You don't have
to turn right now.
00:00:32.29\00:00:34.70
I'll just read you very
quickly the scripture readings,
00:00:34.73\00:00:37.43
quite short,
00:00:37.47\00:00:38.80
but we'll come back
to here in just a moment.
00:00:38.83\00:00:40.74
And that is Luke 8:11,
00:00:40.77\00:00:44.41
"The seed is the word of God."
00:00:44.44\00:00:48.04
Let's pray.
00:00:48.08\00:00:50.75
Heavenly Father,
we do bless your name.
00:00:50.78\00:00:55.58
Father, we come this morning,
00:00:55.62\00:00:58.79
to come before You in worship
00:00:58.82\00:01:03.22
and I pray for each and
every heart that's here,
00:01:03.26\00:01:05.96
please help us to
just shed out the pain,
00:01:05.99\00:01:12.47
shed out the worries,
00:01:12.50\00:01:14.80
shed out those things
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that might
interfere with your word.
00:01:16.47\00:01:19.61
Help us to come before You
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with open hearts
to receive the message
00:01:22.54\00:01:26.11
that You have for us today.
00:01:26.15\00:01:28.82
We thank You for the
answer to the prayer of faith.
00:01:28.85\00:01:33.25
We thank you, Lord,
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that You will
speak to each person,
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not by my mouth,
but by Your Holy Spirit.
00:01:39.83\00:01:43.87
Send Him now to be our teacher,
00:01:43.90\00:01:47.04
pour out Your Spirit
on this congregation.
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Thank you, Father.
00:01:50.91\00:01:52.24
In Jesus' name, Amen.
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I wanna share a
story with you before...
00:01:55.38\00:01:57.71
Well, it's part
of our beginning.
00:01:57.75\00:01:59.75
This is something
that I heard an evangelist
00:01:59.78\00:02:02.98
share many, many years ago.
00:02:03.02\00:02:04.62
So I'm gonna
give you my version.
00:02:04.65\00:02:07.92
I call it "Sindbad
and The Junk Yard Dogs."
00:02:07.96\00:02:12.29
There's a man named
Sindbad, who lived in Alaska.
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And he was a rough old cob.
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Well, Sindbad had two dogs.
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He had a pitbull,
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and he had a
white German shepherd.
00:02:21.84\00:02:24.31
And he would take
these dogs to the dogfights,
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and he would place the yards,
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people would put
their bets on the dogs.
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In one week, the
white shepherd would win.
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The next week,
the pitbull would win.
00:02:38.59\00:02:41.49
And there was
this greedy gambler
00:02:41.52\00:02:44.59
whose name was Grady.
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Greedy Grady, and
Grady was so frustrated,
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'cause he's
always placing his bet,
00:02:54.50\00:02:56.27
and he was always losing,
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and he would think,
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"Well, surely
the way that pitbull
00:02:59.44\00:03:02.28
beat that German
shepherd last week,
00:03:02.31\00:03:05.25
surely he's gonna
win again this week,
00:03:05.28\00:03:08.52
but he wouldn't."
00:03:08.55\00:03:09.88
So finally one
day, in frustration,
00:03:09.92\00:03:12.89
Grady came to
Sindbad and he said,
00:03:12.92\00:03:16.62
"I wanna buy your
dogs on the condition
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that you tell me what
your system for winning is,
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and I'll pay you
whatever price you want."
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Well, Sindbad thought about
it for a little bit and he said,
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"Okay."
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He named his price.
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Grady paid up, and he said,
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"So how is it,
that you always win?"
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And Sindbad said, "It's easy."
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He said, "During the week,
there is one dog that I feed,
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and one dog that I don't."
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And he said, "The
dog that gets fed wins."
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We each have two
natures inside of us.
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We've got the flesh
nature, the fallen nature.
00:04:03.87\00:04:07.94
And we have, if
we're part of Christ,
00:04:07.98\00:04:12.58
a new born-again nature.
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But if we feed on the
trash of the world system
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and by that I mean,
let's say, the devil system.
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If we gossip, get
caught up and gossip,
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if we are backbiting,
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if we are watching
television that shouldn't be on,
00:04:31.93\00:04:37.47
programs that shouldn't be on,
00:04:37.51\00:04:40.81
and I'm gonna get really harsh,
00:04:40.84\00:04:44.08
if we look at pornography,
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if we're drinking,
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if we're doing things we
know we shouldn't be doing,
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we feed that old flesh nature
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and it comes forward
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with the
tenacity of that pitbull.
00:05:01.26\00:05:05.47
But if, on the other
hand, we feed the Spirit nature,
00:05:05.50\00:05:11.14
the born-again nature,
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then the good
shepherd will always come forth
00:05:13.38\00:05:18.31
and the good shepherd will win.
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Please open your
Bibles to Galatians 6.
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Galatians 6,
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the nature we feed wins.
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Galatians 6, we're
going to begin in verse 7,
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Galatians 6:7,
00:05:38.13\00:05:42.74
"Do not be deceived,"
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Paul writes to the Galatians.
00:05:45.44\00:05:49.11
"God is not mocked,
for whatever a man sows,
00:05:49.14\00:05:54.18
that he will also reap.
00:05:54.22\00:05:55.78
For he who sows to his flesh
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will of the
flesh reap corruption,
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but he who sows to the Spirit
00:06:03.99\00:06:07.10
will of the Spirit
reap everlasting life.
00:06:07.13\00:06:11.23
And let us not grow
weary while doing good,
00:06:11.27\00:06:15.37
for in due season
00:06:15.40\00:06:18.34
we shall reap if
we do not lose heart."
00:06:18.37\00:06:22.71
I have used this illustration
for many, many years.
00:06:22.74\00:06:26.95
And the reason
00:06:26.98\00:06:28.32
that I'm sharing this
message with you today
00:06:28.35\00:06:32.12
is because when we
were taping Sabbath school,
00:06:32.15\00:06:34.86
I made a
comment, and Mollie went,
00:06:34.89\00:06:36.83
"Oh, wow, yeah."
00:06:36.86\00:06:39.39
And she commented on it
00:06:39.43\00:06:40.76
in the Sabbath school recording.
00:06:40.80\00:06:42.96
And I thought,
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"I've been
teaching that for 14 years
00:06:44.37\00:06:47.70
but haven't been
teaching it lately."
00:06:47.74\00:06:49.70
So I wanna share this
with you, this message today.
00:06:49.74\00:06:52.74
And the
illustration the Lord gave me is
00:06:52.77\00:06:55.61
if I had a handful of corn,
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you probably have
heard me say this before,
00:06:57.58\00:06:59.68
if I have a handful of
corn, and on this side,
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I plant that seed,
00:07:04.49\00:07:07.49
and I have a handful of
wheat, and on this side,
00:07:07.52\00:07:10.46
I plant the wheat.
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What is going to grow here?
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Wheat.
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What's gonna grow over here?
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Why?
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Because the potential
of the harvest is wrapped
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inside the seed.
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The potential of the
harvest is inside the seed.
00:07:30.55\00:07:36.22
Jesus said in the parable
that we're going to look at
00:07:36.25\00:07:39.85
in a moment,
00:07:39.89\00:07:41.22
the seed is the word of God,
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and I'm here to tell
you, all of your potential,
00:07:45.19\00:07:49.80
all of your potential
is wrapped inside the seed,
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inside the word of God.
00:07:56.34\00:08:00.34
This is who you
are in Christ Jesus,
00:08:00.38\00:08:04.45
and if you don't know this word,
00:08:04.48\00:08:06.85
you're going to suffer
from an identity crisis.
00:08:06.88\00:08:10.92
So let's turn and
we're going to look,
00:08:10.95\00:08:15.82
before we get to the parable,
00:08:15.86\00:08:17.63
let's turn to James 1:21,
00:08:17.66\00:08:22.90
James 1:21.
00:08:22.93\00:08:26.03
James writes,
"Therefore lay aside
00:08:26.07\00:08:28.54
all filthiness and
overflow of wickedness,
00:08:28.57\00:08:34.01
receive with meekness,
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receive with
humility, the implanted word,
00:08:36.24\00:08:41.98
which is able to
save your souls."
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Receive with humility.
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You know, something the
Lord's been showing me lately,
00:08:48.92\00:08:51.16
I've always thought that,
00:08:51.19\00:08:55.10
I was not a really proud person.
00:08:55.13\00:08:58.63
I know there's areas
that I need to improve on,
00:08:58.67\00:09:01.54
but I've never thought of myself
00:09:01.57\00:09:02.90
as being a particularly pride,
00:09:02.94\00:09:05.27
haughty, lifted-up person.
00:09:05.31\00:09:07.88
But what God has been showing me
00:09:07.91\00:09:09.54
about humility is this,
00:09:09.58\00:09:12.71
Christ was our
example of humility.
00:09:12.75\00:09:15.48
Christ did only, first of all,
00:09:15.52\00:09:18.52
He humiliated
Himself to become a man.
00:09:18.55\00:09:20.86
He condescended so
far to become a man.
00:09:20.89\00:09:25.49
But He then said, "I only do
what the Father tells Me to do.
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I only speak
00:09:29.70\00:09:31.03
what the Father
tells Me to speak."
00:09:31.07\00:09:33.80
So Christ came here,
00:09:33.84\00:09:35.27
and instead of
relying on His own power,
00:09:35.30\00:09:37.87
He did what you
and I have to do.
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He relied totally on the Father
00:09:41.21\00:09:44.88
and on the power
of the Holy Spirit.
00:09:44.91\00:09:48.08
That is what
humility is all about.
00:09:48.12\00:09:52.45
Humility is not, "Oh, shucks.
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Oh, well.
00:09:55.36\00:09:56.69
You know, I don't know if
I'm all that good at this."
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That's not humility.
00:09:59.46\00:10:02.13
Some people say things like that
00:10:02.16\00:10:03.93
just to get
somebody to brag on them.
00:10:03.97\00:10:07.04
What humility is, is
when we quit relying on self,
00:10:07.07\00:10:13.68
when we quit being satisfied
with self, self-satisfaction,
00:10:13.71\00:10:19.05
self-reliance is prideful.
00:10:19.08\00:10:22.58
So what God wants us to do is
come in the Spirit of meekness
00:10:22.62\00:10:27.16
and humility and say,
00:10:27.19\00:10:28.52
"Lord, I do recognize
that apart from Jesus Christ,
00:10:28.56\00:10:32.16
I can do nothing.
00:10:32.19\00:10:33.66
I need you so much, Lord."
00:10:33.70\00:10:36.70
That's what I was praying
before I got up here today is,
00:10:36.73\00:10:39.07
"Don't let me get up
here by myself, Father.
00:10:39.10\00:10:44.04
Yeah, I know the word.
00:10:44.07\00:10:45.41
I can give you a message,
00:10:45.44\00:10:47.88
but there won't
be any life in it.
00:10:47.91\00:10:50.15
Oh, Lord, fill me
with Your Holy Spirit,
00:10:50.18\00:10:53.82
empty me of me.
00:10:53.85\00:10:55.78
I need you so much."
00:10:55.82\00:10:58.19
And he goes on and then he says,
00:10:58.22\00:10:59.85
but after you
receive this implanted word,
00:10:59.89\00:11:03.06
"Be doers of the
word, not hearers only,
00:11:03.09\00:11:05.39
deceiving yourselves.
00:11:05.43\00:11:07.30
For if anyone is a hearer
of the word and not a doer,
00:11:07.33\00:11:12.47
he is like a man observing
his natural face in a mirror.
00:11:12.50\00:11:16.64
For he observes
himself, goes away,
00:11:16.67\00:11:20.21
and immediately forgets
what kind of man he was."
00:11:20.24\00:11:24.41
You know, James goes on to
talk about the perfect law,
00:11:24.45\00:11:26.88
and I do believe
00:11:26.92\00:11:28.68
that when we see the
law of God, it's like,
00:11:28.72\00:11:33.72
and remember God's law,
00:11:33.76\00:11:36.62
those ten
commandments are promises
00:11:36.66\00:11:38.73
of what He will do in us.
00:11:38.76\00:11:40.26
But we see that
and it's kind of like
00:11:40.30\00:11:42.63
we're looking in a mirror
and then we see our own filth,
00:11:42.66\00:11:47.10
if you will, how
much we fall short.
00:11:47.14\00:11:50.57
But I want to
take it a step further
00:11:50.61\00:11:53.48
and that is when
you open this word,
00:11:53.51\00:11:57.71
and you see where John writes,
00:11:57.75\00:12:00.52
you have an
anointing, that's who you are,
00:12:00.55\00:12:04.45
that's what God
has done for you.
00:12:04.49\00:12:07.42
When you see God's promises
in the word where He says,
00:12:07.46\00:12:13.43
"You're a new creature."
00:12:13.46\00:12:15.26
That's who you
are in Christ Jesus.
00:12:15.30\00:12:17.67
And you read this
word and you get excited,
00:12:17.70\00:12:20.47
but if you then
put your Bible down
00:12:20.50\00:12:23.77
and walk away,
00:12:23.81\00:12:25.47
and forget what the word said
00:12:25.51\00:12:27.98
about who you are
in Christ crucified,
00:12:28.01\00:12:33.88
if you're not putting
the word into practice,
00:12:33.92\00:12:37.35
then you have
forgotten what you look like.
00:12:37.39\00:12:41.92
Turn to II Peter 1.
00:12:41.96\00:12:45.59
II Peter 1.
00:12:45.63\00:12:48.50
Anytime I'm
talking about the word,
00:12:48.53\00:12:50.73
I have to bring
up the scripture.
00:12:50.77\00:12:53.60
This is a scripture
that if you're somebody
00:12:53.64\00:12:55.90
who underlines in your Bible,
00:12:55.94\00:12:58.17
circle this,
underline it, do something,
00:12:58.21\00:13:02.71
that you will come back
and look at this with...
00:13:02.74\00:13:08.98
Praying for understanding.
00:13:09.02\00:13:10.55
Let's look at it.
00:13:10.59\00:13:12.05
II Peter 1, we'll
begin with verse 3.
00:13:12.09\00:13:17.53
It says, "His divine power
00:13:17.56\00:13:21.46
has given to us all things
00:13:21.50\00:13:24.93
that pertain to life,"
00:13:24.97\00:13:27.10
in the Greek,
that's the zoi life.
00:13:27.14\00:13:30.34
"All things that pertain
00:13:30.37\00:13:32.81
to eternal life and godliness,
00:13:32.84\00:13:38.38
through the knowledge of Him
00:13:38.41\00:13:39.75
who called us by
His glory and virtue,
00:13:39.78\00:13:44.42
by which have been
given to us exceedingly great
00:13:44.45\00:13:46.99
and precious promises,
00:13:47.02\00:13:48.36
that through these
you may be partakers
00:13:48.39\00:13:51.49
of the divine
nature having escaped..."
00:13:51.53\00:13:54.10
In other words,
after you've escaped,
00:13:54.13\00:13:56.80
"The corruption that is
in the world through lust."
00:13:56.83\00:13:59.20
First, His promises
will help us escape,
00:13:59.23\00:14:02.44
and then He changes us.
00:14:02.47\00:14:04.24
Now let's turn to Luke 8.
00:14:04.27\00:14:07.51
The seed of the
miracle that changes us
00:14:07.54\00:14:12.35
into the image of Christ
is wrapped inside His word.
00:14:12.38\00:14:19.05
Luke 8.
00:14:19.09\00:14:22.89
Luke 8:4,
00:14:22.92\00:14:24.73
"And when a great
multitude had gathered,
00:14:24.76\00:14:26.73
and they had come
to Him from every city,
00:14:26.76\00:14:30.00
He spoke by a parable."
00:14:30.03\00:14:31.93
And here's what Jesus said.
00:14:31.97\00:14:33.94
"'A sower went
out to sow his seed.
00:14:33.97\00:14:36.17
And as he sowed,
some fell by the wayside,
00:14:36.20\00:14:38.91
and it was trampled down,
00:14:38.94\00:14:40.74
and the birds of
the air devoured it.
00:14:40.78\00:14:42.81
Some fell on rock, and
as soon as it sprang up,
00:14:42.84\00:14:45.65
it withered away
because it lacked moisture.
00:14:45.68\00:14:48.72
And some fell among the thorns,
00:14:48.75\00:14:51.49
and the thorns sprang up with it
00:14:51.52\00:14:53.72
and they choked it.
00:14:53.76\00:14:55.46
But others, other seed
fell on good ground, sprang up,
00:14:55.49\00:15:00.03
and yielded a
crop a hundredfold.'
00:15:00.06\00:15:03.06
When He had said
these things, He cried,
00:15:03.10\00:15:06.37
'He who has ears to
hear, let him hear.'
00:15:06.40\00:15:11.24
Then His
disciples asked Him, saying,
00:15:11.27\00:15:13.64
'What does this parable mean?'
00:15:13.68\00:15:19.11
" Well, let me just paraphrase,
00:15:19.15\00:15:22.25
the rest of
what Jesus told them.
00:15:22.28\00:15:26.82
You know, in Israel, we've been
to Israel five years in a row.
00:15:26.86\00:15:31.29
It's a rocky,
00:15:31.33\00:15:33.13
most of the country's very rocky
00:15:33.16\00:15:36.26
and often there's just
a thin layer of topsoil
00:15:36.30\00:15:40.04
across the rocks.
00:15:40.07\00:15:42.14
So in these fields,
they'll have a path between it.
00:15:42.17\00:15:46.78
And Jesus said that
00:15:46.81\00:15:48.24
when some people
hear the message,
00:15:48.28\00:15:52.81
it's like you're
walking on this hardened path,
00:15:52.85\00:15:56.08
their heart is
burdened, it is hardened.
00:15:56.12\00:15:59.22
And the seed that
falls on that type of soil,
00:15:59.25\00:16:03.93
the birds of prey can see
it, like right there on top
00:16:03.96\00:16:07.70
because it hasn't
penetrated the heart.
00:16:07.73\00:16:10.17
And the birds come and just...
00:16:10.20\00:16:13.44
It's gone.
00:16:13.47\00:16:14.94
That's what the
devil does to you.
00:16:14.97\00:16:17.77
When your heart is
hardened toward God,
00:16:17.81\00:16:22.14
you can hear a message
and walk out of here and go,
00:16:22.18\00:16:24.98
"Oh, that was a good message,
Pastor John, thank you."
00:16:25.01\00:16:29.65
But if it didn't
penetrate your heart,
00:16:29.68\00:16:32.39
the devil's gonna
snatch that message away
00:16:32.42\00:16:35.62
and it didn't take very
long to where you're saying,
00:16:35.66\00:16:38.03
"Hello, what's
that sermon about?"
00:16:38.06\00:16:42.23
Then He said,
"others hear this..."
00:16:42.26\00:16:47.34
He said, "Some
falls on this ground
00:16:47.37\00:16:49.60
and it kind of
springs up quickly."
00:16:49.64\00:16:52.47
He said, "Others are
hearing these promises,
00:16:52.51\00:16:55.21
ah, they receive it with joy,
00:16:55.24\00:16:57.48
then walk out of church
and they're quite like, 'yes.'
00:16:57.51\00:17:01.08
" But they don't cling
to them long enough for them
00:17:01.12\00:17:03.62
to take root.
00:17:03.65\00:17:05.09
Pretty soon,
circumstances, and conditions,
00:17:05.12\00:17:08.22
kind of set
themselves up in opposition
00:17:08.26\00:17:10.16
to what the word says,
00:17:10.19\00:17:12.66
and they begin to not trust God,
00:17:12.69\00:17:14.83
they lose their faith.
00:17:14.86\00:17:16.77
So what they do is
reject the eternal,
00:17:16.80\00:17:19.87
powerful truth of the
word of God's testimony,
00:17:19.90\00:17:25.54
and they accept
whatever their circumstances,
00:17:25.57\00:17:29.68
the conflicting
evidence of their circumstances.
00:17:29.71\00:17:32.95
Now some sow His promises,
00:17:32.98\00:17:37.52
we hear it, and we receive it,
00:17:37.55\00:17:39.85
and we sow His promises,
00:17:39.89\00:17:41.76
and while we
stay focused on Jesus,
00:17:41.79\00:17:45.29
the roots of faith
are nurtured for a while,
00:17:45.33\00:17:48.43
but pretty soon the
demanding pace at 3ABN,
00:17:48.46\00:17:53.34
the demanding pace of our life,
00:17:53.37\00:17:58.37
the hustle and bustle
00:17:58.41\00:18:01.34
begins to choke out the word.
00:18:01.38\00:18:06.78
There, it's like
the worldly matters.
00:18:06.82\00:18:09.65
And let me tell you something,
00:18:09.68\00:18:11.29
even work can be
a worldly matter,
00:18:11.32\00:18:15.49
especially work can be...
00:18:15.52\00:18:17.63
Even, ministry, I should say,
00:18:17.66\00:18:19.06
can become where we're doing
it not for the glory of God,
00:18:19.09\00:18:22.83
not by God's
guidance, but we're doing it
00:18:22.86\00:18:25.33
because we've
decided it needs to get done.
00:18:25.37\00:18:29.37
So these things
creep in like weeds,
00:18:29.40\00:18:33.11
and they began to
choke the life of God's word
00:18:33.14\00:18:38.28
right out of our heart.
00:18:38.31\00:18:41.18
And, you know, when
we're not focusing on the word,
00:18:41.22\00:18:43.39
when we're not keeping
our focus on His promises,
00:18:43.42\00:18:46.02
when we're not
putting them into practice,
00:18:46.05\00:18:49.02
then our growth is crushed,
00:18:49.06\00:18:51.53
we quit trusting
in His knowledge,
00:18:51.56\00:18:53.19
we start leaning on our
own human understanding,
00:18:53.23\00:18:55.70
and I'm so guilty of this.
00:18:55.73\00:18:58.20
Last week, I was
talking to somebody
00:18:58.23\00:19:00.04
and it was just, I
was breathless, just like,
00:19:00.07\00:19:03.14
I've got 41 presentations
to put together in 6 weeks.
00:19:03.17\00:19:08.04
Oh, my goodness.
00:19:08.08\00:19:09.41
Oh, it's me, poor Shelley.
00:19:09.44\00:19:11.71
And you know what?
00:19:11.75\00:19:13.08
No sooner did I
return to my office,
00:19:13.11\00:19:15.18
boy, the Lord called me down.
00:19:15.22\00:19:18.95
I was looking at what
I could do, not saying,
00:19:18.99\00:19:22.69
"Lord, here's the challenge.
00:19:22.72\00:19:25.33
I can only do it through You."
00:19:25.36\00:19:28.46
So what we've got to do,
00:19:28.50\00:19:33.80
if we ever quit
tending the fertile ground
00:19:33.84\00:19:38.21
of the kingdom of God within us,
00:19:38.24\00:19:41.24
we've got to recognize,
00:19:41.28\00:19:42.61
we're gonna sacrifice
the good seed that was there.
00:19:42.64\00:19:46.25
All of our potential is
wrapped inside here, see,
00:19:46.28\00:19:50.35
now look at verse 18, Luke 8:15,
00:19:50.39\00:19:54.12
excuse me, Luke 8:15.
00:19:54.16\00:19:57.79
Because here
Christ summarizes for us
00:19:57.83\00:20:02.60
four necessary steps
to plant His promises
00:20:02.63\00:20:09.40
and increase the potential
of our personal harvest.
00:20:09.44\00:20:15.64
So the conclusion of
the parable, Luke 8:15,
00:20:15.68\00:20:19.38
"But the ones," He's
talking about the seed,
00:20:19.41\00:20:21.92
"The ones that
fell on the good ground
00:20:21.95\00:20:26.39
are those who,
00:20:26.42\00:20:27.99
having heard the word
with a noble and good heart,
00:20:28.02\00:20:31.89
keep it..."
00:20:31.93\00:20:33.29
They receive and
retain it and they,
00:20:33.33\00:20:35.13
"Bear fruit with patience."
00:20:35.16\00:20:37.47
They persevere
to produce a crop.
00:20:37.50\00:20:40.84
Do you see the four
points here that are necessary?
00:20:40.87\00:20:46.64
First, we've got
to be good ground,
00:20:46.68\00:20:48.98
good soil that's
prepared for the planting.
00:20:49.01\00:20:52.78
Then we've got to hear the word,
00:20:52.81\00:20:55.88
that's the broadcasting system.
00:20:55.92\00:20:57.75
You know, in the olden days,
they take a handful of seed
00:20:57.79\00:21:00.82
and they had hand-broadcasted.
00:21:00.86\00:21:03.12
Well, this is the
broadcasting system.
00:21:03.16\00:21:05.29
We need to hear His words,
00:21:05.33\00:21:08.30
so that that seed can
be spread into our hearts.
00:21:08.33\00:21:11.70
And then He says,
we've got to keep it,
00:21:11.73\00:21:13.54
we've got to
receive and retain the word,
00:21:13.57\00:21:17.27
and then bear the
fruit with patience, means,
00:21:17.31\00:21:20.74
that we've got to
persevere in His promises
00:21:20.78\00:21:24.71
to produce the
fruit of the Spirit,
00:21:24.75\00:21:28.68
His divine nature.
00:21:28.72\00:21:30.85
So let's get
practical. How do we do this?
00:21:30.89\00:21:33.09
Today, I wanna
give you four steps
00:21:33.12\00:21:36.39
to increase the
potential of the harvest.
00:21:36.42\00:21:40.33
The first step is to
prepare good soil for planting.
00:21:40.36\00:21:46.47
We're gonna look at
what Jesus just summarized
00:21:46.50\00:21:48.54
and we're gonna
look how we do this,
00:21:48.57\00:21:51.11
to prepare good soil.
00:21:51.14\00:21:54.88
You know, some of us
think we're good soil
00:21:54.91\00:21:56.81
just because we're Christians.
00:21:56.85\00:21:58.35
What do you think?
00:21:58.38\00:21:59.71
Because we're God's
people, are we good soil?
00:21:59.75\00:22:02.98
I'm gonna read you
from Jeremiah 4:3-4,
00:22:03.02\00:22:07.59
this is what God said
00:22:07.62\00:22:08.96
to the people of
Judah and Jerusalem.
00:22:08.99\00:22:11.09
God's people in
the Old Testament.
00:22:11.13\00:22:13.93
Jeremiah 4:3-4.
00:22:13.96\00:22:15.90
And He says, "Break
up your fallow ground,
00:22:15.93\00:22:18.33
and do not sow among thorns.
00:22:18.37\00:22:22.70
Circumcise
yourselves to the Lord.
00:22:22.74\00:22:25.77
And take away the
foreskins of your hearts."
00:22:25.81\00:22:30.41
Even Sabbath-keeping,
00:22:30.45\00:22:33.68
church-going Christians
00:22:33.72\00:22:38.22
can let the attitudes of
their heart become hardened
00:22:38.25\00:22:41.66
from time to time.
00:22:41.69\00:22:43.53
He said, we've got to
circumcise our hearts.
00:22:43.56\00:22:46.73
You know,
Christianity is different today
00:22:46.76\00:22:49.86
than it was in the early church.
00:22:49.90\00:22:51.87
We've become complacent,
we've become comfortable,
00:22:51.90\00:22:56.30
and compromising.
00:22:56.34\00:22:58.24
Actually, we're very much
00:22:58.27\00:23:00.38
like the Laodicean
church of Revelation 3.
00:23:00.41\00:23:03.75
We think we have it
all and we need nothing.
00:23:03.78\00:23:07.48
But that hardened attitude,
00:23:07.52\00:23:10.69
the attitude that we're
just gonna come to church
00:23:10.72\00:23:14.69
and let this be
00:23:14.72\00:23:17.83
our social club, our fellowship.
00:23:17.86\00:23:23.57
The attitude
that it's not up to us
00:23:23.60\00:23:27.60
to evangelize,
00:23:27.64\00:23:29.47
to share the good news,
00:23:29.50\00:23:30.84
to bring somebody
to church with us.
00:23:30.87\00:23:33.27
The attitude of just
coming to church to be blessed,
00:23:33.31\00:23:36.85
instead of coming to
church to be a blessing,
00:23:36.88\00:23:40.62
man, that's a Laodicean attitude
00:23:40.65\00:23:43.69
and it leaves us
with a hardened soil.
00:23:43.72\00:23:50.23
Our hearts become hardened.
00:23:50.26\00:23:52.39
We don't recognize it,
00:23:52.43\00:23:54.46
because we're so good
at the verbal camouflage.
00:23:54.50\00:23:59.67
Aren't we?
00:23:59.70\00:24:01.50
We're so good at sounding good.
00:24:01.54\00:24:04.94
But we've got
untilled ground sometimes
00:24:04.97\00:24:08.84
that needs to be broken up,
00:24:08.88\00:24:10.98
things happen in
our lives and we think,
00:24:11.01\00:24:13.55
"Why would God let
allow that to happen to me?
00:24:13.58\00:24:18.12
Why would God let
me go through this pain
00:24:18.15\00:24:20.96
and have a broken heart?"
00:24:20.99\00:24:23.79
It's because He's
trying to get our attention.
00:24:23.83\00:24:27.40
And sometimes the
heart has to be broken up,
00:24:27.43\00:24:30.83
because we don't recognize
00:24:30.87\00:24:32.20
how hard our hearts have become.
00:24:32.23\00:24:35.30
So when our
hearts are uncircumcised,
00:24:35.34\00:24:39.51
when it's lukewarm
with apathy or indifference,
00:24:39.54\00:24:43.51
you know what happens?
00:24:43.55\00:24:44.88
It keeps us from knowing
our true identity in Christ.
00:24:44.91\00:24:49.95
And it ruins God's true purpose
00:24:49.98\00:24:52.75
for establishing
His church on the earth.
00:24:52.79\00:24:57.33
You know, just
look at the ground.
00:24:57.36\00:25:00.40
If the ground is
hardened, you can't plant.
00:25:00.43\00:25:03.23
It has to be softened,
00:25:03.26\00:25:05.90
and it has to be
softened with water.
00:25:05.93\00:25:08.90
We need to realize
our focus has to be,
00:25:08.94\00:25:11.71
"Oh, Holy Spirit, rain on me.
00:25:11.74\00:25:14.94
Come and rain on me.
00:25:14.98\00:25:17.35
Quench this
spiritual dryness that I have.
00:25:17.38\00:25:21.05
And, Lord, help
me to open my heart
00:25:21.08\00:25:25.45
that you can quench my
thirst by living water."
00:25:25.49\00:25:30.83
You know, anytime
that I have done something
00:25:30.86\00:25:33.33
to quench the Spirit of God,
00:25:33.36\00:25:35.76
and that's so simple,
00:25:35.80\00:25:37.13
just become reliant on self
00:25:37.17\00:25:40.10
and you'll quench
the Spirit of God.
00:25:40.14\00:25:42.97
Anytime that that's happened,
00:25:43.00\00:25:44.54
what I notice is that
the word that's in my heart
00:25:44.57\00:25:48.18
begins to wither and dry up,
00:25:48.21\00:25:50.91
and it's suffocating,
00:25:50.95\00:25:52.65
suffocating to
my spiritual growth.
00:25:52.68\00:25:56.32
Jesus wants us to be good soils,
00:25:56.35\00:25:59.25
gardens that are
committed to Him,
00:25:59.29\00:26:00.89
ready for planting.
00:26:00.92\00:26:02.26
He wants us to cut away
the thorns of worldly habits,
00:26:02.29\00:26:06.80
hidden sins, and attitudes.
00:26:06.83\00:26:10.23
He wants our hearts to
be ploughed up and pliable.
00:26:10.27\00:26:13.67
And how do we do that?
00:26:13.70\00:26:16.17
By acknowledging our sin
00:26:16.20\00:26:18.57
and just
receiving His forgiveness.
00:26:18.61\00:26:21.74
That's how we
start making good soil.
00:26:21.78\00:26:24.38
And Hosea 10:12, again.
00:26:24.41\00:26:27.82
Hosea kind of
echoes what Jeremiah said,
00:26:27.85\00:26:30.95
because it's coming
from the same Spirit.
00:26:30.99\00:26:33.22
Hosea 10:12, he says,
"Break up your fallow ground,
00:26:33.25\00:26:36.52
for it is time to seek the Lord,
00:26:36.56\00:26:39.83
until He comes
00:26:39.86\00:26:41.80
and rains righteousness on you."
00:26:41.83\00:26:45.77
Oh, it's time to repent,
00:26:45.80\00:26:49.34
and understand
the joy of repentance,
00:26:49.37\00:26:52.51
to come before the
Lord confessing your sin,
00:26:52.54\00:26:56.31
checking your priorities.
00:26:56.34\00:26:59.71
Let me ask you something,
don't raise your hand.
00:26:59.75\00:27:04.29
Do you remember the
first love experience
00:27:04.32\00:27:06.65
you had with the Lord?
00:27:06.69\00:27:08.46
Where you really first found out
00:27:08.49\00:27:10.43
how much God loved you
00:27:10.46\00:27:11.86
and what Jesus had done for you?
00:27:11.89\00:27:13.90
Do you remember, just
to think about the Lord,
00:27:13.93\00:27:17.93
to talk about the Lord,
00:27:17.97\00:27:19.57
how your heart
would swell with joy?
00:27:19.60\00:27:24.47
Have you lost your
first love experience?
00:27:24.51\00:27:29.28
I know that I
have to check myself
00:27:29.31\00:27:33.52
'cause I can get so
busy working for the Lord
00:27:33.55\00:27:36.99
that I lose that
first love experience.
00:27:37.02\00:27:39.45
We've got to confess our sins,
and be thankful, praise God.
00:27:39.49\00:27:45.06
As Lamentations
3:22-23 says that,
00:27:45.09\00:27:49.03
"Through the Lord's
mercies we are not consumed,
00:27:49.06\00:27:53.07
because His
compassions fail not.
00:27:53.10\00:27:55.17
They are new every morning.
00:27:55.20\00:27:58.74
Great is His faithfulness."
00:27:58.77\00:28:01.04
We need to pray to be
filled with the Holy Spirit.
00:28:01.08\00:28:06.01
If we're gonna be good
soil, that's the only way.
00:28:06.05\00:28:09.75
And you know something?
00:28:09.78\00:28:11.32
I wanna encourage you,
I've done this for many years,
00:28:11.35\00:28:15.62
probably 20 years
that the Lord showed me.
00:28:15.66\00:28:18.89
When I am...
00:28:18.93\00:28:20.26
Before I can pray to be
filled with the Holy Spirit,
00:28:20.30\00:28:22.73
I have to ask forgiveness
for grieving the Spirit,
00:28:22.76\00:28:26.30
for resisting the Spirit,
and even quenching the Spirit.
00:28:26.33\00:28:31.44
But praying to be
filled with the Holy Spirit
00:28:31.47\00:28:33.51
is something you
should do the first thing
00:28:33.54\00:28:35.11
you get up in the morning.
00:28:35.14\00:28:37.68
I appreciated so
much what Gary Will said
00:28:37.71\00:28:40.02
on last night's worship.
00:28:40.05\00:28:42.38
When he said, if
there's something wrong,
00:28:42.42\00:28:49.36
if his
relationship is a little off
00:28:49.39\00:28:53.23
with the Lord,
00:28:53.26\00:28:56.80
it affects the whole family.
00:28:56.83\00:28:59.80
He said, if he doesn't
really celebrate the Sabbath
00:28:59.83\00:29:03.97
God's way,
spending that time with God,
00:29:04.01\00:29:06.74
place Him a little
topsy during the week,
00:29:06.78\00:29:10.11
but I wanna tell you something,
00:29:10.15\00:29:11.75
sin is so selfish
00:29:11.78\00:29:13.42
because it affects
everybody around you,
00:29:13.45\00:29:16.65
anybody that cares for you,
00:29:16.69\00:29:18.45
anybody that loves you.
00:29:18.49\00:29:21.92
And you know what?
00:29:21.96\00:29:23.56
A man, I was talking
with a lady the other day.
00:29:23.59\00:29:28.20
She knew her husband
was watching pornography.
00:29:28.23\00:29:33.17
And I said, "Have
you confronted him?"
00:29:33.20\00:29:35.60
She said, "No.
00:29:35.64\00:29:38.51
He doesn't know that I know."
00:29:38.54\00:29:40.48
But it was killing her,
00:29:40.51\00:29:42.64
and it was affecting
the way she related to him.
00:29:42.68\00:29:46.45
I talked to another woman
00:29:46.48\00:29:47.88
whose husband was
being very critical,
00:29:47.92\00:29:50.32
whose husband was being
just judgmental and critical
00:29:50.35\00:29:55.19
and not very loving,
00:29:55.22\00:29:56.73
and supportive,
not cherishing her.
00:29:56.76\00:29:59.79
And she said,
00:29:59.83\00:30:02.13
"I can't, I don't feel
that connection with him.
00:30:02.16\00:30:06.74
It's like crawling in
the bed with the enemy.
00:30:06.77\00:30:09.04
I don't want him to touch me
00:30:09.07\00:30:11.61
because of all the cruel
things he said during the day,"
00:30:11.64\00:30:15.31
which makes her
husband even more angry.
00:30:15.34\00:30:18.78
Or husbands who have a wife
00:30:18.81\00:30:21.02
that's constantly
harping after them,
00:30:21.05\00:30:24.35
trying to be the man of
the house, trying to do,
00:30:24.39\00:30:27.56
you know, be the one
that, that any sin that we have,
00:30:27.59\00:30:33.33
any break, any fracture in
our relationship with Christ
00:30:33.36\00:30:39.03
affects the whole family.
00:30:39.07\00:30:41.77
It's easy to see when
somebody is drinking alcohol,
00:30:41.80\00:30:45.01
how it affects the family?
00:30:45.04\00:30:46.88
Or if they're doing drugs,
00:30:46.91\00:30:48.88
how it affects
the ones they love?
00:30:48.91\00:30:51.98
But what we don't
realize is our little foxes
00:30:52.01\00:30:55.48
that spoil the vine,
00:30:55.52\00:30:58.39
as this Solomon says,
00:30:58.42\00:31:00.86
these are things that
affect the entire family.
00:31:00.89\00:31:04.43
So when you pray,
before you pray each morning
00:31:04.46\00:31:07.66
to be filled with the Spirit,
00:31:07.70\00:31:09.03
say, "Oh, Lord, have
I grieved Your Spirit?"
00:31:09.06\00:31:11.33
Pretty easy to say you
probably have in someway.
00:31:11.37\00:31:15.10
"Am I resisting Your Spirit?
00:31:15.14\00:31:18.44
Have I quenched Your Spirit?
00:31:18.47\00:31:20.08
Forgive me, Lord.
00:31:20.11\00:31:22.04
Forgive me, Holy Spirit.
00:31:22.08\00:31:24.25
Oh, Holy Spirit,
00:31:24.28\00:31:25.98
come into my
heart, I welcome you.
00:31:26.01\00:31:28.55
I need you.
00:31:28.58\00:31:30.49
Because without you,
00:31:30.52\00:31:31.85
the life of Christ
is not inside of me."
00:31:31.89\00:31:35.49
And ask to die to self.
00:31:35.52\00:31:38.39
The only way you can die to self
00:31:38.43\00:31:39.76
is by the power
of the Holy Spirit.
00:31:39.79\00:31:41.93
Romans 8:13, it says,
00:31:41.96\00:31:44.47
that we put to death
the misdeeds of our flesh
00:31:44.50\00:31:47.64
by the power of the Spirit.
00:31:47.67\00:31:50.21
But as to know God's
character and His plan,
00:31:50.24\00:31:53.38
ask and keep on asking.
00:31:53.41\00:31:54.98
Jesus said, "Seek
and keep on seeking.
00:31:55.01\00:31:57.15
Knock and keep on knocking.
00:31:57.18\00:31:58.51
How much more
00:31:58.55\00:31:59.88
will the heavenly Father
give you the Holy Spirit."
00:31:59.91\00:32:03.18
And I just have to say that,
00:32:03.22\00:32:05.69
I believe I am addressing
00:32:05.72\00:32:08.59
some beautiful Christian people.
00:32:08.62\00:32:12.73
But I believe we
are missing the boat.
00:32:12.76\00:32:16.83
I think that in our church,
in churches around the world,
00:32:16.87\00:32:22.47
I believe that
we're understanding
00:32:22.50\00:32:25.24
the operation
of the Holy Spirit.
00:32:25.27\00:32:27.21
He convicts us, He
convinces us of sin.
00:32:27.24\00:32:29.98
We understand He's giving
us spiritual understanding
00:32:30.01\00:32:33.31
in the doctrine.
00:32:33.35\00:32:34.75
But I can look at
our lives and say,
00:32:34.78\00:32:37.59
there is so much inconsistency,
00:32:37.62\00:32:41.12
there's sins that
need to be done away with,
00:32:41.16\00:32:46.13
and God's eager,
00:32:46.16\00:32:47.86
eager to cut us free
from the cord of the wicked
00:32:47.90\00:32:50.70
that binds us.
00:32:50.73\00:32:52.23
And what it tells me is,
00:32:52.27\00:32:54.54
yes, the Spirit's
operating in our life,
00:32:54.57\00:32:57.37
but we haven't opened our heart
to be filled with the Spirit.
00:32:57.41\00:33:01.94
When you are filled
with the Holy Spirit of God,
00:33:01.98\00:33:04.95
if this church,
00:33:04.98\00:33:06.41
if the church would be
filled with the Spirit,
00:33:06.45\00:33:09.68
if each individual would
be filled with the Spirit,
00:33:09.72\00:33:13.42
we will have
divine love in our hearts,
00:33:13.46\00:33:17.23
we will be filled with
the humility of Christ.
00:33:17.26\00:33:21.16
And walking in righteousness,
00:33:21.20\00:33:22.86
and I guarantee
you there would be
00:33:22.90\00:33:24.97
standing room
only in this church,
00:33:25.00\00:33:27.60
if we were to go
out in the community
00:33:27.64\00:33:29.80
in such a condition.
00:33:29.84\00:33:32.37
But I'm not saying
that to point fingers.
00:33:32.41\00:33:36.68
I'm saying there's so
much more God wants to give me,
00:33:36.71\00:33:40.72
there's so much more
God wants to give you.
00:33:40.75\00:33:43.59
We've got to start seeking it,
00:33:43.62\00:33:46.62
we've got to
quit being satisfied
00:33:46.65\00:33:51.29
with meager Christianity,
00:33:51.33\00:33:54.56
we've got to seek
God for something more.
00:33:54.60\00:34:00.77
So we pray then, "Lord,
fill me with Your Spirit.
00:34:00.80\00:34:05.27
I don't wanna
just know about Him.
00:34:05.31\00:34:07.38
I don't want Him
just operating in my life.
00:34:07.41\00:34:09.48
I wanna be full of You.
00:34:09.51\00:34:12.41
I want to totally
yield control to You."
00:34:12.45\00:34:18.42
And then pray to be
sanctified by His word.
00:34:18.45\00:34:22.12
Pray to...
00:34:22.16\00:34:23.49
For God to give you a
desire to read the Bible.
00:34:23.53\00:34:26.86
This is all part
00:34:26.90\00:34:29.60
of just breaking
up the fallow ground,
00:34:29.63\00:34:33.30
so that your good soil...
00:34:33.34\00:34:35.00
So now broadcasting
the seed of His Word
00:34:35.04\00:34:37.77
is the second step
that Jesus mentioned.
00:34:37.81\00:34:40.51
So where the soil's ready,
00:34:40.54\00:34:43.35
it's time for seed, right, Jeff?
00:34:43.38\00:34:45.81
You get the soil ready first.
00:34:45.85\00:34:48.12
And God will
never disappoint us.
00:34:48.15\00:34:51.39
When we approach Him
with a ploughed up heart,
00:34:51.42\00:34:56.19
He will increase
our trust in Him,
00:34:56.22\00:34:59.26
He will increase His testimony,
00:34:59.29\00:35:00.96
the Holy Spirit will give us
understanding and revelation,
00:35:01.00\00:35:05.03
and faith comes
00:35:05.07\00:35:06.47
by hearing and
hearing by the word of God.
00:35:06.50\00:35:11.57
That's God's
broadcasting system.
00:35:11.61\00:35:16.08
We hear the word, you know,
00:35:16.11\00:35:17.88
something I wanna
encourage you to do,
00:35:17.91\00:35:20.02
some people say,
00:35:20.05\00:35:21.38
"I don't get much out of
the Bible when I read it."
00:35:21.42\00:35:23.72
Read out loud.
00:35:23.75\00:35:26.55
Let your own voice
hear the word of God.
00:35:26.59\00:35:32.46
I mean, that's
powerful when you do.
00:35:32.49\00:35:35.83
It will increase your focus,
00:35:35.86\00:35:37.93
and when you read
something you don't understand,
00:35:37.97\00:35:40.04
just say, "Lord,
I don't understand.
00:35:40.07\00:35:41.70
I need Your Spirit
to explain this to me.
00:35:41.74\00:35:45.01
I want this faith.
00:35:45.04\00:35:48.84
I want the seed."
00:35:48.88\00:35:50.65
And broadcasting, hearing isn't,
00:35:50.68\00:35:54.58
hearing doesn't
produce the faith.
00:35:54.62\00:35:57.69
When He says,
faith comes by hearing.
00:35:57.72\00:36:01.26
Hearing is the
broadcasting system.
00:36:01.29\00:36:04.73
It introduces the
message of God's love
00:36:04.76\00:36:08.36
and it's God that
works this faith in us.
00:36:08.40\00:36:13.20
You know, Jesus said in...
00:36:13.23\00:36:14.57
I think we've got
time to turn there.
00:36:14.60\00:36:16.10
I didn't notice when I started.
00:36:16.14\00:36:18.57
Jesus said, Mark 4:24,
I want you to turn there.
00:36:18.61\00:36:23.65
When our heart is good
soil, the seed is broadcast,
00:36:27.45\00:36:32.35
it will take root,
and it will develop faith.
00:36:32.39\00:36:37.96
Mark 4:24,
00:36:37.99\00:36:40.46
"Be careful
what you are hearing.
00:36:40.50\00:36:42.86
The measure you
give will be the measure
00:36:42.90\00:36:44.73
that comes back to you,
00:36:44.77\00:36:46.10
and more besides will
be given to you who hear."
00:36:46.13\00:36:49.77
Well, what?
00:36:49.80\00:36:51.17
What's He saying?
00:36:51.21\00:36:53.94
Be careful what you are hearing.
00:36:53.98\00:36:56.18
The measure of thought and study
00:36:56.21\00:36:59.01
that you give to
the truth you hear
00:36:59.05\00:37:02.12
will be the measure
of virtue and knowledge
00:37:02.15\00:37:04.82
that comes back to you.
00:37:04.85\00:37:07.46
We can't just
get up in the morning
00:37:07.49\00:37:09.29
and read a promise and go away
and never think about it again.
00:37:09.32\00:37:13.16
Those who come to
God with an open heart
00:37:13.19\00:37:18.73
and want to have
His seed implanted,
00:37:18.77\00:37:21.57
He will grant
understanding to us.
00:37:21.60\00:37:26.04
If we will hear His
word and respond to it,
00:37:26.07\00:37:29.51
put it into practice.
00:37:29.54\00:37:32.18
One way of putting God's
word into practice is this.
00:37:32.21\00:37:36.75
When you see a promise,
00:37:36.79\00:37:38.52
I challenge you this afternoon,
go home and read Ephesians.
00:37:38.55\00:37:42.79
You know, every
commandment of God
00:37:42.82\00:37:44.79
is even a promise of
what He will do in us.
00:37:44.83\00:37:46.96
But go home and read Ephesians
and circle every verse,
00:37:47.00\00:37:51.47
the number of each verse
that you see is a promise.
00:37:51.50\00:37:56.20
Ephesians 11 says
00:37:56.24\00:37:58.24
that we have been blessed
00:37:58.27\00:37:59.61
with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly realms
00:37:59.64\00:38:02.28
through Christ Jesus.
00:38:02.31\00:38:04.38
As you go through
Ephesians, circle that.
00:38:04.41\00:38:07.68
You don't have to underline it,
00:38:07.72\00:38:09.05
you'll be
underlining the whole book.
00:38:09.08\00:38:10.89
But what we do
00:38:10.92\00:38:12.75
if you want to put
that promise into practice,
00:38:12.79\00:38:17.19
pray it back to the Lord.
00:38:17.23\00:38:19.59
Thank you, Father,
00:38:19.63\00:38:20.96
that I have already been blessed
00:38:21.00\00:38:22.36
with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly realms.
00:38:22.40\00:38:24.80
I may not feel it.
00:38:24.83\00:38:26.40
I may not realize it, but
I'm praying it back to Him,
00:38:26.43\00:38:30.01
I'm putting it into practice.
00:38:30.04\00:38:31.91
And something so
interesting happens,
00:38:31.94\00:38:35.88
as you do that, you
begin to usher in faith.
00:38:35.91\00:38:41.75
And I thought I had
another scripture here,
00:38:41.78\00:38:43.39
but I guess I've got it later.
00:38:43.42\00:38:44.75
Let me go ahead
and skip to that.
00:38:44.79\00:38:47.66
Mark.
00:38:47.69\00:38:49.02
We're there at
Mark 4, aren't we?
00:38:49.06\00:38:50.83
This is Mark 4:26,
00:38:50.86\00:38:52.56
"The kingdom of God is
00:38:52.59\00:38:54.16
as if a man should
scatter seed on the ground,
00:38:54.20\00:38:57.43
should sleep by night,
00:38:57.47\00:38:59.20
rise by day,
00:38:59.23\00:39:00.60
and the seed
should sprout and grow,
00:39:00.64\00:39:03.67
he himself does not know how.
00:39:03.71\00:39:06.21
The earth yields
the crop by itself.
00:39:06.24\00:39:09.88
First the blades, then the head,
00:39:09.91\00:39:13.98
and after that the
full grain in the head."
00:39:14.02\00:39:17.65
So you start speaking
God's word over your life.
00:39:17.69\00:39:22.36
Let that word get
planted in your heart,
00:39:22.39\00:39:25.03
and you may have a hard
time believing it at first,
00:39:25.06\00:39:29.30
you may think that
sounds too good to be true,
00:39:29.33\00:39:31.97
but you speak it.
00:39:32.00\00:39:33.34
And here's what happens.
00:39:33.37\00:39:34.87
First the blade, it changes
00:39:34.90\00:39:36.97
the way you
think about yourself.
00:39:37.01\00:39:39.01
The blade is our thoughts.
00:39:39.04\00:39:41.58
Then the head,
that's our attitudes.
00:39:41.61\00:39:44.18
Suddenly, we begin
to think differently
00:39:44.21\00:39:46.41
and feel differently ourselves.
00:39:46.45\00:39:48.62
And after that the full grain
in the head, that's our action.
00:39:48.65\00:39:54.96
So let's continue on then
00:39:54.99\00:39:57.79
and this is
still the second step
00:39:57.83\00:39:59.43
of how we are...
00:39:59.46\00:40:00.80
Excuse me.
00:40:00.83\00:40:02.16
That's the second
step, how to broadcast it?
00:40:02.20\00:40:05.90
And now let's
look at the third step.
00:40:05.93\00:40:08.00
Receiving and
retaining the promises.
00:40:08.04\00:40:11.81
What was step one?
00:40:11.84\00:40:13.48
Plough up your fallow
ground, your heart in hearts,
00:40:13.51\00:40:17.35
come before the Lord in
humility and repentance.
00:40:17.38\00:40:20.32
Step two
00:40:20.35\00:40:21.68
is allow God to
broadcast the seed of His word
00:40:21.72\00:40:25.39
in our hearts through hearing.
00:40:25.42\00:40:28.09
Now we're ready for
this third critical step
00:40:28.12\00:40:30.46
where Jesus said that we
must receive and retain it.
00:40:30.49\00:40:35.66
Receive every promise of God
00:40:35.70\00:40:38.10
as something that
He will accomplish,
00:40:38.13\00:40:41.84
He's promised it.
00:40:41.87\00:40:43.20
It's an
oath-bound covenant promise.
00:40:43.24\00:40:46.37
You've got to grab hold of
it, retain it, don't let it go.
00:40:46.41\00:40:50.78
This is the action step
00:40:50.81\00:40:53.45
that releases the creative power
00:40:53.48\00:40:55.92
of God's word into your life.
00:40:55.95\00:40:58.52
The power can't be released,
if the seed gives, I mean,
00:40:58.55\00:41:02.86
the soil gives up the seed,
00:41:02.89\00:41:04.23
the power can't be
released in that seed.
00:41:04.26\00:41:07.43
You know, Hebrews 4:12
says that the word of God
00:41:07.46\00:41:10.57
is alive and active.
00:41:10.60\00:41:12.33
It's sharper than
any two-edged sword.
00:41:12.37\00:41:15.24
In the Greek, the word,
"two edge" there is distomen.
00:41:15.27\00:41:20.01
The literal translation
is double-mouthed river.
00:41:20.04\00:41:26.38
Okay.
00:41:26.41\00:41:27.75
The word of the
Lord is alive and active
00:41:27.78\00:41:29.65
and sharper than any
double-mouthed river.
00:41:29.68\00:41:33.12
What does that mean?
00:41:33.15\00:41:36.22
I believe this.
00:41:36.26\00:41:39.39
The first edge of
that two-edged sword struck
00:41:39.43\00:41:43.90
when God spoke the word.
00:41:43.93\00:41:46.43
The second edge of the
two-edged sword strikes
00:41:46.47\00:41:51.47
when we speak
and return that word.
00:41:51.51\00:41:55.54
It's a double-mouthed word.
00:41:55.58\00:41:57.85
And it's like a knife.
00:41:57.88\00:42:01.62
It says that it pierces even
00:42:01.65\00:42:03.35
to the division
of soul and spirit.
00:42:03.39\00:42:05.52
God with the
precision of a surgeon,
00:42:05.55\00:42:09.69
takes His word
and He gets in there,
00:42:09.72\00:42:12.06
that gets that cancer
out of us, that cancer of sin
00:42:12.09\00:42:18.13
And He changes us.
00:42:18.17\00:42:20.50
Let me tell you something.
00:42:20.54\00:42:21.87
When I was in the third grade,
00:42:21.90\00:42:24.64
I had a teacher
named Ms Sandaski.
00:42:24.67\00:42:27.24
She was tall, she's
probably six feet tall.
00:42:27.28\00:42:30.41
She was a larger woman
than I am, but she was tall,
00:42:30.45\00:42:33.45
red-headed, and I loved her.
00:42:33.48\00:42:37.15
She was my favorite teacher.
00:42:37.19\00:42:39.52
And one day,
she told us, I mean,
00:42:39.55\00:42:41.42
I just trusted
everything she told us,
00:42:41.46\00:42:43.36
she was extremely
intelligent woman.
00:42:43.39\00:42:47.03
It's easy to
impress a third grader
00:42:47.06\00:42:48.86
but, no, she was smart.
00:42:48.90\00:42:50.67
And one day, she
said, "Okay, class,
00:42:50.70\00:42:54.84
what we're going to do..."
00:42:54.87\00:42:56.20
She gave us each
three pinto beans.
00:42:56.24\00:42:59.91
Three pinto beans.
00:42:59.94\00:43:01.68
And a little cheesecloth,
00:43:01.71\00:43:03.91
I don't
remember how wide it was.
00:43:03.95\00:43:05.61
And our
responsibility was to go home
00:43:05.65\00:43:08.78
and take these
little pinto beans
00:43:08.82\00:43:10.82
with the cheesecloth,
00:43:10.85\00:43:12.25
roll the pinto beans up,
00:43:12.29\00:43:14.16
and put it up on a windowsill
where it gets some sunlight.
00:43:14.19\00:43:18.69
And then she
said, "Don't look at it.
00:43:18.73\00:43:20.53
You keep that every day,
you keep the cheesecloth wet."
00:43:20.56\00:43:23.70
And then she
said, I don't remember,
00:43:23.73\00:43:26.40
four or five
days later, she said,
00:43:26.43\00:43:28.47
"Now check out
your beans, kids."
00:43:28.50\00:43:30.71
And you know what had happened?
00:43:30.74\00:43:33.21
These dry old dead beans
00:43:33.24\00:43:35.58
had a little
bit of green sprout.
00:43:35.61\00:43:38.25
And I was like...
00:43:38.28\00:43:40.22
There was life inside that bean.
00:43:43.28\00:43:46.92
It was a seed.
00:43:46.96\00:43:49.16
And then, you know,
we kept nurturing it
00:43:49.19\00:43:52.39
and it was hidden
deep in the cheesecloth,
00:43:52.43\00:43:55.40
getting the sunshine,
00:43:55.43\00:43:57.07
that's like the
word of God in our lives.
00:43:57.10\00:44:00.07
We put it in there,
00:44:00.10\00:44:01.44
we don't realize that
it's alive and active,
00:44:01.47\00:44:04.61
but when it's in our heart
and the sun keeps shining on us
00:44:04.64\00:44:08.91
and God rains His righteousness
on us by the Holy Spirit,
00:44:08.94\00:44:12.71
all of a sudden,
that word comes to life
00:44:12.75\00:44:15.35
and it's flourishing.
00:44:15.38\00:44:18.49
We've got to have faith
00:44:18.52\00:44:20.92
that God is a rewarder of
those who earnestly seek Him.
00:44:20.96\00:44:26.96
We've got to
come to Him in faith.
00:44:27.00\00:44:30.23
Okay, so the
fourth step was, what?
00:44:30.27\00:44:33.37
Persevering to
produce a harvest.
00:44:33.40\00:44:37.24
That's simple, isn't it?
00:44:37.27\00:44:38.67
We come in repentance,
00:44:38.71\00:44:42.21
to break up our hardened ground.
00:44:42.24\00:44:46.51
We position ourselves so
that we can hear the word,
00:44:46.55\00:44:50.02
then we grab hold of it
and say, yes, it's mine.
00:44:50.05\00:44:53.46
I don't care what
anybody else says about me,
00:44:53.49\00:44:56.12
this is who I am.
00:44:56.16\00:44:57.86
Christ Jesus
knows who I am in Him.
00:44:57.89\00:45:01.96
And then the fourth
step is to persevere
00:45:02.00\00:45:05.73
to produce our harvest.
00:45:05.77\00:45:08.84
You know, there's
different degrees of belief.
00:45:08.87\00:45:14.74
There is mental assent
00:45:14.78\00:45:16.61
where you have arrived
00:45:16.64\00:45:18.71
at a point of
accepting something as true.
00:45:18.75\00:45:22.72
There are people in the church
00:45:22.75\00:45:24.65
who accept all of
our doctrines as true.
00:45:24.69\00:45:28.22
They accept the
prophecies as true,
00:45:28.26\00:45:32.09
but it's mental assent.
00:45:32.13\00:45:34.83
It hasn't yet gotten to
the point of the deeper,
00:45:34.86\00:45:40.60
greater degree of belief
00:45:40.64\00:45:43.51
where we receive that
truth and apply it personally.
00:45:43.54\00:45:49.01
I know I've used this
00:45:49.04\00:45:50.71
but for the benefit of people
00:45:50.75\00:45:52.65
who might be watching by
TV or listening on the radio,
00:45:52.68\00:45:55.78
I want to repeat,
00:45:55.82\00:45:57.29
because to me
00:45:57.32\00:45:58.65
this is one of the
greatest, greatest illustrations
00:45:58.69\00:46:03.86
of what true belief means
00:46:03.89\00:46:07.16
and that's the story
of the tightrope walker
00:46:07.20\00:46:12.93
who perform
before heads of state,
00:46:12.97\00:46:16.24
always performed without a net,
00:46:16.27\00:46:18.41
and he would just
bowl the crowds over,
00:46:18.44\00:46:24.11
bowl the crowds over.
00:46:24.15\00:46:25.48
Anyway, he was
just so incredible,
00:46:25.51\00:46:29.72
so he went across the tight rope
00:46:29.75\00:46:33.32
on a tandem bicycle
with a girl on the back,
00:46:33.36\00:46:36.39
gets down, slithers down,
00:46:36.42\00:46:38.09
and he runs up to
this really heavy man
00:46:38.13\00:46:40.80
in the front row,
00:46:40.83\00:46:42.16
he says, "For my next act,
00:46:42.20\00:46:43.53
I'm gonna walk a man
across this tight rope
00:46:43.57\00:46:46.70
in a wheelbarrow,
00:46:46.74\00:46:48.07
do you believe I can do it?
00:46:48.10\00:46:49.57
And the man is
saying, "Absolutely.
00:46:49.60\00:46:52.17
I believe, brother."
00:46:52.21\00:46:55.84
And he says, "Good.
00:46:55.88\00:46:57.61
Harp in to the wheelbarrow."
00:46:57.65\00:47:00.08
Because you see,
believing mental assent,
00:47:00.12\00:47:03.99
you see something, you say,
"Yeah, God can do all of this."
00:47:04.02\00:47:08.29
Yes, He can.
00:47:08.32\00:47:10.96
But if you don't hop
into the wheelbarrow,
00:47:10.99\00:47:15.03
even John 3:16,
00:47:15.06\00:47:18.43
you can't just
have mental assent
00:47:18.47\00:47:20.70
that "God so loved the world,
00:47:20.74\00:47:22.90
He gave His only begotten Son
00:47:22.94\00:47:24.74
that whosoever
would believe in Him,
00:47:24.77\00:47:28.41
would not perish
but have eternal life."
00:47:28.44\00:47:30.61
You've got to hop
into the wheelbarrow,
00:47:30.65\00:47:34.88
believing in Jesus means
00:47:34.92\00:47:37.29
to be living in Jesus.
00:47:37.32\00:47:42.69
This is the critical point
to persevering, it is vital.
00:47:42.72\00:47:49.26
James 2:19-20 says,
00:47:49.30\00:47:52.80
"You believe
that there is one God.
00:47:52.83\00:47:55.64
You do well.
00:47:55.67\00:47:57.14
Even the demons
believe and tremble.
00:47:57.17\00:48:01.14
But do you want to
know, O foolish man,
00:48:01.18\00:48:05.35
that faith
without works is dead?"
00:48:05.38\00:48:08.92
Yeah, the demons know.
00:48:08.95\00:48:12.42
They know the truth,
00:48:12.45\00:48:13.79
but they're not
living in the truth.
00:48:13.82\00:48:16.22
So it's not enough
just to acknowledge
00:48:16.26\00:48:18.56
that Christ died
for you, for your sins,
00:48:18.59\00:48:22.23
you have to receive
the gift of salvation.
00:48:22.26\00:48:25.57
You have to receive
Christ as your personal savior
00:48:25.60\00:48:30.77
and make it a
practice to be living in Him.
00:48:30.81\00:48:35.08
And the same applies to
all of the word of the Bible.
00:48:35.11\00:48:38.51
Every promise, it's easy
enough to see a promise and say,
00:48:38.55\00:48:42.85
"Oh, yes, I believe
because this is God's word."
00:48:42.88\00:48:48.69
But if you're not
living in that promise,
00:48:48.72\00:48:51.26
it's pure mental assent.
00:48:51.29\00:48:54.86
So we've got to
get into the word
00:48:54.90\00:48:57.03
or we're deceiving ourselves
00:48:57.07\00:48:59.17
to think that we just, you know,
00:48:59.20\00:49:02.44
know about God and knowing
about His word will save us.
00:49:02.47\00:49:07.68
We're made righteous by
Christ Jesus and Him alone.
00:49:07.71\00:49:13.62
John wrote in 1 John 3:7,
00:49:13.65\00:49:15.75
"Little children,
let no one deceive you.
00:49:15.78\00:49:19.35
He who practices
righteousness is righteous."
00:49:19.39\00:49:24.79
We are only made
righteous by faith.
00:49:24.83\00:49:29.86
But we have to
practice righteousness
00:49:29.90\00:49:32.93
to receive the promise.
00:49:32.97\00:49:34.94
In other words, we
have to walk in obedience.
00:49:34.97\00:49:38.54
God's love is unconditional,
00:49:38.57\00:49:40.88
but His promises
carry conditions to them.
00:49:40.91\00:49:43.78
Turn to Hebrews
10:36, Hebrews 10:36.
00:49:43.81\00:49:48.62
"For you have need of endurance,
00:49:48.65\00:49:50.85
so that after you
have done the will of God,
00:49:50.89\00:49:56.42
you may receive the promises."
00:49:56.46\00:50:00.06
After you've
done the will of God.
00:50:00.10\00:50:02.63
Does that scare you?
00:50:02.66\00:50:04.50
Doesn't scare me
anymore because I realize,
00:50:04.53\00:50:08.10
that if I cooperate with Him,
00:50:08.14\00:50:10.61
the only way I can do
God's will is to open my heart,
00:50:10.64\00:50:14.54
let His Holy Spirit come in,
00:50:14.58\00:50:16.54
and God will work in me to will
and to do His good pleasures.
00:50:16.58\00:50:20.68
See, but if I want that promise,
00:50:20.72\00:50:24.12
I've got to follow the
leading of the Holy Spirit.
00:50:24.15\00:50:28.06
I've got to sow
not to my flesh nature
00:50:28.09\00:50:31.76
but to sow to my
spiritual nature.
00:50:31.79\00:50:35.16
I have to understand
00:50:35.20\00:50:36.87
that day by day the
nature I feed, wins.
00:50:36.90\00:50:43.51
That's why
Christians are so inconsistent.
00:50:43.54\00:50:48.04
We're starving.
00:50:48.08\00:50:52.95
The spiritual nature, one
day, feeding the flesh nature,
00:50:52.98\00:50:58.02
and the next day
we try to reverse it,
00:50:58.05\00:51:01.39
and people look at us and say,
00:51:01.42\00:51:04.53
"Don't know what's going on."
00:51:04.56\00:51:07.36
So just remember that
that seed when it's planted,
00:51:07.40\00:51:11.73
it's going to
the earth, the heart,
00:51:11.77\00:51:14.74
God is gonna do this work,
00:51:14.77\00:51:16.24
and He's gonna
spring up first the blade,
00:51:16.27\00:51:18.74
and change your
thoughts, then the head,
00:51:18.77\00:51:21.61
change your
attitudes, and after that,
00:51:21.64\00:51:24.31
the full grain in
the head, your actions.
00:51:24.35\00:51:26.75
Just plant His
promises, and one day,
00:51:26.78\00:51:30.29
speak them over your life.
00:51:30.32\00:51:32.15
And one day
you'll wake up and go,
00:51:32.19\00:51:34.26
"Hoo, when did
you do that, Lord?
00:51:34.29\00:51:37.13
When did you change me?"
00:51:37.16\00:51:40.83
Hope in God's promises
is the anchor for our souls.
00:51:40.86\00:51:45.27
It keeps us from
being double-minded.
00:51:45.30\00:51:48.37
Christ is the
living word of God.
00:51:48.40\00:51:52.17
Christ in us is
our only hope of glory,
00:51:52.21\00:51:57.65
but He is able to
save us completely
00:51:57.68\00:52:01.05
and He will sustain us.
00:52:01.08\00:52:03.25
He will sustain our growth
by the rich power of His Spirit
00:52:03.28\00:52:07.09
and His word.
00:52:07.12\00:52:08.86
So you only reap what you sow,
00:52:08.89\00:52:13.33
and the potential of
the harvest is wrapped
00:52:13.36\00:52:17.33
inside the seed,
00:52:17.37\00:52:20.04
and all of your
potential is wrapped
00:52:20.07\00:52:24.04
inside of God's word.
00:52:24.07\00:52:27.54
May I have the team come up?
00:52:27.58\00:52:29.98
So God will produce a
harvest of righteousness in you,
00:52:30.01\00:52:36.89
if you will prepare the soil.
00:52:36.92\00:52:42.36
Come before Him,
00:52:42.39\00:52:44.09
asking for His forgiveness,
00:52:44.13\00:52:46.59
asking that He
helps you circumcise
00:52:46.63\00:52:50.17
that hardened heart,
00:52:50.20\00:52:52.17
put your place,
yourself, in a position
00:52:52.20\00:52:55.54
where you're broadcasting
the word into your life,
00:52:55.57\00:53:00.11
and then receive that
seed, retain that seed,
00:53:00.14\00:53:05.98
and finally persevere.
00:53:06.01\00:53:08.62
The seed is the word of God,
00:53:08.65\00:53:12.05
and all of your
potential is in His seed.
00:53:12.09\00:53:15.76
Isn't it time
00:53:15.79\00:53:17.13
that we start
planting His prophecies?
00:53:17.16\00:53:21.43
Amen.
00:53:21.46\00:53:23.83
Let's stand for our closing hymn
00:53:23.87\00:53:25.50
"Standing on the promises."
00:53:25.53\00:53:27.24
Standing on the
promises of Christ my King
00:53:37.91\00:53:42.92
Through eternal
ages let His praises ring
00:53:42.95\00:53:47.62
Glory in the
highest, I will shout and sing
00:53:47.66\00:53:52.19
Standing on the promises of God
00:53:52.23\00:53:56.67
Standing, standing
00:53:56.70\00:54:01.30
Standing on the
promises of God my Savior
00:54:01.34\00:54:05.94
Standing, standing
00:54:05.97\00:54:11.48
I'm standing on
the promises of God
00:54:11.51\00:54:17.09
Standing on the
promises that cannot fail
00:54:17.12\00:54:21.82
When the howling storms
of doubt and fear assail
00:54:21.86\00:54:26.56
By the living Word
of God I shall prevail
00:54:26.59\00:54:31.17
Standing on the promises of God
00:54:31.20\00:54:35.60
Standing, standing
00:54:35.64\00:54:40.18
Standing on the
promises of God my Savior
00:54:40.21\00:54:44.81
Standing, standing
00:54:44.85\00:54:50.49
I'm standing on
the promises of God
00:54:50.52\00:54:55.86
Standing on the
promises of Christ the Lord
00:54:55.89\00:55:00.76
Bound to Him
eternally by love's strong cord
00:55:00.80\00:55:05.50
Overcoming daily
with the Spirit's sword
00:55:05.53\00:55:10.04
Standing on the promises of God
00:55:10.07\00:55:14.51
Standing, standing
00:55:14.54\00:55:19.08
Standing on the
promises of God my Savior
00:55:19.11\00:55:23.72
Standing, standing
00:55:23.75\00:55:29.56
I'm standing on
the promises of God
00:55:29.59\00:55:34.10
Heavenly Father, we
come once again to thank you
00:55:37.10\00:55:40.74
for your plan of salvation.
00:55:40.77\00:55:43.00
We're so thankful, Lord,
that salvation belongs to You,
00:55:43.04\00:55:47.78
and You do not
expect us to save ourselves.
00:55:47.81\00:55:50.48
But we come, Father,
thanking You for Your Spirit,
00:55:50.51\00:55:54.45
and praying that we will
have a deeper experience.
00:55:54.48\00:55:58.42
Lord, not just
know His operation,
00:55:58.45\00:56:02.12
not just let Him
convict and convince us of sin,
00:56:02.16\00:56:05.79
but I pray,
Father, for each one of us,
00:56:05.83\00:56:08.83
for the entire church,
not just this congregation,
00:56:08.86\00:56:13.23
but the world church,
for all of Your churches,
00:56:13.27\00:56:15.90
Lord, that, oh, Father,
00:56:15.94\00:56:18.57
cause us to
hunger for Your Spirit.
00:56:18.61\00:56:22.78
Oh, Father, we need you so much.
00:56:22.81\00:56:26.15
Increase our humility
and help us to understand
00:56:26.18\00:56:29.15
how dependant we are upon You,
00:56:29.18\00:56:31.12
and pour out Your
Spirit in great measure, Lord.
00:56:31.15\00:56:34.69
And, Father, we ask
in the name of Jesus,
00:56:34.72\00:56:37.23
that you will help us to
remember always that this,
00:56:37.26\00:56:43.23
the potential of the harvest
is wrapped inside Your seed,
00:56:43.26\00:56:49.74
that what You can do in us
is only as we allow Your word
00:56:49.77\00:56:53.84
to take root in our
hearts, believing, receiving it,
00:56:53.88\00:56:58.41
and persevering.
00:56:58.45\00:56:59.91
So, Father, thank
you that it is You
00:56:59.95\00:57:02.52
who works in us to will
and to do your good pleasure,
00:57:02.55\00:57:05.55
give us a hunger and a thirst,
00:57:05.59\00:57:09.49
an unquenchable
thirst for Your word.
00:57:09.52\00:57:14.13
Oh, we pray, Lord, give us
the desire for righteousness,
00:57:14.16\00:57:20.34
cause us to thirst after
righteousness and fill us.
00:57:20.37\00:57:24.07
In Jesus' holy name, amen.
00:57:24.11\00:57:26.21
Amen.
00:57:26.24\00:57:27.58