The Parable of Spiritual Growth

Harvest podcast featuring Pastor Greg Laurie are brought to you by harvest partners to receive Pastor Greg free online daily devotions or to become a harvest partner, please visit us online@harvest.org well were in Matthew 13 today in the title of my messages. The parable of spiritual growth knows we enter a new year.

Many of us are probably made some resolution. How many of you have made some New Year's resolutions raise up your hand, it's okay. I won't lock you or anything like that's good good time to do it. How many of you have already broken some of your New Year's resolutions yet that that's usually the way it works out. Did you know that 30% of all resolutions are broken within the first week and what are some of the top resolutions I think you could guess of people resolve the lose way to exercise more to spend more time with their family to get out of debt. But it's so easy to break these resolutions, so I've come up with what I believe are some real estate resolutions for 2011 revolution a resolution number one. I resolved to gain weight in the coming year. Not all the guns that's good side of me going, but resolution number two.

I resolved to exercise less in the coming year and lastly ominous stop using the word password as my password so those are my modest resolutions. I don't know what yours are but instead of making resolutions that are quickly broken. Maybe we ought to think about a recommitment in the coming year. I can't think of a better thing to recommit yourself to do or for some a first time commitment now would be to be closer to God. In 2011 to grow stronger spiritually in this coming year heard the story of a father was talking with his daughter and her five-year-old friend Kristin about birthdays will as it turns out Kristin's birthday was March 30, and the fathers was March 27 and he said you know what Kristin. Our birthdays are only three days apart. She looked at him for a moment and said yeah but you grew much faster than I did. Why is it that some people seem to grow faster than others.

Why do you see more spiritual growth than the lives of some followers of Jesus, unless in others. Well, I think that question can be answered in the parable, that is before us is best known as the parable of the sower, but I have chosen the call of the parable of spiritual growth because that is the theme of it and here's what we need to understand about what were about to read.

If we do the things that Jesus is going to identify for us. We will grow spiritually or if we do not do these things that Jesus will point out to us. We will not grow spiritually. Really, the choice is up to us. Here's the bottom line.

Everyone is either progressing or regressing spiritually you're either growing or your drawing back you're gaining or you're losing ground as it has been said, the Christian life is like a greased bowl you're either climbing or slipping. What describes you. And guess who it is up to as to whether or not I will grow spiritually.

It's really up to me. Still no Greg, it's up to God will that's true to we know that God wants us to grow in our faith. We know that God wants us to deepen our knowledge, but he is also given this free will, so it is when I get my alignment with the will of God, and start walking accordingly. That spiritual growth is going to start taking place because, listen, if you don't want to, you're not going to 1101 reasons why you can't do it, but really will find are just excuses.

What is an excuse, an excuse is a fancy line is one person to find it an excuse is a skin of her reason stop with a lot so you can there was a reason I didn't read my Bible today was because of this and the reason we didn't go to church, others was that he was because of that and the reason we don't pray is because of this other thing. Those are your excuses. There are no reason. If you want to do it you'll do it. You'll make time for what is important and really, what is the bottom line.

The God is looking for in our lives. He wants to see spiritual fruit that could just read one verse from the parable that will read all of in a moment, a Matthew 1323 Jesus said, he that received seed on the good ground. This is the final of four categories that we will look at the moment. One of the good ground is one that hears the word and understands it, and indeed bears fruit and produces some a hundredfold, some 60, some 30. That's what's what it's all about being a fruitful Christian. A growing belief that God is why God put you here in this Jesus said in John 15, you did not choose me, but I chose and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain. He also said Karen is my father glorify that you bring forth much fruit. Paul also says in Colossians 110 a my prayer is that you live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way bearing fruit in every good work.

So how are you doing in that regard. Are you bearing fruit. Are you growing spiritually. Let me put it another way, are you satisfied with your spiritual life right now. Let me answer that for myself.

I am not satisfied with my spiritual life. I feel there is a lot of growing I still need to do. I feel there's a lot of things I still need to learn. I feel there's a lot of changes that still need to happen in my life and some of your thing and amen Greg, you do need that's true.

I do, and guess what soda you listen the enemy to growth discontentment. Let me explain that there is a pleasure being content is a Christian, but never content with where you're at spiritually should always be wanting more wanting to learn more wanting to grow more.

Don't settle with what you have.

Thankful for that.

Just but moving forward to what is still ahead. Now this is where people have a breakdown when it comes to a resolution may be to lose weight or to get in better shape is they just give up. I never do it.

I'm just gonna just accept who I am and where I matter that I'm never going to be in better shape, but I'm I'm never going to lose weight.

It all just accept things the way that they are will know that's not good enough.

You need to commit yourself to get through that and and meet that goal that you set those are good goals, you know, we should want to be in good shape physically because this bodyguard is given to us is the temple of the Spirit and we want to take good care of it so we can live long and productive lives for the glory of God. And so you know you keep raising the bar so to speak, and the apostle Paul. After years of walking with the Lord to look is not as though I've already attained our brief perfection I'm pressing on, to keep moving forward. In other words, Paul was saying this paraphrase.

I'm not satisfied with where I met I want to keep growing and progressing spiritually so will find out how to do that in the text before us were also going to answer the following questions in this in the next message. Question number one. Why is it that some people never respond to the gospel. You know, you tell them about Jesus and it's like water off a ducks back. It's like our hearts are encased in Teflon. It just doesn't connect and you don't understand it and they might be hostile and argumentative and say to you don't talk to me about your faith. Then again they might be sweet and pleasant about it, but the end effect is still the same.

They don't want to hear about Jesus Christ. Why is that. Secondly, why is it that someone can be radically converted or seemingly so and so into their new faith. And then, without warning, just give up.

We see people like this. It seems like they have had the most amazing conversion ever and then all of a sudden they just bail and walk away from and how could that happen where they converted.

If so, do they lose their salvation is that even possible. What's that all about them will also discover the secret of going forward spiritually and having lasting fruit in our lives, and of the parable performance. By the way what is the parable of parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Again, it's an earthly story with a heavenly meaning is an illustration. Jesus spoke often in parables just what Jesus never bored people I can think of anything worse than listening to boring preaching. You know some people the way they speak.

It's like watching paint dry. It's just almost like torture and Jesus engaged his audience that he spoke in the language they can understand any illustrated it with things they were familiar with. As he did with this story. This was done outdoors is will read in a moment in no doubt of the distance there was a farmer out there sewing seated, he probably pointed to him and said, a sower went out to sow seed and they would watch us men doing it. As he told them this story that is filled with much truth, so let's read it now.

Matthew 13 starting in verse one on the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea and great multitudes were gathered together to him, so he got into a boat and sat in the whole multitude stood on the shore.

Then he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, behold, a sower went out to so Nancy sewed some seed fell by the wayside and the birds came and devoured them some seed fell on stony places, where they did not have much further than the immediately spring up because they had no depth of earth that when the sun came out, they were scorched. They had no root and they withered away. Some fell among thorns and the thorns sprang up and choked up, but others: good ground and yielded a crop.

Some a hundredfold, some 60, some 30 he that has ears to hear M here. Okay that's a great parable. But what does it mean what Jesus explains it clearly now and he gives us insights not only into this parable really to all the parables you need to understand parable of the sower before he can understand the rest struck on the verse 18 therefore hear the parable of the sower. 21 anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one that would be the devil snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one that received seed by the wayside either received the seed on stony places, this is the one that hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, but he has no root in himself, and endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word stomp either received seed among the thorns is the one who hears the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful, but either received seed on the good ground.

This is the one who hears the word and understands it, and who also bears fruit and produces a hundredfold, some 60, and some third.

There are limits understand how they used associate back in these days of farming in the first century was far different than it is in the 21st. We have sophisticated equipment, a farmer can never good sense of what a crop is gonna look like we have irrigation and all the rest back in biblical times. It was quite simple. The way they sewed seed as they just have a sack with seed in it and the farmer are the sower we just walk and throw his seed in a relatively indiscriminate manner.

Just take the seat up out of his bag and throw it out the win would pick it up and some of it would go on the road, the people would walk on other seed would go on ground that was embedded with stones.

Other seed would go on ground that would be infested with weeds and finally some would go on fertile receptive soil so that sort of the picture. Jesus is giving out what is his seed picture up will.

Jesus explains that the seed is the word of God sown the same way we are called to go in.

Spread the seed of the word of God out as far as we can and reach as many people as possible and we don't always know where it's going. You know when our radio broadcast is heard, it goes all around the world on any given day 2 to 3 million people listen to our radio broadcast a new beginning, and we receive letters from people in amazing places with incredible stories. I just got a letter the other day from a guy who was a outlaw biker and to how your region outlaw biker and he heard our radio show and gave his life to Jesus Christ and now he is ministering to others, outlaw bikers and he's actually been ordained as a pastor and is serving the Lord just one of those people that was reached by the word of God and so we take this scene we throw it out there. We do that the Internet and other ways as reach as many people as we can. That's our job.

Paul said in first Corinthians 3.

My job was to plant the seed in your hearts and Apollo's another preacher watered it, but it was God.

Now we made a grow. Once you do the planting and watering are important, but God is important because he's the one that makes a seed row, the one who plans in the one Waters work as a team with the same purpose somewhere at T we work together we may not even know each other what were still effectively working as a team. In other words, you might go out and share your faith with someone so you just so the sea the little bit later, maybe a month or a year down the road they run into a person who lives godly life in by the lifestyle of that believer.

They in effect water the seed you so then a little bit later.

Maybe you bring them to church or someone else brings in the church and and hire someone else invites them to Christ and they respond well really the one who reads in the one who sows in the one Waters were all secondary.

God is the one that did the conversion. Putting work through us because we worked as a team and that's why we do what we do at harvest Christian Fellowship and harvest ministries, you know, ever since our beginning 35 years ago.

We have always reached out to our community. You might say that outreach is in our DNA always started in the 70s after our congregation began to grow. We started holding meetings in various venues around town and then pretty much pretty soon out-of-state and and then when the 80s rolled around our radio program is just getting started and we would go and do these radio rallies and we had such tremendous fonts a response in some areas that we started to church is from the we planted a church in Washington DC and also in New York City. Both of those churches are doing well.

A fast-forward to the 90s that was the beginning of the harvest crusades. Of course, and since there beginning in 1990 we been able to bring the gospel in person to over 4 million people and we have seen over 350,000 people made professions of faith to follow Christ and so were thankful for that. But some God gets the glory for that, but we always been about evangelism and teaching because here's the great commission given the walker since it's going to all the world and preach the gospel. Jesus says in making disciples, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. So our goal. Our job if you will, is to preach and teach so yes we guard and evangelize. But we also disciple and teach and do that every week right here in our own church and God has blessed our church people come to visit us from all around the state from overseas. A lot of people come from outside of our area for our Sunday morning services and you know, look at how God is taking care of assuming we are one of the best worship teams on the planet.

You know, this is just sure how this is in the battle of the bands are not seen are subbands better than everybody else's. But they are but know they are, but to actually you know it's I think the reason they're so great and we have so many worship groups that have developed now is because they get what their job. It's and you know worship is prayer set the song that's really what it is and so worship leaders to lead us in prayer to lead us into God's presence but then they do it with such incredible musical expertise signing you know if I can play guitar like Hans, I would play differently than Hans this is Hans doing only that if I were doing the lead. I didn't like this doing this, this, this and then I would take it like that and then I would smash my guitar theater. My performance because I would want you to know how hard I'm working the crank out those sound punches play and I'll probably just praying. I don't know what he's doing what he does it well and everybody. These guys work hard.

They practice they don't talk about that but they just get up here and do what they do for the glory of God. The Lord has blessed us with great teachers here as well.

The bring is the word of God every week and here is my belief, it just isn't right to keep this to ourselves. We've been blessed to be a blessing to others, and so we started thinking about how we could reach others with our services here at church, and so we started our first video campus in a word about video, you know, people don't like change in any time you change things. Some people will complain. We started on here 35 years ago.

Our music was, how shall I describe the kind of folkie you know lots acoustic guitars, which is great but we kind of got a little more electrified and changed their view enlarged or reduced sound okay other people like change. I don't like this new song I'm in room we put in our videos. We all like video screen video screens are wrong.

Why, I don't know they're just wrong on sign now I'm everyone, were leaving the church because you put a video screens on the wall really. It's amazing how people react to these things, but we've seen how with video we can reach more people. So we started our first video campus.

Yes, we started it up on the hill in the Fellowship Hall. We set a screen up for overflow when we couldn't get him a seat in the center and we found that there were certain people that preferred going up to the fellowship, watching it on the screen instead of being down here live in so when we extended and rebuilt our facilities. We audit our amphitheater outside when there's a bunch of people sitting there right now watching on the screen and there there all year long in the blistering sun there there drinking a nice drink and today there drinking a hot latte you, but there there you guys are there watching and they prefer many of them to sit out there and then we added another video venue up on the hill in the building we call the court and we can accommodate 12 or 1300 people up there who really like to watch it on the big screen so that we thought will could we do this outside and we started to satellite campuses as are called in East Vail and also an orange crest and on any given Sunday. They'll be 600 people attending those, and we've even had people say that they preferred going to a satellite church over being here in church because they hear the message on video. They have live worship and it doesn't take an hour to get in and out of the parking lot and by the way, here's a little footnote for the first time ever we are alive at our satellite site in orange crest right now so hello to all the people there are in stress. This is a live feed.

Previously we would record this on DVD and read over the really fast and they took the DVD but now that's running. By the way, I don't run that way either because that looks tenant weird but now they're getting a live feed as were developing our technology a little bit more and so that brings us to orange county now you've heard us talk about a sister church in orange County and this is been in process for some time. You need to understand that I been doing Bible studies in Orange County for 25 years as a been pastoring here. I didn't cover Chapel Costa Mesa number of times over the years and Monday nights. I spoke of the growth theater for a time in Anaheim and other places. So this is not a new thing, but about a year and 1/2 ago we started a Thursday night Bible study down there and the Lord has been blessing and we have seen since we started 1600 people come to Christ and so we see a lot of life changes and the people been asking wall hey would you ever start a Sunday morning here to my responses and will and can busy on Sunday morning so I don't really see how we could do that. But as we've been developing this video technology we've seen how effective it can be. We begin to think, is it possible to start something in Orange County that run simultaneously with Riverside and we have decided the answer is yes and so we are launching our satellite campus. Or maybe I should face sister church in orange county in the first quarter of this year we have a property that were building out right now and now the question it comes to people's minds as well. Greg, how can you pastor to churches well listen it's one church multiple campuses. I've always been able to do what I do because I have an excellent team of people helping me. We have live worship teams wherever we are.

We have excellent pastors serving their and this is how we've always been able to do what we do it so now to the question I've heard asked a few times so are you leaving Riverside here is the answer. No I am not leaving Riverside that may disappoint some that I don't know how you're asking it. Is it are you leaving Riverside bye-bye or are you really and I don't know how they're asking, but irregardless of how you're asking. I'm not leaving. I'll probably die in this pulpit, probably in the middle of a sermon. I would be bad so you. So how does this work out logistically. Here's technically how were going to do it in phase 1.

I will speak here live first service and second service that's here now and then third service I will go to Orange County and speak and will do a live video feed back here to Riverside in our sanctuary. It will be exactly like what the people in the courtyard and in the amphitheater and the courtyard in orange crest or experiencing right now. It will be alive message via video coming to them. So here's what it means. It means our family is growing and it gives us greater opportunity. Let me say on a personal note of this is been a burden on my heart for quite a long time now to do and after the Lord called our son to heaven. Some changes happen in my life and one of those changes was a resolve to do what I've always thought led to do, but for whatever reason, haven't done yet. This is one of those things that I felt very led by the Lord to do and he is confirmed in many ways to us at 1600 people coming to faith is in a bad confirmation without just one of the many confirmation so I appreciate your prayer and your support as we take what God has given us to a larger audience to reach as many people as we can because guess what folks, Jesus Christ is coming back again.

We want to reach the world. That's our commission. That's our commission not to sit around and have a holy huddle in a bless me club and it's all about me rather say Lord we want to bless others as well so that come brings us back to the parable of the sower.

The ideas to get this out to as many people as possible. So Jesus says he that has ears to hear M here.

In other words, he saying listen.

The story is told of Pres. Franklin Roosevelt often endured long receiving lines at the White House and he complained that no one ever paid attention to what he was saying so when they decided during the reception he would try and experiment to each person that walked by shakiness in he murmured.

I murdered my grandmother this morning and so long line pass by in the chest responded with phrases like a wonderful to meet you Mr. Pres. and or I appreciate you saying that God bless you and everything that you I murdered my grandmother's mind, that's wonderful, Mr. Pres., thank you so finally, as the reception line was almost out, and in the ambassador from Bolivia walked by Pres. Roosevelt again said I murdered my grandmother this morning and the ambassador from Bolivia said well she must've deserved so one guy listen so you know we can listen but not listen right are you listening see its attention with intention ever watch a Charlie Brown Christmas that's a great little show one of the very few use it Christmas that actually has a little bit of the gospel and at night, showed it to my granddaughters this year and they like it so much. We watched it 100 times and so I pretty much memorized all of the thing I like about a Charlie Brown Christmas is the kids talk to each other, but whenever there's an adult, talking, they sound like that weren't went went went delivered seaward 11 that's how we listen sometime. You know you sit in church and in your mind right now what I'm saying is well. Blah blah blah blah blah blah about.

And furthermore, blah, blah, blah, blah. And one other thing, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah and enclosing in your ears forgot all good. He's almost done.

Here's what Jesus said if you have ears to hear, listen to what I'm saying to you now these are very important things to pay attention to.

You decide what kind of soil. Your heart will be God doesn't decide you decide in the way you decide is how you hear the word of God. Your hearing the word of God right now you determine how you will react to listen to the first category Highway. Here's is what I'm calling them first 19 when anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one that received seed by the wayside. It's not that they don't hear it is that they choose to not believe it. This would just speak of throwing seed on the asphalt. There is nothing for it to take root in, and this added detail, the birds of the air, neither you know these birds. They hang around and fast food restaurants in wait for you to drop a fry down and to golf with it. I member years ago we went to see world arts and Christopher was just a little boy than Jonathan wasn't born yet.

So we paid the admission price and then we walked in and there was this big tank. At least then there was of the Dolphins that you can feed the dog that's nice for the fish you buy the fish okay so we buy the fish and I given the Christopher here feed the dolphin and the feeds of fish of the dolphin takes out another and out of nowhere. As Siegel swoops down, grabs a fish out of his head and flies things like my nieces like stupid seagulls in we can laugh about it and we went to lunch and we were sitting there and he ordered chicken, but he ordered actually just old chicken and he was almost done with that, I'm not making this up as Siegel slipped on grabs the chicken like carcass flies off with that answer site I was a boulder Siegel I've ever seen and I was thinking to myself is that even right I need to Siegel's have any moral what is it right to steal another burden either this and that cannibalism I think Siegel's have no convictions whatsoever. Only a little better than a cat. All I just want to get her all the blackberry users are right. Another can install all four of them back. To harvest upper black okay so now customers really good to go so that we are leaving the world and he wants to feed the Dolphins on the things I would buy some workers.

Again, as Siegel flips down, take the stairs and now is were finally leaving the park were outside the one final act of injustice. It was a direct hit on Christopher Street IEA seagulls and also in the parable of the sower birds are symbol symbol, the devil, not all birds are, of course, but these birds are. This is the person that hears the word with their heart guitar, you know the easiest place to get a hardened heart is a a bar no hanging around godless people doing God the things no, the easiest place to get a hardened heart is where you are right now that will make sense to some of you this is the place to have your heart softened yet sent to, but as I said before, this seems sound that softens the wax hardens the clay and if you come in here today with an attitude were hearsay.

I don't want to.

I'm not hearing it, your heart will get heart to the Bible says he was often reproved hardened his heart and he will be cut off, and that without remedy the ideas the person who gets a hard heart is the one who hears truth and rejects it. A good illustration of this barrel. He saw miracle after miracle performer the hand of Moses and what we read Pharaoh hardened his heart Pharaoh hardened his heart. He saw Rod turn into a snake. Pharaoh hardened his heart. The Nile River turned the blood. Pharaoh hardened his heart plagues of lice and flies and frogs.

Pharaoh hardened his heart and, ultimately, really, God hardened Pharaoh's heart and some people are confused by that.

How is it that Pharaoh hardened his heart and we would God hardened his heart. The answers both are true.

God waits for us to make our move and he will then confirm us in it. Pharaoh hardened his heart and God strengthen him in that decision even though it was wrong, so you can get a hardened heart hearing the word of God.

Don't let that happen to you. It's all how you hear number two we have the rocky road.

Here's that's what I'm calling them the rocky road. Here's first 20 either received the seed on stony places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself, and endures only for a while and when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumble.

In contrast of the heart heartedness or indifference of the highway here we have those who seem to get it and respond wonderfully. But soon it is revealed that they have no roots or that now in Israel today you have soil embedded with rocks everywhere you go in Israel. There are rocks and so this is a little seed that takes root and shoots up. But because the rock impairs its growth and development in routing it weathers in the blazing sun whose is describing this is that person that seems to be converted and walked away from it and we met people like this you know, in contrast to the person that I 40 spoke of when you will buy one of these people to church. They respond, you know you talk to that highway here. You want to come to church are not to get on the computer.

Want to come there because they know not even interested so you come to the second category you want to come to church to check it out okay so you bring up and they hear a message and maybe at the end an invitation is given, they don't walk forward, they run for and they come out. I'm so excited about my new relationship with God, and they go over to the bookstore. They buy the largest Bible you've ever see if they need a wagon to pull around and noticed you and they're just talking about how good God is and and they start learning the worship songs and they sing louder than anyone else in razor hands higher in there so passionately pray the longest and you think that is one of the most amazing conversions I've ever seen in about a month goes by and the disappear they call a month and he were were you, I didn't see you at church. I'm not into that anymore when you're not in the that anymore. I was just a fad phase I psych myself and that it wasn't real we mean it wasn't real. All that happening. I don't believe that anymore.

So then he was a questionable with a converted our date of the loss or salvation. I suggest you they were never safe to begin with.

It's not about the emotion of the moment.

It's about the test of time. If a person is a real Christian. They will continue on flawlessly. Not perfectly, and it's even possible for a person who was a Christian to go astray for a time, but if there were a real believer. They will always come back.

But if they walk away and never return. They were never a believer first.

John says they they started with this, but they didn't continue with this and that they had been one of us. They would've stayed with us, but because they weren't busting, then stay with us for a loose paraphrase there but that's the gist of what John is saying and why is this one may be that they built their faith on an emotional experience, and there can be emotion in conversion not always mean I don't know about you but when I asked the Lord to come in my life.

I didn't have an emotional experience, but emotions came later. The Bible certainly promises that peace that passes human understanding and joy that's unspeakable but you can build your life on a motion because emotions come and go. You know sometimes if someone came out of a background of drugs or alcohol and they become a Christian, they might say amen I getting high on Jesus now. Jesus is the ultimate high. I'm always concerned about statements like that really Jesus is in the drug okay Jesus is the Lord and he won't always be your ultimate high because her person like that. I think every day is going to be a big emotional rush to be disappointed when they wake up some morning and feel nothing because God is saying it's time to grow up and start walking by faith and not by because the Bible says the just shall live by faith, but some built their whole relationship with God on emotional experience, and when the emotions are not there. They give up the boat their life on the wrong foundation others are just impulsive is plenty of impulsive people out there retailers depend on it when you're in the supermarket you're checking out of your notice.

All those little things for sale down the line and there's a little bit line to look around and seven some gone, some batteries and some razor blades and which is tabloid.

You're saying this is horrible Julio you buy things you know it's all there. They're hoping you'll make an impulse by there are people that have to have the latest whatever whatever the newest gadget is they have to have it. Whatever the newest stylus they have to wear some people come that way to the Christian faith. All this is cool. I'll check this out for a while, but it's on an impulse. It's not real it's not lasting if you don't believe me walk through your neighborhood some time with people of the garage doors open like in the Saturday look at how many exercise machines. There are how many times have you seen someone in their garage on Saturday working out zero what you really see her things hanging on exercise machine and the impulse of the moment, probably in the beginning of the year. I want to get into shape this year by this thing and now they just hang stuff off of it might've been the impulse of the moment. But here's something very important to Jesus as he tells us why these people fall away.

He says it's because of tribulation and persecution. Look at verse 21 when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Listen if you are Christian, you will experience tribulation and persecution. No passes here. Everybody will have versus tribulation. By the way this tribulation is not speaking of the normal hardships of life with those that come because of the word. According to verse 20 1C when you become a Christian. It's not going to be well received by many people. Now here in a Christian family, and everyone's been praying for you to get right with God. You come to Christ is going to be a victory shout there going to be thrilled.

But if you cover any nonbelieving family that like I came from you in the face opposition if you are friends and I believe is a regular thing. What happened to you.

Jesus said you think that I came to bring peace know rather I tell you, division.

A man's enemies will be those of his own household and what you believe in Jesus, it does cause friction among some people, and that will produce tribulation now. Sometimes it's because we are lacking intact. I will admit that after I became a Christian I was not tactful with my mom. My mom was a big drinker in into her party scene and I came on with my gospel guns blazing. Told her to repentance and not that there was anything wrong with that but I just was very abrupt and harsh and I should have eased into a little bit more and sometimes Christians can just be in the kind of lame about you know what you nonbelievers are sitting around and amen what a beautiful sunset that sunset and you. The Christian says this is the day the Lord is made we will rejoice and be glad in it that's in the Bible. Okay, whatever. We have a good meal that was delicious and I love that burger club, not the world, neither the things that are in the world seen any good movies this weekend and I don't go to movies.

I fast and pray that's not necessary. Don't forget that Jesus was called the friend of sinners. As a matter of fact he was criticized for being friendly toward sinners, we need to be friendly when cement carrying but not compromise the misunderstanding. Stand your ground, but get persecuted for the right thing okay we persecuted for being right just not for being obnoxious.

Far too often it's a ladder instead of the former, but if you are a follower of Christ will be tribulation and there will be persecution. The Bible says all the live godly in Christ Jesus.

Or persecution.

So you're being persecuted in some way shape or form.

That's probably an indication you're living God.

On the other hand, if you're not being persecuted.

I would ask are you living a godly life is able. What is it mean to be persecuted literal definition of the word means to be chaste driven away in pursuit as many ways I can help sometimes or just the brunt of the joker, you're the person. People make fun of you loose, friendships are ostracized and other times it can show itself in violent ways or strike your kids may be fired from a job because of your faith and sometimes it can turn deadly and you can be market there are many people have been martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ. Over the years and even in contemporary culture today. There are people have lost their lives because they because they follow Jesus effective you become a Christian and an Islamic country, it can be a very dangerous thing.

As we read in the newspapers many times with these attacks against churches like we recently saw in Egypt's and so yes persecution will come.

Tribulation will come.

But here's one final reason why these people are choosing the next-to-last I want to give you also. The next-to-last reason. Maybe they built their faith on the wrong foundation. They built their faith on the wrong foundation. You know sometimes we build our faith on a church.

It's all about our church. My shirt, we become very passionate about our church and sometimes even get into a little bit of the my church is better than your church thing is a lot of great churches here in this area were just one when the church were a church, were all part of the church, but we might say well it's all we get into our favorite preacher. You know what I like history will this preach is better than Brentford will my preachers better than you two preachers put together and you know given back in biblical times.

This is happening. But back then they had apostles thrown around while I'm appalled some of their own will. I move up almost another with the lime of Peter's mother would say your processes all to stop that were of Christ because here's the problem with that is nothing wrong with liking to hear a certain person preacher enjoying the church at your apartment. That's great but don't build your foundation on that because guess what churches will disappoint you because they're run by keep all. Oh yeah, the Lord's in control, but people are in the process. And guess what, people make mistakes and sometimes you misunderstand to and then preachers will let you down. Preachers will disappoint you. Sometimes people expect preachers to walk on water, and people forget the feet of clay.

Like all of us.

And if you build your foundation on a church run a preacher you can fall one day because maybe someday that preacher messes up the music. That said, I'm abandoning my faith because I preacher was a hypocrite really I didn't build my foundation on a preacher. I built my foundation in Christ and he will never let you down.

He will always sustain you but maybe this category people build their foundation on the wrong thing.

You know people if they were the reason I'm not a Christian is because you know what parents they claim to be Christians and they got a divorce and so on, really, is that your excuse has nothing to do with how good of a job or about a job, your pants, parents may have done. It's all about you and God. And when you stand before him. One day he want to know what you did with Jesus not as to whether or not everyone you knew who claim to be a Christian behave this one, and one final thing will given that this morning.

Next message there are people that claim to be Christians are Christians. Okay so just because someone says they're a Christian doesn't mean they are and will point out how that's an effective ploy to mislead people in our next message last point and I mean it this time. My beyond belief.

That said, in causing them to doubt God at the first emotional love is not uncommon for a new Christian to question their salvation. One of the first things we do for new believers is give them assurance of salvation and we quote the word of God to them so they can know that they are saved irregardless of their feelings or whatever else and maybe you're a young believer in youth entertainment doubt. But sometimes, even as you know the Lord for a while you might have doubt. You know when prices set stoutly, how many of you have ever doubted raising how many of you have never doubted the you're doing that she was raising hand. She just say what I just said Greg's an idiot say that. How did you do have the density of how to say that don't directly that I do what I say ice I said I know nothing. You learn something new every time he comes. What was I saying my goodness that was like.

So off the reservation yeah doubt listen doubt is not always a sign that a man is wrong. It might be a sign is thinking things through. So don't feel condemned if you doubted feel human call out to God, I urge you to doubt your doubts and believe your beliefs and go back to the word of God that will sustain you the whatever crisis you are facing.

So were done and you've heard some things today you determine what kindness all your heart will be is to be receptive, fertile soil, like the last category is a Kennedy soil that is embedded with weeds and other things that will choke out the word of God is a Kennedy soil with rocks that will repel the growth and the depth or dignity soil. That's like stone.

It just repels the wording. It just doesn't hear it all.

You determine that how you reacted might be some of you right now that aren't even sure if you're a Christian, maybe it's a whining noise started with a Christian analogy talk a little bit. I realize that maybe I built my faith on an emotional experience, or I built my faith on the wrong foundation, a church, a person or someone else's relationship with daughter and I need to really become a Christian now yeah that's right Jesus who died on the cross paid the price for your sins and rose again from the dead stands at the door of your life in the Knox is this if you hear his voice and open the door. He will commit. The Bible says harden not your heart. You can hear his voice, and if you've never asked Jesus to come in your life. Do it now as we close in prayer atop our heads. If you would please father I pray for any hear that maybe have had hearts of the hard help the Lord to be receptive to the word help them to hear what you're saying and help them to believe in Jesus. Now we pray. What I heads are valid and her eyes are closing were praying. How many of you would say today. Greg pray for me. I want Jesus Christ to come in my life. I want to be forgiven of my sin. I want to know that when I die I will go to heaven or I've fallen away from the Lord and I want to come back to him now that that's your desire. If you want Jesus Christ to come in your life and forgive you of your sin if you want to go to heaven when you die, I want you to stand your feet right now wherever you are, lead you in a prayer to stand your feet, lead you in a prayer. God bless you stand up.

Bless you you're not the only one standing.

Don't worry about that stand up, you're ready to say yes to Jesus you want him to come and take residence in your heart you want to know you'll go to heaven when you die. Stand your feet, lead you in a prayer.

God bless you.

Anybody else stand now. Bless you outside of the amphitheater. You can stand to stand your feet not lead you in prayer up in the court building. You stand up as well there and orange press. Standing your feet right now and I'm a lead you in a prayer to accept Jesus Christ.

This final moment anybody else stand your feet right now will pray together this final moment I bless you, bless you. Anybody else bless all right you that are standing on will lead you in this prayer. Pray this out loud after me if you would again as I pray pray this out.

Let's pray Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner but you dine in the cross for my sin. I sure and from that sin. Now and ask you to come into my line be my Savior be my Lord be my God I choose to follow you, Jesus. From this moment forward.

Thank you for coming in the my life in Jesus name I pray meant and meant God bless each one of you to pray