Sparse crowd tonight, so you're all seated if you go ahead and grab a hymnal go ahead and get started start in song number
44 till Jesus comes song number 44 sing it out nice and loud till Jesus comes
Song heavenly father excuse me heavenly father. We thank you for this evening. We thank you for everyone that's gathered here
We thank you for the work that you've given us Lord and we will work till Jesus comes Lord God
We ask that you bless this service and that you bless everyone here that you fill pastor Shelley with your Holy Spirit
So we can preach an edifying sermon unto us so we can walk out better Christians for your honor and glory
It's in Jesus name. We pray. Amen. All right, next up. We have song number 86 in the garden song number 86
Church if you didn't already get a bulletin or you need another one just lift your high roof pan real high real quick
It's a bulletin on the front. We have our Bible memory passage inside
We have service time soul winning times church stats. Keep up the great work our soul winning, right?
We have a list of expecting ladies, please be in prayer for those who are expecting our upcoming events
Our kids choir should God willing begin this upcoming Sunday our Spanish soul winning marathon is this Saturday
And so if you haven't signed up, please do just so we have a good count, but we are excited about that marathon
Please pray that it goes smoothly
We have a Spanish breakfast this upcoming Sunday morning and then evangelist or Bannock is gonna be preaching for us next Wednesday
And so even if you don't normally come on Wednesdays, I really encourage you to come
Be a blessing unto evangelist or Bannock and hear him preach and just be here to support him
He is flying all the way from the Philippines and coming back out with his family
And so it's definitely a long journey for him
And it would be really special for you guys to be here and to get to see them
Small-town soul winning marathon is gonna happen next Saturday
March the 15th, that's gonna be in the azel area brother a bannock is organizing that and so they're gonna be meeting out there
In azel at a park if you'd like to get those details
You can either just email the church or contact brother Ryan and then this son that Sunday
So not this Sunday, but the next we're gonna have a barbecue luncheon. And so very excited. We'll be
Celebrating again with the urban X and with everybody and it'll be a good time of just fellowship
So highly encourage you to come and join us for that Sunday as well spring recital is gonna be our March 2nd
20 March 22nd and then down below is some church reminders
there is a sign-up sheet out here in the foyer for the recital is a
Time where you can try out so there's times where you can just put your name and it is to try out to make sure that
you're capable of playing the song correctly and doing a job and
We have our recital the following week, so please make sure to sign up
we do need everybody to do the tryouts, but there is a
Opportunity to do it a couple different times
So just make sure to sign up whatever makes the best time for you guys on the back is our prayer list
We'll go ahead and go through that now
We have the naiam's have you been pray for their grandmother pray for the Carlson's mother
Continue to pray for the Miller's friends mother
Also pray for the Scotts for both brother Horace and miss grace and their health continue to pray for the Garcia's and brother
Tony's health continue to pray for brother Foley and his fiance
We're also praying for the Goodwins friend. Miss Sarah been praying for brother Nick's mother and his co-worker
I've been praying for brother Billy which he had a praise report about
His co-worker there and then also been praying for brother Stewart's stepmother had passed away
So continue to pray for them and then also pray for his father
There's a couple other ones that were submitted this week
If you'd pray for the Carlson's father-in-law David had had a stroke and then if you pray for brother
Jared Green for his job interview tomorrow, so we have a couple other prayer requests there
We'll just say a quick word of prayer as a church family now. Thank you heavenly father so much for our church
Thank you so much for our ladies that are expecting those who are pregnant. I pray that you just please be with them during their pregnancy
Please help those that are trying to conceive as well. Please help those that are
Recently given birth, please bless their children and their development
I pray that you would also be with our church family that's struggling with cancer or struggling with illness
Please just grant them grace. Please give them health
I pray that you could help our family and friends that were also praying for their sicknesses and illnesses
I pray that you could please be gracious under them
Please give them healing also give us opportunity to present the gospel to those that still need to hear
Please help us to have the boldness and the courage and the opportunity
Please soften their hearts so that they would be receptive and give ear to the gospel
I pray that you'd also give us favor for those that need it for their travel or their work and I pray that you'd also
Just bless our upcoming missions trips that you'd bless our upcoming so wanting events
That you'd help us to reach many people with the gospel and also compel them to want to come to church and serve you
And in Jesus name we pray and then that's pretty much all I have as far as announcements
We're gonna sing our psalm of the week psalm 11. It's in our special binders
So if you get out our psalm binders psalm 11
The offering plates are going around would you please turn your bibles to Matthew chapter number 13
Matthew chapter number 13 to 13
It will reads the same day went Jesus out of the house and sat by the seaside and great multitudes were gathered together into him
So that he went into a ship and sat and the whole multitude stood on the shore
And he spake many things into them in parables saying behold the sower went forth to sow and when he sowed some seeds
Fell by the wayside and the fowls came and devoured them up some fell upon stony places
Where they had not much earth and fortwith they sprung
Up because they had no deepness of earth and when the sun was up they were scorched and because they had no root
They withered away and some fell among thorns and the thorns sprung up and choked them
But other fell into good ground and brought forth fruit
Someone some in hundredfold some sixtyfold some thirtyfold who hath ears to hear let him hear and the disciples came and said unto him
Why speakest thou unto them in parables he answered and said unto them because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven but to them it is not given for whosoever hath to him shall be given
And he and he shall have more abundance
But whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that he hath therefore speak
I to them in parables because they seeing see not and hearing they hear not neither do they understand
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of isaias which saith by hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand
And seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive for this people's heart is waxed gross
And their ears are of dull hearing and their eyes they have closed less at any time
They should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted
And I shall should heal them but blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear
For verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see
And have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them
Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower when anyone heareth the word of the kingdom and
Understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth the way that which was sown in his heart
This is he which received seed by the wayside
But he that received the seed in stony places the same as he that heareth the word and anon with joy
Receiveth it yet hath he not root in himself
But dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution arise it because of the word by and by he is offended
He also that received seed among the thorns as he that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness
Of riches choked the word and he becometh unfruitful
But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it
Which also beareth fruit and bringeth forth some and hundred fold some sixty and some thirty
Another parable put he forth unto them saying the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field
But while men slept his enemy came and said sowed tears amongst the wheat and went his way
But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit then appeared the tears also
So the servants of the householder came and said unto him sir
Did sound not so good seed in thy field from whence then hath it tears?
He said unto them an enemy hath done this the servant said unto him
Will thou then that we go and gather them up and he said nay less while ye gather up the tears
Ye root up also the wheat with them let both grow together until the harvest and in the time of harvest
I will say to the reapers gather ye first the tears and bind them in bundles to burn them
But gather the wheat into my barn another parable put he forth unto them saying the kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard
Seed which a man took and sowed in his field which indeed is the least of all seeds
but when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs and
Becoming the trees so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof another parable spake
He unto them the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal
To the whole was leavened all these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables and without a parable spake
He not unto them that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying I will open my mouth and parables
I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world
Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went to the house and his disciples came unto him saying
Declare unto us the parables of the tares of the field he answered and said it to them
He that soweth the good seed is the son of man the field is the world the good seed are the children of the kingdom
But the tares are the children of the wicked one the enemy that sowed them is the devil the harvest is the end of the
world and the Reapers are the angels as
Therefore the tears are gathered and burned in the fire so shall it be in the end of this world the son of man
Shall send forth his angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and then which do iniquity
Shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the son in the kingdom of their father who who hath ears to hear let him hear
Again the kingdom of heaven is likened to the treasure hidden a field the witch when a man hath found he hideth and for joy
Thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field again the kingdom of heaven is likened to a merchant man
Seeking goodly pearls who when he had found one pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it
Again the kingdom of heaven is likened to a net that was cast into the sea and gathered gathered gathered of every kind
Which when it was full they drew to shore and sat down and gathered the good into vessels
But cast the bad away
So shall it be at the end of the world the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just and
Shall cast them into the furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth
Jesus saith unto them. Have he understood all these things? They say unto him. Ye Lord then said he unto them
Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is in householder
Which ringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old and it came to pass that when Jesus had finished these parables
He departed thence and when he was come into his own country
He taught them in their synagogue and so much that they were astonished and said whence had this man this wisdom and these mighty works
is not this the carpenter son is not his mother called Mary and his brethren James and Joseph's and
Simon and Judas and his sisters are they not all with us whence then had this man all these things and
Went and they were offended in him
But Jesus said unto them a prophet is not without honor save in his own country and in his own house
And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Let us pray heavenly father. Lord
Thank you for the chapter of the Bible. Thank you for steadfast Baptist Church and the soul winning and people have gotten saved
I just pray you bless pastor Shelley
Film with your Holy Spirit to preach this chapter unto us and help us to receive it in our hearts and I pray in Jesus name
Amen, amen
Matthew 13 is a very long chapter and it's really emphasizing several parables here
The Bible says in verse 1 the same day when Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside and great multitudes were gathered
Together unto him so that he went into a ship and sat and the whole multitude stood on the shore
Now keep your finger here go if you would to mark chapter 3 for just a second
The Bible talks about the Lord Jesus Christ withdrawing himself into a ship when there's a large multitude come out to him
And it's described in mark chapter number 3 as well
Why this is happening look at verse number 9 mark chapter 3 verse 9
And he spake to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude
Lest they should throng him and thronging is talking about just a densely packed crowd
And so the Lord Jesus Christ
Taught in a specific manner where he would get on a little boat and he would just withdraw from the shore just enough
so that he could then preach unto a large crowd of his disciples and
You know, if you think about it a modern-day church many cases is set up a little bit like this where the speaker is kind of withdrawn
from the crowd a little bit and
separated so then he can then project and
Basically preach or teach unto a large crowd because if we were to all just stand a big mosh pit
We're all just basically stand together in some big circle. We're all standing
It wouldn't be very effective to teach unto a large group of people
And so of course the Lord Jesus Christ is getting on this little boat just going a little bit away from the shore and then
preaching in the large crowds
He would have obviously
Not been a soft speaker because a soft speaker back then would not have been able to be heard
So the Lord Jesus Christ would have obviously had to have lifted up his voice to project
very loud and to be a loud speaker a loud preacher for these great multitudes to have heard what he had to say and
I believe that we should follow that example now today in modern culture
we have the ability through amplification of microphones and speakers to have an ability to speak softly and yet be heard by large crowds
but I don't think that we should use that technology to get away from the tried-and-true of
preaching loud of projecting our voices and
Essentially preaching in a manner that was consistent throughout the entire Bible where men of God lifted up their voices and they preached loud
They would cry which crying we in our modern vernacular
Typically, we think of weeping we think of sobbing but crying is yelling. It's
Screaming it's being very dynamic and I think that preachers today should follow that same model of lifting up their voice of crying of
Sending an urgent message and often you'll get criticized when you do this people will say oh man
You're just yelling and you're just screaming and you're just loud
but that's the type of preaching that's in the Bible and that's the type of preaching that I think that we should do as
Preachers is preach loud and cry and spare not it should be spicy. It should be truthful. It should be loud
It's it's that's why it's done by a man folks
It's not done by a woman is done by a man with a loud male voice that can get up and project and thunder forth
God is a man and of course we should represent God in a godly manner and we should represent him with
reverence and we should be oracles of God that speak with power and might and
Aptitude and of course we should use the projection that God has given to us to preach the word of God with power
And so, you know, I believe that we have to understand the practical things that are happening here, but the message that's being delivered
Why would this even be included in the Bible? It's being included in the Bible to help you recognize
Hey, sometimes we need to lift up our voice. We need to project we need to preach loud
And yes, I'm not gonna get up here and just teach. Okay, everybody
Let's now turn in our Bibles to Matthew 13
You know, you pretty much eliminate being effeminate when you're loud
You pretty much just sound like a man when you're loud and you project and you're not getting up and hey
I preached long I need you not to fall asleep
So if I just get up here and I'm Bill Nye or something and or Ben Stein
That's I always make some of these names Ben Stein and it's just dry eyes
You need to get clear eyes
Let's turn to Matthew 13
You know, you're gonna fall asleep a little bit more likely now inevitably at church people always fall asleep
But you know, hey, I can't fix that go back to Matthew 13
You know, you're welcome to sleep at home and there's coffee if you ever need it, you know
So I mean what would be the point of driving an hour to church just to sleep? It's not that comfortable
You know people do it and of course we like the lights on you know
There's non the nom churches where it's a movie theater seat and they turn the lights out. I could see why you fall asleep
I mean, I would I would struggle too, especially how boring the service is
But you know at a church like ours, you know, just pinch yourself if you need to or something
All right verse 3 and he spake many things into them in parables saying the oldest sower went forth to sow
When he sowed some seeds fell by the wayside and the fouls came and devoured them up
some fell upon stony places where they had not much earth and for who they sprung up because they had no
Deepness of earth and when the Sun was up they were scorched and because they had no root
They withered away and some fell among thorns and the thorns sprung up and choked them
But other fell in a good ground brought forth fruit
Some a hundredfold some sixtyfold some thirtyfold who had ears to hear let him hear now Jesus Christ
He just gives these parables and then he just kind of makes proclamations like hey if you have ears, why don't you hear this?
That's a signal to us to understand that there's something beyond just the surface meaning of this text
There's something spiritually is trying to communicate
That's not just immediately obvious from the text that you have to have special ears in order to hear
Now it says in verse 10 and the disciples came and spay said on him
Why speak is thou unto them in parables? Of course, Jesus Christ isn't super interested in growing crops
He's not like just so concerned with trying to teach people how to grow crops
but he uses carnal truths and things that are true in our world to help expound spiritual truths and
Jesus Christ is asked by his disciples. Why don't you just make things plain?
Why don't you just tell us exactly what you mean verse 11?
He answered and said unto them because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
But to them it is not given for whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance
But is there have not from him shall be taken away
Even that he hath God has decreed it. God has decided that those who have ears to hear
Will not only get saved but then they're gonna get things on top of that
They're gonna get more and those who don't get saved and don't have ears to hear
Even what they have is gonna be taken from them. And in some ways you think like how is this fair?
I don't know. It doesn't really matter if it's fair or not. That's what God does
God will often give to people that already have a lot
He'll give them even more and the people that have almost nothing he'll even take that away from them
You say well, how is that fair? Well, you know, it's fair is
That God can do whatever he wants because it's his stuff and think about it this way
if you or someone that had great possessions and
you are an owner a business owner a manager and you have these servants and one servant is doing great with your assets and
Another servants not isn't it your opportunity to say hey
I'm gonna take away from this guy and give to this guy that's doing a great job
Is it fair? I don't know if it's fair or not
But it's his stuff to do whatever he wants with and if he's looking at someone doing a great job
He's like, I'm just gonna give more to this guy because this guy's accomplishing the work that I have
It's similar to another parable where you give it's kind of there's kind of two versions of it
But there's one guy gets ten talents one gets five one gets one
There's another one where there's five two and one same idea same concepts
But when the guy with one just buries it and does nothing with it
Eventually the parable the master or the owner comes back takes the one and gives it to the ten and then they ask like
Lord the guy that has ten already has ten and he's just like yeah
So what now he's 11 and you know some people they'll get really mad at others for having ten
But you know what it's not their fault for having ten and often what God will do is you look at the guy with ten
And I'll say I want to give you even more and the guy that has one even loses the one that he has because you know
What he's not doing a good job with the one that he has and so you know
We should not be type of people that are envious of people that have more than us
But rather we should ask ourselves. Maybe I'm not a good enough steward
Maybe God's not giving me more because I'm not doing a good job with what I have
Instead of being focused on what other people have you should be focused on what you're doing with what you do have
And if you're not being faithful with what you do have, why would God give you more?
You know, the Bible says very clearly that if you're not faithful in that which is least
You're also not gonna be faithful in that which is much and so according to the Bible
We should just be very good stewards of what we do have and then hope that God will bless us and give us more
But you know, it's kind of funny that if you have a lot ever you're given stuff that God will just continue to bless you
Now keep your finger here
I want to I want to go on this thought for a moment because I just like it
But go if you would to let's go to Acts chapter number five for a moment action number five
whenever you serve God and you do write the Bible teaches he'll just continue to give you more and
Sometimes people they'll get mad at you about what you have or what you're doing, but we should not want to fight against
people that are producing for God because the people that are producing for God God will just continue to give them even more and
Continue to bless them even more and the people that are fighting God will take away that what they have
So, you know you could see sometimes the rich get richer in a carnal sense
But also I believe in a spiritual sense those who are doing great things for the God. There's this like
compounding
Snowball effect where they're just gonna keep doing more and getting more and it just keeps going better and better
You know, like our church specifically if you think about it from day one
The amount of work and effort that we were able to accomplish was very little, you know
We're doing some work, but it's just it's very little then if you're faithful for a year
You get more people more soul winners and you can accomplish more and then if you're faithful with that then hey
God gives you even more people and more soul winners and you keep you just kind of keeps growing
But what you'll notice about churches often is churches actually grow faster the bigger they are
Which I'm not saying that's fair. I'm just gonna tell you that's fact though
Like if it's a lot easier to grow when you already have people in fact us pastors will often talk about this
That is very hard to get to a hundred people
It's very hard to get to a point where we have a hundred people, but then once you have a hundred people
It's like so much easier to grow
Because now you kind of have a little bit of every demographic you have you have people for people make friends
You have kids that can hang out with other kids and then it starts snowballing from there
Not only that when I talk about the work that we can accomplish we can go on bigger missions trips
We can put more people out there. We have more funds more assets
I mean if you look at a comparison of what our church did last year this time compared to now
We've had just an explosion of success
We have more people coming to church services than we've ever had
We have more soul winning than we've ever had more missions trips than we've ever had and you say like why?
Because he that is doing good like the person that's producing God will even give to him even more and the person that's not
Producing or not doing good many times God will even take that away from that person now the Bible says in Acts chapter number five
Look what it says in verse number 34
then stood there up one in the council a Pharisee named Gamaliel doctor of the law had in reputation among all the people and
Commanded to put the Apostles forth a little space and he said unto them ye men of Israel take heed yourselves
What you intend to do as touching these men for before these days rose up Thudas
Boasting himself to be somebody to whom a number of men about 400 joined themselves
Who was slain and all as many as obeyed him were scattered and brought to not so Gamaliel is bringing up this
Parable it's a real story, but he's bringing up kind of an analogy or metaphor saying hey
We should be careful
We do these Apostles because remember this one guy Thudius or Thudus this guy thought he was super special
He's praising himself four hundred people started following him
But then remember he got killed and everybody scattered and it just was total failure. They just failed hard
He's like we need to think about that like things are gonna inevitably take a certain course of action
Says in verse 37 after this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing and drew away much people after him
He also perished and all even as many as made him were dispersed and now I say unto you
Refrain from these men and let them alone for if this counsel or this work be of men
It will come to not but if it be of God he cannot overthrow it
Lest happily he be found even to fight against God and to him they agreed and when they called apostles and
Beaten them they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go
It is a similar story in Exodus where the Bible says the more that they afflicted them the more that they grew the more that
They multiplied and the more that they grew and we have to understand that those that are of God
It does not matter how much you fight against them or attack them or do evil to them
God can continue to bless them and give them more and those that are not producing those are not doing things
God can then come and take away that which they have. You know, we should learn from this. God is in control
God is on the throne. God gets to decide who is going to rise and who's going to fail
God is the one that's determining who's going to have more and who's going to have less and he that ears to hear
God will just give them so much more than they can even handle. He'll give them so they can have abundantly
He'll just keep giving them more and more and more and more and the person that's not of God
He'll just take away more and more away from that person and he'll just destroy that person because that person's not of God
Go to Romans chapter number eight go to Romans chapter number eight
You know instead of worrying about our environment or our own perception
We just need to make sure that we're right with God. God will take care of things
God will manage things when the person's right
God will make it evident and when the person's wrong, God will make it evident
We just have to believe in God and we need to follow God's commandments and we need to have ears to hear
It's not about the circumstance. It's not about what you think
It's about what the bible says and when you see what the bible is clearly saying you want to get on that program
You want to get on the program that's producing the fruit that the bible speaks of
That's talking about the things that the bible emphasizes and you know what god will give even more to that group
And the ones that aren't you know, he'll take away that which they have but we don't want to fight against god
Romans chapter number eight the bible says in verse 31
What shall we say or what shall we then say to these things if god before us?
Who can be against us? Who can be against us? Who can be against steadfast baptist church? No one
You know why because god is with us because we have the lord jesus christ on our side
Matthew 28 very clearly articulates that he is with us all the way unto the end
And lo i'm with you. I am with you jesus christ where two or three are gathered together in his name
There he is in the midst
And when we are following god's commandments and we are doing what god says and we're emphasizing what god is saying
Let me tell you something god is with us. No one can stop us
No one can defeat us
We will always get the victory for his name's sake and for his glory because he is our shield
He is our rock. He is our comforter. He is our protector
He is the one guiding us and leading us as long as we're following him
We can't lose and and so you should really be worried about this. Am I following this because as long as you're following Jesus
You will be successful and you know what you'll have even more. You know what I noticed people that decide
Hey, I'm not only saved. I want to get plugged into a good church and I don't want to get plugged into a good church
I want to go three times a week. Now. I want to go three times a week
I'm gonna start going soul-winning not only that I'm gonna start working hard at my job
And you know what? I'm gonna try and model my family off of what the Bible's saying
You know, I've noticed that after a year after a year after you're doing that
they just seem to get more blessed and more blessed and having more and more and more and good things are happening them generally speaking and
I see people that go on a different path that don't start going less to church
Less soul-winning less of these things end up just destroying their lives and we're talking about the worst ways
You can destroy your lives. I've seen it countless time
Countless time and it's just it's just it's just very frustrating and you know, it's not about us as an individual
It's not about our church specifically but it's about Jesus and it's about the church and it's about following God's commandments
And when you're doing that, you know what God is gonna bless you in your life
And when you're not there is gonna be negative consequences to people that go away from God's commandments
Good way to chapter 14 verse number four, you know
And instead of us worrying about what other people are doing we should always be concerned with what we're doing
We can't really affect other people. Hey the guy that has five talents
I sure hope he uses them for God, but I'm not him the guy that has one talent
Well, I hope he uses that to serve God, but I'm not him. Maybe you look at a guy that's ten talents
You're not him. Don't worry about them
We're about you and worry about what you're doing with your talents worry about what you're doing
With what God has blessed you with and let me tell you something if you're faithful with what you have
God will give you more and what I've noticed is that God can speed you up real fast if he wants
But you know, you usually don't get there just overnight it usually takes time and does take effort because he wants to see that
You're faithful, but God can speed you up real fast. Have you ever heard of Joseph?
He went from the prison to second command like that
I mean God could speed you up whenever he wants but you know when you take yourself out of the game
Then you sometimes he can't use you anymore
So you just have to stay in the game and be humble and just wait
You never know when that quarterback you never know when Brett Favre is gonna go down and then they're gonna put Aaron Rodgers in
You know what? I'll have to admit this Aaron Rodgers
I think his first game was against the Dallas Cowboys and I made fun of him
I thought he was a loser. All right, but he ended up being a great quarterback
He ended up being really good, you know
He's just got us he kind of just wait his time be a backup and then at the right moment
He comes in and he ends up being one of the best quarterbacks, you know of his generation
I'm not saying he's the best but I'm just saying he was on the bench
Nobody really cared about him and then his door finally opened his time finally came and sometimes when we serve God
We're just sitting there on the bench. We're just doing we're supposed to be doing we're waiting and then God's gonna open a door
And he's gonna give us so much more
But we shouldn't be worried about what other people are doing Romans chapter 14 look at verse 4 who art thou that judges another man?
Servant to his own mastery standeth or falleth. Yeah, you should be holding up for God is able to make him stand
You know, we shouldn't be going around judging other people
We should be concerned with ourselves go back to Matthew chapter 13 go to Matthew chapter number 13
You know the disciples are asking this question. Why are you speaking parables?
Because God doesn't dole out information truth or blessing
Fairly from a human perspective, you know from a communist perspective, it's just everybody gets the same thing every no, no, no not to God
Hey, you have ears to hear you get the gospel you get saved. Hey, not only that you're serving me
I'll give you a bunch of stuff. Hey, you're doing good that I'll give you even more and they'll just keep giving you more
He's gonna dole it things out indiscriminately at his own will and his own discretion
But you know what? He typically if you understand the Bible
He's doing it to people that are faithful and godly and doing what's right
And so we need to make sure and be careful that we're not worried about what other people are doing
We're worried about what we're doing. Hey, who cares if that guy does if this guy doesn't have ears to hear that's his problem
That's his fault, but I do have ears to hear so I'm gonna make sure that when I hear what God says
I'm gonna do it. We need to take personal
Responsibility for what God has given us and it's given unto us to know things you have to also realize that God
Operates his kingdom on the earth right now and secret in a sense mysteries those of us that are saved
It's like we have special vision where we can see things that no one else can see we we look at the world
Not only carnally we can look through
Spiritual glasses too and when we're reading our Bible and we're going to church and we're in tune with the spirit
It's like we can see a whole nother world that's out there
Whereas when we get really carnal and we go back to the flesh then we stop we start losing sight of that again
We've come blind again and we just basically go back to the way everybody else is an NPC a zombie a non-playable
Character basically, okay
And so we have to understand that God gives us the Bible too in a way where we have this secret code
There's a secret language to the Bible where those who are saved and spirit-filled
Understand things that other people don't understand and so that's how the Bible works
There's a there's a whole set of information and knowledge that you can only get if you're saved
And not only that typically you also have to be spirit-filled and be led of the spirit to even then get that wisdom on
top of that now he says in verse 13 therefore speak I to them in parables because
They seeing see not and hearing they hear not neither
They understand and in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah's which saith
By hearing you shall hear and shall not understand and seeing you shall see and shall not perceive
For this people's heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes
They have closed lest that any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should
Be converted and I should heal them. So Jesus is basically saying the Jews
Because they don't want to believe in Jesus Christ because they don't really love God because they actually hate the truth
God has blinded them and God has caused them to have a spiritual lack of
Understanding so that they hear what Jesus said and it doesn't make sense goes over their head now
You can see this in today not just through Jews, but also through Catholics and many unsaved people
Well, they'll read the Bible and they somehow just don't understand what it's saying
They'll read call no man on earth father and it's just like and then they'll just go up to father so-and-so
What does this mean? They'll say it'll say do not your arms before men and they'll be like hey
Do you think we should give a bunch of money to the poor and make a big announcement about it? Yeah
It's like hey when you fast
Don't be as the hypocrites which disfigure their faces and then they're gonna get black ash right now
And they're gonna put all over their forehead to try and let everybody know. Hey, I'm Mark Wahlberg
Here's my big black ash on my forehead to prove that I don't understand the Bible
If you want more proof that someone just doesn't understand the Bible
Find the nasty ash that they put on their face for no reason the Bible is literally forbidding it and then they're doing it
What it's it's spiritual blindness. It's like they read where Jesus and John chapter 6 where he's talking about eating his flesh and drinking his blood
They're like, oh man, you gotta really eat. We got to eat Jesus, man
It's like what you think people that are high on marijuana would think or something, you know, like on a drug high like
It's like that's how these people act when they are spiritually blind or a child, you know
Oftentimes child children do not understand metaphors or symbolism and you say something to them and they think it's literal or someone that doesn't
Understand the language think about someone that's new to English. You say it's raining cats and dogs and they're thinking like what are you talking about?
I didn't see any animals falling from the sky and it's because they don't understand that language
They don't understand that metaphor
They've never heard that being used and so it's confusing them in the same way these people that are unsaved
The Bible's words just make no sense to them and they're just dull of hearing they can't understand
It's just noise. It's just noise to them at this point
And so of course, this is similar to many people in the world today
But he says in verse 16 but blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears
for they hear for verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and
Have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them
So number one he's trying to point out had the saved understand things that the unsaved don't but additionally
For those at the time of Christ they had a special privilege and a blessing to see the miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ for themselves
You know the Old Testament saints had to think about Jesus through dark sayings
through all kinds of
Symbolism in the Old Testament so they had an idea they they knew that Christ would come they knew that Christ would pay for their sins
But they didn't fully understand what was gonna happen the disciples had the great blessing to see Jesus
literally perform miracles before their eyes and seeing the the blind receive their sight and
Seeing the dumb speak and the cripple walk and and just getting to experience those great blessings plus
They got to hear the Word of God expounded on by Jesus himself, which was a great blessing
they would have loved to have been able to see Jesus and to hear Jesus speak and for him to explain to them some of
these mysteries that are coming from the Bible and we should then also apply this to ourselves because
Many people have wanted to have the whole Bible in their hand that they could read and they haven't I mean throughout the ages
many men great men would have loved to have known the things that we know and to have read the
Epistles that we've read and to read the book of Revelation and to read all of these I mean Daniel
He was I guarantee he was sitting there thinking like can I please have the book of Revelation because this doesn't make sense to me
You know Daniel's version of the end times is way harder than the book of Revelation
John got a greater privilege to see those things in greater detail
They were a lot clearer and we having the New Testament in our tongue in the English language
We are so privileged to have this information. You know, be careful how you hear if you get this great privilege this great understanding
Hey, you better use it then we better take advantage of what God has blessed us with
Because he's given us a great blessing here
Now it says in verse number 18 hear you therefore the parable of the sower
When anyone here at the word of the kingdom and understand of the not then come at the wicked one and catch the way that
Which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the wayside
So, you know, you kind of understand like the context of a lot of these situations when Jesus is going to preach to the large crowds
He just only gives the parable and then when he's kind of alone or with his disciples
He explains it really clear. He just gives it really in plain speech
He'll just explain the parable to them and you know
Some things that we can learn from this too
Is that when we go out into the world and we're talking to the world at large
Sometimes we don't need to necessarily be as blunt as we need to be
Sometimes we can just speak to them in a way that gives them enough information that if they're interested
Hey, we'll explain it more. You know to me church is where we become blunt church is where it's like
Hey, let's make it plain now
Let's be really clear what we believe and of course that kind of causes a problem in the world today a little bit
Because we put our sermons on the internet
So then when we start getting really blunt and really playing with what we believe well unsafe people start hearing that and they get real
offended real fast but to me the the good outweighs the bad because we have members that can't make it and people online and
And you know just generally speaking we still reach a lot of people
So I like to put every single thing that we preach and teach online plus, you know
Eventually the Bible came out and even the Jews got the explanation from Jesus didn't they we all got to hear the plain blunt teaching
That's why they really hate the Bible. That's why they really wanted to kill Jesus when they finally figured out. Hey, I think this is about us
You know that we need to pass some anti-sympathism speech laws or something like that, right?
They get really offended but at the end of the day, you know, we need to preach the truth
But at the same time, you know when I go in a workplace situation when I'm talking to friends or co-workers
I don't have this need to persuade them of everything
I believe and to go into every detail and to try and talk about every nuance of our faith
You know to me it's better to focus on the big picture the big things try to get them saved
Try to win them over before I you know want to get into the nitty-gritty
And so you know you should use a little bit of discretion when you describe things to people now in this parable of the sower
I believe the correct way to look at this is that it's really everybody in the world
You kind of have four categories and the first category is unsaved the next three are all saved
So you kind of have like the unsaved now the unsaved
Generally speaking when it comes to the gospel being presented to them
It's it really doesn't matter how they rejected it. They just rejected it, right?
it doesn't matter if they got really close and rejected it or
Weren't that close and rejected it if you don't get saved. You're not saved. It's that simple, right?
But in general the whole world has the gospel sown to them in some way. They've gotten at least some seed
they've gotten at least some exposure to the gospel in some way and
And for many of them they even have the gospel inside of them. That's what the bible kind of teaches here
Did you notice in verse 19 when one when anyone heareth the word of the kingdom?
So they actually got the right word. They got the right message
It came unto them, but then they didn't understand it
Then what happens is the devil the wicked one comes and he catches away that which was sown in their heart
This is he which received seed by the wayside
So that bird is a picture of the devil and the seed is the word of god
Now keep your finger go to luke chapter 8 for a moment because I think that luke chapter 8 kind of helps us with
This specific one and getting some understanding of what it's trying to say
But we go out we preach the gospel to tons of people that don't get saved
I mean I go out all the time to this this evening
I gave the gospel very clearly to somebody for about 20 minutes and they did not receive it. They are pentecostal
They they got mad. They're saying oh you just like the comfort of once saved always saved. Yeah, I do
You just feel comfortable that no matter what you do, you're still gonna be saved. Yeah
Oh, you just you just you just think it's so comforting that you could go out and drink and smoke and and whatever and you'd still
Go to heaven. I said well, you know, I don't I wouldn't feel comfortable because I would still receive a lot of punishment
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but you just feel comfortable because you're going to have sure but you know, I'm not sitting
I'm not super motivated to go do those things. He's telling me
Oh, there's this one guy know that you know
I got busted for drugs and now he's in prison and then he lost his marriage and all this stuff and he's like
But he was this pastor's trying to comfort him with going to heaven and I'm like
Well, but who would want to go to jail and lose their family and lose their house
And I mean like is that not at least some motivation to not sin and it's just like ignore ignore that no
No, you just want that comfort of eternal life, man
Yeah, because I'm gonna go to heaven now. I want to do drugs, right? No that that's that's a silly argument
There's plenty of people that don't want to do drugs that aren't even saved
One of my bosses old bosses was a Mormon and he gave up Mormonism
He said it was a complete false religion
But he said you know what I hate drugs because they think it's bad and it hurts you and it harms you and it ruins
Your life. So here's someone's not saved but just recognizes drugs are bad. Okay, I mean and we should realize hey
There's still a carnal punishment. There's still a consequence
Plus the Bible literally says about those who are saved the Lord
Whom the Lord loveth he chastened it and scourged with every son whom he receiveth
So according to the Bible you're pretty much guaranteed and locked in to suffer consequences when you sin as a saved person
I'm not motivated to sin just because I won't go to hell now
Yeah, is it comforting to know when I do screw up and when I do do wrong that I am still saved
Yeah, but let me be honest with you. I'll just be really honest if I got
Involved with criminal organizations and was busted for drugs and was gonna rot in prison for the rest of my life
And you came up to me and just said well at least you're saved man
I wouldn't feel that much comfort in that I'd be like I'd ruin my life
I would be very upset and I already know I'm saved and I'm not saying that that isn't some level of comfort
But I'm just saying in general that wouldn't be that comforting to me
I'd be like but I'm still gonna be in prison. Yeah, you're still gonna eat slop for the rest of your life
Yeah, you're still gonna have to be around criminals and do all this. Yeah, I would be like well
That's not very that's not very comforting for me now, right?
So look just because salvation is a free gift does not motivate me to live a wicked life
And of course this person it's not that they didn't understand what I was saying is they didn't like what I was saying
They just didn't like what I was saying, but you know, it was being sown. It was more seed being sown
I showed him plenty of verses. I showed him John 3 16 and Acts 16
so it's going into his heart, but what can happen look at Luke chapter number eight and
This is a this is the same thing but look at verse 12 those by the wayside are they that hear then come of the devil and
Take away the word out of their hearts
Lest they should believe and be saved
So notice the devil wants to take this away because he knows if they believed it
They would get saved the guy talked to this evening if he decides, you know what? I think that's actually true
I think it is actually a free gift. Yeah, it is one saved always saved. Yeah, it is what that guy was telling me
Yeah, John 3 16 really doesn't mean that and he believed he'd get saved
but you know what the devil wants to do is he wants him to go back to his Pentecostal Church and
want some devil to come and lie to him to where he forgot what I said and confuse him and take away that
Seed that was sown lest he believe and get saved go back to mark chapter number 13
And this is the devil's goal
Our goal is to go out and to preach the gospel and to reap and to reap meaning we get them saved
whereas the devil's goal is to come behind us reap behind us sowing to those that didn't get reaped and
Try to pluck that's that seed that was sown and try to
Distract them and confuse them and cause them not get it
Of course
It says that in Matthew 13 says of verse number 19
When anyone here at the word of the kingdom and understand of the knot because if you understood it you would get saved no one that truly
Understands. Oh, it's a free gift and I need to just accept Christ right now and get it
No one that fully understands that would not want to believe in Jesus Christ and not get saved the reason why
Because they're still confused. They still don't get it
They still don't want to accept Christ for whatever reason and of course the devil then prays on them for having decided not to believe
Not to be humble enough not to accept it
Verse 20 but he that received the seed in the stony place is the same as he that here at the word and anon
With joy receiving it. So it's saying immediately immediately he gets saved
So there's people that when they they hear the gospel clearly presented they just get saved right there on the spot
So the first category is just everything doesn't get saved everything got saved. They heard the word at some point
They didn't get it
They didn't want to get it and the devil came and took that away
The second group is essentially those who did get it
But here's the problem with these people is it says in verse 21 yet
He hath no root in himself
But dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word by and by he is offended
The phrase by and by means immediately. Okay, so he's just saying this is someone
That is so soft that they can't take any verse. They can't take anything in the Bible
That's negative and you have Christians like that. There are Christians out there that they hear something negative and there's immediately turned off
they're immediately not wanting to hear it they they show up at church and
They just don't like the environment and they're immediately offended. I remember someone told me that they
visited fundamental Baptist Church with their family and
specifically their mom and all the ladies were dressed in dresses and skirts and she was wearing pants and
So she was immediately offended and she said I never want to come back to that church and I said well
Did the preacher preach on it? No, did anybody say anything? No, everybody's really friendly, but it just made them uncomfortable
So just just being in that environment just immediately made them uncomfortable just because they they just they didn't like that
I mean imagine just how many people and we've had it showed up at one of our church services when we had
Protesters and just didn't come they just saw the protesters and just immediately gone or they hear about it gone
Or they look us up online
They're like they got saved and they're excited and they type in Steadfast Baptist Church, and they're like ah never going there
They almost if they could give back the salvation they would but they can't they're just like ah man those people got me saved
Huh, you know, but they're just immediately offended and yet they're still saved
They could never serve God they could be the nine. Where are the nine that never came back to say thank you
Well, they're in heaven. That's where they're at. They just don't have any rewards, but they got they got saved and think about it
This is like you literally just you're scattering seed and an area where it's mostly rocks
Well a little little sprout comes up, but then it's never gonna actually produce fruit. It's never gonna become a tree
It's never gonna do anything because those rocks are just there and it just immediately can't survive
And so it just it just does nothing. This is the vast majority of Christianity
The vast majority of Christianity will get saved and do nothing for God
They won't come to church. They won't get baptized. They won't dress right. They won't really read their Bible
They won't really do much for God at all
The vast majority of Christianity is this camp and if you really think about this funnel
We're just we said just like a huge funnel of the human population
The vast majority of people just not even saved and then when you funnel way down
Then you have that next largest group which are those who get saved but don't want to do anything for God
Then you funnel down to the next level which is essentially verse 22
He also that receives eat among the thorns is he that here at the word and the care of this world the seatfulness of
Riches choke the word and it become of unfruitful. The third group is those who stick it out for a while
So, you know they start wearing the dresses and the skirts they start reading the Bible
They flipped off the protesters or whatever. They came in, you know, basically they they got plugged in a little bit
They started coming a little bit and they're they're like
Hey soul-winning sounds kind of cool, but the problem is in their heart
They still have some thorns which are what the cares of this world the deceitfulness of riches and they're choking this plant
So it's just like that again that plant is sprouted up. It's growing. It's doing fine
But it's environments bad for it because there's other plants there with thorns and it's choking it
It's causing it not to get enough nutrients. And so as a result, it's in the not gonna producing fruit again
This is the next largest group that you have you have the vast majority not saved the next group immediately offended the next group
They're just too consumed with things of the world
Carnal pleasures the cares of this life and they just don't last
They don't last or they just stay in the thorny patch of life and they go to a thorny Baptist Church
Okay, or not the nominational church where they're gonna basically do virtually nothing for God then you have the final last group
This is the small small tiny group of Christians that are saved and it says in verse number
23 but he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it which also
Beareth fruit and bring it forth some a hundredfold some sixty some thirty
So this is the people that end up becoming soul winners and they actually go out and they actually preach the gospel and they get people
Saved now go back to Luke chapter 8 because I like how this is worded in Luke chapter 8 as well
But this is how to understand the parable of the sower and Jesus made it really clear to us Luke chapter number 8
Look at verse number
15 but that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart?
Having heard the word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience
So if you understand the parable the ground is your heart the soil is your heart
Of course without a humble heart you'll never even get saved in the first place
You had to first receive that word and allow it to germinate and to spring up and that was that salvation
But some hearts still have a lot of stones in them and that's where God wants us to die daily
He wants us to break up that foul of ground
He wants us to get out those stones in our lives so that we could end up
Producing fruit and we need to get those thorns out
We have to get both out if we want to end up producing fruit and those who have a good heart are the ones that produce
Some 30 some 60 some 100 I guess God likes numbers. He's saying some soul winners get 30 saved in a season
Some get 60 saved in a season some get a hundred saved in the season and the vast majority get nothing saved in a season
right and
Who is the person that gets people saved the one that has a good heart? It's about your heart
Where is your heart is your heart in money is your heart and being offended or is your heart in the things of God and?
The person's heart and the things of God is gonna get people saved
Just fact the person that follows Jesus Christ will be a fisher of men and he will he will he will win souls
He will gather people unto himself
And so you want to know who are the people in this world that have good hearts show me the soul winners now
Of course go back. This is what a lot of people want to turn this into they think that the fruit here is the fruit of the
Spirit which is mentioned in Galatians chapter number five
But I would love that I would love to understand how someone can have a hundred joy or sixty gentleness in a season
Oh, man, I produced sixty gentleness this season. It was great
In fact, if you think about it that second group was the one that's going after the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches
He might actually be working really hard to make a lot of money this season
And if you ask him, he might actually seem really happy like on the outward if you went to talk to this guy
He's like my life's never been better. It's going great
I got a new car and it's like man the fruits are just really stemming, you know, cuz I've just I got all this happiness
I got all this joy. You know, that's not the fruit the Bible's talking about the fruit of the Bible's talking about is souls of men
Going to heaven. Otherwise, what would be the point of all of us Christians just going around just like hundred joy
What does that accomplish? I just had 60 gentleness today. I had 30 temperance, you know, what does that even mean?
It's meaningless. It's meaningless and it's not what the Bible's really talking about. You want to talk about a good heart?
It's someone that cares enough to get someone saved. That's the good heart. Someone to get 30 saved, 60 saved, 100. Now again,
it's a season. It's not saying your whole life because we're gonna all go through seasons.
You know, if you're a faithful soul winner, you're gonna produce fruit multiple seasons. You could do this multiple times a year,
multiple years for the rest of your life. God willing, you'll just constantly be producing fruit.
But you know what? The person is producing fruit. He doesn't care about the cares of this life.
He doesn't care about the deceitfulness of riches, and he doesn't care about being offended.
He doesn't care about being persecuted. He doesn't care about his reputation.
He just wants to get people saved. The person that cares about the reputation,
the person that cares about the normal things of life, the cares of this life, what? Family.
I mean the Bible says he that loveth father or son, father or daughter, more than me, is not worthy of me.
If you love father or mother or son or daughter, some people only care about their family.
And look, I'm not a down on family. I love family.
But let me tell you something, that's not the reason why we're here.
The reason why we're here is to get people saved.
And that's the spiritual family that we're supposed to care about, okay?
And there's a lot of people that care so much about everything that the Bible doesn't say
to care about, not the things of God.
I mean, the harvest truly is plentiful, but the labors be few.
We're not talking about...
It's the few, the few that are the ones that are going to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
Not the many.
We say the many don't get saved, the less get offended easily, even less they were
on the right path but allowed something to get them off.
And then of course the few are out there actually doing the work, getting a lot of people saved.
And the guy that's getting a hundred saves, you know what?
He's going to get even more.
He's going to be super blessed by God.
He's going to just keep getting more and more and more and more and more.
And the guy that's doing nothing, he's going to lose what God even gave him.
I don't want to be that guy.
When you chase after money, he'll take it from you.
When you chase after souls, he'll give you that and the money anyways.
I'm just trying to be honest with you.
I've seen it with tons of different people.
Your lives just go down track when they're chasing after those things.
Or maybe he'll give you the money, but he'll take away your family.
Or he'll take away that hundred joy you thought you were getting.
I'd rather get the hundred people saved because that's joy every time I get someone saved
anyways.
It says in verse number 24, "Another parable putteth forth unto them, saying, 'The kingdom
of heaven is likened to a man which sowed good seed in his field, but while men slept,
his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
So the servants of the household came and said unto him, 'Sir, is not thou so good
seed in my field?'
From whence then hath the tares?'
He said unto them, 'An enemy hath done this.'
The servants said unto him, 'Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?'
But he said, 'Nay, lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with
them.
Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the
the reapers, gather together first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but
gather the wheat into my barn."
Now let's skip ahead because he kind of brings up a couple other things and then later gives
the explanation.
Let's just go straight to the explanation for this one.
He says a little bit later, look at verse number 37.
So in verse 36 they're asking about the parable of the tares of the field.
Verse 37, "He answered and said to them, 'He that soweth the good seed is the son of man.
The field is the world.
The good seed are the children of the kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked
one.
The enemy that sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers
are the angels.
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of
this world.
The son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all
things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire
that should be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the son in the kingdom of their father, who hath
ears to hear, let him hear.
So he gives the explanation a little bit later in this chapter, and so we don't have to
wonder what these things represent.
The person sowing good seed, Jesus, the son of man.
The person that sows the tares, the devil.
The tares are children of the devil.
The seed is the children of God, the children of the Lord, and so he's kind of showing
like, if you think about that parable that came and said like, "Didn't you sow good
seed?"
This is what people always often accuse God of, they're like, "Well, if God exists then
why is there bad?"
Because of the devil, he didn't sow any bad seed, he only sowed good seed.
It was someone else that sowed wicked seed, it was the devil.
This also helps you understand in Genesis when the Bible talks about how there's going
to be enmity between him and his seed, and the serpent and his seed.
We're talking about the enmity between Jesus and the devil, and then those that are the
children of God, and then the children of the devil, that's what it's talking about.
Not a physical, literal child, okay? There is a weird serpent seed doctrine out there.
If anybody brings that up, run away from this person, okay? They're weird and creepy, okay?
It usually goes into this reptilian doctrine, too, and they think that there's like half-breeds
and human-alien things going on. Just ignore these people, okay? They're weird and they
watch too much YouTube, alright? It's a spiritual thing. Someone that's a child of the devil
is spiritually the child of the devil and they become reprobate. So children of God
are born again, children of the devil die that way. So it's called twice dead. They
weren't born that way, they died that way, okay? So no one became a fag born that way,
they died that way, okay? They died that way because they hate the gospel and they rejected
it twice in a sense and so now they're damned and now they're a child of the devil, okay?
And as a child of the devil, they are just evil and wicked. Now you have to ask yourself
this question, like why does God allow these people to exist? He kind of gives an explanation.
Lest the wheat gets rooted up with them. And I think we have to understand is when you
back evil people into a corner, well, when they have nothing to live for or nothing to
lose, then they become very dangerous individuals. And so in a sense, he's basically, I believe
trying to say if you try to just get rid of every evil person, a lot of good people would
die in the process. Because a lot of good people will be the ones that are there actually
trying to do the work, trying to actually accomplish this task. A lot of them are going
to perish. And we're not really here to wrestle against flesh and blood. We're here to fight
a spiritual battle. So instead of going out and trying to wrangle evil people physically
and try to preserve a physical posterity in the earth, we're here to save people's souls
by preaching the gospel and getting people saved. So, you know, instead of me worrying
about gathering up people physically and trying to preserve our physical earth, I should
be worried more about just getting people saved and being a soul winner and going out
and fighting with the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, and going out and
preaching the gospel and just ignoring the tares, staying away from the tares, and wanting
nothing to do with the tares. Now, the tares will eventually get dealt with. The Bible
says at the end, they'll be bound together, they'll be thrown into hell, and those who
are saved will be gathered into his barn. It says that the tares are gathered first.
Did you notice that? That they're bound first. I think there's kind of two ways to look at
that. Number one, you could look at this as just completely in times in the sense of it's
literally at the millennial reign of Christ, and he just first deals with the wicked and
throws them into the lake of fire. That's one way to look at it. Another way I think
you could look at it is maybe it's describing the mark of the beast, because if you think
about it, the mark of the beast is identifying and gathering together all the wicked and
the reprobate, and they're basically kind of bound in a sense prior to the rapture or
us as Christians being gathered together.
I think either those are valid ways to look at this as why you have the tares being gathered
prior to, but essentially you have the good and the bad, they're going to be severed,
the wicked are going to be thrown in the lake of fire, the righteous are going to be inheriting
the kingdom of God with Jesus Christ and ruling for a thousand years.
So again, these kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God parables can have a couple different
explanations based on the context, because in some ways it's talking about getting saved.
And of course that's how you get into the kingdom.
But then it's also just describing the kingdom in general and its true Christianity and what's
going to come in the future.
But we live in true Christianity, we're part of that kingdom, we're citizens of that kingdom
right now and we're doing the work of that kingdom by going out and preaching the gospel
and trying to get more people into the kingdom.
We have the keys to the kingdom and we have that passageway of opening the door by preaching
the gospel to people and helping them enter into the kingdom with us, that spiritual kingdom.
So that's what we're constantly doing and that's what we're living in is that kingdom
of heaven.
Now it says in verse 31, "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, 'The kingdom
of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which
indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs,
and becomeeth the tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches
thereof.'"
Now, for sake of time, I can't go through all this in great detail, but I'm just going
to give you this really quick.
I believe what it's trying to say is that Christianity will become the most dominant
religion in the world, which is exactly what happened.
Christianity spread over all the world.
And if you really understand kind of just history in a big picture perspective, Christians
and those who are saved are often building society.
They're building the civilized world.
And then you have evil reprobate people coming in, cockroaches coming and infesting it and
pushing those Christians out somewhere else.
And then they rebuild society.
And then the cockroaches follow them.
And really you can kind of see this in Matthew 24 that the Bible clearly teaches that the
gospel is going to be preached into all the world and then the end shall come.
I believe if you understand history, Christianity is spread over the whole world.
You see the Christianity going into India, going into Asia, going into the Mongolian
Empire, going into Japan, going into all these regions, going into Africa, going into North
America, going into South America, and at this point we've pretty much gotten to a point
where Christianity has reached the whole world at some point in human history.
At some point the gospel has been delivered and traveled to and taken to all these regions
and now we've run out of geography in a sense.
And there's nowhere for Christians to go, so what's going to happen, well the end's
going to come.
Because when the cockroaches come, well there's nowhere else for us to go.
That's my big picture understanding of this, but notice even in Christianity the birds
of the air are able to lodge in it.
Lots of people get to enjoy the benefits of Christianity, it's called America.
Why do you think so many people want to live in America?
Because of the blessing of the gospel, because the blessing of Christianity.
We built our nation on Christian principles, on the Bible, on the gospel, and because
of that we have this great prosperous nation, and that's why so many people literally live
in the branches of America.
And people have benefited from the benefits of America.
I mean, without America, South Korea wouldn't exist, folks.
Without America, many people in Africa would be dying of starvation and without water and
without nutrition.
Without America, a lot of places would not exist or not have the luxuries and the benefits
that they have today.
In fact, if America didn't really exist, Europe might be Germany, whether you like
that or not.
Now, some people would think, like, that sounds like that was the right plan.
I don't agree with this, okay, but I'm just telling you that America is a tree and many
people are getting to enjoy that tree and are getting to enjoy the benefits of America
even existing.
And it's not because of America, it's because of Christianity.
It's a tight coupling, but you have to understand that it is because of Christianity.
Now, we've had a lot of people subvert this in the last hundred years and America's done
a lot of evil in the last hundred years, so don't hear me wrong.
It's not that I don't understand those points, but I'm just saying, in general, America's
also done a lot of good.
Read about the Hungarian Revolution and read about Americans and America specifically bringing
all kinds of refugees from communism and a lot of evil that's happened in the world.
I mean, America, because of the gospel and because of Christianity, has blessed a lot
of people.
Verse 33 of the Bible says, "Another parable spake ye unto them, 'The kingdom of heaven
is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole
was leaven.'"
So again, the gospel was like, oh, you got the apostle Paul just going out, and it's
the few apostles, and then pretty soon it's the predominant religion in the entire world.
And it's just like that little bit of leaven and a piece of bread, it spreads everywhere,
and how the gospel message spread everywhere.
Think about when this is being spoken.
At the time that this is being spoken, Christianity, in a sense, doesn't really exist.
You have the religion of the Jews, which is an Old Testament religion.
New Testament Christianity does not exist at all when Jesus is saying this.
And then shortly after, in the next few centuries, Christianity will be the dominant religion
in the world.
That's amazing if you think about it.
I mean, imagine somewhere in some random place in the world right now having no success and
then becoming the most predominant religion in the entire world.
That's powerful.
And it's because the gospel is that powerful.
Now it says in verse 34, "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitudes and parables
and without a parable spaking not unto them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by the prophets, saying, I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things which have
been kept secret from the foundation of the world, then Jesus sent the multitude away."
So we already read this next section, we'll skip down, it says in verse number 44, "Again
the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden afield, the which when a man hath found he
hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field."
So this is like, hey, when you find out that the Bahamas is super, super ripe, you like
don't tell anybody and then you go back and you're like, "I'm going to get a bunch of
people saved."
Now, of course, that's a little selfish, so we tell lots of people, but let me tell you
something, there's hidden treasure in the Bahamas.
There is hidden treasure in the Bahamas and it's not the gold pot somewhere under the
rainbow.
No, no, no, it's souls that are just ready for the plucking.
It's people that are ready to just get saved and you know what, that is what we should
really be focusing.
He's saying, "Man, if you just really understood the treasure that exists on this earth today,
you wouldn't be worried about laying up treasure on earth because you wouldn't care about that.
You'd be selling your treasure on earth to get more spiritual treasure, heavenly treasure,
getting more people saved."
You know, someone like Vangus or Bannock going to the Philippines and just gathering all
kinds of spiritual treasure unto himself because he recognizes the value and the importance
of spiritual treasure.
And let me tell you something, we need more soul winners and more missionaries and more
people that need spiritual heaven, spiritual treasures than the earthly treasures of today.
Hey, if you actually could see with those spiritual eyes, you would just, that's what
I want.
Verse 45, again, the kingdom of heaven is likened to a merchant man seeking goodly pearls
who when he had found one pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Now again, it's funny because this is the name of the book of Mormons.
So if you know anything about Mormon religion, they have the pearl of great price.
Who's heard about that?
There's a book that they have.
They're basing it off of this.
It's because they believe this is talking about getting saved.
And so they're trying to say like, oh yeah, you know, salvation is this great pearl that
we have to work our whole lives for and hope that we obtain.
Because even, and this is what's really sad for Mormons.
They think if they give everything up, they dedicate their entire life to Mormonism and
they follow all the commandments almost perfectly, they still aren't even sure if they're going
to be saved.
It's like, then even after all that we've done, you know, now, of course, in a sense,
they think they're saved because they think everybody's saved.
But I'm just saying they don't think they're going to achieve the highest goal because
they just can't quite know.
But they use this parable and twist it about salvation rather than what?
Getting people saved.
Isn't it funny?
They go out, they come to see and land and make a proselyte and they make them twofold
more the child of hell than themselves.
And they don't even understand this whole parable.
Why?
Because it's not given unto them to understand these things because they didn't have the
heart to receive the simple free gospel.
And because of that, they're blinded and they can't hear and they can't see.
And in fact, even if you come to a Mormon and you start talking to them, if you start
making sense, they'll run away.
I've had it happen multiple times and I've even asked them about it and they'll admit
it.
They are taught in their churches, "Hey, if someone's starting to evangelize you and
proselytize you and it starts making sense, that's the devil."
And they'll tell you, "You need to run away from that person."
And I've literally seen it a few times where I was talking to somebody and they started
clicking and they started making it.
And they're like, "We have to go."
And they just immediately just end the conversation and run away.
And I'm just thinking like, "Whoa."
I talked to another Mormon and he's like, "I know you're not of God.
You must be of the devil because you're trying to compel me to believe what you believe."
And I'm just thinking like, "Yeah, I am.
I am trying to show you how to be saved."
I mean think about how much of a demonic religion that is to try and basically say, "Hey, when
it makes sense, it's lies."
No, nope.
God is not the author of confusion.
That's the devil.
You know, even Catholics, I had a Catholic lady in the airport telling me point blank
to my face.
She says, "Transubstantiation does not make sense and it will never make sense.
We just have to believe it."
And I was thinking like, "No, you don't.
You know why it doesn't make sense?
Because it's nonsense."
Like, how could you differentiate between nonsense and something that doesn't make sense
if your criterion is, "We just have to believe nonsense."
You know, God doesn't ask us to believe nonsense, praise God.
He's reasonable and it's logical and it fits with our reality.
Yeah, do we have to believe in miracles?
Sure, but those miracles actually still match our reality and our world and the things that
we see today.
Hey, does it take faith to believe that the whole world was flooded?
Sure.
Is it also true that every single continent has flood legends?
Yeah.
Is it also true that if you just look at the topography of the earth, it looks like a giant
flood, literally compass the entire earth?
Yep.
Is it true that basically all of mankind is disseminated from that part of the world where
Noah and his family got off the ark?
Yep.
I mean, do we literally even have a place in the world today that's called Noah's Ark
in the mountains of Ararat?
Yes, we do.
I mean, it's not like we're just asked to believe something like these aliens came and
they're literally phatons or something and you have to do these counseling sessions to
get them out of your brain or there's some spaceship on the dark side of the moon that
we all have to drink poison Kool-Aid and then we'll get to it.
That's nonsense.
Okay, God's word, sure, it does take faith.
You know, we're not putting faith in nonsense and things that are unreasonable.
We're putting our faith in things that are clearly seen.
And at the same time, they're clearly demonstrated in the most popular book in human history.
That's, if you think about it, kind of easy to believe.
Hey, the most popular book in human history, the best literature that's ever been written,
known to man, the one that tells me everything that I'm ever going to think and do, that's
the one I have to believe in?
Yeah.
Not the one that's hidden with a bunch of cult-following weirdos that marry underage
girls and are living in Utah by themselves.
No, you don't have to believe in Mormonism.
You can believe in the word of God.
Now, when it talks about that great pearl of great price or whatever, that pearl of
great price, this is the souls in this world that we could gather.
And he's saying, if you actually understood that, you would sell all that you have and
you would go and you would try to get those pearls of great price.
Go out there and get someone's soul saved, which is far beyond any earthly human value
of money.
Now, it says in verse number 47, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is likened to a net
that was cast into the sea and gathered of every kind, which when it was full, they drew
to shore and sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
So shall it be at the end of the world, the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked
from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing
and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus saith unto them, "Have you understood all these things?"
They say unto him, "Yea, Lord."
So notice, hey, you can understand the Bible.
Verse 52, "Then saith he unto them, Therefore, every scribe which is instructed in the kingdom
of heaven is likened to a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things
new and old."
You know, at this time, they only have the Old Testament, but you know what?
You could pull out the New Testament teachings from the Old Testament.
And those that were saved at that time were using the Old Testament to get people saved.
If you read Acts, you see that the Ethiopian eunuch was saved in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah.
And we see that those scribes instructed in the kingdom of God, they're able to pull out
both old and new from the Word of God.
And you know, we should be able to pull out New Testament teachings from the Old Testament.
And we should be able to pull out both old and new.
And you know, as a preacher, we should be pulling out the old doctrines in new ways.
That's a great way to preach the Bible.
Verse 53.
"And it came to pass that when Jesus had finished his parable, he departed thence.
When he's come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, and it was so much
that they were astonished, and said, 'Whence hath this man this wisdom in these mighty
works?
Is not this the carpenter's son?
Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas, and
his sisters?
Are they not all with us?
Whence then hath this man all these things?
And they were offended in him, but Jesus said unto them, The prophet is not without honor,
save in his own country, in his own house, and he did not many mighty works there because
of their unbelief.
Now, again, it's funny 'cause not only were the Jews offended, the Catholics were offended,
'cause he had brothers and sisters.
Hey, isn't this the guy with brothers and sisters?
Can't be Jesus.
But you know what?
Jesus had brothers and sisters.
And, you know, Mary's not a virgin.
It's okay.
She was.
She just isn't.
Okay?
She was, but she isn't.
And you know what?
Catholics immediately offended.
All kinds of people are immediately offended.
You know?
Because Jesus is real.
He's a real person.
And you know, he's saying, if you didn't believe in Jesus, think about this.
If you didn't believe in Jesus, how much less are you going to believe in a normal guy that's
of God?
You know, the real preachers of God's Word and the real men of God are never going to
be respected of their own country, are never going to be respected of their own house.
You know, it shouldn't be like a huge shock that my whole family isn't here.
And I think that's done on purpose.
Because if my whole family was here, you'd think like, well, of course you're here.
It's your brother.
It's your son.
It's your dad or whoever, you know, whoever it is.
It's like, of course you're there to support them because you're just related.
But you know, that's just not how the things of God work.
It wasn't Jesus' brother in following around, it was random people that were following around.
Plus he was the carpenter's son, meaning you could come from basically nothing, just from
a humble home, a humble upbringing, and be greatly used of God.
God uses people from wherever they're at, from a humble beginning, hey, you just work
with your hands, that is not stopping you from being the greatest Christian of all time.
Just the carpenter's son, just a lowly blue collar worker could be greatly used of God.
But you know you have to do something, you have to submit yourself to the word of God.
You have to dedicate yourself, hey, I'm going to start going to church three times a week,
I'm going to start reading the Bible, I'm going to start memorizing the scripture, hey,
when the door opens, I'm going to take that opportunity, I'm going to use it, and I'm
going to do great things for God.
I'm not here to chase the pearls of this world, I'm sold all those so that I can get this
pearl of great price in the spiritual kingdom of God.
And at the end of the day, you know, don't think that you're going to be highly respected
where you're at.
That should be an encouragement to want to go on a missions trip.
And I'll just be honest with you, going on a missions trip, people treat you different.
People treat you different that are also American.
Like if we, when we go on a missions trip, we'll have people from other churches show
up and they're like, "Hey, Pastor Shelley, thanks for having me on the trip.
This is such a blessing.
This is so great to see you.
This is awesome.
Thank you so much."
The person from my church, "Where's the juice?"
You're like, "Hey, nice to see you too."
It's like, hey, someone from another church, they're just like, "Oh, you're so awesome
and they're so nice and they're so respectful because they're not used to you," right?
Or they hear you preach and they're like, "That was great," whereas everybody else is
like, "Meh.
It's just Pastor Shelley.
We know him.
This guy plays golf," or whatever.
It's just because familiarity breeds contempt.
The more you hear something, the less you realize how special it is.
And so sometimes you just have to get out of your own environment to realize how special
things are.
To say like, "Hey, you know, maybe I do have a good preacher.
Why don't you just go to some of these other churches for a little while and then realize
what you have here?"
You know, I'm not that worried about it, okay?
It's like these really nice restaurants, they're not worried that you try McDonald's out or
whatever.
They're like, "Oh, no.
He went to McDonald's.
Whoo!"
It's like sometimes you got to go to McDonald's and remember like what a good burger is.
Some of you might not even realize how great a cook your wife is.
Go to fast food and you're like, "Whoa!"
Okay?
You know, sometimes it's just familiarity causes us to not realize what we have.
And so that's just the reality that, you know, if you go out and you knock on doors in this
area, people are just like, "Ugh, steadfast, ugh."
You go to these foreign countries, they're like, "Whoa!
You're from a Baptist church?
You're from America?
I want to hear what you have to say."
And you're just thinking like, "This is weird, I'm just here, I just did an invite."
Like, okay.
I'm just telling you, go to foreign countries, go to other places.
People will treat you differently.
And it's funny.
So why not use that privilege?
You know, if you've never been, I just can't recommend it enough.
Go to a foreign country, sometimes preach the gospel, it's a lot of fun.
You know, I'm not really recommending Israel, it's probably not the best.
But if you do it, hey, get someone saved.
Maybe it's like an extra star bonus point or something.
I don't know how it works.
At the end of the day, you know, you're usually just not that respected where you're at.
So just get used to it.
Just don't expect people to think that you're special where you're at.
It's just not going to happen.
You know, serving God isn't for the fame, not for the money, it's not for the carnal
world.
It's for the spiritual blessings that you get, and you get them through faith.
But let me tell you, when you serve God, He's going to give you more than you wanted anyways.
People that I know, they're just dedicating themselves to God, He just keeps giving them
more and blessing them more and just giving them more.
And we'll see God continue to bless us as we follow Him.
So let's close in prayer.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, so much for these great parables and these great instructions
that you're giving just to us.
You're giving us special wisdom.
You know, it's for us to hear, us that are soul winners, us that care about the Bible.
I pray that we wouldn't allow the stones in our lives to come in and stop us from serving
God, that we would just get rid of them so we would not be offended.
I pray that if we have any thorns that are springing up trying to stop us and choke us,
any cares of this world or deceitfulness of riches, that we would just pluck up those
thorns and get rid of them.
And I pray that you would help us to have just gentle and soft and good hearts so that
we could get many people saved every season, that we continue to be steadfast and realize
the importance of the kingdom of God in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
All right.
For our last song, we're going to go to song number 375.
It's a good way to end it.
Work for the night is coming, 375.