Welcome to 00:00:23.08\00:00:23.49 Timeless Healing Insights. 00:00:23.72\00:00:24.65 I'm Dr. David DeRose. 00:00:24.65\00:00:26.35 We continue our study 00:00:26.35\00:00:27.69 through the parables of Jesus 00:00:27.69\00:00:29.99 as they're played out in Mark 4 00:00:29.99\00:00:32.56 looking at their healing power. 00:00:32.73\00:00:35.50 Let's see 00:00:35.50\00:00:35.96 what God has to teach us 00:00:36.10\00:00:37.83 in today's episode. 00:00:37.83\00:00:39.37 Father in Heaven, 00:00:41.84\00:00:43.10 thank You so much 00:00:43.10\00:00:44.11 that You shine light 00:00:44.11\00:00:46.91 on life through Your parables. 00:00:46.91\00:00:49.04 Help us to better 00:00:49.04\00:00:49.91 appreciate that today, 00:00:49.91\00:00:51.95 as we open again Mark's Gospel. 00:00:51.95\00:00:54.02 We ask, in Jesus name, Amen. 00:00:54.15\00:00:56.48 I've got a question for you. 00:00:58.59\00:01:00.82 And don't speak out loud, 00:01:00.82\00:01:03.02 because the answer may 00:01:03.06\00:01:04.26 or may not be obvious to you, 00:01:04.26\00:01:05.73 but can you learn? 00:01:05.73\00:01:07.73 Can you learn how 00:01:07.73\00:01:08.80 to prevent disease 00:01:08.80\00:01:10.50 by looking at people 00:01:10.50\00:01:11.70 who have 00:01:11.70\00:01:12.03 staggering rates 00:01:12.17\00:01:13.54 of that disease? 00:01:13.54\00:01:16.17 And I can see 00:01:16.40\00:01:17.04 some of the wheels turning. 00:01:17.04\00:01:18.24 I see some of you 00:01:18.24\00:01:18.81 nodding your heads, yes. 00:01:18.81\00:01:19.84 Others of you shaking 00:01:19.84\00:01:20.58 your heads, no. 00:01:20.58\00:01:21.41 Well, let me tell you a story. 00:01:23.85\00:01:25.58 For many years, 00:01:25.58\00:01:26.25 I've been working 00:01:26.25\00:01:26.95 with First Nation 00:01:26.95\00:01:28.05 Peoples here in North America. 00:01:28.05\00:01:30.59 You may call them 00:01:30.59\00:01:31.19 Native Americans 00:01:31.19\00:01:32.29 or Aboriginal Peoples. 00:01:32.29\00:01:34.09 And one of the things 00:01:34.09\00:01:35.22 I've been very impressed 00:01:35.22\00:01:36.76 with is their cultural wisdom 00:01:36.76\00:01:39.59 regarding health. 00:01:39.59\00:01:40.96 If you look at their 00:01:40.96\00:01:42.26 historical traditions, 00:01:42.26\00:01:43.43 their oral traditions. 00:01:43.43\00:01:44.77 But there's an 00:01:44.77\00:01:46.13 interesting disease 00:01:46.13\00:01:48.44 that affects 00:01:48.44\00:01:49.74 Native Americans 00:01:49.74\00:01:50.81 disproportionately, 00:01:50.81\00:01:51.97 and that disease is diabetes. 00:01:51.97\00:01:53.34 Are you aware of that? 00:01:53.34\00:01:54.18 That Native Americans 00:01:54.18\00:01:55.34 have extremely high 00:01:55.34\00:01:56.38 rates of diabetes, more 00:01:56.38\00:01:58.41 so than any other major segment 00:01:58.41\00:02:00.68 of our population 00:02:00.68\00:02:01.55 in the United States. 00:02:01.55\00:02:03.55 And so 00:02:03.65\00:02:04.62 what has been so 00:02:04.62\00:02:05.32 fascinating to me 00:02:05.32\00:02:07.12 is that 00:02:07.12\00:02:07.62 if you look historically 00:02:07.72\00:02:09.02 at Native Americans, 00:02:09.02\00:02:10.23 they had no diabetes 00:02:10.23\00:02:12.66 prior to European contact. 00:02:12.93\00:02:15.06 And there's many 00:02:15.06\00:02:15.66 lines of evidence 00:02:15.66\00:02:16.63 that support this conclusion, 00:02:16.63\00:02:18.50 including data 00:02:18.50\00:02:19.30 that we have, 00:02:19.30\00:02:20.10 actual data 00:02:20.10\00:02:20.94 going back to around 1900 here 00:02:20.94\00:02:23.07 in, in the United States 00:02:23.07\00:02:24.34 that shows basically 00:02:24.34\00:02:25.41 no diabetes then. 00:02:25.41\00:02:27.04 One population 00:02:27.04\00:02:28.64 of Native Americans 00:02:28.64\00:02:29.44 with a single case of diabetes. 00:02:29.44\00:02:31.18 But that was still well 00:02:31.18\00:02:32.38 after European contact. 00:02:32.38\00:02:34.25 So very interesting. 00:02:34.25\00:02:35.55 Can we learn anything 00:02:35.55\00:02:36.58 about diabetes prevention 00:02:36.58\00:02:38.82 from a population 00:02:39.12\00:02:40.36 that has very high 00:02:40.36\00:02:41.32 rates of diabetes? 00:02:41.32\00:02:42.26 And some of you 00:02:42.26\00:02:43.02 might be saying, well, 00:02:43.02\00:02:43.86 we probably could 00:02:43.86\00:02:44.96 if they had 00:02:44.96\00:02:45.73 no diabetes to begin with. 00:02:45.73\00:02:48.03 And then Europeans 00:02:48.03\00:02:49.36 come to this continent 00:02:49.36\00:02:50.30 and they have high rates. 00:02:50.30\00:02:51.10 There's probably something 00:02:51.10\00:02:52.33 we could learn 00:02:52.33\00:02:53.67 when indeed that's the case. 00:02:53.67\00:02:55.97 Some years ago 00:02:55.97\00:02:57.01 I presented 00:02:57.01\00:02:57.81 a couple of lectures 00:02:57.81\00:02:59.14 that we filmed called 00:02:59.14\00:03:00.91 Listening to the Buffalo, 00:03:00.91\00:03:02.74 and the subtitle 00:03:02.74\00:03:03.95 was the Life Changing 00:03:03.95\00:03:05.38 Native American Wisdom 00:03:05.38\00:03:07.08 for Optimal Health. 00:03:07.08\00:03:08.75 And I shared 00:03:08.75\00:03:09.62 those presentations 00:03:09.62\00:03:10.72 in many settings, 00:03:10.72\00:03:11.52 including with Native 00:03:11.52\00:03:12.65 American groups. 00:03:12.65\00:03:13.72 I remember one native 00:03:13.72\00:03:14.82 woman came up to me 00:03:14.82\00:03:15.92 after the presentation 00:03:15.92\00:03:17.19 and she basically said, 00:03:17.19\00:03:18.76 you know, 00:03:18.76\00:03:18.93 I didn't realize 00:03:19.23\00:03:20.43 that my ancestors had taught 00:03:20.43\00:03:22.20 all these things 00:03:22.20\00:03:23.03 that I really need today. 00:03:23.03\00:03:25.33 But I noticed 00:03:25.33\00:03:27.04 something even more amazing, 00:03:27.04\00:03:28.47 and that is 00:03:29.84\00:03:32.01 that many people 00:03:32.41\00:03:33.27 who were not Native American, 00:03:33.27\00:03:35.74 if they listened 00:03:35.74\00:03:36.61 to that lecture, 00:03:36.61\00:03:38.25 they listened to it 00:03:38.25\00:03:39.05 like a story 00:03:39.05\00:03:40.05 about somebody else. 00:03:40.05\00:03:42.35 It wasn't about them. 00:03:42.35\00:03:44.12 And so when I shared research, 00:03:44.12\00:03:46.19 like was presented 00:03:46.25\00:03:47.19 in this 00:03:47.19\00:03:47.79 monograph, Diabetes 00:03:47.79\00:03:49.26 as a Disease of Civilization, 00:03:49.26\00:03:51.29 one of the chapters written 00:03:51.53\00:03:52.56 by a Native 00:03:52.56\00:03:53.06 American researcher. 00:03:53.06\00:03:54.73 Diet, culture and diabetes. 00:03:54.73\00:03:56.80 Basically, it pointed out 00:03:57.07\00:03:58.30 and connected the dots. 00:03:58.30\00:03:59.37 What changed? 00:03:59.37\00:04:00.90 What was different 00:04:00.90\00:04:01.80 about indigenous lifestyles 00:04:01.80\00:04:03.87 here on this continent 00:04:03.87\00:04:04.94 compared to what happened 00:04:04.94\00:04:05.97 when Europeans came? 00:04:05.97\00:04:07.44 And as I share these things 00:04:07.44\00:04:10.11 with people 00:04:10.11\00:04:11.01 about Native Americans, 00:04:11.01\00:04:12.98 somehow it seemed 00:04:12.98\00:04:14.18 that people were listing 00:04:14.18\00:04:15.32 better than if I was talking 00:04:15.32\00:04:17.25 to them about their diabetes. 00:04:17.25\00:04:18.82 And here's 00:04:18.82\00:04:19.19 what you should do differently. 00:04:19.52\00:04:20.42 Are you following 00:04:20.42\00:04:20.89 along with me? 00:04:20.89\00:04:21.79 So it's again, this idea 00:04:21.79\00:04:23.16 of telling a story 00:04:23.16\00:04:24.69 that people become 00:04:24.69\00:04:25.43 engaged with. 00:04:25.43\00:04:26.23 So since I've 00:04:26.23\00:04:27.66 given you this illustration, 00:04:27.66\00:04:28.96 let me just fill in the dots 00:04:28.96\00:04:30.67 a little bit more and tell you 00:04:30.67\00:04:32.13 what are some of the things 00:04:32.13\00:04:33.20 that prevented Native Americans 00:04:33.20\00:04:34.94 from having diabetes 00:04:34.94\00:04:36.81 before Europeans arrived? 00:04:36.81\00:04:38.57 First of all, 00:04:38.57\00:04:39.64 they consumed 00:04:39.64\00:04:40.38 dramatically less fat. 00:04:40.38\00:04:42.41 Very interesting. 00:04:43.24\00:04:44.75 One thing that native Americans 00:04:44.75\00:04:46.48 never did 00:04:46.48\00:04:47.12 historically 00:04:47.12\00:04:48.42 was fry their food, okay? 00:04:48.42\00:04:51.42 So fried food 00:04:51.49\00:04:52.99 especially a problem 00:04:52.99\00:04:54.49 when it comes to diabetes, 00:04:54.49\00:04:56.36 high fat, 00:04:56.36\00:04:57.19 especially saturated 00:04:57.19\00:04:58.39 fat, animal fat. 00:04:58.39\00:04:59.73 Setting the stage for what 00:04:59.73\00:05:00.80 we call insulin resistance. 00:05:00.80\00:05:02.83 Increased mineral intake. 00:05:02.83\00:05:04.83 Are you aware 00:05:04.83\00:05:05.43 there's actual research studies 00:05:05.53\00:05:07.14 that show 00:05:07.14\00:05:07.54 if you consume more magnesium 00:05:07.84\00:05:09.54 found in things 00:05:09.54\00:05:10.21 like whole grains 00:05:10.21\00:05:11.31 and beans and seeds, 00:05:11.31\00:05:12.97 you will tend 00:05:12.97\00:05:13.58 to have lower rates 00:05:13.58\00:05:14.48 of diabetes, okay? 00:05:14.48\00:05:16.28 So magnesium 00:05:16.28\00:05:17.31 has some interesting benefits. 00:05:17.31\00:05:18.75 We sometimes use it in heart 00:05:18.75\00:05:20.02 patients with heart 00:05:20.02\00:05:20.95 rhythm problems. 00:05:20.95\00:05:21.68 We?have them take 00:05:21.68\00:05:22.28 extra magnesium. 00:05:22.28\00:05:23.55 Magnesium seems to have blood 00:05:23.55\00:05:24.95 pressure lowering benefits. 00:05:24.95\00:05:26.69 But Native Americans 00:05:26.69\00:05:27.99 were eating a mineral rich, 00:05:27.99\00:05:29.26 more plant based diet. 00:05:29.26\00:05:31.79 Lower caloric density. 00:05:31.79\00:05:33.83 That means if you take 00:05:33.83\00:05:34.93 a volume of food, 00:05:34.93\00:05:36.80 less calories in it. 00:05:36.80\00:05:38.23 Well, how easy is it to 00:05:38.23\00:05:40.34 become overweight 00:05:40.34\00:05:41.94 if your food has 00:05:41.94\00:05:42.94 low caloric density? 00:05:42.94\00:05:44.34 Think about it this way. 00:05:45.57\00:05:47.01 If you sit down 00:05:47.01\00:05:47.84 and you fill up your plate 00:05:47.84\00:05:48.78 with food, 00:05:48.78\00:05:49.78 if you feel up 00:05:49.78\00:05:50.61 with certain things, 00:05:50.61\00:05:51.25 if you fill your plate up with, 00:05:51.31\00:05:52.95 you can pack a lot 00:05:52.95\00:05:53.95 of calories in to your stomach. 00:05:53.95\00:05:56.28 But if you're eating, 00:05:56.28\00:05:57.15 especially plant 00:05:57.15\00:05:58.45 foods, 00:05:58.45\00:05:59.35 especially vegetables, okay? 00:05:59.35\00:06:02.22 Especially vegetables 00:06:02.29\00:06:03.29 that grow above the ground. 00:06:03.29\00:06:05.59 You can, 00:06:05.59\00:06:06.33 I mean, 00:06:06.33\00:06:06.66 how much lettuce could you? 00:06:07.00\00:06:07.76 How many of you think 00:06:07.76\00:06:08.40 you could have a weight problem 00:06:08.40\00:06:09.60 if you went on a lettuce diet 00:06:09.60\00:06:10.83 for a month? 00:06:10.83\00:06:11.47 By the way, I'm 00:06:11.47\00:06:11.93 not recommending that. Okay. 00:06:12.13\00:06:13.97 But my point is, 00:06:13.97\00:06:14.87 so we're looking here, I'm 00:06:14.87\00:06:15.87 sharing with people 00:06:15.87\00:06:16.97 what Native Americans did. 00:06:16.97\00:06:19.01 They didn't eat these high, 00:06:19.01\00:06:20.94 simple sugar 00:06:20.94\00:06:21.88 foods, these foods 00:06:21.88\00:06:22.88 that have what we call 00:06:22.88\00:06:23.65 a high glycemic index 00:06:23.65\00:06:25.01 that raise blood sugar quickly. 00:06:25.01\00:06:26.51 They didn't have fast 00:06:26.51\00:06:27.52 foods, okay? 00:06:27.52\00:06:29.25 They followed 00:06:29.25\00:06:29.85 temperance principles. 00:06:29.85\00:06:31.75 Fasting was a part of their 00:06:31.75\00:06:34.02 cultural practices. 00:06:34.02\00:06:35.92 And they even used herbs, 00:06:35.92\00:06:37.63 many herbs 00:06:37.63\00:06:38.63 you may or may not be aware, 00:06:38.63\00:06:39.96 have blood sugar 00:06:39.96\00:06:41.10 lowering properties. 00:06:41.10\00:06:42.33 So you do all 00:06:42.33\00:06:42.83 these positive things. 00:06:42.83\00:06:44.07 My reason for 00:06:45.40\00:06:46.17 telling you about it, 00:06:46.17\00:06:46.97 though, is 00:06:46.97\00:06:47.34 if I just took 00:06:47.34\00:06:48.40 the average person 00:06:48.40\00:06:49.14 off the street, 00:06:49.14\00:06:49.60 I say I got 00:06:49.60\00:06:50.24 some help for your diabetes 00:06:50.24\00:06:51.64 here. 00:06:51.64\00:06:51.97 Here's this list of things 00:06:52.27\00:06:53.07 that I'd say, Well, 00:06:53.07\00:06:53.58 that's not my lifestyle. 00:06:53.68\00:06:54.58 I'm not going to 00:06:54.58\00:06:55.04 change like that. 00:06:55.04\00:06:56.08 But when I'm telling them 00:06:56.08\00:06:57.05 about Native Americans 00:06:57.05\00:06:58.21 and I'm telling the story, 00:06:58.21\00:06:59.51 they become engaged. 00:06:59.51\00:07:01.25 Now, I give you 00:07:01.25\00:07:01.75 that illustration because it's 00:07:01.92\00:07:05.12 just like what Jesus did. 00:07:05.12\00:07:08.39 Now, some of you say, Oh, 00:07:08.96\00:07:09.96 well, that's a stretch. 00:07:09.96\00:07:11.13 DeRose as a physician 00:07:11.13\00:07:13.36 and as a pastor, 00:07:13.36\00:07:14.36 you sometimes 00:07:14.36\00:07:14.93 try to make these things 00:07:14.93\00:07:15.80 a little bit too tight. 00:07:15.80\00:07:16.70 But basically that's 00:07:16.70\00:07:18.53 what Jesus is doing. 00:07:18.53\00:07:19.47 He's talking about things 00:07:19.47\00:07:20.47 that they were concerned 00:07:20.47\00:07:21.47 about here. 00:07:21.47\00:07:22.00 One of the things I've noticed 00:07:22.14\00:07:23.07 most Americans are concerned 00:07:23.07\00:07:24.34 about is their health. 00:07:24.34\00:07:25.61 You notice that? 00:07:25.61\00:07:27.14 And Jesus told stories. 00:07:27.14\00:07:30.21 So let's go to Mark 4 00:07:30.75\00:07:34.32 and look at this amazing story, 00:07:34.38\00:07:36.15 this amazing parable 00:07:36.15\00:07:37.25 that Jesus told, 00:07:37.25\00:07:38.85 because I think it is 00:07:38.85\00:07:40.39 definitely worth 00:07:40.39\00:07:41.99 our understanding. 00:07:41.99\00:07:43.53 Some of you who've heard me 00:07:43.53\00:07:44.93 previously, you've heard me 00:07:44.93\00:07:46.36 recommend the book 00:07:46.36\00:07:47.30 Christ Object Lessons, 00:07:47.30\00:07:48.96 the first two chapters 00:07:48.96\00:07:50.13 of this book 00:07:50.13\00:07:50.63 excellent on parables overall 00:07:50.83\00:07:52.63 and on this first parable 00:07:52.63\00:07:54.34 that's addressed in the book, 00:07:54.34\00:07:55.50 chapter 4, 00:07:55.50\00:07:56.84 The Parable of the Sower. 00:07:56.84\00:07:58.74 Here's a simple 00:08:00.41\00:08:01.44 overview about it. 00:08:01.44\00:08:02.44 And I'm taking this time 00:08:02.44\00:08:03.78 because some of you might say, 00:08:03.78\00:08:04.75 but I know 00:08:04.75\00:08:05.35 the parable of the sower. 00:08:05.35\00:08:06.38 That's like the most 00:08:06.38\00:08:07.12 basic parable. 00:08:07.12\00:08:08.08 I mean, everyone knows that. 00:08:08.08\00:08:09.82 By the parable of the sower, 00:08:09.82\00:08:12.49 Christ illustrates the things 00:08:12.55\00:08:14.32 of the kingdom of heaven. 00:08:14.32\00:08:16.46 By the parable of the sower, 00:08:16.46\00:08:19.79 Christ does what? 00:08:19.96\00:08:21.56 He illustrates 00:08:21.56\00:08:23.63 the things 00:08:23.63\00:08:24.33 of the kingdom of heaven, 00:08:24.33\00:08:25.60 and the work 00:08:25.60\00:08:26.67 of the great Husbandman 00:08:26.67\00:08:28.20 for His people. 00:08:28.20\00:08:29.34 Like a sower in the field, 00:08:29.34\00:08:31.37 He came to scatter 00:08:31.37\00:08:33.07 the heavenly grain of truth. 00:08:33.07\00:08:35.81 Because of the simplicity 00:08:35.81\00:08:38.98 of the parable of the sower, 00:08:38.98\00:08:41.12 It has not been valued 00:08:41.22\00:08:43.05 as it should be. 00:08:43.05\00:08:45.05 Simple parable, right? 00:08:45.15\00:08:47.29 Do you value it? 00:08:47.29\00:08:48.19 We want to value it more today. 00:08:48.19\00:08:50.93 From the natural seed 00:08:50.93\00:08:53.16 cast into the soil, 00:08:53.16\00:08:54.63 Christ desires 00:08:54.63\00:08:55.53 to lead our minds 00:08:55.53\00:08:56.40 to the gospel seed, 00:08:56.40\00:08:58.30 the sowing of which results in 00:08:58.30\00:09:00.07 bringing man 00:09:00.07\00:09:00.90 back to his loyalty to God. 00:09:00.90\00:09:03.14 Well, we want to look at this 00:09:04.01\00:09:05.31 because 00:09:05.31\00:09:06.51 if you're not 00:09:06.51\00:09:06.84 making the 00:09:06.84\00:09:07.31 connection in Mark 4, 00:09:07.41\00:09:10.81 who the sower is, 00:09:10.88\00:09:12.98 I want you to think about that. 00:09:12.98\00:09:14.32 Who the sower is. 00:09:14.32\00:09:16.72 The sower is Jesus, okay? 00:09:16.72\00:09:19.35 The sower is Jesus. 00:09:19.65\00:09:21.12 And in another 00:09:21.12\00:09:22.36 parable that 00:09:22.36\00:09:23.32 Jesus told 00:09:23.32\00:09:24.09 not recorded in Mark, 00:09:24.09\00:09:25.13 but in Matthew, 00:09:25.13\00:09:26.76 Jesus put it this way 00:09:26.86\00:09:27.86 in his own words, He who sows 00:09:27.86\00:09:29.50 the good seed is who? 00:09:29.50\00:09:30.83 The Son of Man. 00:09:30.83\00:09:32.43 So Jesus, in this parable 00:09:32.43\00:09:33.90 in Mark 00:09:33.90\00:09:34.87 4, is the One 00:09:34.87\00:09:37.51 who's sowing the seed. 00:09:37.64\00:09:39.31 Look at how the parable begins. 00:09:39.31\00:09:40.84 Mark 4:3, 00:09:41.81\00:09:43.55 Jesus starts with 00:09:43.55\00:09:44.81 a single word. 00:09:44.81\00:09:46.31 And what is that word? 00:09:46.31\00:09:48.28 Listen or hear. 00:09:48.28\00:09:50.42 It is the most common word used 00:09:50.42\00:09:53.05 in Mark 4 00:09:53.19\00:09:54.89 or one of the most common 00:09:54.89\00:09:55.96 words. It's the key word used. 00:09:55.96\00:09:57.86 You know, 00:09:57.86\00:09:58.13 if you want to count 00:09:58.39\00:09:58.69 all the articles and things, 00:09:59.06\00:10:00.00 I'm sure you can find 00:10:00.00\00:10:00.66 other words used more commonly. 00:10:00.66\00:10:02.60 But the point is 00:10:02.60\00:10:03.97 this is a critical word. 00:10:03.97\00:10:05.30 He wants us to do what? 00:10:05.30\00:10:06.87 To hear, to listen. 00:10:06.87\00:10:08.74 And He says, 00:10:08.74\00:10:09.27 a sower goes out to sow. 00:10:09.34\00:10:11.31 Here's 00:10:11.31\00:10:11.67 the first question for you. 00:10:11.97\00:10:13.17 It says, 00:10:13.17\00:10:13.64 The sower goes out to sow. 00:10:13.81\00:10:14.91 We've already seen 00:10:14.91\00:10:15.61 the sower is Jesus, 00:10:15.61\00:10:17.71 but says the sower 00:10:19.35\00:10:20.52 goes out to sow. 00:10:20.52\00:10:22.65 Where does the sower 00:10:22.65\00:10:23.45 go out from? 00:10:23.45\00:10:24.55 Now, so you might say 00:10:24.55\00:10:25.85 it doesn't matter. 00:10:25.85\00:10:26.59 It's just saying he went out 00:10:26.59\00:10:27.82 and starts started selling. 00:10:27.82\00:10:29.02 No, I think it's 00:10:29.02\00:10:29.69 actually relevant. 00:10:29.69\00:10:30.79 Where did the sower 00:10:30.79\00:10:31.59 go out from? 00:10:31.59\00:10:32.66 Think about it 00:10:32.66\00:10:33.43 in the days of Jesus, 00:10:33.43\00:10:34.60 in Bible times. 00:10:34.60\00:10:35.73 People typically 00:10:35.73\00:10:36.90 lived in walled cities, okay? 00:10:36.90\00:10:40.87 Why did you live 00:10:40.97\00:10:41.64 in a walled city? 00:10:41.64\00:10:42.47 It was a dangerous time 00:10:43.71\00:10:44.77 to live, okay? 00:10:44.77\00:10:46.07 So what you would do 00:10:46.07\00:10:47.58 if you were a farmer, 00:10:47.58\00:10:48.81 you'd go out in your fields 00:10:48.81\00:10:50.05 during the day, farm, 00:10:50.05\00:10:52.21 and then you'd come 00:10:52.21\00:10:52.95 back into the city, 00:10:52.95\00:10:54.48 the walled city at night. 00:10:54.48\00:10:55.78 And often 00:10:55.78\00:10:56.45 the gates of 00:10:56.45\00:10:57.09 the city were closed at night. 00:10:57.09\00:10:59.72 When the morning came, 00:11:00.22\00:11:01.12 what would you do? 00:11:01.12\00:11:02.52 Gates would open up 00:11:02.79\00:11:04.23 and you'd go back out 00:11:04.23\00:11:05.53 and take care of your crop. 00:11:05.53\00:11:07.76 So here's 00:11:08.03\00:11:08.66 the interesting point. 00:11:08.66\00:11:10.33 Where was the safest place 00:11:10.33\00:11:13.10 to be ostensibly? 00:11:13.10\00:11:14.37 Where was the safest place? 00:11:14.37\00:11:16.10 Was it in the city 00:11:16.10\00:11:17.37 or in the field? 00:11:17.37\00:11:19.67 It was in the city, okay? 00:11:19.67\00:11:20.94 Because that's 00:11:20.94\00:11:21.61 where the walls were. 00:11:21.61\00:11:22.41 That's 00:11:22.41\00:11:22.61 where your defenses were. 00:11:23.04\00:11:24.38 So daily you'd leave 00:11:24.38\00:11:25.88 the security of the city 00:11:25.88\00:11:27.45 and you'd go out 00:11:27.45\00:11:28.38 to sow your seed, 00:11:28.38\00:11:29.78 or to harvest your crop. 00:11:29.78\00:11:31.75 Are you following along 00:11:31.75\00:11:32.65 what's going on here? 00:11:32.65\00:11:33.69 John 1. 00:11:34.86\00:11:36.42 Sonia and I have been 00:11:36.42\00:11:37.16 listening to 00:11:37.16\00:11:37.83 a testimony recently 00:11:37.83\00:11:40.50 of someone who 00:11:40.50\00:11:42.76 was not raised a Christian, 00:11:42.76\00:11:44.83 and they grew up 00:11:44.83\00:11:46.07 actually the same way 00:11:46.07\00:11:47.64 I did as an agnostic. 00:11:47.64\00:11:49.04 I heard 00:11:49.04\00:11:49.57 many people say things like, 00:11:49.70\00:11:51.71 Oh, Jesus 00:11:51.71\00:11:52.47 never claimed to be God. 00:11:52.47\00:11:54.08 Or the Bible never said that 00:11:54.08\00:11:55.38 Jesus was divine. 00:11:55.38\00:11:56.38 Yeah, He was a good teacher, 00:11:56.38\00:11:57.81 but He wasn't God. 00:11:57.81\00:11:59.25 And this young man 00:11:59.25\00:12:01.02 had grown up that way. 00:12:01.02\00:12:02.45 And as he's telling his story, 00:12:02.45\00:12:04.45 he finally decided 00:12:04.65\00:12:05.79 to actually read the Bible. 00:12:05.79\00:12:07.09 That?evolutionary, isn't it? 00:12:07.09\00:12:09.39 You can kind of page through it 00:12:09.39\00:12:10.39 quickly. And I did this myself. 00:12:10.39\00:12:12.39 I'm just telling you the truth. 00:12:12.39\00:12:13.40 You know, 00:12:13.40\00:12:13.56 people told me this as a kid 00:12:14.03\00:12:15.66 growing up. 00:12:15.66\00:12:16.50 Oh, yeah, Jesus 00:12:16.50\00:12:17.47 never said He was God. 00:12:17.47\00:12:18.77 He wasn't God. 00:12:18.77\00:12:19.47 And I, you know, 00:12:19.47\00:12:19.83 kind of looked 00:12:19.83\00:12:20.24 at the Bible quickly 00:12:20.37\00:12:21.20 and I mean, 00:12:21.20\00:12:22.50 pretty hard to, I mean, 00:12:22.50\00:12:23.94 this is before search engines. 00:12:23.94\00:12:25.41 I know I'm dating myself, but, 00:12:25.41\00:12:26.84 you know, 00:12:27.81\00:12:28.48 I didn't find 00:12:28.84\00:12:29.54 anything in there, okay? 00:12:29.54\00:12:31.95 Well, 00:12:32.01\00:12:32.28 so this 00:12:32.28\00:12:32.95 fellow's telling his testimony, 00:12:32.95\00:12:34.78 and he says, I decided to start 00:12:34.78\00:12:36.15 reading the gospel of John. 00:12:36.15\00:12:37.25 I don't know why 00:12:37.25\00:12:37.65 he picked John. 00:12:37.65\00:12:38.82 And he starts reading, 00:12:38.82\00:12:39.65 and here's what he reads. 00:12:39.65\00:12:40.69 In the beginning was the Word, 00:12:40.69\00:12:43.56 and the Word was with God, 00:12:43.63\00:12:45.99 and the Word was God. 00:12:46.23\00:12:48.60 Now you don't have to read far 00:12:48.60\00:12:50.97 to connect the dots 00:12:51.20\00:12:52.27 if you just 00:12:52.27\00:12:52.70 read down to verse 14, 00:12:52.80\00:12:54.17 it makes it clear 00:12:54.17\00:12:55.64 that the Word 00:12:55.64\00:12:56.44 is referring to who? 00:12:56.44\00:12:58.47 Jesus, okay? 00:12:58.47\00:13:00.31 So he's reading this 00:13:00.31\00:13:02.11 and it's saying 00:13:02.11\00:13:02.84 the Word was with God 00:13:02.84\00:13:04.18 and the Word was God. 00:13:04.18\00:13:06.08 He was in the 00:13:06.08\00:13:06.58 beginning with God. 00:13:06.58\00:13:07.68 All things were made through 00:13:07.68\00:13:09.75 Him, and without Him 00:13:09.75\00:13:10.62 nothing was made that was made. 00:13:10.62\00:13:12.19 What is he confronted with? 00:13:12.19\00:13:14.52 The Bible is saying 00:13:14.52\00:13:15.49 that Jesus is what? God. 00:13:15.49\00:13:17.93 Jesus is God. 00:13:18.33\00:13:20.10 Jesus is not only God, He 00:13:21.13\00:13:23.23 is, according to John 1, 00:13:23.23\00:13:25.20 He is the Creator. 00:13:25.20\00:13:27.20 He is the Creator. 00:13:27.20\00:13:28.77 Now you say, Well, 00:13:28.77\00:13:30.87 Jesus is God, He's the Creator, 00:13:30.87\00:13:33.64 and where was He? 00:13:33.88\00:13:35.88 He was in heaven. 00:13:35.88\00:13:37.68 And He comes 00:13:37.68\00:13:39.05 as the sower 00:13:39.05\00:13:40.62 of the Divine Seed, 00:13:40.62\00:13:41.85 and He 00:13:41.85\00:13:42.25 leaves the security of heaven. 00:13:42.52\00:13:45.29 I mean, think about it. 00:13:45.29\00:13:46.92 Jesus comes for you and for me. 00:13:46.92\00:13:48.56 I want you to look at John 1. 00:13:48.56\00:13:50.23 I want you to see this 00:13:50.23\00:13:52.23 John 1 I want you to see verses 00:13:52.49\00:13:53.86 10 and 11, because 00:13:53.86\00:13:55.90 it really makes this poignant 00:13:57.10\00:13:58.70 for us, 00:13:58.70\00:13:59.93 because Jesus leaves 00:13:59.93\00:14:01.40 the security of heaven 00:14:01.40\00:14:02.57 and He doesn't come 00:14:02.57\00:14:04.01 to a grand reception. 00:14:04.01\00:14:06.07 He doesn't come 00:14:06.07\00:14:06.84 to a group of people 00:14:06.84\00:14:08.04 that just embrace Him. 00:14:08.04\00:14:09.24 We've been seeing 00:14:09.24\00:14:09.94 what happens in Mark. 00:14:09.94\00:14:11.95 John summarizes 00:14:11.95\00:14:13.35 Mark 1 through 3 00:14:13.35\00:14:16.32 in a single 00:14:16.38\00:14:17.72 pair of verses, verses 00:14:17.72\00:14:18.82 10 and 11. 00:14:18.82\00:14:20.36 He, Jesus, was in the world, 00:14:20.36\00:14:22.52 and the world 00:14:22.52\00:14:23.02 was made through Him, 00:14:23.09\00:14:24.43 and the world did not know Him. 00:14:24.43\00:14:27.66 He came to His own, and His own 00:14:27.76\00:14:30.47 did not receive Him. 00:14:30.73\00:14:33.70 But I don't want to stop there. 00:14:33.80\00:14:36.00 That's all that's relevant 00:14:36.00\00:14:37.14 for Jesus?crifice, 00:14:37.14\00:14:38.81 leaving the security of heaven 00:14:38.81\00:14:40.01 to come down here. 00:14:40.01\00:14:41.04 But I want you to see 00:14:41.04\00:14:42.31 what continues, 00:14:42.31\00:14:43.38 because this is 00:14:43.38\00:14:44.88 part of the gospel 00:14:44.88\00:14:46.05 that we need to not forget. 00:14:46.05\00:14:48.02 Verse 12. 00:14:48.02\00:14:49.28 But as many as received Him, 00:14:49.28\00:14:51.65 to them 00:14:51.75\00:14:52.32 gave He the right, 00:14:52.32\00:14:53.49 the power, 00:14:53.49\00:14:54.66 the authority 00:14:54.66\00:14:55.62 to become children of God, 00:14:55.62\00:14:57.23 to those who believe 00:14:57.23\00:14:58.16 in His name, 00:14:58.16\00:14:59.16 who were born 00:14:59.16\00:14:59.73 not of blood, 00:14:59.73\00:15:00.60 nor of the will of the flesh, 00:15:00.60\00:15:01.93 nor of the will of man, 00:15:01.93\00:15:03.03 but of God. 00:15:03.03\00:15:03.97 And it 00:15:03.97\00:15:04.27 ?ving us this picture 00:15:04.50\00:15:05.43 again, 00:15:05.43\00:15:06.00 that by trusting in Him, 00:15:06.00\00:15:07.24 by coming to Him 00:15:07.24\00:15:08.20 in faith, what? 00:15:08.20\00:15:09.54 We become the children of God, 00:15:09.54\00:15:11.24 regardless of what 00:15:11.24\00:15:11.97 our background has been. 00:15:11.97\00:15:13.24 So this is the 00:15:13.24\00:15:14.04 the good news that 00:15:14.04\00:15:14.94 Jesus came to bring. 00:15:14.94\00:15:16.31 Jesus comes 00:15:18.18\00:15:19.41 as the Divine Sower. 00:15:19.41\00:15:20.95 But here's the amazing thing. 00:15:20.95\00:15:22.95 Jesus calls us to be sowers 00:15:22.95\00:15:25.19 as well. 00:15:25.19\00:15:25.75 So this parable isn't just 00:15:25.82\00:15:27.76 about Jesus?rk. 00:15:27.76\00:15:29.12 It has implications 00:15:29.12\00:15:30.23 for you and me. 00:15:30.23\00:15:31.29 The Parable 00:15:31.29\00:15:31.96 of the Sower pictures 00:15:31.96\00:15:34.20 Jesus as the one 00:15:34.20\00:15:35.70 who commissions 00:15:35.70\00:15:36.60 us to be sowers with Him. 00:15:36.60\00:15:38.70 Think about it this way 00:15:38.93\00:15:40.67 The very first missionary call, 00:15:40.67\00:15:44.11 if you want to use 00:15:44.11\00:15:44.71 that terminology, comes in 00:15:44.71\00:15:46.47 Genesis 12, 00:15:46.47\00:15:47.71 when someone is actually called 00:15:47.71\00:15:49.78 to leave their people 00:15:49.78\00:15:51.45 and go somewhere else. 00:15:51.45\00:15:52.85 And that call goes to Abraham. 00:15:52.85\00:15:54.95 In Genesis 12:1, 00:15:55.12\00:15:56.92 the Bible says, 00:15:56.92\00:15:58.45 Go from your country, 00:15:58.45\00:16:01.59 from your people, 00:16:01.72\00:16:03.02 from your father's household, 00:16:03.02\00:16:04.63 to a land that I will show you. 00:16:04.63\00:16:06.53 And what does Abraham do? 00:16:06.53\00:16:09.06 Hebrews 11 summarizes 00:16:09.60\00:16:11.23 that if you don't know 00:16:11.23\00:16:12.17 the story, 00:16:12.17\00:16:13.07 Abraham obeyed and went, 00:16:13.07\00:16:15.54 even though 00:16:15.84\00:16:17.11 he did not know where he was 00:16:17.11\00:16:18.67 going, okay? 00:16:18.67\00:16:20.24 So what's happening? 00:16:20.24\00:16:21.88 Abraham is going to be a sower. 00:16:23.01\00:16:26.28 He's going to sow 00:16:26.45\00:16:27.48 the seeds of truth 00:16:27.48\00:16:28.55 by his lifestyle, 00:16:28.55\00:16:29.78 by his teaching, 00:16:29.78\00:16:31.22 by those who travel 00:16:31.22\00:16:32.19 with him, by his family. 00:16:32.19\00:16:34.16 But this isn't just 00:16:34.16\00:16:34.92 an Old Testament concept. 00:16:34.92\00:16:36.62 When Paul 00:16:36.62\00:16:37.86 receives his call from heaven, 00:16:37.86\00:16:39.86 God makes it clear to him 00:16:40.16\00:16:42.06 that he's got a mission. 00:16:42.06\00:16:43.77 And God says to him, go, 00:16:43.77\00:16:45.43 I will send you where? 00:16:45.43\00:16:47.67 Far away to the Gentiles. 00:16:47.67\00:16:50.24 By the way, 00:16:50.37\00:16:51.64 was it a safe thing 00:16:51.64\00:16:53.58 that Paul did 00:16:53.58\00:16:54.48 to go 00:16:54.48\00:16:54.81 preach the gospel 00:16:54.98\00:16:55.64 to the Gentiles? 00:16:55.64\00:16:57.45 If you, listen, 00:16:58.38\00:16:58.51 read 2 Corinthians 00:16:58.91\00:16:59.91 11 sometime, just pick it up. 00:16:59.91\00:17:01.48 Starting in verse 00:17:01.48\00:17:02.15 23, just read five verses there 00:17:02.15\00:17:04.12 and you'll read about 00:17:04.12\00:17:04.89 how Paul was stoned 00:17:04.89\00:17:06.02 and how he was shipwrecked 00:17:06.02\00:17:07.32 and how he was attacked, okay? 00:17:07.32\00:17:09.36 So now I know 00:17:09.36\00:17:10.46 some of you think the narrative 00:17:10.46\00:17:11.59 should be different, 00:17:11.59\00:17:12.79 that Jesus should come down 00:17:12.79\00:17:14.00 and everyone should 00:17:14.00\00:17:14.46 have accepted Him. I agree. 00:17:14.63\00:17:16.26 When someone comes 00:17:16.26\00:17:17.03 with the gospel, 00:17:17.03\00:17:17.70 to minister people, 00:17:17.70\00:17:18.47 they should welcome him with 00:17:18.47\00:17:20.10 open arms. But I'll tell you, 00:17:20.10\00:17:21.60 as a physician, 00:17:23.14\00:17:25.14 not everyone 00:17:25.21\00:17:26.44 welcomes everything 00:17:26.44\00:17:27.41 I have to tell them either 00:17:27.41\00:17:28.64 when it comes 00:17:28.64\00:17:29.08 to their physical health, okay? 00:17:29.34\00:17:31.11 I'm just being honest with you. 00:17:31.11\00:17:32.81 Maybe you've been there before. 00:17:32.81\00:17:34.52 Maybe you want 00:17:34.52\00:17:35.02 to throw the doctor out. 00:17:35.12\00:17:37.39 Actually, the worst 00:17:37.39\00:17:38.79 job I ever had 00:17:38.79\00:17:39.79 as far as this dynamic, 00:17:39.79\00:17:41.52 was working as 00:17:41.52\00:17:43.86 in occupational medicine. 00:17:43.86\00:17:45.96 And one of the things 00:17:45.96\00:17:46.66 we had to do 00:17:46.66\00:17:47.00 in occupational medicine, 00:17:47.30\00:17:48.46 is see people 00:17:48.46\00:17:49.23 who thought they were well, 00:17:49.23\00:17:51.07 who are coming in 00:17:51.07\00:17:51.73 for a pre placement exam 00:17:51.73\00:17:54.34 to make sure they could do 00:17:54.64\00:17:55.77 whatever job. 00:17:55.77\00:17:56.94 And you want to see 00:17:56.94\00:17:57.81 people get upset. 00:17:57.81\00:17:59.34 You know, they're not coming 00:17:59.34\00:18:00.31 because they have 00:18:00.31\00:18:00.64 anything wrong with them. 00:18:00.94\00:18:01.88 When you find something 00:18:01.88\00:18:02.81 wrong with them, 00:18:02.81\00:18:03.75 that's 00:18:03.75\00:18:04.01 not what they wanted to hear. 00:18:04.45\00:18:05.05 They wanted you 00:18:05.05\00:18:05.48 just to say, you know, 00:18:05.58\00:18:06.25 you've got the job. 00:18:06.25\00:18:07.88 And when you say, well, 00:18:07.88\00:18:08.52 you've got this problem 00:18:08.52\00:18:09.52 or you've got this, 00:18:09.52\00:18:10.65 oh, they didn't like that. 00:18:10.65\00:18:12.82 So Jesus is pointing out need, 00:18:12.82\00:18:15.46 but He's also pointing out 00:18:15.46\00:18:16.59 a remedy. 00:18:16.59\00:18:18.16 So was Paul, so was Abraham. 00:18:18.16\00:18:20.13 We've 00:18:21.33\00:18:21.60 got these 00:18:21.70\00:18:22.20 amazing illustrations. 00:18:22.20\00:18:24.63 But I've got to tell you, 00:18:24.73\00:18:25.80 it's not just other books. 00:18:25.80\00:18:28.14 We're going through 00:18:28.14\00:18:28.54 the gospel of Mark. 00:18:28.67\00:18:29.27 In Mark 00:18:29.27\00:18:29.60 3, turn in your Bibles there. 00:18:29.97\00:18:31.57 I want you to see this. 00:18:31.57\00:18:32.54 We looked at it already. 00:18:32.54\00:18:33.48 I'm going to show you where 00:18:33.48\00:18:34.11 we've been 00:18:34.11\00:18:34.44 and where we're going. 00:18:34.64\00:18:35.74 Don't worry. 00:18:35.74\00:18:36.18 It won't be today 00:18:36.24\00:18:36.75 where we're going to 00:18:36.75\00:18:37.15 cover all this. 00:18:37.15\00:18:38.31 But Mark 3, where we've been. 00:18:38.31\00:18:40.82 In Mark 00:18:40.98\00:18:41.92 3, Jesus gives a commission. 00:18:41.92\00:18:44.75 We've studied this already. 00:18:45.15\00:18:46.62 But I want you to note 00:18:46.62\00:18:47.82 Jesus is calling His followers 00:18:47.82\00:18:50.73 to be sowers. 00:18:50.73\00:18:52.79 Don't miss this. 00:18:52.79\00:18:54.03 I'm in Mark 00:18:54.03\00:18:55.03 3, beginning with verse 14. 00:18:55.03\00:18:58.37 Jesus appointed 12. 00:18:58.83\00:19:01.30 We call them the 12 disciples. 00:19:01.30\00:19:03.30 Why? 00:19:03.30\00:19:03.94 That they might be with Him 00:19:03.94\00:19:06.27 and that He might 00:19:06.41\00:19:08.28 send them out to preach. 00:19:08.28\00:19:10.41 They're being given what? 00:19:10.41\00:19:11.91 They're being given 00:19:11.91\00:19:13.35 this charge to be sowers. 00:19:13.35\00:19:15.82 Turn your Bibles now to Mark 5 00:19:15.88\00:19:18.05 where we're headed 00:19:18.29\00:19:19.69 by God's grace, 00:19:19.69\00:19:20.46 maybe even the next 00:19:20.46\00:19:21.16 time we're together. 00:19:21.16\00:19:21.92 Mark 5. 00:19:23.22\00:19:25.03 In Mark 5 there is 00:19:25.03\00:19:26.23 this amazing story 00:19:26.23\00:19:27.60 of Jesus 00:19:27.60\00:19:28.20 healing a demon possessed man. 00:19:28.20\00:19:30.93 The man 00:19:31.33\00:19:32.30 wants to press close to Jesus. 00:19:32.30\00:19:34.47 He doesn't want to leave 00:19:34.70\00:19:35.70 Jesus, and Jesus gives him 00:19:35.70\00:19:37.91 this commission. 00:19:37.91\00:19:39.31 I'm in verse 19. 00:19:39.31\00:19:41.41 Jesus says, Go. 00:19:41.81\00:19:44.28 Go home to your friends 00:19:44.58\00:19:46.28 and tell them what great things 00:19:46.28\00:19:48.48 the Lord has done for you 00:19:48.58\00:19:50.22 and how 00:19:50.22\00:19:51.15 He has had compassion on you. 00:19:51.15\00:19:53.86 So why is it so important 00:19:54.76\00:19:56.06 to go out? 00:19:56.06\00:19:56.73 Let me just tell you something. 00:19:56.73\00:19:57.93 I don't know if you realize it, 00:19:57.93\00:19:58.89 but today 00:19:58.89\00:19:59.66 you could argue 00:19:59.66\00:20:00.96 that no one needs to testify 00:20:00.96\00:20:02.93 for Jesus anymore 00:20:02.93\00:20:04.20 because there's plenty of stuff 00:20:04.20\00:20:05.33 out there on the Internet. 00:20:05.33\00:20:07.27 I was telling you 00:20:07.27\00:20:07.97 just a little while ago 00:20:07.97\00:20:09.27 that Sonja and I were listening 00:20:09.27\00:20:10.37 to someone's testimony 00:20:10.37\00:20:11.97 who was reading through John 1, 00:20:11.97\00:20:14.04 the person's testimony 00:20:14.11\00:20:15.68 that we were listening to, 00:20:15.68\00:20:17.28 he died five years ago, 00:20:17.28\00:20:19.15 no longer here, 00:20:21.02\00:20:22.25 but we were 00:20:22.25\00:20:22.65 listening to his testimony. 00:20:22.92\00:20:24.22 Are you following along? 00:20:24.22\00:20:25.62 You say, 00:20:25.62\00:20:25.92 So why do I need my testimony? 00:20:26.29\00:20:27.56 What was that link? 00:20:27.56\00:20:28.59 Just give me that link 00:20:28.59\00:20:29.46 and I'll share that 00:20:29.46\00:20:30.06 with my friends. 00:20:30.06\00:20:31.26 No, Jesus wants you 00:20:31.26\00:20:32.59 to be a sower as well. 00:20:32.59\00:20:34.20 He wants you 00:20:34.20\00:20:34.63 to have that vision 00:20:34.73\00:20:35.90 that He's calling you. 00:20:35.90\00:20:36.80 He has a ministry for you 00:20:36.80\00:20:38.63 to be involved with. 00:20:38.63\00:20:39.70 That's this theme 00:20:39.70\00:20:40.87 that goes throughout 00:20:40.87\00:20:41.40 the book of Mark 00:20:41.40\00:20:42.44 and throughout the whole Bible. 00:20:42.44\00:20:43.94 It's a theme 00:20:43.94\00:20:44.91 that Jesus modeled. 00:20:44.91\00:20:46.54 So here's 00:20:46.54\00:20:48.11 the other amazing thing 00:20:48.11\00:20:49.14 about the Parable of the Sower. 00:20:49.14\00:20:52.65 Remember some of these 00:20:52.71\00:20:54.02 Proverbs, these Psalms, 00:20:54.02\00:20:56.72 if you will, they?songs 00:20:56.72\00:20:58.55 in some cases, 00:20:58.55\00:21:00.66 they've been put to music, 00:21:00.66\00:21:02.39 but these parables, 00:21:02.39\00:21:04.43 however you want 00:21:04.76\00:21:05.39 to describe them, often 00:21:05.39\00:21:07.30 have this element 00:21:07.30\00:21:08.23 that causes you 00:21:08.23\00:21:09.20 to really pause. 00:21:09.20\00:21:10.37 If you were a farmer 00:21:10.37\00:21:12.17 in the days of Jesus 00:21:12.17\00:21:13.74 and you heard Jesus 00:21:13.74\00:21:14.70 tell about this 00:21:14.70\00:21:15.64 sower, 00:21:15.64\00:21:15.80 let's just look at the words 00:21:16.30\00:21:17.54 here in Mark 4. 00:21:17.54\00:21:18.61 We haven't 00:21:18.61\00:21:19.31 looked a lot at the text 00:21:19.31\00:21:20.71 because I think many of you 00:21:20.71\00:21:21.61 are familiar with it. 00:21:21.61\00:21:22.41 But I, 00:21:22.41\00:21:22.88 I want to walk through it with 00:21:23.08\00:21:24.28 you really quickly 00:21:24.28\00:21:25.11 because we've been referring 00:21:25.11\00:21:26.01 a lot to it. 00:21:26.01\00:21:26.78 just walk through the parable 00:21:27.35\00:21:28.88 together here. 00:21:28.88\00:21:29.98 In Mark 4 00:21:29.98\00:21:31.29 after Jesus 00:21:31.29\00:21:31.92 tells them to listen, in verse 00:21:31.92\00:21:33.96 4, He says this, as He sowed 00:21:33.96\00:21:37.06 some seed fell by the wayside 00:21:37.13\00:21:39.36 and the birds of the air 00:21:39.36\00:21:40.20 came and devoured it. 00:21:40.20\00:21:41.53 Some fell on stony ground 00:21:41.53\00:21:43.37 where it did 00:21:43.37\00:21:43.73 not have much earth, 00:21:43.90\00:21:45.00 and immediately it sprang up 00:21:45.00\00:21:46.57 because it had no depth 00:21:46.57\00:21:47.74 of earth. 00:21:47.74\00:21:48.60 Verse 6 of Mark 4, 00:21:48.60\00:21:50.51 But when the sun was up, 00:21:50.51\00:21:52.24 it was scorched, 00:21:52.24\00:21:53.64 and because it had no root, 00:21:53.64\00:21:55.24 it withered away. 00:21:55.24\00:21:56.51 And some seed 00:21:56.51\00:21:57.71 fell among thorns. 00:21:57.71\00:21:58.95 And the thorns 00:21:58.95\00:21:59.48 grew up and choked it 00:21:59.48\00:22:01.22 and it yielded no crop. 00:22:01.22\00:22:03.42 But other 00:22:03.42\00:22:04.45 seed fell on good ground 00:22:04.45\00:22:06.05 and yielded a crop 00:22:06.05\00:22:06.96 that sprang up, 00:22:06.96\00:22:07.62 increased and produced 00:22:07.62\00:22:08.86 some 30 fold, some 60, 00:22:08.86\00:22:10.99 some a hundred fold. 00:22:10.99\00:22:12.83 And you say, Well, yes, 00:22:12.83\00:22:15.33 but Jesus doesn't stop there. 00:22:15.63\00:22:16.93 Verse 9, He said to them, 00:22:16.93\00:22:19.00 he who has ears to hear, 00:22:19.13\00:22:21.44 let him hear. 00:22:21.50\00:22:22.94 Now, don't miss 00:22:22.94\00:22:23.71 what's so 00:22:23.71\00:22:24.61 revolutionary about this story. 00:22:24.61\00:22:26.61 What I'm told 00:22:27.31\00:22:28.71 is that 00:22:28.71\00:22:29.04 anyone in this cultural context 00:22:29.41\00:22:31.11 would have said 00:22:31.25\00:22:32.18 this is not the way it's done. 00:22:32.18\00:22:34.75 No sower goes out 00:22:34.85\00:22:37.12 and just starts 00:22:37.12\00:22:37.75 indiscriminately 00:22:37.75\00:22:38.65 throwing the seed out 00:22:38.65\00:22:39.75 everywhere. 00:22:39.75\00:22:40.52 Not going to throw it on 00:22:40.52\00:22:41.42 the trail, 00:22:41.42\00:22:42.36 not going to throw it 00:22:42.36\00:22:43.69 where there's not 00:22:43.69\00:22:44.83 adequate soil. 00:22:44.83\00:22:45.99 He's not going to throw 00:22:45.99\00:22:46.80 that seed in the place 00:22:46.80\00:22:47.73 where all the weeds 00:22:47.73\00:22:48.53 always come up. 00:22:48.53\00:22:49.46 So what's going on 00:22:49.46\00:22:51.17 in the parable? 00:22:51.17\00:22:52.00 Why is He getting the listeners 00:22:52.00\00:22:53.84 to think like, Well, 00:22:53.84\00:22:54.50 this isn't the way you do it. 00:22:54.50\00:22:56.37 What's going on? Why? 00:22:56.37\00:22:58.27 Why is this some kind 00:22:58.27\00:22:59.71 of indiscriminate 00:22:59.71\00:23:01.51 sower? 00:23:03.14\00:23:04.45 Is this farmer not 00:23:04.45\00:23:05.38 know what He's doing? 00:23:05.38\00:23:06.48 What is Jesus 00:23:06.48\00:23:07.22 trying to illustrate? 00:23:07.22\00:23:09.02 Jesus is trying to illustrate 00:23:09.02\00:23:10.75 that He's come from heaven 00:23:10.75\00:23:12.05 and He's going to sow 00:23:12.05\00:23:12.69 the gospel seed everywhere. 00:23:12.69\00:23:15.02 Everyone's 00:23:15.02\00:23:15.52 going to have an opportunity 00:23:15.69\00:23:17.23 to accept His grace, 00:23:17.23\00:23:18.76 His love, His forgiveness. 00:23:18.76\00:23:20.76 But what is the focus become? 00:23:20.76\00:23:23.00 The focus becomes on the bad 00:23:23.00\00:23:25.87 soil, okay? 00:23:26.00\00:23:29.07 As I mentioned to you 00:23:29.14\00:23:30.44 earlier, the key term 00:23:30.44\00:23:32.47 throughout this 00:23:32.64\00:23:33.78 parable is the word hear. 00:23:33.78\00:23:36.14 It occurs 13 times. 00:23:36.38\00:23:39.11 What is the emphasis? 00:23:39.65\00:23:41.78 The emphasis is on, 00:23:41.78\00:23:43.02 are you going to hear? 00:23:43.02\00:23:44.12 Are you going to listen? 00:23:44.12\00:23:44.89 Are you going to 00:23:44.89\00:23:45.22 receive the Word? 00:23:45.39\00:23:46.32 Or are you going to, 00:23:46.32\00:23:47.32 like we saw in Mark 00:23:47.32\00:23:49.36 3, are you going to be 00:23:49.36\00:23:50.06 like those Pharisees 00:23:50.06\00:23:51.03 that resist the Word? 00:23:51.03\00:23:53.83 The idea of hearing 00:23:53.93\00:23:55.33 is the key word. 00:23:55.33\00:23:56.67 Each type of soil hears 00:23:56.67\00:23:58.77 the word but 00:23:58.77\00:23:59.40 reacts differently. 00:23:59.40\00:24:00.97 For the good soil, 00:24:00.97\00:24:02.64 the participle hearing 00:24:02.64\00:24:04.47 is in the present tense, 00:24:04.47\00:24:06.44 suggesting that it needs 00:24:06.44\00:24:07.88 to continue, okay? 00:24:07.88\00:24:09.84 So if we 00:24:09.84\00:24:11.01 want to be part of that 00:24:11.01\00:24:12.05 good soil, 00:24:13.38\00:24:14.65 we're going to 00:24:14.65\00:24:15.02 receive God's Word 00:24:15.15\00:24:16.42 and we're going to continue 00:24:16.42\00:24:18.42 to receive His Word. 00:24:18.42\00:24:19.55 We're going to continue 00:24:19.55\00:24:20.59 to receive His Word. 00:24:20.59\00:24:23.49 Now, many have seen 00:24:23.56\00:24:24.93 this parable 00:24:24.93\00:24:25.59 is really calling us, 00:24:25.59\00:24:27.50 calling us to a deeper walk 00:24:27.50\00:24:30.60 with Jesus. 00:24:30.60\00:24:31.50 Calling us 00:24:31.50\00:24:32.03 to recognize 00:24:32.03\00:24:32.87 that our soil needs 00:24:32.87\00:24:34.00 to be changed, 00:24:34.00\00:24:34.84 that we need to be 00:24:34.84\00:24:35.80 more receptive to His message. 00:24:35.80\00:24:38.07 And I would say 00:24:38.24\00:24:39.21 I would heartily agree, 00:24:39.21\00:24:40.21 because as you look at Jesus 00:24:40.21\00:24:41.61 own interpretation of this, 00:24:41.61\00:24:42.91 and by the way, 00:24:42.91\00:24:43.41 if you're wondering 00:24:43.41\00:24:44.01 why we spent so much time 00:24:44.01\00:24:45.28 with this parable, 00:24:45.28\00:24:46.61 I want you to see one 00:24:46.61\00:24:47.45 other thing. 00:24:47.45\00:24:48.22 In verse 13, okay? 00:24:48.22\00:24:52.45 Verse 13, Mark 4. 00:24:52.55\00:24:54.79 Jesus as the disciples 00:24:54.89\00:24:57.03 have come to Him, 00:24:57.13\00:24:58.06 they don't understand 00:24:58.06\00:24:59.33 the parable, 00:24:59.33\00:24:59.83 that's in verse 10. 00:24:59.83\00:25:01.23 The 12 00:25:01.23\00:25:02.13 and those around Him, 00:25:02.13\00:25:03.10 those who are following 00:25:03.10\00:25:04.13 Jesus closely, 00:25:04.13\00:25:05.57 they don't understand 00:25:05.57\00:25:06.67 the parable. 00:25:06.67\00:25:07.74 And Jesus says in 00:25:07.74\00:25:08.70 verse 13, 00:25:08.70\00:25:09.90 Do you not understand 00:25:09.90\00:25:11.51 this parable? 00:25:11.51\00:25:12.57 How then will 00:25:12.57\00:25:13.88 you understand 00:25:13.88\00:25:14.68 all the parables? 00:25:14.68\00:25:16.18 The idea is that this 00:25:16.18\00:25:17.51 parable unlocks 00:25:17.51\00:25:19.01 the keys to all the parables. 00:25:19.01\00:25:21.28 And what is the key? 00:25:21.42\00:25:22.98 The key is for us to hear. 00:25:22.98\00:25:24.75 The key is for us to accept 00:25:24.75\00:25:26.09 the Word. 00:25:26.09\00:25:26.72 Look at Jesus?n explanation 00:25:26.79\00:25:28.72 as you continue on in verses 00:25:28.72\00:25:31.16 14 and onward. 00:25:31.33\00:25:32.76 We've seen that 00:25:32.76\00:25:33.40 the Sower is sowing the Word. 00:25:33.46\00:25:35.43 And then what happens? 00:25:35.43\00:25:37.10 Those by the wayside, 00:25:37.10\00:25:38.70 the Word comes, 00:25:38.70\00:25:39.90 the message comes to them. 00:25:39.90\00:25:41.37 But Satan comes 00:25:41.37\00:25:42.24 and takes it away. 00:25:42.24\00:25:43.34 Verse 16, 00:25:44.34\00:25:45.74 Those who are on stony ground, 00:25:45.74\00:25:46.98 they receive the Word gladly. 00:25:46.98\00:25:48.88 They might come to Jesus, 00:25:48.88\00:25:50.75 but they're what? 00:25:50.75\00:25:51.75 Endure only for a time. 00:25:51.75\00:25:53.85 Tribulation comes persecution 00:25:53.95\00:25:56.05 comes, things 00:25:56.05\00:25:56.58 they don't like and they leave. 00:25:56.75\00:25:58.15 They stop following God. 00:25:58.15\00:26:00.09 And then those among thorns. 00:26:00.09\00:26:02.22 The cares of this world. 00:26:02.22\00:26:03.99 The deceitfulness of riches. 00:26:03.99\00:26:06.09 The desires 00:26:06.09\00:26:06.93 for other things 00:26:06.93\00:26:08.30 choke out the Word. 00:26:08.30\00:26:10.63 Jesus says in verse 20, 00:26:10.70\00:26:13.17 There's something remarkable 00:26:14.34\00:26:15.44 is going to happen. 00:26:15.44\00:26:16.20 In antiquity, 00:26:16.20\00:26:17.17 they tell us that 00:26:17.17\00:26:18.47 a 7 to 10 fold 00:26:18.47\00:26:20.21 harvest was amazing. 00:26:20.21\00:26:21.54 If you put seed out 00:26:21.54\00:26:22.81 and you got 7 to 10 times 00:26:22.81\00:26:24.25 back as much, that was amazing. 00:26:24.25\00:26:26.08 Great harvest. 00:26:26.08\00:26:27.38 Jesus says 00:26:27.38\00:26:29.25 when you allow His Words 00:26:29.25\00:26:30.29 to work in your life, 00:26:30.29\00:26:31.45 you're going to have a 30 fold 00:26:31.45\00:26:33.56 or a 60 fold 00:26:33.72\00:26:35.26 or a 100 fold harvest. 00:26:35.26\00:26:36.99 You might seem to you 00:26:36.99\00:26:38.46 that God hasn't been showing up 00:26:38.46\00:26:39.66 in your life lately, 00:26:39.66\00:26:40.86 but He's going to show up. 00:26:40.86\00:26:42.40 Trust His Word. 00:26:42.40\00:26:43.60 Let it work in your life. 00:26:43.60\00:26:45.00 Put away the obstacles. 00:26:45.00\00:26:46.84 Trust Jesus 00:26:46.84\00:26:48.54 and you will be blessed. 00:26:48.54\00:26:49.67 I love how 00:26:52.71\00:26:53.54 Jesus teaches us 00:26:53.54\00:26:55.44 through the practical 00:26:55.44\00:26:56.24 things in life. 00:26:56.24\00:26:56.98 But He also helps us 00:26:56.98\00:26:59.01 with the most practical 00:26:59.45\00:27:00.62 things 00:27:00.62\00:27:00.88 that we're concerned about. 00:27:01.28\00:27:02.48 We're concerned, too, 00:27:02.48\00:27:04.69 about some of the things 00:27:04.69\00:27:05.59 that are sweeping the world 00:27:05.59\00:27:06.79 as far as lifestyle 00:27:06.79\00:27:07.96 related diseases 00:27:07.96\00:27:09.02 like high blood 00:27:09.02\00:27:09.79 pressure and diabetes. 00:27:09.79\00:27:11.43 We invite you to go 00:27:11.43\00:27:12.13 to our website 00:27:12.13\00:27:13.06 TimelessHealingInsights.org 00:27:13.06\00:27:15.96 and take advantage of our free 00:27:16.20\00:27:18.00 30 day lifestyle program. 00:27:18.00\00:27:20.14 When you sign up, 00:27:20.14\00:27:20.94 you'll get a daily link 00:27:20.94\00:27:22.24 for 30 days 00:27:22.24\00:27:23.24 to walk you 00:27:23.24\00:27:23.97 through a healthier 00:27:23.97\00:27:25.27 way of living. 00:27:25.27\00:27:26.01 To especially help you 00:27:26.01\00:27:27.54 with your blood pressure 00:27:27.54\00:27:28.74 and your blood sugar. 00:27:28.74\00:27:30.38 Let's pray together. 00:27:30.38\00:27:32.18 Father in Heaven, 00:27:32.18\00:27:32.95 we thank You 00:27:32.95\00:27:33.45 that You do offer us 00:27:33.45\00:27:34.78 practical help in Your Word, 00:27:34.78\00:27:36.62 but You also move 00:27:36.62\00:27:37.62 on the hearts of Your church 00:27:37.62\00:27:39.45 to be agents of health 00:27:39.45\00:27:41.46 ministry to the world. 00:27:41.46\00:27:43.56 Thank You for giving us 00:27:43.56\00:27:45.16 that call, not only at Timeless 00:27:45.16\00:27:46.73 Healing Insights, 00:27:46.73\00:27:47.50 but each one 00:27:47.50\00:27:48.13 who's tuning in today. 00:27:48.13\00:27:49.43 Help us to avail 00:27:49.43\00:27:50.90 ourselves 00:27:50.90\00:27:51.40 of the things You provide 00:27:51.53\00:27:52.33 in Your Scriptures 00:27:52.33\00:27:53.44 and through Your people. 00:27:53.44\00:27:54.87 We ask it all In 00:27:54.87\00:27:55.80 Jesus name, Amen. 00:27:55.80\00:27:57.94