Looks like a little bit of a sparse crowd tonight.
It's probably that traffic.
Looks like you're all seated.
If you go ahead and grab a hymnal, we'll go ahead and get started.
We're starting song number 44, Will Work, Till Jesus Comes.
Song number 44, Sing It Out Nice and Loud, Will Work,
Till Jesus Comes, Song Number 4.
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 he can preach and 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
Thanks for coming to St. Vas Baptist Church.
If you didn't already get a bulletin or you need another one,
just lift your hand real high real quick
and we'll get you a bulletin.
On the front, we have our Bible memory passage.
And then on the inside, we have our service time,
soul winning times, church stats.
Keep up the great work on our soul winning.
Then on the right, we have a list of expecting ladies.
Please be in prayer for those who are expecting.
Our upcoming events, our kids' choirs 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.
We are excited about that marathon. Please pray that it goes smoothly
We have a Spanish breakfast this upcoming Sunday morning and then
Evangus 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 Evangus 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 going to happen next Saturday, March the 15th.
That's going to be in the Azel area. Brother Ibanic is organizing that and so
they're going to 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 Sunday that Sunday so not this Sunday but the next we're going to have
a barbecue luncheon and so
We're excited. We'll be celebrating again with the Urbanix 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 going to be our March 2nd, March 22nd.
And then down below is some church reminders.
There is a sign up sheet out here in the four year
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 good 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 naeems have you been pray for
their grandmother, pray for the Carlson's mother, continue to pray for the Miller's
friend's mother, also pray for the Scots for both brother Horace and Miss Grace,
and their health, continue to pray for the Garcia and brother Tony's health.
Continue to pray for brother Foley and his fiance.
We're also praying for the Good Winds friend, Miss Sarah.
We've been praying for brother Nick's mother
and his coworker.
I've been praying for brother Billy which he had a praise report about his co-worker there and then also
We've 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 a stroke and then if you pray for brother
Jared's 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.
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 soul-winning 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. Amen.
That's pretty much all I have as far as announcements. Go ahead and sing our Psalm of the week, Psalm 11. It's in our special binders
So if you get out our Psalm binders, Psalm 11
All right, that is Psalm chapter 11
I know I'm not the only one that loves this one, so I'll expect y'all to sing real loud. All right
As the offering plates are going around would you please turn to your bibles to Matthew chapter number 13
Matthew chapter number 13
Matthew 13, the Bible read.
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 his ship and sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
And he spake many things into them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow, and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them 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,
some in a hundredfold.
Some sixty-fold some thirty-fold who at the 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 the hymn shall be given and he's and he shall have more abundance
But whosoever hath not from hymn 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 Isaiah 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, lest 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 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 any one heareth the word of the kingdom and understandeth it not, then come
eth the wicked one and catcheth the way that which was sown in his heart. This is he which receives
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 rooten himself but jureth for a while, for when tribulation or persecution
ariseeth because of the word, by and by he is offended."
He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word, and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomeeth 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 in 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 fruits then appeared the tears also
So the servants of the householder came and said unto him,
Sir, did thou not so good seed in thy field?
From whence then hath it tears?
He said unto them, an enemy hath done this.
The servants said unto him,
Will thou then that we go and gather them up?
And he said, Nay, lest 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,
and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.
Another pair will 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 lodging the branches thereof.
And other parables spake 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 leavened.
All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude and 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 into 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 as 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
And 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 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." 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 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 angel 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 said sayeth 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 likened to a man
That is in householder
which wring a fourth 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 coming to his own country,
he taught them in their synagogue,
in so much that they were astonished and said,
once hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works.
Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary,
and his brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
And his sisters, are they not all with us?
Wens 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 saved 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 this chapter of the bible
Thank you for stead vast baptist church and the soul winning and people have gotten saved
I just pray that you bless pastor shelly film with your holy spirit to preach this chapter unto us and help us to receive it
in our hearts, and I praise 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 one,
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 three
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 three as
well why this is happening. Look at verse number nine.
Mark chapter three, verse nine,
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 that he can then project and basically preach or teach unto a large crowd because if we were to
all just stand the big mosh pit we're all just basically stand together in some big circle we're
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 on 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, that's why it's done by a man, folks.
It's not done by a woman, it's 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, I always mix up 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 those non the non 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 to 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 parable, 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 for whom 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 have 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 he's trying to communicate that's not just immediately
obvious from the text.
You have to have special ears in order to hear.
Now it says in verse 10, and the disciples came and said on him, why speakest thou unto
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 who so 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 would think like how is this fair?
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's 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 or a manager
and you have these servants.
And one servant is doing great with your assets.
And another servant's not.
Isn't it your opportunity to say,
hey, I'm going to 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 going to 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 10 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 10.
And then they ask, they're like,
Lord, the guy that has 10 already has 10.
And then he's just like, yep, so what?
Now he's 11.
And you know, some people, they'll get really mad
at others for having 10, but you know what?
It's not their fault for having 10.
And often what God will do is you look at the guy with 10
and he'll say, I want to give you even more.
and the guy that has won 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 and that which is least you're also not going to be faithful
And 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 of your given stuff
that God will just continue to bless you.
Now, keep your finger here.
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.
Go to Acts chapter number five.
Whenever you serve God and you do right,
the Bible teaches,
He'll just continue to give you more.
And sometimes people will 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 can see sometimes they're 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 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. 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 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 a 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 ye intend to do is 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 Gamelas 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 what we do with these apostles.
Because remember this one guy, Thudius, or Thudus?
This guy thought he was super special.
He was praising himself.
400 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 going to 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, ye cannot overthrow it, lest happily ye 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.
And it's 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 come and take away that which they have.
You know what 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 has 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 wanna 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 be for us, who can be against us?
Who can be against us?
Who can be against that fast map this 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 low
I'm with you
I am with you, Jesus Christ, we're two or three
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 namesake 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 notice?
People that decide, hey, I'm not only saved,
I wanna get plugged into a good church.
And I don't wanna get plugged into a good church,
I wanna go three times a week.
Not only wanna 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 know what?
I'm gonna try and model my family off
of what the Bible's saying.
You know what I've noticed?
That after a year, after a year, after a year of doing that,
they just seem to get more blessed and more blessed
and having more and more and more and good things
are happening to them, generally speaking.
And I see people that go on a different path
that 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 going to bless you in your life.
And when you're not, there is going to be negative consequences to people that go away
from God's commandments.
Go 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 has ten talents, you're not him.
Don't worry about them.
Worry 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 can 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 Farve is gonna go down
And then they're gonna put Aaron Rodgers in
And 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 gotta 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 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 what we're supposed to be doing,
we're waiting, and then God's going to open a door and He's going to give us so much more.
But we shouldn't be worried about what other people are doing.
Who art thou that judges another man's servant?
To his own mastery, standeth their falleth.
Yea, he 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
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 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 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 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 other world that's out there.
Whereas when we get really carnal
and we go back to the flesh,
then we start losing sight of that again.
We become blind again,
and we just basically go back to the way everybody else.
Just 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 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
Now he says in verse 13 therefore speak I to them in parables because they seeing see not and hearing
They hear not night as they understand and in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says by hearing each
Oh here 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 dull of hearing,
and their eyes, they have closed,
lest 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 should heal them.
So Jesus is basically saying that 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. It goes over their head.
Now, you can see this in today, not just through Jews, but also through Catholics and many unsaid 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 the earth, father,
and it's just like, whoosh.
And then they'll just go up to father, so-and-so,
what does this mean?
Yeah.
They'll say, it'll say,
do not your alms 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 why it's it's spirit of 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. He got it really eat. We got to eat Jesus man
It's like you think people that are high on marijuana
would think or something.
You know, like on a drug highlight.
Oh, man, we gotta eat them, bro.
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, hey, 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.
And 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 how 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 knew that Christ would come.
They knew that Christ would pay for their sins.
They didn't fully understand what was going to happen.
The disciples had the great blessing to see Jesus
literally perform miracles before their eyes
and seeing the blind receive their sight
and seeing the dumb speak and the cripple walk
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 things.
He was, I guarantee he was sitting there thinking like,
can I please have the book of Revelation?
Cause 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.
But you know what, 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,
here are you there for 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.
But 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 plain with what we believe,
well, unsaved 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
We need to pass some anti-Semitism 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 it's better to just 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 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 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 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 going to be saved.
Yep.
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, yeah, but you just feel comfortable because you're going to have sure
But I'm not super motivated to go do those things.
He's telling me, oh, there's this one guy I know
that he 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 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'm like, is that not at least some motivation
to not send?
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 wanna do drugs, right?
No, that's a silly argument.
There's plenty of people that don't wanna do drugs
that aren't even saved.
I, 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 I 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 chastenedeth and scourged with every son in 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 saved man. I wouldn't feel that much comfort in that. I
Be like I ruined 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 even 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's a free gift,
does not motivate me to live a wicked life.
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 access so it's going into his heart
But what can happen look at Luke chapter number eight
And 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 I 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 once saved, always saved.
Yeah, it is what that guy was telling me.
Yeah, John 316 really does 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 the number of 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 that seed that was sown and try to distract them and confuse them and cause them to not get it
Of course, it says that in Matthew 13,
it says in verse number 19,
when anyone hear the word of the kingdom
and understandeth not,
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 is 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 a non
with joy, receive of it.
So it's saying immediately, immediately he gets saved.
So there's people that when they hear the gospel clearly presented,
they just get saved right there on the spot.
So the first category is just every that doesn't get saved.
Every they 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 verses 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 hear something negative
and they're just immediately turned off.
They're immediately not wanting to hear it.
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 a 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 was really friendly,
but it just made them uncomfortable.
So just being in that environment
just immediately made them uncomfortable
just because 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 protestors 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
Never going there
They almost if they could give back their salvation they would but they can't
They're just like, oh 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 sprout comes up,
but then it's never going to actually produce fruit,
it's never going to become a tree,
it's never going to do anything because those rocks are just there
and it just immediately can't survive
and so 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 just have 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, the received seed among the thorns,
is he that here at the word,
and the care of this world and the seedfulness of riches,
choked the word, and he become 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 protestors or whatever.
They came in, you know?
Basically, they got plugged in a little bit.
They started coming a little bit.
And they're like, hey, so 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 has sprouted up, it's growing, it's doing fine,
but it's environment's 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
not gonna produce fruit again.
This is the next largest group that you have.
The vast majority are 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 going to 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 bringeth forth some 100 fold, some 60, some 30.
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 fallow 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 fruit.
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 100 saved in a season.
And then 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 in being offended?
Or is your heart in the things of God and the person's heart in the things of God is going to 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 to, I would love to understand how someone can have 100 joy, or 60 gentleness
in a season.
Oh man, I produced 60 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 want 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 stimming, you know, because I've just,
I got all this happiness, I got all this joy.
But you know what, that's not the fruit the Bible's talking
about.
The fruit that the Bible's talking about is souls of men
going to heaven.
Otherwise, what will 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 is 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 that's producing fruit? He doesn't care about the cares of this life
He doesn't care about this evilness of riches, and he's not cared. 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 loved 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 plenty, but the laborers 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 see 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 saved
You know what he's gonna get even more. He's gonna be super blessed by God
He's gonna just keep getting more and more and more and more and more and the guy that's doing nothing
He's gonna 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.
Their 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 or whatever.
Okay.
I'd rather get the hundred people saved because that's joy every time you get someone saved anyways, alright?
24, another parable put he forth unto them, saying,
the kingdom of heaven is likened to a man
which sowed good seed in this field.
But while men slept, his enemy came
and sowed tears among 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 household came and said unto them,
sir, there's not thou so good seed in my field.
From whence then hath it tears?
He said unto them, an enemy hath done this.
The servants said unto him, wilt thou then that we go
But he said,
"'Nay, lest while you gather up the tares,
"'he 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 you together first the tares and buying them
"'and 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 it 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. In verse 36 they are asking about the parable of tears of the field.
Verse 37 he answered and said unto 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 tears 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
and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire there 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
It's a son of man the person that sows the tears the devil the tears are children of the devil
the seed is the is the children of God the children of
The Lord and so he's kind of showing like if you think about that parable they came and said like didn't you so 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, all right?
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 less 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 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 would be the ones
that are there actually trying to do the work,
trying to actually accomplish this task.
A lot of them are gonna 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...
sort of the spirit which is the word of God and going out and preaching the gospel
and just ignoring the tears staying away from the tears
and wanting nothing to do with the tears. Now the tears 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 tears 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, okay?
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 of those are valid ways to look at this
as why you have the tears being gathered prior to,
but essentially you have the good and the bad,
they're gonna be severed.
the wicked are going to be thrown into 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 also is just describing the Kingdom in general
and it's 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
putty forth under 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 become of 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 gonna 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 and 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 in 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 it shall come.
I believe that if you understand history, Christianity is spread over the whole world.
You see 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 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 of 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 will 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 think like, that sounds like that was the right plan.
I don't agree with this, 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 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
I read about the Hungarian Revolution.
I 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, because of Christianity, has blessed a lot of people.
Verse 33, the Bible says,
"'Another parable spake ye unto them, the kingdom of heaven is like an eleven, which
a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was eleven.'"
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
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 under the multitudes and parables
and without a parable spaking, not under them.
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet 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 likened to treasure hidden in a field
the which when a man hath found he highteth
and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath and bith 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 gonna get a bunch of people say 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 bombas 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 focused on
He's saying man if you just really understood the 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 Evangelist or Panic going to the Philippines
and just gathering all kinds of spiritual treasure under 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 of the earth 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.
They think if they give everything up they they dedicate their entire life to Mormonism and they follow all the commandments almost perfectly
They still aren't even sure if they're gonna 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 I think everybody's saved
But I'm just saying they don't think they're gonna achieve the highest goal because they just can't quite know
But they use this parable and twisted 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
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 in 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 safe.
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.
But 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 compassed the entire earth?
Yep.
Does 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 like even it's not like we're just asked to believe something like these aliens came
And they're literally Phaetons 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.
Like, 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.
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 gonna ever 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 bright 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 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 in 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 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 should be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Jesus say that of them. Have you understood all these things?
They say in them. Yeah, Lord. So notice. Hey, you can understand the Bible
Verse 52, then said he unto them therefore every scribe which is instructed in the kingdom
of heaven is likened to a man that is an 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.
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 as so much as they were astonished and said
When sat 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 Joseph 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 saving his own country in his own house
And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief now again
It's funny because not only were the Jews offended the Catholics were offended
because 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 gonna 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 gonna be respected
of their own country,
are never gonna 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 a coarser 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's brother in following around it was random people that were falling around plus
He was the carpenter 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 gonna start going to church three times a week.
I'm gonna start reading the Bible.
I'm gonna start memorizing scripture.
Hey, when the door opens,
I'm gonna take that opportunity.
I'm gonna use it and I'm gonna 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 gonna 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
That are also American
Like if we go 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.
You know, it's like, hey, some of them in other churches
are 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, you know, plays golf or whatever.
It's like, it's just because, you know,
familiarity breeds contempt.
The more you hear something the less 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 why don't you just go to some of these other churches for a little while and then realize like what you have here?
You know I'm not that worried about it. Okay, it's like these really nice restaurants
They're not worthy you try McDonald's out or whatever. They're like, oh, no
He went to McDonald's. Oh, you know, it's like sometimes you got to go to McDonald's 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 just familiarity caused 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
Steady fast. Yeah, 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. Just thinking like this is weird. I'm just I'm just here
I stood in by it like okay
I'm just telling you, go to foreign countries,
go to other places, people will treat you differently.
Amen.
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 sometime and 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, but at the end of the day,
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 gonna happen.
Serving God isn't for the fame.
It's 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 want it anyways.
The people that I know, they're just dedicating them to serve 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
and that we continue to be steadfast
and realize the importance of the kingdom of God.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Amen. All right for our last song we're gonna go to song number 375 it's a good way to end it
Work for the night is coming
375