63
They came and took our dishes.
00:45:35.66\00:45:37.67
And they said,
"Well, you're ready to go."
00:45:37.70\00:45:41.30
And I could tell she
was a little disappointed.
00:45:41.34\00:45:43.67
I was thrilled
'cause it was working.
00:45:43.71\00:45:46.91
She's like, "Yeah,
okay, we can go, sure."
00:45:46.94\00:45:50.45
Did take her out
and head to the car.
00:45:50.48\00:45:52.61
And I said, you
know, before we head home,
00:45:52.65\00:45:54.15
there's one more
stop I'd like to make.
00:45:54.18\00:45:57.19
And, of course, I
had this planned out too.
00:45:57.22\00:45:58.99
There was a
particular spot I had chosen
00:45:59.02\00:46:00.66
where I wanted the
question to be asked,
00:46:00.69\00:46:02.19
well, I wanted
the moment to occur.
00:46:02.22\00:46:05.39
We parked the car,
we walked hand in hand,
00:46:05.43\00:46:07.06
I had a little gift for her.
00:46:07.10\00:46:10.50
I prepared a little speech,
written it down and everything.
00:46:10.53\00:46:14.50
And I got down on my knee,
00:46:14.54\00:46:17.61
looking up into her eyes
in the soft evening twilight,
00:46:17.64\00:46:20.91
it was perfect weather.
00:46:20.94\00:46:22.28
It was great.
00:46:22.31\00:46:24.55
And I read this,
and I'm telling you,
00:46:24.58\00:46:27.38
I was moved
within. I began to cry.
00:46:27.42\00:46:30.69
It was beautiful.
00:46:30.72\00:46:33.02
And I ended the
speech saying this.
00:46:33.05\00:46:34.96
I said, "Emily,
I would be honored
00:46:34.99\00:46:38.16
if you would be my wife."
00:46:38.19\00:46:39.53
And a second went by
00:46:45.77\00:46:48.67
and another second went by.
00:46:48.70\00:46:50.17
Things got a little awkward.
00:46:53.94\00:46:57.68
She wasn't saying anything.
00:46:57.71\00:46:59.05
She was just
sitting there smiling.
00:46:59.08\00:47:01.75
And I was standing
there with my knee down
00:47:01.78\00:47:03.59
and my face hanging out, right?
00:47:03.62\00:47:04.95
And I was like
00:47:04.99\00:47:08.72
and she mumbled some sort of.
00:47:08.76\00:47:11.96
Okay.
00:47:11.99\00:47:14.50
That would, that'd be good.
00:47:14.53\00:47:18.30
And I got up and I stood
up and kind of gave her a hug.
00:47:18.33\00:47:20.90
And I said, "All right, good."
00:47:20.94\00:47:25.14
Hand in hand started
walking towards the car.
00:47:25.17\00:47:28.98
And as we got in the
car, I just kind of as I said,
00:47:29.01\00:47:31.71
the things get
weird there for a minute,
00:47:31.75\00:47:33.18
what just happened?
00:47:33.21\00:47:35.15
And she said, "Well,
00:47:35.18\00:47:37.72
you never
actually asked me anything.
00:47:37.75\00:47:43.83
You just declared
what you would like,
00:47:43.86\00:47:47.76
but you never
asked me the question."
00:47:47.80\00:47:50.83
I said, you're gonna hang
this up on a technicality.
00:47:50.87\00:47:54.07
I said, "Will you marry
me?" She said, "Yeah, fine."
00:47:54.10\00:47:56.24
Okay, and we got
engaged in the car.
00:47:56.27\00:48:00.68
Because I said, I
would love to have this
00:48:00.71\00:48:02.21
and it would be great.
00:48:02.24\00:48:03.58
I would be honored
if this would happen.
00:48:03.61\00:48:04.95
And she was like,
"Yeah, that sounds good."
00:48:04.98\00:48:07.75
So and I never actually
asked her to be my wife.
00:48:07.78\00:48:13.66
Friends, a lot of
times this happens
00:48:16.69\00:48:18.03
in presenting
the Word to people,
00:48:18.06\00:48:19.76
we'll present the
truth and will make it case
00:48:19.79\00:48:23.30
right from the
Bible is very true
00:48:23.33\00:48:25.03
and it's
convincing, it's convicting.
00:48:25.07\00:48:29.37
And then we'll
say, well, thank you.
00:48:29.40\00:48:30.74
All right, have a good night.
00:48:30.77\00:48:32.11
We'll talk to you later
next Tuesday at this time.
00:48:32.14\00:48:33.48
All right. Bye-bye.
00:48:33.51\00:48:35.24
And we never make an appeal.
00:48:35.28\00:48:39.05
Don't just present
00:48:39.08\00:48:40.42
that the seventh day is
the Sabbath day, friend?
00:48:40.45\00:48:42.45
Do you want a
covenant with the Lord
00:48:42.48\00:48:43.92
to keep His commandments?
00:48:43.95\00:48:46.89
And remember the
Sabbath day to keep it holy.
00:48:46.92\00:48:50.79
Actually, ask the question,
make earnest heartfelt appeal.
00:48:50.83\00:48:54.43
Review and
Herald, April 24, 1883,
00:48:58.50\00:49:01.40
"The salvation
of sinners requires
00:49:01.44\00:49:03.37
earnest, personal labor.
00:49:03.41\00:49:05.41
We are to bear to
them the word of life,
00:49:05.44\00:49:07.44
not to wait for
them to come to us.
00:49:07.48\00:49:09.78
With personal piety and
a consistent course of life
00:49:09.81\00:49:12.61
our earnest
heartfelt appeals will be,
00:49:12.65\00:49:17.02
through God as sharp
arrows of the Almighty
00:49:17.05\00:49:19.85
to pierce the
sin-hardened heart,
00:49:19.89\00:49:21.79
as sharp sickles to
reap a precious harvest
00:49:21.82\00:49:24.49
for the heavenly garner.
00:49:24.53\00:49:26.53
If we are
co-laborers with Christ,
00:49:26.56\00:49:29.20
we shall all have
sheaves to bring to the Master,
00:49:29.23\00:49:32.20
souls saved through
our instrumentality."
00:49:32.23\00:49:36.00
Friends, don't just
tell them what the truth is,
00:49:36.04\00:49:37.77
appeal to them
00:49:37.81\00:49:39.57
to make a
decision to follow Jesus.
00:49:39.61\00:49:44.38
That's the harvest phase.
00:49:44.41\00:49:47.45
Then there's the
fifth and final phase,
00:49:47.48\00:49:49.05
the preservation phase.
00:49:49.08\00:49:51.42
If you are in the
agricultural cycle
00:49:51.45\00:49:53.76
to think about it this way,
00:49:53.79\00:49:55.12
once the crop
has been harvested,
00:49:55.16\00:49:57.56
the grain must be preserved.
00:49:57.59\00:50:01.06
Think about this,
00:50:01.10\00:50:02.43
if you plucked
tomatoes off the vine,
00:50:02.46\00:50:03.90
you spend all the time
of cultivating the soil
00:50:03.93\00:50:06.03
and you sow the seed
00:50:06.07\00:50:07.40
and you prepare the
soil, you sow the seed,
00:50:07.44\00:50:09.70
you cultivated the crop,
00:50:09.74\00:50:11.07
and it was
growing, you fertilized,
00:50:11.11\00:50:12.44
and watered, and cared,
00:50:12.47\00:50:13.81
for, doing all
this kind of stuff,
00:50:13.84\00:50:15.18
kept all the pests away.
00:50:15.21\00:50:16.54
And right as it got ripe,
00:50:16.58\00:50:17.91
you did the right
thing you harvest,
00:50:17.95\00:50:19.28
and you plucked, you
reached and you made that appeal
00:50:19.31\00:50:20.88
and oh, you got
one in your hand.
00:50:20.92\00:50:22.88
Now you go in the house,
you set it on the counter,
00:50:22.92\00:50:26.42
and you walk away.
00:50:26.45\00:50:29.12
What happens?
00:50:29.16\00:50:32.99
If you don't do
something, if you don't can it,
00:50:33.03\00:50:35.26
if you don't cut it,
if you don't serve it,
00:50:35.30\00:50:37.07
it's not gonna do you any good.
00:50:37.10\00:50:38.43
It's gonna sit
there and what? Rot.
00:50:38.47\00:50:41.07
We do this so many times
with members of the church.
00:50:44.37\00:50:47.51
It's almost criminal.
00:50:47.54\00:50:50.11
We do all this work.
00:50:50.15\00:50:51.48
We're inviting
them to the meetings,
00:50:51.51\00:50:52.85
and sharing your
testimony, and giving us,
00:50:52.88\00:50:54.55
and all the hard
work of cultivation,
00:50:54.58\00:50:57.19
may even make an appeal,
00:50:57.22\00:50:58.55
you have the
stirring evangelist coming in
00:50:58.59\00:51:00.26
and be pour
down that sit around,
00:51:00.29\00:51:01.62
they come to the front.
00:51:01.66\00:51:02.99
They make the
decision for Christ
00:51:03.02\00:51:04.36
and they be baptized and
all the church says amen.
00:51:04.39\00:51:06.33
Then the banners come down
and the signs get taken away
00:51:09.36\00:51:14.44
and the new believers
just kind of sit there.
00:51:14.47\00:51:16.37
They might have heard a
prophetic message once now.
00:51:19.37\00:51:22.28
They might have
mentally intellectually agreed
00:51:25.65\00:51:28.28
as an academic pursuit.
00:51:28.32\00:51:29.65
Yes, I see that it is true,
00:51:29.68\00:51:31.02
but they haven't woven
it into their lives yet.
00:51:31.05\00:51:33.46
It's so new.
00:51:33.49\00:51:36.59
They don't know how
to cook that clean food.
00:51:36.62\00:51:38.93
They don't know how to
keep that Sabbath holy.
00:51:38.96\00:51:41.16
They don't know how to
return a faithful tithe.
00:51:41.20\00:51:42.96
They don't know how
to do all these things.
00:51:43.00\00:51:45.00
They just know it's true.
00:51:45.03\00:51:48.04
But they don't know what to do.
00:51:48.07\00:51:49.40
There's just as
much work to be done
00:51:53.48\00:51:55.44
after the baptism as
there is before the baptism.
00:51:55.48\00:51:57.91
When the evangelism
cycle comes full circle,
00:52:03.22\00:52:05.35
it accomplishes its
purpose of making disciples
00:52:05.39\00:52:07.82
who in turn
make other disciples.
00:52:07.86\00:52:11.66
Listen to Isaiah 55:10-11.
00:52:11.69\00:52:14.80
"For as the rain comes
down, and the snow from heaven,
00:52:14.83\00:52:17.77
and do not return
there, but water the earth,
00:52:17.80\00:52:19.83
and make it bring forth and bud,
00:52:19.87\00:52:21.87
that it may give
seed to the sower
00:52:21.90\00:52:24.34
and bread to the eater."
00:52:24.37\00:52:25.74
What is the crop supposed to do?
00:52:25.77\00:52:27.41
It's supposed to be
bread for your house
00:52:27.44\00:52:29.04
and seed for the
next crop, right?
00:52:29.08\00:52:32.65
He says, "So shall,"
00:52:32.68\00:52:34.12
in the same way and like manner,
00:52:34.15\00:52:36.28
"So shall My word be
that goes forth from My mouth,
00:52:36.32\00:52:40.26
it shall not return to Me void,
00:52:40.29\00:52:41.86
but it shall
accomplish what I please,
00:52:41.89\00:52:43.99
and it shall
prosper in the thing
00:52:44.03\00:52:45.46
for which I sent it."
00:52:45.49\00:52:46.83
Friends, we
must not be satisfied
00:52:46.86\00:52:48.80
with mere
retention of new members.
00:52:48.83\00:52:51.40
Let me tell you
a little pet peeve,
00:52:51.43\00:52:52.77
we always talk about
closing the back door
00:52:52.80\00:52:54.60
and keeping the membership
and retaining those interests.
00:52:54.64\00:52:57.81
Friends, there is
something far higher of an ideal
00:52:57.84\00:53:00.88
that God has for us than merely
keeping people in the pew.
00:53:00.91\00:53:04.58
We need to grow them
into active disciple makers
00:53:04.61\00:53:08.32
for Jesus Christ.
00:53:08.35\00:53:10.12
We have again, well said,
we have far too many members,
00:53:10.15\00:53:13.12
and far too few missionaries.
00:53:13.15\00:53:16.06
We're fantastic
at making members
00:53:16.09\00:53:17.79
but we have to
continue the work of cultivating
00:53:17.83\00:53:20.63
and preserving them
00:53:20.66\00:53:22.10
so that they will not only
stay as bread in the church,
00:53:22.13\00:53:24.63
but also be seed
for the next generation
00:53:24.67\00:53:26.67
that's gonna come in.
00:53:26.70\00:53:29.40
John 4:14, Jesus said
to the woman at the well,
00:53:29.44\00:53:32.61
"Whoever drinks of the water
00:53:32.64\00:53:33.98
that I shall give
him will never thirst.
00:53:34.01\00:53:35.51
But the water
that I shall give him
00:53:35.54\00:53:36.98
will become in him
a fountain of water
00:53:37.01\00:53:39.45
springing up into
everlasting life."
00:53:39.48\00:53:41.32
It's not just good
for you this message
00:53:41.35\00:53:43.15
but when you receive it,
00:53:43.18\00:53:44.52
you have an obligation
to share it with others.
00:53:44.55\00:53:46.72
And in so growing and sharing
you become more of a disciple,
00:53:46.76\00:53:51.13
you become more
like Jesus Christ.
00:53:51.16\00:53:54.10
Christian Service, page 9.
00:53:54.13\00:53:56.03
"Every true disciple is
born into the kingdom of God
00:53:56.06\00:53:59.73
as a missionary.
00:53:59.77\00:54:02.14
He who drinks
of the living water
00:54:02.17\00:54:03.67
becomes a fountain of life.
00:54:03.71\00:54:05.47
The receiver becomes a giver."
00:54:05.51\00:54:08.28
And listen to this from Review
and Herald, December 3, 1908.
00:54:08.31\00:54:11.71
"It is an eternal law of Jehovah
00:54:11.75\00:54:15.75
that he who accepts the truth
00:54:15.78\00:54:17.79
is to make it his first
work to proclaim the truth."
00:54:17.82\00:54:22.36
It's a law of Jehovah.
00:54:22.39\00:54:24.99
"But who is it
00:54:25.03\00:54:26.36
that makes the burden of
perishing sinners his own?"
00:54:26.39\00:54:28.70
She asked rhetorically.
00:54:28.73\00:54:30.83
"Among God's people today
00:54:30.87\00:54:32.70
there is a
fearful lack of sympathy
00:54:32.73\00:54:35.80
that should be
felt for souls unsaved.
00:54:35.84\00:54:38.84
We talk of Christian missions,
00:54:38.87\00:54:41.44
the sound of our voice is heard,
00:54:41.48\00:54:44.65
but do we feel
Christ's tender heart-longing
00:54:44.68\00:54:48.68
for those outside the fold?"
00:54:48.72\00:54:51.82
Friends, it's
one thing to say amen
00:54:51.85\00:54:53.36
to the vision video
or spotlight testimony.
00:54:53.39\00:54:57.59
But it's another thing
00:54:57.63\00:54:58.96
to roll up your sleeves and say,
00:54:58.99\00:55:00.33
here am I, send me.
00:55:00.36\00:55:01.80
Maybe end it with
this encouraging note.
00:55:05.83\00:55:08.50
It is not
uncommon for Christians
00:55:08.54\00:55:10.11
to express
disappointment at meager results
00:55:10.14\00:55:12.04
from their efforts to win souls.
00:55:12.07\00:55:13.88
Oftentimes, however,
00:55:13.91\00:55:15.24
the problem
lies not in realizing
00:55:15.28\00:55:16.71
that the growing
cycle is a process
00:55:16.75\00:55:18.65
involving multiple steps,
00:55:18.68\00:55:20.58
each of which demands
careful planning and hard work.
00:55:20.62\00:55:25.39
There are no shortcuts
00:55:25.42\00:55:26.76
when it comes to
winning souls for Christ.
00:55:26.79\00:55:28.56
If even one step
00:55:28.59\00:55:29.92
in the evangelism
cycle is overlooked,
00:55:29.96\00:55:31.59
results will suffer.
00:55:31.63\00:55:33.60
We must prepare
the soil of the heart,
00:55:33.63\00:55:35.30
plant the seed of God's Word,
00:55:35.33\00:55:36.97
cultivate spiritual interest
with ongoing Bible studies,
00:55:37.00\00:55:40.44
harvest
decisions to follow Christ
00:55:40.47\00:55:42.70
through personal appeals
and preserve those decisions
00:55:42.74\00:55:47.08
through systematic discipleship.
00:55:47.11\00:55:50.51
Yet even our
best efforts will fail
00:55:50.55\00:55:52.88
without the power of
God to produce results.
00:55:52.91\00:55:57.85
In 1 Corinthians 3:5-7,
00:55:57.89\00:56:01.76
"Who then is Paul,
00:56:01.79\00:56:03.69
and who is Apollos,
00:56:03.73\00:56:05.06
but ministers
through whom you believed,
00:56:05.09\00:56:06.59
as the Lord gave to each one?
00:56:06.63\00:56:08.73
I planted, Apollos watered,
but God gave the increase.
00:56:08.76\00:56:14.50
So then neither he
who plants is anything,
00:56:14.54\00:56:16.67
neither he who waters,
00:56:16.71\00:56:18.04
but God who gives the increase."
00:56:18.07\00:56:19.57
We must understand
that there is no such thing
00:56:19.61\00:56:21.68
as natural church development.
00:56:21.71\00:56:24.01
There is only
supernatural soul winning
00:56:24.05\00:56:27.55
according to God's principles.
00:56:27.58\00:56:29.42
That's how it works.
00:56:29.45\00:56:31.59
In Heavenly Places, page 331,
00:56:31.62\00:56:33.96
"We are individually to work
00:56:33.99\00:56:35.82
as though a great
responsibility rested upon us.
00:56:35.86\00:56:38.83
We are to
manifest untiring energy
00:56:38.86\00:56:41.36
and tact and zeal in this work
00:56:41.40\00:56:43.30
and take the
burden, feeling the peril
00:56:43.33\00:56:45.73
in which our neighbors
and friends are placed.
00:56:45.77\00:56:48.50
We are to work as Christ worked.
00:56:48.54\00:56:50.57
We are to present the
truth as it is in Jesus,
00:56:50.61\00:56:53.21
that the blood of souls
shall not be upon our garments.
00:56:53.24\00:56:56.51
At the time we are to feel
00:56:56.54\00:56:59.48
entire
dependence and trust in God,
00:56:59.51\00:57:01.42
for we know we
cannot do anything
00:57:01.45\00:57:03.15
without His grace
and power to help.
00:57:03.18\00:57:06.15
A Paul may plant,
and an Apollos may water,
00:57:06.19\00:57:08.89
but God alone can
give the increase.
00:57:08.92\00:57:11.63
Then we are indeed to
go forward to the work,
00:57:11.66\00:57:14.40
weeping, sowing the
precious seeds of truth
00:57:14.43\00:57:17.57
and trusting in God
to give the increase."
00:57:17.60\00:57:21.30
Friends, this is a work of God's
00:57:21.34\00:57:22.87
own appointment.
00:57:22.90\00:57:24.24
And we need to be
about our Father's business.
00:57:24.27\00:57:26.78
Let's bow our
heads for word of prayer.
00:57:26.81\00:57:28.24
Heavenly Father,
thank You so much,
00:57:28.28\00:57:31.08
that in Your infinite wisdom,
00:57:31.11\00:57:33.08
You have decided to use us
as co-laborers in Your field.
00:57:33.11\00:57:38.99
Lord, teach us to work
the way that Jesus worked.
00:57:39.02\00:57:43.22
Help us to have
that cycle of evangelism
00:57:43.26\00:57:47.03
as part of our DNA.
00:57:47.06\00:57:49.10
It's not just an event
00:57:49.13\00:57:50.47
but, Lord, let it
be an ongoing process
00:57:50.50\00:57:52.00
that
individually and corporately
00:57:52.03\00:57:53.87
as local church bodies
that we work like Jesus,
00:57:53.90\00:57:58.24
for we want to see Jesus.
00:57:58.27\00:58:00.11
And we pray it in Jesus' name.
00:58:00.14\00:58:01.88
Amen.
00:58:01.91\00:58:03.24