A Parable about Parables, Part 2

Today on Summit line with Judy Greer. True once saved always saved it through that once Jesus rubs all your heart is never to let you go but is also true that once I forever file with me that once Jesus is really transformed you and want to save you. Yes you will follow the same from time to time you will always bring you back because the proof of saving faith is not intensity the beginning. It is enduring to begin their I'm your host Molly benefits yesterday on Senate life. We begin a new teaching series about the parables of Jesus, titled listing any stories Jesus reveals the beauty of the gospel, but only for those whose heart is in a posture to perceive and understand it only for those who truly said if you recall, we started by hearing a parable. That's actually about parables like a good way to start a series right so if you miss yesterday's program, be sure to catch up right away JD clear.com but for now grab your Bible and pen and let's join Pastor JD as he teaches from Matthew chapter 13 about the high school that I sometimes goes off to college and stopped believing in God.

Right. But here's what I know about them when they were in high school that you believe in God, other people's opinions about a whole lot more to them than the God of they believe the answer was no wonder that when they went to college. They lost the knowledge of God, because God said the reason you lost the knowledge of me is because we did believe in the other people to bring this matter more to you that would wake up told you in Hebrew. What Jesus would've been using probably to speak their abode means the word glory means weight means awaiting as much weight you give other people's opinions are God's opinions when somebody does this, it usually means that their unbelief is not a matter of their head. As a matter of the heart.

It was her heart that was wrong. That made her head go wrong in idolatrous heart almost always will lead to an unbelieving head Tim Keller. One my favorite pastors so so when we were when somebody that young comes him so they don't believe in God anymore as a buffer is a group of churches in my first question is you start you start sleeping with it almost always knocks him off guard, he says, but 99 times out of 100, there's an answer to that question and was ultimately, this part away from God that led to the doubt that Pope plugged in my maybe that's been happening to you see my point in all this, I'll say it again insight into truth is as much a matter of the heart as it is of the head. So Jesus sometimes spoke in parables so that those with a heart to know God could see the truth and everybody else with the wrong kind of heart would be confused.

Paul would say the exact same thing another way in second Corinthians 2 we are. He says the pleasing aroma of Christ to those were being saved and to those who are perishing. We are the stench of death. Talk about a distinction one smell for some it's a pleasing aroma of life, others of the stench of death. The condition of your heart determines which one of those reactions of the gospel will produce in you the saints on the hard clay softens the wax. The difference is not in the sun that shines on of the differences in the material on upon which it shines upon. That's the whole point Jesus is making with this parable. The condition of your heart is more important than the intelligence of your head, which by the way, is good news for some of you. Amen.

Because maybe you're not that smart but you can submit your heart to God and God will show you the truth, so listen to Jesus explant listen to them unpack the specifics of the parable. He's gonna interpret this divorce which you always do so. This is a special treat.

Verse 18 to listen to the parable of the sower.

You see, when anyone hears the word about the kingdom and understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed that is sown along the path to look at four different types of soil really quickly, but just illustrate the big truth that we just come back. Here's the first kind of soil called the heart heart heart heart. This is the person who is interested in what the word of God says just not that much and so they leave here and almost immediately after they leave Satan like a bird like a bird snatches away the word snatches away the ideas that they were having snatches away their thoughts by planting doubts in their minds or maybe just distracts them with something else.

By the way, not necessarily a bad thing. It's not a bad thing. He uses to distract you. Just something that takes your mind off of what God says so you that's going to be your experience today.

You're sitting here right now in our church thinking is really interesting. I never really thought about this before. This is speaking to me in your sincere in that thought. But as soon as we dismiss you to start thinking about where you're going to go eat and that's can be the end of it. Others of you to sit here and think man I so wish so-and-so were here to hear this and that concern for them is good but the problem is that thought is from your enemy and he is using that distraction indicate you to stop thinking about what the word of God is saying to you put on your own oxygen mask before you try to help somebody else. Distraction sends more people to help in doubt ever has. Because Satan will do anything to get your mind off of what the word of God is saying to you. So when Moses gave the word of God. The children of Israel. He says this is not a curiosity. This is your life is your life. It is a matter of life and death. Don't be distracted by your enemy. Here is verse 20. The second thing on the one sown on rocky ground. This is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, but he has no root and is short-lived when distress, or persecution comes because of the word will then immediately he falls away was called over to the shallow heart the shallow heart. This is the person who hears the message is initially moved by it but whatever decision they make a lot of times it's an emotional decision. A lot of times it's a sincere decision. It just done last that long. And that's because the root doesn't go very deep, and the slightest difficulty the slightest challenge and obedience. The slightest persecution is going to make that wither away. I used to see this all the time graphically illustrated what I used to be a lot of student camps.

In the summer. I still do one or two weeks of summer, but I used to do a lot more and I would always see that there's a certain logic. By the way, unity EDU I will formula basically keep the kids up all night every night until you get the Thursday dinner emotionally spent or worn out their units, hanging on by thread and you play extra law music set that I cannot tell some emotional story given invitational can't get saved.

That's how it works and I would watch it from up you know here and I would see like how do you like roller teenagers and I would watch one of the and would be a concert crying and you get is like a disease but is all the way down and all crimes will come up together. They have a lot they cry they way that was not sickles on each other. They bow to be missionaries there not a date of the 30s logical bit. I am not really sincere commitment to Jesus, which fell sincere the moment it last for about an hour and 1/2 until the emotion wears off because they were never really into Jesus.

They were just into this emotion in the slightest challenge and difficulty the slightest challenging difficulty showed that the root didn't go that deep sea a lot of people a lot of you respond to an emotional moment. And that's great. You should respond. He calls for emotion, but the point is it it it is is your trust in Jesus so deep in your heart that you go through what ever it takes to be able to possess him what's often confusing about these people is that they look so convincing when they make the decision because they look so sincere and the tears flowed on their face and him and a book I wrote a few years ago called stop asking Jesus into your heart until story and there of a guy that I share Christ with you years ago that we go to this category just sort of slightly different way was on. It was at the gym that I was working out at the time the gym I was working out how to edit a basketball court. So just him and out answers or play one-on-one together now of any sort of pain picture of the sky to you. He he was about my age. I had hair down to his lower back back here tattooed every square inch of his body was tattoo that I could see that it noted that when it was scheduled was a resisting of them stuttered. Then there was a pure everything was fierce on him look like a fallen face first in the tackle box and nothing wrong but away with any of that interest you picture the cost. Every other word just blew in gratuitous curse words for our lives like salt-and-pepper is male make any sense how the point then you a picture of a guy that is not the kind of guy that you think is regular in a church so I searcher my testimony with him. That's what you're supposed to do. I get about three lines in my testimony, he grabbed the ball puts on his hip and he says do. Are you trying to witness to me now was shot to do the word witness because that's insider language right. I was like maybe and he said on said that's fantastic news is that nobody is in it.

When you share Christ with me in years, and he said he submit me to your wasting your breath he said because he said I grew up in church. He said I when I got saved a youth camp. I was like was the speaker. He said as I got saved in youth camp and he is man, I get saved I got really safe because I came home from student camp and I was like Jesus can't be started a Bible study.

My school I let other kids to Christ. I went on mission trips I memorize verses I was a president in my youth group.

He said I got in the high school and then it started, fade away little bit asserted lose interest to that, I went to college and is quit believing in God altogether. He said I'll be honest, I started to sleep with people and I really like the way described. I really like sex. And so I decided I put my belief in God on hold for a while. Then I just into the point that I didn't believe he said he said but here here's what's awesome about this. He said I was saved about a search is your about to strike like did you look at me and tell Uzziah something that I give all the shirt tucked in. They make you look like that, but I'm not sure when I took there but it was like I like how you know he's well I just I know your and he said he said so he said in a Baptist Church. He said we believe once saved always saved right any like no, he said he said because what that means is, even if you're right. Even if Jesus really is the way the truth and the life I got saved, so even the fact that I don't believe in God. He said that it matter because once saved always saved. And so even if you're right I'm secure and have now some church. How do you respond to that person right I mean like I want to seminary classes. None of them ever prepared me for that moment there but I ended up talking about with him was this bearable deceits because what you got is somebody who's faith springs up quickly and it looks so convincing at the beginning but one of the signs of saving faith is not its intensity the beginning that can be misleading. The side of saving faith is its endurance to the end and there are some of you who started so well that it was so sincere.

It was so explosive, but you're no longer walking with Jesus. And that means that whatever decision you made back 314 and 20 years ago with the wrong one because one of the signs of saving faith is that it goes deep enough that it lasts your entire life and I know what some of you are asking right here, you boy Dominican to backslide. Yes, you can like King David King David committed adultery with his best friend's wife had his best friend murdered and lied about it for a year. That's varsity level backsliding.

King David was a Christian but see the point. There is God still brought David back.

Eventually you can't wonder, but so far before God brings you back. There are some of you that are revealing that you never really became Christians. You were just a shallow soil because you sprang up quickly and then you faded away on the way I say to stop bashing Jesus in your heart is this. It's true once saved always saved, it's true that once Jesus grabs all your heart is never to let you go but it's also true that one saved forever. Following the means that once Jesus has really transformed you, and once he saved you.

Yes you will follow the same from time to time, but he will always bring you back because the proof of saving faith is not intensity the beginning it is enduring to the end. After Jenny in a message titled parable about parables will be right back with the rest of our teaching here in just a moment that I wanted to share a little bit about our current resource. We've just begun this meat-eating series title, blessing our gift to you this night and I was right along with that program. If you have a desire to dig deeper into these lessons.

Jesus Casper asked through his parable.

Our new 10 day devotional study guide will bring comfort and understanding to some is perhaps harder to understand principles make these lessons personal intra-team by reaching out today in support of this ministry. Give us a call 663-3550 20 or go online to Janie Greer.com and get your copy today.

Now, let's return for the conclusion of today's message. There's 1/3, so over 22 the one sown among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word of the words of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke out the word and the word becomes unfruitful. So to write down number three, the divided heart.

This is the person Jesus says who hears the word, he hears the word, he responds to it. Sincerely he wants to follow it, but other things begin to choke it out.

Specifically, he says the worries of this age, the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth is and what is that mean exactly. Well let's unpack that. Here's what looks like me for some of you you're genuinely interested in what I'm saying appear you would love for God to be a part of your life you got even you would even say is important to you, but as soon as you get out of here. What's going to consume your mind, are the bills that you have to pay which are important, but you really get consumed with the deceitfulness of riches that the pursuit of wealth and more what other people are thinking about you. So the point is you don't deny God's word. It just takes up backseat in your life or you like being here in church and hearing the word of God you like your family here in the word of God. But you know what your kids got travel soccer and your kids got dance and so you just can't really afford to come that much. You come every once in a while you wish you could come more but but the cares of the world.

Other things are a little more important than the word of God or about this when you got it you got a new Lakehouse or beach house and then he does love your weekends there is life in a God want you to enjoy nature. Right, so you'd rather you'd rather devote yourself there than the riches of the hearing the word of God or something with any of these things I'm talking about right digital hear me say that what I'm saying is for some of you it just reveals a priority you place on the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches, and not on the hearing of the word of God.

And that's going to reveal itself and how the word dies in your life for many high school students here there listening this weekend and they're saying they're sitting there so yeah this is important. I want God to be a part of my life. But the moment that you leave your baby even while I'm talking you can looking down at your phone and your check in that text message stream Hussein water Snapchat or whatever you're going to be more concerned about those things.

Not bad things.

But those things that choke out the word of God in your life. Some of you not to follow through on obedience because of the cares of the world. It's just too inconvenient for you to get involved in ministry or to go all the way or go on mission or tell people about Jesus.

You won't obey God with your first fruit you will give them your first and your best friend time because her so much other stuff that you want afford that you can afford yet you got a hold on your money and it's never it is not a conscious decision that you make to reject God.

It's just that God's word gets crowded out in your life by other good things distraction sends more people to help but doubt ever has.

By the way this not just for those you are not Christian for me. I thought this week about how many times God will speak something to my heart and I am sincerely Cassie I needed and immediately almost soon as I get up I out of my chair and stop reading the Bible I just get consumed with whatever I said about me or what I want afford or how much money that you and II need for this or that when God speaks to you.

You have to obey definitively and clearly, and it has to get not just a top place in your life. But the unchallenged first place.

Roy won't world when you would all his last hole number four here and there's a kind of sown on the good ground. This is the one who hears and understands the word he does produce fruit and yields some 100.

Some 60 in some 30 times what was so let's call this one before the open heart thing that I want to focus on here with the open heart is how fruitful the seed is what goes in. You see, agriculturalists, farmer scholars tell us that in those days at least.

The average yield of the sea was about 8×8 times. So when Jesus is 160 even 30. He is talking about something that is nothing short of miraculous. Something that people look when the farmers and Jesus was talking to her. This Obama will 3600 times past divine.

It's talking about a yield in your life of fruit that other people can notice and recognize there's something at work in you that is not of you that it is something that God is doing in you, it starts to show up and how you treat people. It shows up in your generosity of spirit it shows up at how quickly you forgive reveals itself in your excitement for worship and how you tell other people about Jesus. It is miraculous. Other people see there is something that is happening in you and what Jesus is saying is that there's not that miraculous evidence is probably because Jesus didn't really bear don't listen God's word is powerful. It was one of God's words that created the entire universe as we know it one word created all this when God's word comes in your heart. It will make a change back in a few verses, Jesus is given to another parable in this parable is compared to an acorn will acorn to cross in your feet destroy when a call gets planted it grows up into an oak tree that is larger than you can imagine here. You gotta treat its roots can split a sidewalk, but you could never do in your own strength get that start of little tiny see that you could crush on your foot Jesus with the word of God is like. It looks insignificant.

You can even ignore it didn't go to the bathroom and it's been taught you just totally blow it off. But that word comes in your heart if it takes root, it will grow in your heart into something that will split addiction. It will split depression.

It will break for your unbelief and it will produce in you a harvest of righteousness. Jesus's word is taken root in you, see if his word is taken root in you. We will be able to see it not hear me.

I'm not trying to get you to compare yourself to the best Christian you know and say what you must be saved. And I like them that it's interesting to admit that Jesus is 160, and 30 people who only have 30 fold no increase in one of the will to hundred know it was all me. I didn't mean that they're not really saved it just means that God you know grows it at different rates in people's lives.

I don't want you comparing yourself to other people. What I do want you to do is I want you to be able to say yes God's word has a powerful effect on me and it showing up in how I treat people and showing up in every possible way in my life reading about the power of the word always gets me excited about sharing it with others how to I think he is about to be like I was one of Rachel Tom Alonso people about this work.

After the love watching them for good work in people's lives. I love watching that acorn split the submit and slabs of depression and addiction abroad and apathy.

I I know a story told some of you this last week one of the services there was somebody came the week before Easter here. I a girl came that was invited by somebody shipment at church a long time and came in and I was we were told on the cross and she said it just Asiana what it did to me but it just overwhelmed me and open my eyes and so I came back to the Good Friday service by myself to showed up there and I came back here the next day for the first Easter service for Clark Briar Creek showed up there NASA ground for the 530 service to set that service to that I came back the next day and went to the services that day. Then went home and watch the service unit three or four times online and then showed up starting point, which is become of the first step we have invited people and showed up and set up think I am ready to get saved will not mom and dad happen be the table close to the table and I like to think you already are saved will discount to commemorate that right here because obviously God's got a hold of you if that's the word of God and in somebody's life threatening about the story I heard about one of our students who came to Christ here last year only Christian and his family church prayed for his family for his mom and dad come to faith in Christ on Easter Sunday brings his dad. They walk the aisle together and he baptizes his dad at one of our campuses. That is the multiplying power of the word of God will see how you can't want that to be reproduced in the life of everybody you know and I can't help but think about neighborhoods and nations all over the world. We want to see the word of God go to work.

Don't we want to be moved to see this, multiply in every highway and edge. And don't we yearn to see it happening in the that the places all over the world where we send our people to go and see the word of God multiply minutes asked you to consider which soil which soil are you I give you a number of different ones.

Let's turn it back here first.

Time is been easily distracted, yet good intentions but there's just so many other things. A crowd out your focus on the word. Or maybe you're the kind that you would like to obey, but to be honest this weekend that the cares of the world and the cares what other people say it's choking it out in your life. Maybe you today. Draw a line in the sand so to speak where you say today things change in God and his word going get the place in my life that they deserve. But let me racist things for just a little bit to see that we keep talking about what is the seed Jesus will call himself the same. He was the seed.

He said it went into the soil and die so he could produce in us a harvest of righteousness.

And what that means you are here in a message about your father God, who died for you. Who was tortured and executed and died for you.

You can't treat that with a passing glance. It demands a decision and for you just to get up here and go think about what you can eat after this that is in itself a decision. It is an insult to God says it's just not that important.

It is time for some of you to look Jesus Christ in the face and acknowledge what he did for you and respond in the way that he deserves for you to respond to him. My question is are you ready to respond like that humble step drawing the line in the sand. You're listening to Summit life with pastor authoring teacher Jeannie Greer gathered the big idea of what this new series titled lesson is about a bit more about what does this new series actually deal with was you probably realize it's about the parables of Jesus. Those are the key things Jesus would always say listen listen is and listen. That's with your ears. What was your heart. These are stories of simple child can understand the plot line get there so profound that we can never really exhaust the wealth of their wisdom. Jesus was a master storyteller and the stories that he conveyed had behind them eternal truths. We want to give you a copy of this new book of 10 devotionals that I've written that will help you refocus on the gospel in the teachings of Jesus following right along with the five parables we are covering in this series we would love for you to reserve your copy JD grid.com head over there right now you get home and take a look at it in and get your copy today because I think you'll find it to be a blessing. We believe this devotional and more joyful in green vinyl bring into your life right away when you give $35 only today.

Thanks for your generous support. Give us a call eight 663-3520 you can get a request online CD player.com Molly benefits encouraging you to join us tomorrow. Are you teaching series.

Be sure to join us Wednesday on Jeannie Greer night prayer ministry