The Parable of the Sower -2

About 20 minutes before the service. I was having a wardrobe malfunction and I always come over Sunday afternoon finish my preparation and pray get my mind right for preaching and I don't wear a tiny longer not have to so I usually put my tie on at the last minute put on my coat and when I went to do that member I forgot my time in nine no Moody song we had in my car and I said I gotta run home grab the times that I will be offended if you don't preach with the tie and I thought well he might not, but I don't think I've ever preached from this pulpit. Without a time, so I was in a quandary. What to do and fast apartment past meet.

There are no offices there.

Is that how you doing I said well you have never time your office do you let so he came to my rescue. Well, tonight I want to officially begin a sermon series on the parables two weeks ago I brought a message from one of the parables that I thought was suited for our deacon installation service and I've been studying in this area for quite a while and made a determination that this would be a good place to go. There are 27 different parables recorded in the Gospels and is I've thought about them, prayed over them. Been doing some study. I've come to this approach, with the purpose that there are five major headings that we can summarize and look at these parables under there are the parables of the kingdom. There are the parables of salvation. There are the parables that speak of wisdom and foolishness.

There the parables that speak of the Christian life, and then the fifth category are the parables that speak of judgment so those five categories and will look at these 27 parables under those five categories in each one of those categories. General categories has at least one a predominant parable that is familiar to all of us comes from mine readily we think of the parable of the kingdom were going to consider tonight.

The parable of the soils that's the one that first jumps to our mind when we think of the parable of salvation what we think of well me as I say at least one but the primary one that comes to my mind, it may come to your mind is the parable of the prodigal son. And then there's the parable of wisdom and foolishness and again, there may be some debate on what is the most predominant one.

But the one that does come to my mind is the man who reasoned in the parable Jesus told that his crops came in and he said I'm in a tear down my barns and build bigger ones and he was called foolish because he was being presumptuous about the future and then there is the parables that speak of the Christian life and the one that stands out in that category is the parable of the good Samaritan and then as we think of that last category. The parables of judgment, the one that stands out in that category is the story the parable of the rich man and Lazarus and there's some debate on whether that's a parable whether that's an allegory and will deal with that when we get to it. But for tonight. I want us to look at the parable of the sower and this is what I want to approach this tonight. I want us just to want to walk you through these 23 verses and see the categories and see how this is recorded for us in and just step back a minute and and speak about the this genre, parables, and why were encountering them here in Matthew chapter 13. The purposes for that and then will look at some exposition so those that approach tonight so Matthew chapter 13 and Matthew gives us this record in his gospel in chapter 13 is recorded in Mark chapter 4, 1 to 20, and it's also recorded in Luke chapter 8 verses four through 15 so all three of the synoptic Gospels have recorded this parable for us, but here in Matthew chapter 13 verses one through nine.

First couple of verses we have the context of where was the Jesus gave this teaching he was by the sea and it's is great multitudes verse two are gathered together to him so that he got into a boat and sat in the whole multitude stood on the shore versus Jesus is in about pushed out into the water and there's a multitude of people on the shore seashore and he is teaching and that context, and then verses three through nine is the telling of the parable verses 10 through 17 we have an answer of a question concerning parables and the question is raised there in verse 10, the disciples came and said to him, why do you speak to them in parables and I think it's interesting that there are as many verses given to the answer to that question is they are in the telling of the parable itself. So that's pretty significant and we want to look at that for a bit so the telling of the parable an answer of a question concerning parables and a number three the explanation of the parable, which is found in verses 18 through 23, and not all of the parables we have the benefit of the explanation. But we do on this one. We don't have to wonder what is this mean what does that mean Jesus by the very lips lips from Jesus. We have an explanation of this parable so let's think about for a moment where we find ourselves here if you begin to read in Matthew chapter 1 and just read read consecutively. You would not encounter parable until you came to Matthew chapter 13 and the question is why. Why did not. Why did Jesus not make use of this literary style of teaching. Until now that's important and there's a couple of ways to explain that so turned back to chapter 12 Matthew chapter 12 verse nine through 14 record the healing the Jesus performed on the Sabbath and this is known as the Sabbath controversy. This was a big deal to the religious establishment. We will walk through the healing itself only the response to the fair of the Pharisees to this and it's in verse 14 it says then then the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, how they might destroy him. So this is a watershed issue in the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ opposition to his popularity and his teaching has been growing but it has reached a high point here, and the religious Pharisees had determined. We cannot tolerate this man.

They began as it says they began to plot against him, how they might destroy him.

So there. This is probably in an over. It is an oversimplification, but I think it's helpful.

Lisa's been helpful in my mind when I'm when I go to the Gospels to try and get myself in the proper historical context, so we can think about the ministry, the earthly ministry of Christ lasted about 3 1/2 years.

So think of it with me in three years.

Your number one let's call it the year of inauguration were Jesus is beginning his ministries launching his ministry begins to go out and teach and perform miracles. So there's this year of inauguration your number two year popularity the fame of Jesus's spreads all all through the countryside. No man teaches with this kind of authority, no man performs miracles like this you can imagine what it must've been like the feeding of the 5000 and the word gets out in the healing of of and the miracles are performed in so year of inauguration year popularity year of opposition so when we find ourselves here in Matthew chapter 12 in the Pharisees beginning to plot against him, how they might destroy him. That's where we are, where we've come through this year, popularity, and now the opposition is beginning to manifest itself in more obvious ways. So I think that's helpful to understand where we are and then we think about the nature of parables notice back to Matthew 13 and the question, the disciples came and said to him, why do you speak to them in parables, and the answer to that is briefly to reveal truth to some who have a heart to receive it and to conceal truth from others who have hardened their hearts and showing an unwillingness to hear the disciples came and said to him, why do you speak to them in parables and he answered and said to them, because it is been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not been given, so there's two categories of people here category of those who it's been given front to them mysteries the kingdom. His been given to them that they might understand and then there are. This category of them that it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given has what has light has receive light has received truth. Whoever has to him more will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever does not have does not have light because they would not receive light has chosen darkness over light, even what he has will be taken away from him. That's a sobering thought, God holds us accountable for the light we receive, we do without light. Therefore I speak to them in parables because saying they do not see in hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled which says hearing you will hear, and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.

The speaking of the those who had decidedly set themselves against Christ and his teaching those whose hearts were hardened toward him.

It's kind of like the question of Pharaoh well did Pharaoh hardened his heart or did God hardened his heart was the answer to that yes right Pharaoh hardened his heart.

He was he was rebellious, he was hardhearted and in response to that God further hardened his heart that sobering but frequently when I read this and am reminded this tears come to my eyes.

But Jesus says in verse 16, but blessed are you, blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears, for they hear for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desire to see what you see and did not see it and to hear what you hear and did not hear it. I hope we never forget what it was like to be blind, unable to understand a number under Anna unable to understand the word of God. I remember as a boy and how God was merciful to me to protect me from deception and error. My dad had a body shop and he hired man and it was a man there who was a Jehovah's Witness and Dan was a good man and upright man a moral man adjust man and he took a liking to me and I didn't and I think it was genuine to a point, but he tried to influence me with the with literature and gave me a Bible Jehovah's Witness Bible. I never taken that I began to read through this and I didn't know what I was reading. I just know was different then the Bibles we had around the house, but for some reason I just lost interest in that dismissed it, set it aside, but in looking back I'm thinking God was kind and gracious to me. I got could've easily been duped.

I could have easily been deceived. That could've easily find myself following a false religion. But when God opened your eyes and you begin to understand truth you can come by that naturally the natural man receives not the things of the spirit, for they are foolishness to him on to him for the these things are spiritually discerned and apart from the enabling spirit of God we would not understand truth so the fact that we can sit here with a Bible open and understand the word of God is cause for rejoicing because for Thanksgiving this a God, thank you that you didn't leave me in my darkness. You didn't believe me and my ignorance didn't leave me and my misunderstanding is cause for great joy. Now it's important to to to be. To be clear and honest with the Scriptures that there are times that Jesus taught parables and it wasn't just for the disciples suggests wasn't for Kate I'm gonna now talk with you and I'm going to speak to you in parables because you have understanding you have ability to get the drift of what I'm trying to say no there there times that the parables are recorded for us and it's a mixed multitude did you notice that's the case here on the same day.

Verse one of chapter 13 on the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea and what and great multitudes were gathered together to so that he got into about setting the sat and the whole multitude stood on the shore and they spoke many things to them in parables, saying, so there's a mixed multitude. Notice let me see yet. Let's just take one row quick look at the parallel passages verse one and Mark Mark chapter 4 Mark chapter 4 this is again the same parable, but told from Mark's perspective. He had some some insight here to us beginning at verse 10 says, but George I is the giving of the parable right Jesus gives the parable and then he says in verse nine and he said to them, he who has ears to hear, let him hear. That is a that is a statement that will distinguish classes of people.

There are those who have ears to hear, and will hear and are those who don't have ears and therefore won't hear not notice verse 10 says, but when he was alone, those around him with the 12 so those around in my eye I get the sense that this is not that multitude that Matthew is speaking up when he was alone, those around him with the 12 so there were those who had followed Jesus had were sympathetic to it were understanding what he was saying there's it's a smaller crowd when he was alone, those around them with the 12 ask him about the parable and he said to them to you. It is been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God.

But to those who are outside all things come in parables, so they had the benefit of the teaching without the benefit of the explanation and then Luke what Lucas to say in Luke chapter 8 again would just take a brief look to make this point and then move on. Luke chapter 8 same context. The parable of the sower Jesus gives the teaching of the parable and then verse nine similar question that Matthew records. Then his disciples asked him, saying, what does this parable mean and he said to you. It is been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God but to the rest to the rest.

It is given in parables that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand seeing they may seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand so again were were being told here to understand Scripture requires more than the physical ability to hear they heard the words of Jesus concerning the parable they heard it, they saw him teach, but it wasn't accompanied with spiritual understanding. They didn't they didn't understand they were still blind.

They were still deaf and it takes again the spirit to enable us to understand Scripture so this move on one more bit of introduction here to this first section of parables were considering the parables of the kingdom.

Their first the first parables away encounter are the parables of the kingdom, and there are seven of them notice with me may point them out to you again. The first is the parable of the sower.

The begins there in verse one, verse 24 we have the parable of the wheat and the tares. The third parable is begins at verse 31 it is the parable of the mustard seed and just given to us in two verses number for the parable of the leaven. Verse 33, just one verse and then down to verse 44, the parable of the hidden treasure again just one verse.

The sixth parable of the kingdom parables, the parable of the pearl of great price. Verse 45 in verse 46 and then the last of the seven parables that are of the kingdom parables begins at verse 47 the parable of the dragnet and then as you move on. You see, Jesus is rejected at Nazareth and that's the end of that section of parabolic teaching. Each of the three gospel writers have an emphasis in once you see it you see this theme continuing to manifest itself throughout the writings Matthew. His focus is on Jesus as the King and S. Weiss talks about the kingdom you can have a kingdom without a King and King speaks of authority and King speaks of sovereignty and that's what we see this clash between King Jesus and his authority in his sovereignty coming in.

The clash with the human will and those who are resistant to doing and won't bow the knee to him and won't acknowledge him continuing their opposition to the point that the going to killing.

And then there are those who acknowledge his authority and his right to rule and bow the knee and submit to aim and in turn benefit greatly.

He picks up on this from the very very beginning. Matthew begins his gospel, and how does he speak the very first verse introduces us to Jesus as what the son of David and who's David, Israel's great King so he begins that theme right from the very beginning were introduced to John the Baptist in Matthew chapter 3 in verse two John came doing what preaching the kingdom of heaven according to Matthew when Jesus launched his public ministry were told in Matthew chapter 4 verse 17 after Jesus is been tempted by Satan in the wilderness.

Verse 17 says from that time Jesus began to preach and to say, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And then we get into the Beatitudes, which I believe, rightly understood are the ethics of the kingdom.

This is how kingdom agents live their life. This is how they live, and it goes on so we see this emphasis in Matthew's gospel we will take the time to speak to what Mark highlights in theme he has more Luke but back to these kingdom parables, seven of as we were going to consider them and I like to consider them in this way. Obviously, the first of the parables is the dominant one the most important one.

It is the one that that stands alone and it tells us the nature of the kingdom.

These are kingdom parables. So Jesus is going to teach us and give us an understanding of the nature of the kingdom number one. The next three, the parable of the wheat and the tares, the parable of the mustard seed in the parable of the leaven. I believe are best understood by looking at the three of them together. So when we get there.

That's what I intend to do and what are those three parables together communicate what are they teaching us what are they telling us will they picture Satan's desire to thwart the kingdom's growth in advance.

You need to know too much about the parable, but the parables of the wheat and the tares and an evil person when into the end of the field and planted wheat in an and terrorists in the midst of the wheat and hope we will have someone who is that that's the evil one. The devil and his minions at work opposing Christ kingdom and then parables number five and six. The parable of the hidden treasure. The parable of the pearl of great price will consider those two parables together and again because they go together. They speak of the attitude of those who vigorously seek the kingdom. Despite Satan's attempts to discourage the parable hidden treasure.

The parable of the pearl of great price and then finally that last parable will look at it and it speaks of the consummation of the kingdom. It speaks of what what will happen at the end of that. Between the first and the second coming of Christ, the consummation of the kingdom. So again just to get your bearings about how are going to approach this section of of the parabolic teaching of Jesus, the parables of the kingdom now in the 15 minutes I have.

Let's look at the parable of the sower begins in verse three Jesus says behold, a sower went out to so a farmer went out to sow seed. Again, not all of Christ. Parables are explained but this one is in in this one.

In verses 18 to 23 we have the explanation of the parable from again. The work the very lips of Jesus.

The seed is the gospel of the kingdom and the soil is the human heart and the emphasis in giving us these four different types of soil is to emphasize the various kinds of hearts that people have and how they reject or receive the message of Christ now. The first type of soil represents Wyman to call the hard part knows what he says, a sower went out to so and as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside.

It fell by the path for depending on your translation but mine says the wayside and the birds came and devoured them.

What is this well again this is the description of the heart of someone who hears the words of the kingdom there heart is hard just like the ground would be if you walk on it. A path.

The more you walk on it, the harder it's going to be and you can proceed out there and is going to lay there, but it's not been sewn into the soil and it's not going to bear any fruit and what's gonna happen mean I don't know what most people do.

I had to redo a section of my backyard because we had tear up the backyard and have some septic tank work done well we get the dirt down got it all spread around I had to get some see grassy and I put grassy is that all you do is throw the grassy walk away and forget it. What you do know you do a couple things got water it right but that isn't the only thing you have to do because there's these things that fly around and they love grassy and if you don't do something to cover up that grassy you'll wonder what Wisener any grants coming up what's because it's in the belly of a bunch of birds. They came and ate it all.

Jesus was a master teacher.

He could take the ordinary things that people could relate to and bring spiritual meaning and that's what a parable is a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning in us what Jesus is telling the story we all can relate to this and they could to and that agricultural context. So the first type represents the hard part.

It describes as soil it soil along the path the wayside and because the soil is hard. The seed falls.

It merely lies in the path it doesn't sink in, and the birds, and who are the birds. Jesus referred to which the devil and the devil's workers. They soon come and snatch it away.

For those of you are listening and want further instruction on this and for those of you are listening or will listen later on one of the most frequented sermons. This been preached here by by terms of the number of people who've accessed it over the years is a message press department preached.

Don't let Satan steal the word and reversing that we had her last or last variation of meeting it's in the top 10 of all the sermons of people of downloaded listen to again III remember hearing that message don't remember the particulars but that that gives some insight as to how does the devil come and steal the word rob us of the benefit of the word less what Jesus is making reference to hard hearted people.

There's nothing wrong with the seed because we see what it does in a heart that receives it. Later on in the parable, but the seed sown upon a hard heart bears no fruit has no benefit in the question is what causes a person's heart to be hardened, but causes a person's heart to be hardened will send us right and what is sin. Sin is rebellion. Sin is defiance against the ways of God. You see, unregenerate men, you and I and our loss state did not have a natural bent to acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ to submit to his authority. We were in defiance. All we like sheep have gone astray is appointed on the man what wants to die, but after this the judgment. There is a judgment that awaits those who refuse and reject.

So when Jesus came preaching the kingdom he came preaching God's right God's sovereign right to rule over the minds and hearts of all people, and this is precisely what the people involved did not want any goes all the way back to the garden. Adam did not want to submit to the authority of God. He could eat of any tree.

Every tree except one. But he did like the fact that Dotson stay away from that tree. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil. What did he do.

He rebuilt and in his rebellion carried all the human race with them into rebellion that works itself out in history.

You know, our personal history and is worth thinking about the Scriptures tonight. What was the will was the chief end.

What was the what was the watershed issue that brought Jesus to the cross of Calvary.

The people raised up in one voice and said we will not have this man what rule over us is defiance it's rebellion it's hard heartedness.

The second type of soil. The Jesus speaks of here it stands for the shallow heart the shallow heart.

Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth, and they immediately sprung up, because they had no no depth of earth.

But when the sun was up, they were scorched because they had no root and they withered away will. If hard heartedness does not mark our day. Shirley shallowness marks our day right there shallowness all around us, people have a dab of spirituality and think they're fine on your way to heaven. But there is shallow as a mud puddle was Jesus say about this kind of heart is people who have gone to a church in this excitement and they been appealed to and they made may perhaps a profession of faith and they're excited about the things of God and then what trouble comes disappointment comes loss of a job. A sickness some crisis and in their response to that is fully on this and is as quickly as they sprang up and showed promise. They were gone is what Jesus says again were looking at his explanation. Verse 20 he received the seed on stony places, that is, he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.

Yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles or your translation may say he falls away. No root again nothing wrong with the seed, the seat has a capacity to the bear fruit, but there's something deficient about the soil or something deficient about the condition of the heart. It's a shallow heart and therefore doesn't endure in the midst of the heat of life and the tests of life and is why it's good that every profession must be tested.

It needs to be tested and why God does test our faith to see if it's genuine or not. The third type of soil stands for the strangled heart.

I don't know if you like that characterization but he talks about verse seven and some fell among thorns and the thorns sprang up and choked them uses the same word choked there in verse 22 the Lord describes those things as forms. This is thorny ground heart that is infected with thorns. It affects the the of the condition of the heart and its receptivity to the word of God. The word of the kingdom not I don't need to take time tonight to point out how many lives are choked by riches. Today, the deceitfulness of riches, their deceitful why they deceitful date they promised something they can't deliver the promised satisfaction.

The promise security and as fast as it comes it it it's gone, the deceitfulness of riches in Jesus a lot of things about the hindrances of riches. Matthew 1923.

Truly I say to you, only with difficulty will the rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Mark 1025 it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom. Luke 624 woe to you who are rich for you have received your consolation. Remember the rich young ruler who came to Jesus and Jesus said he was bragging about how he kept the law. Jesus said sell everything you've got. Come follow me. What did what did his response reveal about his heart.

He had a covetous heart. His life was tied up in his riches.

What he had. He couldn't let go of it. The Bible says he turned in and he lefty he walked away from him. Who was the truth and the life he walked away from Jesus, the deceitfulness of riches, riches do they choke they strangle but they don't do it all at one time.

It's something that's gradual, it's a gradual process. Slowly, very slowly, so it's a warning. Riches can be a horrible hindrance and all the good they can be. There is the counter to it as well. Let's get the last soil. The last type of soil is the one to which this entire parable has been heading and it is the open heart notice again. What Jesus says in verse eight, but others fell on good ground and yielded a crop. Some a hundredfold, some 60, some 30 miles back over to his explanation. Verse 23 but he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces some a hundredfold, some 60, in some 30 is the person who has an open heart. They receive the gospel like receiving good seed in the soil produces a good crop, yielding as Jesus as 100 fold.

Some 60, some 30 tells us that there are various degrees of fruitfulness in the Christian life you want to be a thirtyfold Christian or a hundredfold. Christian I know the answer to that first let's search our hearts for the evidence of fruit.

What am I talking about Galatians chapter 5 gives us the fruit of the spirit is what love, joy, peace, long-suffering goodness, kindness, self-control think I left one out gentleness those of the manifestations of the fruit of the spirit. That's what the Spirit of God produces in the heart of those who receive the word of God. Now one hermeneutical principle about understanding parables and it's this a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly lesson we get in trouble when we go to a parable and we start trying to find this and this and this and that truth parables are given to teach primarily I say primarily because at times I will show you more than one truth, but we don't want to find eight or 10 truths that obscure the main truth, so there is a main truth that these parables are teaching. We don't want to miss that if we miss that. Doesn't matter how many other nuggets. We pull away. We miss the point of Jesus's teaching.

So what is the main point. The main point is this. It is only the open heart that receives the benefit of the preaching of the gospel and is saved for responses to the sow seed, which is the word of God and only one of those responses bears fruit.

Don't make the mistake of saying well you know sometimes is a Christian. My heart is stoning. Sometimes my heart is a Christian.

Is this that may be true but that's not the point of what Jesus is teaching Jesus is teaching us in this parable that there's only one response that is a believing response. All other responses are those of lost people right.

And if you missed that you be confused here so don't miss it again for lack of time. I will draw out some other things here that would be helpful to for us to consider because I want us to not miss them on the main point is only the person knew as an open heart that receives the benefit of the preaching of the gospel and is saved so in conclusion, let me ask you is your heart and open heart. Are you receptive. What I mean by that is, are you receptive to God's truth. Does the word of God abide in you, so that it turns you from sin. It directs you to faith in Jesus and it produces the Holy Spirit fruit in your life. You may say well as I make an honest assessment. I'm afraid not.

My my my honest assessment is my heart is harder shallow. It's being strong strangle by this world and all that it offers what what what can I do that's always a good question. What can I do in the answer to that question is there isn't anything you can do what the answer is you can do nothing anymore then the soil can change its nature. Now that sounds pretty discouraging, pretty hopeless, although there's nothing you can do. There is one who can do something for you and he is the divine gardener is the one who can change the condition of the human heart is the one who can remove the stones. He's the one who can remove the things that are choking out the word of God. In fact, we have this incredible new covenant promise recorded in Ezekiel chapter 36.

He says I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments, and do them while we it's good we have a promise like that because folks. There's nothing we can do to remedy the condition of a bad heart. God's got to give us a new heart or there's no hope for us.

So our hope we have hope. But it's not in us. It's in him, nor think of the rich young ruler again.

He turned away from Jesus sorrowfully Jesus remarked how difficult it was for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.

And the disciples asked this question. In that context is recorded in Luke chapter 18 verse 26 the disciple said, then who can be saved if this rich young rock couldn't be saved.

He came at the right time he came as a young man he came to the right person.

He came to Jesus he came in the right attitude. He came in humility ask the right question. What shall I do to be saved, but he walked away a lost man in the disciple said, then who can be say you know what Jesus said what is impossible with man is possible with God. What he saying is what you just saw that's impossible for that man to be saved, apart from divine intervention. What is impossible with man is possible with God.

In other words, with God all things are possible. And that's our hope is is not our hope that our hope is not in our ability to persuade our loved ones are ability is in a God who is able to give people a new heart like he did for you and me you are condition is such that we don't mean just a little improvement. We don't need a facelift. We don't need somebody to retain us in change a few windows and call us know our condition is hopeless. Apart from God's intervention was impossible with man is possible with God. In other words, with God all things are possible and so they are in there possible for you and for any other person. Did you encounter that you're trying to engage in gospel conversation. Don't forget that, don't miss that there's hope that our hope was in the God who saves sinners.

I'm concerned the reason many of the churches of today are in such anemic condition is because we have such a man centered gospel.

We think man's conditions not so bad.

All he needs to do is make a decision. All he needs to do is condo to an altar and pray a prayer and if you've done that you're saved and never worry about that know our conditions far worse than that and even someone who believes that who I mean that's their theology. Let's just say that that that is true then you explain to me why you got all the hospital. A man is on his deathbed.

He's rejected Christ his whole life in his whole life is behind was in the rearview mirror and death is facing him and you make an appeal to him is he going to be inclined to make a decision for Jesus, not likely no is his response is going to come out of his heart needs got an effective heart.

It has to change before he can respond positively to Jesus to do the same things done his whole life.

If you had that experience don't talk to me about that stuff and for born. Obviously somebody need to talk about this stuff because I know how monumentally it may be a day maybe we maybe a month but will not what that say about your heart, your time to get away from you that stuff let's the condition of the human heart. Apart from grace love the choir tonight the King of glory and of what grace he's the King of glory and grace. Aren't you glad he dispenses grace freely, sovereignly, and if you receive that joy, Senate, and not only rejoice in be compelled to tell somebody else about it because there's no hoping you but there's hope in him point and point them to Jesus. And that's what I've tried to do tonight. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the Lord Jesus, we thank you for his incredible person. This teaching that is rich and so helpful to us and insightful to us, Lord, apart from you giving us understanding, we would be blind to this revealed truth. Thank you for opening our eyes so we might understand the Scriptures, Lord, because your word to live among us, Lord, thank you that you've done for us what we could never do for ourselves. Thank you that you're the God who gives men new hearts or do that for someone here tonight perhaps do that for someone who will is listening tonight or will listen sometime in the future glorify yourself. I pray in Jesus name, amen