WEBVTT 00:00:05.259 --> 00:00:17.239 Not for a minute were we forsaken. The Bible 00:00:17.239 --> 00:00:19.300 says, I'll neither leave you nor forsake you. 00:00:19.339 --> 00:00:22.000 I'll be with you to the very end. You see, we 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:24.600 go through things in life and we go through things 00:00:24.600 --> 00:00:27.940 at time. And these students right here are a 00:00:27.940 --> 00:00:31.179 testament to going through things in life. Amen. 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:34.820 But as they go through things in life, this song 00:00:34.820 --> 00:00:37.520 pierces the inner depths of our soul. Because 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:41.780 it says, not for a minute was I forsaken. The 00:00:41.780 --> 00:00:44.920 Lord is in this place. And then they're asking, 00:00:45.079 --> 00:00:50.200 come Holy Spirit. Dry bones awaken. Some of our 00:00:50.200 --> 00:00:53.140 bones have become dry this morning. Some of the 00:00:53.140 --> 00:00:55.880 things down inside of us lay a little dormant. 00:00:56.140 --> 00:00:58.380 But I think God is calling out to his people 00:00:58.380 --> 00:01:01.700 today, saying, come alive. They said it, dead 00:01:01.700 --> 00:01:04.640 things come alive. Because when you begin to 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:08.560 interject Jesus into the situation, dead things 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:12.099 come alive. Hallelujah. Give him praise one more 00:01:12.099 --> 00:01:15.120 time in his house today. He is worthy of our 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:26.790 praise. Amen. Give these young men and women 00:01:26.790 --> 00:01:28.969 a hand clap of praise. They did an outstanding 00:01:28.969 --> 00:01:37.769 job this morning leading us into worship. What 00:01:37.769 --> 00:01:48.230 an awesome, awesome job. One of the wonderful 00:01:48.230 --> 00:01:52.920 gifts that I have been given. is the fact that 00:01:52.920 --> 00:01:55.480 I get to pastor this young group of men and women. 00:01:58.379 --> 00:02:04.859 And the blessing that I receive is more than 00:02:04.859 --> 00:02:07.939 this, but I get to preach after worship like 00:02:07.939 --> 00:02:14.120 that every single Wednesday. Guys, when you look 00:02:14.120 --> 00:02:18.560 around at these young men and women, they're 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:25.659 becoming warriors. It's hard for me to talk about 00:02:25.659 --> 00:02:30.860 them without crying. But I'm proud of them. I'm 00:02:30.860 --> 00:02:32.439 proud of everything they're becoming because 00:02:32.439 --> 00:02:34.319 they're allowing the Lord to lead their life. 00:02:35.159 --> 00:02:39.740 Amen. But I've come this morning with a word 00:02:39.740 --> 00:02:43.360 I believe that God has placed on my heart to 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:48.919 give to you today. Because when you think about 00:02:48.919 --> 00:02:50.780 the songs and the things that we've sung about 00:02:50.780 --> 00:02:57.879 already this morning, It makes you wonder where 00:02:57.879 --> 00:03:02.319 our hearts are today. I question that among myself 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:04.560 several times because I don't know about you, 00:03:04.620 --> 00:03:06.659 but I don't wake up the same way all the time 00:03:06.659 --> 00:03:10.439 every morning. Sometimes I wake up and I've got 00:03:10.439 --> 00:03:13.039 a bad mood on me. I've got a bad attitude or 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:16.240 my heart's not receptive. I'm not ready to be 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:19.879 who I know God's called me to be. There's a struggle 00:03:19.879 --> 00:03:24.210 that happens. Amen. We all go through it. But 00:03:24.210 --> 00:03:27.250 I think about where my heart is today, this morning, 00:03:27.370 --> 00:03:29.949 and I think about where our hearts may be today. 00:03:30.090 --> 00:03:32.330 And that's kind of what I want to preach to you 00:03:32.330 --> 00:03:36.409 today about. And it's a simple thought that says 00:03:36.409 --> 00:03:40.129 living with a heart condition. And you can turn 00:03:40.129 --> 00:03:42.349 with me to Matthew chapter 13, and then I'll 00:03:42.349 --> 00:03:44.810 let you guys be seated. I know you've been standing 00:03:44.810 --> 00:03:49.990 for worship. Chapter 13, verse 1, and I'm going 00:03:49.990 --> 00:03:56.300 to read through verse 9. Give you a second to 00:03:56.300 --> 00:04:07.000 get there. Living with a heart condition. Chapter 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:11.319 13 verse 1 says, That same day Jesus went out 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:14.900 of the house and sat beside the sea. And great 00:04:14.900 --> 00:04:17.579 crowds gathered about him so that he got into 00:04:17.579 --> 00:04:20.839 a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood 00:04:20.839 --> 00:04:24.649 on the beach. And he told them many things in 00:04:24.649 --> 00:04:28.629 parables, saying, A sower went out to sow. And 00:04:28.629 --> 00:04:31.449 as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, 00:04:31.730 --> 00:04:35.850 and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds 00:04:35.850 --> 00:04:39.110 fell along rocky ground, where they did not have 00:04:39.110 --> 00:04:42.649 much soil. Immediately they sprang up, and since 00:04:42.649 --> 00:04:45.569 they had no depth of soil, but when the sun arose, 00:04:45.810 --> 00:04:48.610 they were scorched. And since they had no root, 00:04:48.730 --> 00:04:52.500 they withered away. Other seeds fell among the 00:04:52.500 --> 00:04:54.980 thorns and the thorns grew up and choked them. 00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:59.339 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, 00:04:59.579 --> 00:05:03.199 some hundredfold, some sixty and some thirty. 00:05:03.579 --> 00:05:06.939 He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Father, 00:05:07.139 --> 00:05:09.779 I love you today. I thank you for this opportunity 00:05:09.779 --> 00:05:13.319 that I have to break. and preach this lovely 00:05:13.319 --> 00:05:16.319 word. And God, I pray that as I have spoken this 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:18.740 word, I pray that it reaches into the inner depths 00:05:18.740 --> 00:05:21.240 of our soul. Lord, I pray that as our hearts 00:05:21.240 --> 00:05:23.199 are rung out this morning, that we will hear 00:05:23.199 --> 00:05:26.540 what the Spirit would be saying to us this morning. 00:05:26.620 --> 00:05:29.639 In Jesus' name I pray, amen. You guys can be 00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:35.639 seated. Living with a heart condition, in this 00:05:35.639 --> 00:05:38.379 passage of Scripture, a very familiar story, 00:05:38.579 --> 00:05:41.180 most of you have heard it. the parable of the 00:05:41.180 --> 00:05:45.740 sower. And after Jesus spoke this parable to 00:05:45.740 --> 00:05:47.879 the multitude, the group of crowds sitting on 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:50.120 the shore, the disciples asked him once they 00:05:50.120 --> 00:05:53.000 were alone, they said, why do you teach or preach 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:56.839 in parables? And Jesus went on to describe to 00:05:56.839 --> 00:05:59.920 them how they have been made known the mysteries 00:05:59.920 --> 00:06:02.699 of the kingdom of God. They have been made known 00:06:02.699 --> 00:06:05.139 the things that others would not typically know 00:06:05.139 --> 00:06:07.439 of the kingdom of God, but he spoke in parables 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:09.930 that they would hear. He actually said that I 00:06:09.930 --> 00:06:11.930 speak in parables so that Isaiah could be fulfilled 00:06:11.930 --> 00:06:14.269 where it says, you will indeed hear but never 00:06:14.269 --> 00:06:18.009 understand. You will indeed see but never perceive. 00:06:18.750 --> 00:06:22.589 For this people's heart has grown dull. Somebody 00:06:22.589 --> 00:06:26.829 say dull. Their heart has grown dull. And with 00:06:26.829 --> 00:06:29.970 their ears they can barely hear and their eyes 00:06:29.970 --> 00:06:33.250 they have closed. lest they should see with their 00:06:33.250 --> 00:06:36.449 eyes and hear with their ears and understand 00:06:36.449 --> 00:06:40.250 with their heart and turn, and I would heal them. 00:06:40.649 --> 00:06:43.189 What Jesus is saying is they may not understand 00:06:43.189 --> 00:06:45.990 the things that I explain to you, my people, 00:06:46.089 --> 00:06:48.310 but to these people I preach in parables so that 00:06:48.310 --> 00:06:50.649 they would understand and hear, and it would 00:06:50.649 --> 00:06:53.209 draw them, and they would turn, and they could 00:06:53.209 --> 00:06:57.430 be healed. But he's lining them up to talk about 00:06:57.430 --> 00:07:01.470 the conditions of their hearts. Amen. And to 00:07:01.470 --> 00:07:03.129 understand this parable fully, you've got to 00:07:03.129 --> 00:07:06.290 understand the sower. Because there's a sower 00:07:06.290 --> 00:07:09.490 of the seed. But who is the sower? There are 00:07:09.490 --> 00:07:12.170 several things that the sower is identified as. 00:07:12.310 --> 00:07:14.790 Firstly, in the parable, the sower would be as 00:07:14.790 --> 00:07:17.509 like the farmer casting seed into the field. 00:07:18.069 --> 00:07:20.889 According to Jesus in his interpretation of this 00:07:20.889 --> 00:07:24.589 parable in Mark 4, 14, the sower sows the word 00:07:24.589 --> 00:07:28.319 of God. And the sower pictured in this parable 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:32.399 is a reference to Jesus and by extension to all 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:35.279 those who preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:39.399 Christ. It's a fact I am sowing this very hour. 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:43.540 Amen. The sower's intentions are also important. 00:07:44.019 --> 00:07:46.759 It says that this farmer, since he has the seed 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:49.300 and he casts the seed into his field, he does 00:07:49.300 --> 00:07:52.459 so with a hope that some will fall on good soil. 00:07:53.579 --> 00:07:55.600 I don't know if some of you in here are farmers, 00:07:55.680 --> 00:07:58.120 but when you cast seed, some of you may place 00:07:58.120 --> 00:08:00.660 it specifically in the ground. But back then, 00:08:00.740 --> 00:08:03.939 they threw seed and cast seed and hoping that 00:08:03.939 --> 00:08:06.680 it would fall on good soil. Some would fall. 00:08:06.740 --> 00:08:10.579 He sows because he ultimately desires to reap 00:08:10.579 --> 00:08:13.740 a harvest. Amen. You don't sow seed as a farmer 00:08:13.740 --> 00:08:16.459 unless you intend on reaping, right? Unless you 00:08:16.459 --> 00:08:19.660 intend on getting something in return. He cast 00:08:19.660 --> 00:08:23.370 his seed with the expectation of much more. The 00:08:23.370 --> 00:08:26.589 sower has one goal, and that is to get his seed 00:08:26.589 --> 00:08:30.930 into the ground so the harvest can come. You 00:08:30.930 --> 00:08:33.230 see, the same is true with the seed of the gospel 00:08:33.230 --> 00:08:36.889 today. It is sown into the field of the world 00:08:36.889 --> 00:08:40.149 with the prayer that it will fall on good hearts, 00:08:40.190 --> 00:08:43.990 take root, grow up, and produce much fruit to 00:08:43.990 --> 00:08:47.389 the glory of the Lord. There are hearts in this 00:08:47.389 --> 00:08:49.629 room that have received the seed of the gospel 00:08:49.629 --> 00:08:53.610 at one time. The seed germinated in your heart 00:08:53.610 --> 00:08:57.409 and produced within your soul. Now your life 00:08:57.409 --> 00:09:00.070 is a fruitful testimony of the power of God's 00:09:00.070 --> 00:09:03.409 saving grace. That is the intention of our heavenly 00:09:03.409 --> 00:09:06.529 sower, and that is my desire to sow to you today. 00:09:07.500 --> 00:09:09.820 You see, the seed is sowed in us, and if our 00:09:09.820 --> 00:09:12.399 hearts are designed and are ready to receive 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:15.779 that as good soil is, that seed, once it is planted, 00:09:15.879 --> 00:09:18.340 will germinate, and it will bring forth fruit, 00:09:18.500 --> 00:09:21.779 and that fruit will produce more seed. And that's 00:09:21.779 --> 00:09:23.940 our job, isn't it, as believers? Our job is to 00:09:23.940 --> 00:09:28.120 go forth and produce more seed. Amen. The third 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:29.960 thing we need to understand about the sower is 00:09:29.960 --> 00:09:34.360 he has an investment. The farmer must give something 00:09:34.360 --> 00:09:36.940 away before he can expect to receive something 00:09:36.940 --> 00:09:41.419 in return. He takes the precious seed that he 00:09:41.419 --> 00:09:44.399 saved from the last harvest, and he casts it 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:47.460 into the soil, hoping that it will produce a 00:09:47.460 --> 00:09:50.840 great harvest. The seed is all the farmer has, 00:09:51.179 --> 00:09:54.240 and he gives it away, hoping to receive more 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:57.929 in return. You see, this is what our heavenly 00:09:57.929 --> 00:10:01.830 sower did. Jesus gave his all so that there might 00:10:01.830 --> 00:10:05.509 be a gospel seed to cast into the soil of the 00:10:05.509 --> 00:10:09.289 human heart. He died on the cross. He rose again, 00:10:09.429 --> 00:10:13.220 literally giving his all. knowing that some seed 00:10:13.220 --> 00:10:15.899 would fall on good soil and would produce a great 00:10:15.899 --> 00:10:18.820 harvest, and they would come back to him. Jesus 00:10:18.820 --> 00:10:22.799 gave his all for you and for me so that we might 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:25.419 have a gospel to believe and that you might produce 00:10:25.419 --> 00:10:31.519 fruit to the glory of God. The message we preach 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:34.019 at this church is a message about a free gift 00:10:34.019 --> 00:10:37.899 of salvation through Jesus Christ. However, while 00:10:37.899 --> 00:10:41.419 salvation may be free, it certainly was not cheap. 00:10:41.620 --> 00:10:45.220 It cost the glory of heaven his life on a cross. 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:48.919 He gave all that he had to give us a soul -saving, 00:10:49.019 --> 00:10:52.720 life -changing gospel to preach. Amen. Go ahead 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:54.620 and give God praise in his house this morning 00:10:54.620 --> 00:10:57.899 that he sent his only son to die on a cross that 00:10:57.899 --> 00:11:02.330 we would have a way. And a seed to plant in others. 00:11:02.409 --> 00:11:06.230 Amen. So the sower is very important in this 00:11:06.230 --> 00:11:09.090 story. The sower representing Jesus Christ and 00:11:09.090 --> 00:11:11.570 you and me alike. But if we don't have a heart 00:11:11.570 --> 00:11:14.649 conditioned to be a sower, how can we then sow? 00:11:15.870 --> 00:11:18.750 Sometimes we get confused as to what being a 00:11:18.750 --> 00:11:21.690 sower is or what being a believer is. We think 00:11:21.690 --> 00:11:23.909 that knowing Christ in ourself and having him 00:11:23.909 --> 00:11:26.789 as a savior of our life is just for us and us 00:11:26.789 --> 00:11:29.809 alone. We think God's good for us and he's not 00:11:29.809 --> 00:11:31.929 against us, and that is all true, but it's not 00:11:31.929 --> 00:11:35.169 only for us to keep to ourselves. The message 00:11:35.169 --> 00:11:38.169 has never been, the seed has never been for us 00:11:38.169 --> 00:11:40.490 to keep to ourselves. If we're keeping it to 00:11:40.490 --> 00:11:43.269 ourselves, we must not have a heart that is like 00:11:43.269 --> 00:11:47.450 good soil. Because when you plant a crop on good 00:11:47.450 --> 00:11:50.669 soil, you can guarantee you're going to reap 00:11:50.669 --> 00:11:56.029 a harvest. Amen. We need to understand also. 00:11:56.779 --> 00:11:59.679 About the seed. We know about the sower, but 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:03.379 what about the seed? And what a treasure that 00:12:03.379 --> 00:12:07.899 seed truly is. Amen. In Luke 8, 11, Jesus identifies 00:12:07.899 --> 00:12:13.159 the seed as the word of God. When a farmer walked 00:12:13.159 --> 00:12:16.860 into his field, his seed bag was his treasure. 00:12:18.059 --> 00:12:20.740 I know when I went on the mission trip to Africa, 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:24.259 my eyes were really open to what seed can do. 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:28.100 When I look around and they were in an extreme 00:12:28.100 --> 00:12:31.259 drought, water was hard to come by. So if water 00:12:31.259 --> 00:12:33.940 is hard to come by, seed and fruits and crops 00:12:33.940 --> 00:12:36.899 are hard to come by as well. But it doesn't help 00:12:36.899 --> 00:12:40.440 if you don't have the seed. You can have water 00:12:40.440 --> 00:12:43.100 and dirt, but if you have no seed, you have no 00:12:43.100 --> 00:12:46.289 crop. Are you following me this morning? So the 00:12:46.289 --> 00:12:49.610 seed or the word of God is our treasure this 00:12:49.610 --> 00:12:51.750 morning. It is the thing that should mean the 00:12:51.750 --> 00:12:55.129 absolute most to us. When I take this Bible and 00:12:55.129 --> 00:12:57.070 I press it up against my chest and I just hug 00:12:57.070 --> 00:13:00.009 it. How many hug their Bible? I do. I hug mine. 00:13:00.090 --> 00:13:02.750 It is the living word of my Lord Jesus Christ. 00:13:02.990 --> 00:13:05.889 And I will hug it and hold it close. And every 00:13:05.889 --> 00:13:09.769 time I do, it does not surprise me that the presence 00:13:09.769 --> 00:13:12.129 of the Lord meets me right there where I am. 00:13:13.610 --> 00:13:16.509 this close and the seed that I have is visible. 00:13:16.549 --> 00:13:18.769 It's in front of me. I'm putting it into the 00:13:18.769 --> 00:13:21.129 inner depths of my soul. And my heart is good 00:13:21.129 --> 00:13:23.490 soil. It's been milled and tilled by the grace 00:13:23.490 --> 00:13:26.750 of God. It can produce in me fruit that I couldn't 00:13:26.750 --> 00:13:29.929 produce any other way. So take your Bibles and 00:13:29.929 --> 00:13:32.250 hold them dear. If you got a phone, that's okay. 00:13:32.330 --> 00:13:35.330 But there's nothing that can separate this right 00:13:35.330 --> 00:13:38.789 here from our hearts if our hearts are of good 00:13:38.789 --> 00:13:44.330 soil. Amen. He cast his treasure to the wind, 00:13:44.409 --> 00:13:48.850 hoping it would accomplish his desires. 2 ,000 00:13:48.850 --> 00:13:51.269 years ago, Jesus walked into this world with 00:13:51.269 --> 00:13:54.450 a treasure. He came to give men the gospel of 00:13:54.450 --> 00:13:57.389 grace. When Jesus cast his seed of the gospel 00:13:57.389 --> 00:14:00.230 into the shifting winds of this world, he did 00:14:00.230 --> 00:14:03.370 so with a sure knowledge that it would accomplish 00:14:03.370 --> 00:14:07.940 his purpose completely. Understand that the word, 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:11.620 the seed, holds great power because it holds 00:14:11.620 --> 00:14:15.820 life. When I was in Africa, the seed was life 00:14:15.820 --> 00:14:19.679 or death. It was literally how they ate, how 00:14:19.679 --> 00:14:22.019 they made food, how they did everything was the 00:14:22.019 --> 00:14:25.139 product of the seed. So we need to understand 00:14:25.139 --> 00:14:27.940 tonight that the seed of the word of God is life 00:14:27.940 --> 00:14:31.039 itself. It is the very being that we have to 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:34.960 live and move and walk in this life and walk 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:37.080 in the purpose and the plan that God's called 00:14:37.080 --> 00:14:39.960 you into. Before the seed falls on the soil, 00:14:40.059 --> 00:14:46.120 the soil is devoid of life. Amen. It is devoid 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:49.580 of life. It lies there barren and empty. But 00:14:49.580 --> 00:14:53.799 when the seed falls into the soil. I said when 00:14:53.799 --> 00:14:58.220 the seed falls into the soil. And it germinates. 00:14:58.419 --> 00:15:00.980 And it gets down deep into the inner depths of 00:15:00.980 --> 00:15:03.460 your soul. And for some reason you can't seem 00:15:03.460 --> 00:15:05.980 to get away from the seed. And for some reason 00:15:05.980 --> 00:15:08.559 you can't seem to get away with the power that's 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:10.980 in the seed. With the life that's in the seed. 00:15:11.080 --> 00:15:14.399 Your life becomes completely radically transformed 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:20.139 by Jesus' name. Amen. It brings forth life and 00:15:20.139 --> 00:15:23.480 eventually fruit in its place where only barrenness 00:15:23.480 --> 00:15:26.200 and death could be found before. This is what 00:15:26.200 --> 00:15:28.679 makes the gospel such a great treasure. It produces 00:15:28.679 --> 00:15:31.639 life in the place of something that was formerly 00:15:31.639 --> 00:15:34.980 dead. Amen. I don't know about you, but I was 00:15:34.980 --> 00:15:40.720 once dead in my sin. I told this story before. 00:15:40.779 --> 00:15:44.759 Born and raised in church my whole life. Mom 00:15:44.759 --> 00:15:47.059 and daddy took me to church. I knew the right 00:15:47.059 --> 00:15:50.009 way. But when I was not much younger than these 00:15:50.009 --> 00:15:52.590 men and women right here, I fell away from the 00:15:52.590 --> 00:15:55.330 Lord. Anybody ever do that? Anybody ever make 00:15:55.330 --> 00:15:59.529 a wrong turn? I'm glad y 'all haven't because 00:15:59.529 --> 00:16:04.470 I have. But I turned away from the Lord at one 00:16:04.470 --> 00:16:10.350 time. My heart was no longer a soft soil, a good 00:16:10.350 --> 00:16:12.990 soil to be rooted and planted in. It was not 00:16:12.990 --> 00:16:17.460 that way. But I found my way back. One day, by 00:16:17.460 --> 00:16:19.679 the grace of God, and I was no longer dead in 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:23.200 my sin, but I was alive by the power of Jesus 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:27.820 Christ. Amen. And I know we all have that salvation 00:16:27.820 --> 00:16:30.840 story. And if you don't, you can leave here today 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:35.039 with it. Amen. I'm so grateful for that power 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:38.980 and the life that his seed brings. So as it is 00:16:38.980 --> 00:16:41.159 with the gospel of grace, it brings life to dead 00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:45.169 hearts of those lost in their sins. When the 00:16:45.169 --> 00:16:47.750 seed germinates in the soil, it transforms the 00:16:47.750 --> 00:16:52.230 soil and brings life. It also holds great promise. 00:16:52.289 --> 00:16:55.230 The seed holds great promise, and that's in abundance 00:16:55.230 --> 00:16:59.529 and more. Amen? Every seed that is sown by the 00:16:59.529 --> 00:17:03.169 sower had the potential to produce much more 00:17:03.169 --> 00:17:07.269 seed. Amen? Verse 8 and 23 bear this out. One 00:17:07.269 --> 00:17:10.769 little seed had the potential to multiply itself 00:17:10.769 --> 00:17:15.740 30 and 60 and 100 times. Those of you who farm 00:17:15.740 --> 00:17:18.339 have seen this principle in action. When you 00:17:18.339 --> 00:17:21.359 plant a bean seed and a bean plant grows, multiple 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:25.460 bean seeds spawn from that plant. Amen. From 00:17:25.460 --> 00:17:28.880 one seed, there's an abundance. Same thing with 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:33.500 squash or cucumber or pick your plant. Farmers, 00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:36.299 pick your plant. I'm not a farmer myself, so 00:17:36.299 --> 00:17:38.079 y 'all know more than I do. But pick your plant. 00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:40.839 I do know that if a seed's planted, it grows, 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:44.319 it brings forth multiple seeds. Amen. And that's 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:46.720 beautiful. Each seed has the potential to reproduce 00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:50.339 itself many times over. Such is the promise of 00:17:50.339 --> 00:17:52.559 the seed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Such 00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:54.960 is the promise of the seed of the word of God. 00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:58.000 When it is sown in a ready heart, it will germinate 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:00.519 and reproduce itself over and over again. The 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:03.400 seed has the potential to begin small and to 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:05.680 bring forth much. And that's what God is asking 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:08.599 us to do as the sower of the seed. We're meant 00:18:08.599 --> 00:18:11.680 to cast the seed, and as we plant that seed on 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:14.559 good soil, it will germinate and bring forth 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:17.619 more seed to go out across all the world because 00:18:17.619 --> 00:18:20.440 that needs to happen, right? The world needs 00:18:20.440 --> 00:18:24.460 to hear the message of Jesus Christ. I can tell 00:18:24.460 --> 00:18:26.599 you that there's a group of young men and women 00:18:26.599 --> 00:18:28.319 that I meet with on Wednesday night that are 00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:30.960 dedicated to becoming world changers. They're 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:33.000 dedicated to taking their seed that they were 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:36.019 given and expanding it across everywhere. They're 00:18:36.019 --> 00:18:37.680 taking it to their schools. They're taking it 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:39.740 to their jobs. They're taking it to their groups. 00:18:39.859 --> 00:18:42.210 They're taking it to their friends. taking it 00:18:42.210 --> 00:18:45.069 to their family because sometimes we may be good, 00:18:45.150 --> 00:18:47.309 but our family's not. But we're praying for that 00:18:47.309 --> 00:18:49.849 family. We're praying that our seed that will 00:18:49.849 --> 00:18:52.650 multiply into more seed will touch our family, 00:18:52.710 --> 00:18:54.730 will touch our brothers, will touch our sisters, 00:18:54.869 --> 00:18:56.769 will touch our moms and dads and our schools 00:18:56.769 --> 00:18:59.470 and our friends. There's work to be done, saints. 00:18:59.549 --> 00:19:01.829 What I'm trying to tell you is take your seed 00:19:01.829 --> 00:19:05.269 and let it multiply. Amen. We got to multiply 00:19:05.269 --> 00:19:09.690 it in Jesus' name. We can't take the seed and 00:19:09.690 --> 00:19:13.180 sit on it. We're not supposed to do that. That's 00:19:13.180 --> 00:19:16.500 not what we're called to do. Amen. Take the seed 00:19:16.500 --> 00:19:19.660 that God has graciously given you. He gave everything 00:19:19.660 --> 00:19:23.380 for you to have that seed. So take the seed and 00:19:23.380 --> 00:19:28.220 spread it across the world because you can. Amen. 00:19:29.259 --> 00:19:31.200 We've gotten to this mode where we're just, we're 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:33.559 in our own little local community. No, we're 00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:37.799 not. Praise the Lord. Brother Mills just telling 00:19:37.799 --> 00:19:43.059 me today, how many was it that was? 140 baptisms 00:19:43.059 --> 00:19:47.680 in Africa where we sowed seed. Come on, give 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:52.880 God praise in his house this morning. God is 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:55.480 moving. You may not be there to see it, but you 00:19:55.480 --> 00:19:58.799 know God. He's all the way, all time, everywhere 00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:01.880 doing wonderful, powerful, mighty things in the 00:20:01.880 --> 00:20:06.819 life of this world. Amen. We get into this mode, 00:20:06.920 --> 00:20:09.039 and the kids have heard me say this, guys, it's 00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:12.680 regurgitated, but just hold on. We get into this 00:20:12.680 --> 00:20:14.500 mode where we think we can't change anything. 00:20:14.779 --> 00:20:17.079 We're not supposed to change it. We're supposed 00:20:17.079 --> 00:20:21.059 to sow the seed. Let God do the work. Let God 00:20:21.059 --> 00:20:24.059 transform hearts and lives. As long as ours is 00:20:24.059 --> 00:20:27.200 good and we got good soil, it's going to produce 00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:30.539 multiple seed. And let God transform those. Amen. 00:20:31.319 --> 00:20:34.019 But that's what we got to do. Take the word of 00:20:34.019 --> 00:20:37.180 God with us everywhere we go. Well, sometimes 00:20:37.180 --> 00:20:41.500 it just, it don't seem like it's working. It 00:20:41.500 --> 00:20:43.240 just don't work. I've been praying for him and 00:20:43.240 --> 00:20:45.940 he's just pushing further away. I've planted 00:20:45.940 --> 00:20:47.559 seed. I'm throwing it everywhere and there ain't 00:20:47.559 --> 00:20:52.759 no good ground. Now, who are you depending on 00:20:52.759 --> 00:20:56.079 to do the transformation? It sure ain't going 00:20:56.079 --> 00:21:02.329 to be me. My job is to plant the seed. I went 00:21:02.329 --> 00:21:06.150 to, there's a couple friends of mine that I go 00:21:06.150 --> 00:21:09.009 to meet with once a year. And I say once a year 00:21:09.009 --> 00:21:11.789 because I don't, you know, we're good buddies, 00:21:11.849 --> 00:21:13.930 but life keeps you where you can't really spend 00:21:13.930 --> 00:21:16.990 time with one another. One lives in Chattanooga, 00:21:16.990 --> 00:21:18.769 one lives in Udawah, I'm in Cleveland. But we 00:21:18.769 --> 00:21:21.109 meet once a year to watch the NFL draft. How 00:21:21.109 --> 00:21:23.650 many of y 'all kept up with the draft? I don't 00:21:23.650 --> 00:21:26.190 even watch football. I really just, I love football, 00:21:26.269 --> 00:21:27.710 but I don't even watch the draft. I just go to 00:21:27.710 --> 00:21:32.779 see my buddies I ain't seen. You never know how 00:21:32.779 --> 00:21:37.740 a meeting will turn into you planting seed. Because 00:21:37.740 --> 00:21:41.140 these two individuals, they're great men. Wonderful 00:21:41.140 --> 00:21:43.319 guys. Would give you the shirt off their back. 00:21:43.400 --> 00:21:45.119 I kid you not. But they're not where they need 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:49.039 to be with the Lord. They know where I am. They 00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:51.900 know Pastor Brian. They know Pastor Church. Hey, 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:53.660 what are you doing? FedEx is closed. Well, I'm 00:21:53.660 --> 00:21:55.099 going to go full time at church. Awesome, man. 00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:56.980 That's great. They're happy for me. But they're 00:21:56.980 --> 00:22:01.029 not where they need to be. Well. We visit, and 00:22:01.029 --> 00:22:02.849 we watch the draft, and we shut the restaurant 00:22:02.849 --> 00:22:04.549 down, and we walk outside, and we're just talking 00:22:04.549 --> 00:22:08.490 by our vehicles. And one of my friends starts 00:22:08.490 --> 00:22:10.410 talking about how his mom is just on him and 00:22:10.410 --> 00:22:14.069 on him about going to church. And he had this 00:22:14.069 --> 00:22:17.849 weird idea of why he wouldn't because his mom 00:22:17.849 --> 00:22:20.690 would ask him. It's amazing what you'll do when 00:22:20.690 --> 00:22:22.230 your mom's pressuring you how you'll run from 00:22:22.230 --> 00:22:24.369 whatever mom's saying. Y 'all know what I'm talking 00:22:24.369 --> 00:22:26.769 about? I've done it. I'm still running. No, I'm 00:22:26.769 --> 00:22:31.299 just kidding. But it's amazing how he was just 00:22:31.299 --> 00:22:36.140 like almost just he didn't want to hear it. And 00:22:36.140 --> 00:22:37.759 I don't know if it was because he knows better 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:39.420 than he does. He was raised in church. He knows 00:22:39.420 --> 00:22:42.700 better. But my other buddy is sitting there like, 00:22:43.779 --> 00:22:47.619 Pastor Brian, would you go ahead? He's like, 00:22:47.660 --> 00:22:49.240 I know it's about to come out. Brian's about 00:22:49.240 --> 00:22:52.759 to say something. And I'm like, you know what? 00:22:52.779 --> 00:22:56.299 I will. But it gave me an opportunity which I 00:22:56.299 --> 00:22:59.539 did not see coming. I thought it was just going 00:22:59.539 --> 00:23:01.700 to be another awesome time catching up with friends, 00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:04.720 right, eating some wings and watching the draft, 00:23:05.039 --> 00:23:07.960 because that's what we do once a year. And it 00:23:07.960 --> 00:23:13.140 turned into me sowing seed into my friend, and 00:23:13.140 --> 00:23:15.539 then at the end of the conversation saying, well, 00:23:15.579 --> 00:23:20.460 I guess I'm going to go to church Sunday. That's 00:23:20.460 --> 00:23:25.140 how it's supposed to work. We sow the seed. And 00:23:25.140 --> 00:23:27.220 you better believe the Lord was with me because 00:23:27.220 --> 00:23:31.559 I felt his help. Right? I knew it was coming 00:23:31.559 --> 00:23:33.319 from the Lord what I was telling him because 00:23:33.319 --> 00:23:36.500 it was orchestrated too perfectly. And that's 00:23:36.500 --> 00:23:38.500 how God does it. He will open doors for each 00:23:38.500 --> 00:23:41.680 and every one of us to sow a seed, to plant something 00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:43.940 inside someone else. And don't bring your water 00:23:43.940 --> 00:23:46.420 bucket because you don't need to. God will water 00:23:46.420 --> 00:23:48.819 it and bring the increase. But take the seed 00:23:48.819 --> 00:23:51.220 with you everywhere you go because you'll never 00:23:51.220 --> 00:23:53.420 understand when God will give you that opportunity. 00:23:53.740 --> 00:23:55.700 I pray for it. I'm like, Lord, send somebody 00:23:55.700 --> 00:23:58.299 to me today. Send somebody. Ken, I know you do, 00:23:58.400 --> 00:24:00.539 brother. But you send somebody. somebody to me 00:24:00.539 --> 00:24:03.900 today that I can plant a seed in that God would 00:24:03.900 --> 00:24:06.339 do miraculous things in their life and transform 00:24:06.339 --> 00:24:11.240 their hearts. Amen. So guys, plant your seed 00:24:11.240 --> 00:24:14.279 everywhere you go. You should have a trail of 00:24:14.279 --> 00:24:18.079 seed everywhere you go. Amen? Amen. Let's just 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:20.059 give the Lord praise in his house one more time. 00:24:24.140 --> 00:24:26.980 Understanding that as you are living with a heart 00:24:26.980 --> 00:24:31.160 condition, The heart is how the seed is received, 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:35.079 amen? Our hearts, the heart of those we're sowing 00:24:35.079 --> 00:24:38.079 seed to, the ground that the seed is sowed to, 00:24:38.180 --> 00:24:40.599 it's important as to what you're sowing, but 00:24:40.599 --> 00:24:42.440 it's also important to understand the condition 00:24:42.440 --> 00:24:46.579 of the hearts in those times. And I've got four 00:24:46.579 --> 00:24:49.019 different conditions of the heart I want to touch 00:24:49.019 --> 00:24:52.079 on today. The first one being the unyielding 00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:55.500 heart. This is where the seed is sown along the 00:24:55.500 --> 00:24:57.680 path and the birds have came and devoured it. 00:24:58.410 --> 00:25:00.829 These are the ones that when the word is sown, 00:25:00.849 --> 00:25:03.049 the Bible actually says that Satan comes and 00:25:03.049 --> 00:25:06.970 it says immediately takes that word away from 00:25:06.970 --> 00:25:10.990 who it was sown to. We see this type of heart, 00:25:11.069 --> 00:25:13.950 this type of hardened heart. We can see the ground 00:25:13.950 --> 00:25:16.769 is hard. The seed won't go into the ground. So 00:25:16.769 --> 00:25:19.150 the birds come and take it or Satan steals it 00:25:19.150 --> 00:25:22.130 away. But this is a hardened heart and we see 00:25:22.130 --> 00:25:23.869 this played out all through Scripture, don't 00:25:23.869 --> 00:25:26.960 we? You can even just talk about Moses and Pharaoh. 00:25:27.079 --> 00:25:29.900 When Moses came to deliver the Israelite people 00:25:29.900 --> 00:25:33.519 from Egyptian slavery, he went to Pharaoh multiple, 00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:36.750 multiple times, did he not? He went to him over 00:25:36.750 --> 00:25:40.109 and over again, and even though he showed him 00:25:40.109 --> 00:25:42.670 the miracles, he showed him the signs over and 00:25:42.670 --> 00:25:45.049 over again, Pharaoh's heart was hardened. There 00:25:45.049 --> 00:25:47.369 was no way he was going to give in to it, and 00:25:47.369 --> 00:25:49.730 the Bible says he hardened his own heart. In 00:25:49.730 --> 00:25:51.990 the case of Festus, if we read about Paul, his 00:25:51.990 --> 00:25:54.329 heart was hardened, but Pharaoh hardened his 00:25:54.329 --> 00:25:56.910 own heart and could not hear. Even though he's 00:25:56.910 --> 00:25:59.230 watching the miracles God performed through Moses, 00:25:59.309 --> 00:26:04.019 he would not let God's people go. That's how 00:26:04.019 --> 00:26:07.970 we are sometimes, isn't it? The seed is sown 00:26:07.970 --> 00:26:09.950 and thrown at us. It's almost like a wall that 00:26:09.950 --> 00:26:12.390 it bounces off of. And the minute your heart 00:26:12.390 --> 00:26:14.309 is so hard that you're not receiving the word, 00:26:14.470 --> 00:26:16.690 you better believe that Satan will be there to 00:26:16.690 --> 00:26:19.029 grab that away from you. And then once it's gone, 00:26:19.190 --> 00:26:22.190 it's gone. I come to encourage you today, don't 00:26:22.190 --> 00:26:24.450 let your heart be hardened. Let your heart be 00:26:24.450 --> 00:26:27.289 open to the changing that God can do in your 00:26:27.289 --> 00:26:29.289 life. I don't know about you, but I wasn't willing 00:26:29.289 --> 00:26:31.950 to stay where I was at one time. I know I needed 00:26:31.950 --> 00:26:34.250 help. I know I was in the pits. I know I needed 00:26:34.250 --> 00:26:37.059 a hand to get me. out of there and God was there 00:26:37.059 --> 00:26:39.740 as I softened my heart, as I was able to press 00:26:39.740 --> 00:26:42.240 into him, he was there to reach down his hand 00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:44.480 and save me. There's a song that says, and he 00:26:44.480 --> 00:26:47.500 reached down his hand for me. That's what he 00:26:47.500 --> 00:26:49.680 did. He reached down his hand and saved me. But 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:52.279 we can't have a hardened heart in the process 00:26:52.279 --> 00:26:56.460 or we'll never get the word. Amen. We'll never 00:26:56.460 --> 00:26:58.700 get the seed. We're always looking for a word, 00:26:58.759 --> 00:27:00.319 but don't harden your heart towards that word. 00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:04.900 It may not be what you want it to be. Because 00:27:04.900 --> 00:27:07.099 sometimes God's answered my prayers and it ain't 00:27:07.099 --> 00:27:10.539 how I wanted him to answer my prayer. But it 00:27:10.539 --> 00:27:13.619 was what was best for me. 1 Corinthians 2 .14 00:27:13.619 --> 00:27:15.940 says, But the natural man receiveth not the things 00:27:15.940 --> 00:27:18.460 of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness 00:27:18.460 --> 00:27:22.119 unto him. Neither can he know them because they 00:27:22.119 --> 00:27:24.700 are spiritually discerned. Our hearts so hardened 00:27:24.700 --> 00:27:27.200 we don't even spiritually discern what God's 00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:28.759 trying to do with the seed that he's trying to 00:27:28.759 --> 00:27:32.509 plant in our hearts today. The second heart is 00:27:32.509 --> 00:27:36.329 an unprepared heart. This is the seed sown on 00:27:36.329 --> 00:27:38.430 the rocky ground that sprang up immediately, 00:27:38.750 --> 00:27:42.390 but it had no depth of soil. So when the sun 00:27:42.390 --> 00:27:48.690 arose, it scorched and had no root, and it withered 00:27:48.690 --> 00:27:51.329 away. The seed withered away. The Bible says 00:27:51.329 --> 00:27:53.809 that this is the one who hears the word and immediately 00:27:53.809 --> 00:27:57.569 receives it with joy and gladness. They take 00:27:57.569 --> 00:27:59.740 it and walk with it. And they're taking it with 00:27:59.740 --> 00:28:01.319 them. They're happy and they're glad. But the 00:28:01.319 --> 00:28:05.420 first sign of persecution and temptation, they 00:28:05.420 --> 00:28:09.579 flee from it. How many times have, I know myself, 00:28:09.880 --> 00:28:12.740 but sometimes we come across hardships and persecution 00:28:12.740 --> 00:28:16.740 for our faith, don't we? These are individuals 00:28:16.740 --> 00:28:20.180 who are easily swayed or fall in the face of 00:28:20.180 --> 00:28:22.960 persecution or hardship that's related to their 00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:28.160 faith. They have a temporary faith. Not a... 00:28:28.170 --> 00:28:31.029 Firm faith. They have a temporary faith. Lacking 00:28:31.029 --> 00:28:34.650 a solid foundation and unable to endure when 00:28:34.650 --> 00:28:37.529 faced with difficult times. It's hard to endure 00:28:37.529 --> 00:28:39.450 when faced with difficult times, isn't it? I 00:28:39.450 --> 00:28:41.630 don't know about you, but it's hard. Lacking 00:28:41.630 --> 00:28:44.809 their foundation, rooted and grounded, they immediately 00:28:44.809 --> 00:28:48.109 fall away, the Bible says. There's something 00:28:48.109 --> 00:28:51.630 about being rooted and being rooted on something 00:28:51.630 --> 00:28:55.640 that's firm. Amen? Can I tell you today that 00:28:55.640 --> 00:28:58.619 the rock you should be concerned with is not 00:28:58.619 --> 00:29:02.140 that of the rocky ground, but the rock that is 00:29:02.140 --> 00:29:05.960 Christ Jesus. He is a solid, unshakable rock, 00:29:06.140 --> 00:29:09.480 and we must build our faith upon him. He is the 00:29:09.480 --> 00:29:12.759 firm ground for us to take our stand and contend 00:29:12.759 --> 00:29:15.440 for our faith. He is the rock of our redeemer. 00:29:15.480 --> 00:29:18.039 He is the rock of our refuge. He is the rock 00:29:18.039 --> 00:29:24.019 of our salvation that cannot be moved. the firm 00:29:24.019 --> 00:29:26.779 foundation and the rock that is Jesus Christ. 00:29:26.900 --> 00:29:29.259 You don't have to worry about a springing up 00:29:29.259 --> 00:29:32.259 and a sun scorching you. You'll be able to weather 00:29:32.259 --> 00:29:34.759 the storm. You'll be able to endure hard times. 00:29:34.920 --> 00:29:36.799 God will give you the strength in the times of 00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:40.880 persecution, and you will prevail. Amen. Don't 00:29:40.880 --> 00:29:43.920 be the seed planted on rocky soil. Plant yourself 00:29:43.920 --> 00:29:48.420 on the rock that is Jesus Christ. Amen. Don't 00:29:48.420 --> 00:29:50.759 you dare let the persecutions that come your 00:29:50.759 --> 00:29:54.640 way sway you. to where your seed becomes withered 00:29:54.640 --> 00:29:58.400 away and scorched. The world didn't give you 00:29:58.400 --> 00:30:03.619 your seed, so don't let them take it away. Matthew 00:30:03.619 --> 00:30:05.799 5, 10 through 11 says, blessed are those who 00:30:05.799 --> 00:30:08.740 are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs 00:30:08.740 --> 00:30:11.740 is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when 00:30:11.740 --> 00:30:15.160 others revile you and persecute you and utter 00:30:15.160 --> 00:30:17.660 all kinds of evil against you falsely on my count. 00:30:17.880 --> 00:30:19.700 I don't know about you, but that verse right 00:30:19.700 --> 00:30:22.519 there makes me extremely happy. That I am blessed 00:30:22.519 --> 00:30:24.900 when I'm persecuted for righteousness sake. That 00:30:24.900 --> 00:30:28.279 I am blessed because of the walk I walk and the 00:30:28.279 --> 00:30:30.700 faith that I have in Jesus Christ. Amen. But 00:30:30.700 --> 00:30:32.539 I got to stand for it. I can't let the world. 00:30:37.319 --> 00:30:40.980 Don't be like stony ground. The third type of 00:30:40.980 --> 00:30:44.299 heart is an uncommitted heart. That seed sown 00:30:44.299 --> 00:30:47.019 among the thorns, and the seed that sown, the 00:30:47.019 --> 00:30:49.900 thorns grew and choked it, and it yielded no 00:30:49.900 --> 00:30:53.140 fruit. The ones sown among the thorns, they are 00:30:53.140 --> 00:30:55.559 the ones who hear the word, but the cares of 00:30:55.559 --> 00:31:00.779 the world, money, social status. Followings, 00:31:00.779 --> 00:31:04.019 lust of your flesh, your own desires enters in 00:31:04.019 --> 00:31:08.839 and chokes the word and becomes unfruitful. I 00:31:08.839 --> 00:31:10.660 could hang out right there for just a second. 00:31:11.299 --> 00:31:14.920 Because have you ever been so busy that you don't 00:31:14.920 --> 00:31:18.220 seem to have time for the word? You ever been 00:31:18.220 --> 00:31:21.400 so distracted that you don't have time for the 00:31:21.400 --> 00:31:25.680 word? Can I tell you that the world wants you 00:31:25.680 --> 00:31:28.960 in that condition? The world wants your heart. 00:31:29.529 --> 00:31:33.009 in an uncommitted state. The world wants you 00:31:33.009 --> 00:31:35.450 in a place where you are not committed to the 00:31:35.450 --> 00:31:38.829 word of God and spreading his seed and preaching 00:31:38.829 --> 00:31:41.329 and teaching and talking about the gospel. The 00:31:41.329 --> 00:31:43.369 world wants you right there because you're uncommitted. 00:31:43.509 --> 00:31:47.450 You're flippant. We talk about commitment in 00:31:47.450 --> 00:31:50.869 everything we do, don't we? I know when I talk 00:31:50.869 --> 00:31:53.230 to others about going to the gym and working 00:31:53.230 --> 00:31:55.329 out and exercising, eating clean and being healthy, 00:31:55.509 --> 00:31:57.990 well, what's the key? What's the key? I guess 00:31:57.990 --> 00:32:00.049 they want me to have some kind of wonderful workout 00:32:00.049 --> 00:32:02.670 routine or nutrition plan. I don't know anything 00:32:02.670 --> 00:32:05.390 about all that. The only thing I can tell you 00:32:05.390 --> 00:32:09.210 is that consistency is the key, and you can't 00:32:09.210 --> 00:32:14.549 be consistent without commitment. Amen. That's 00:32:14.549 --> 00:32:18.430 good. Write that down. You can't be consistent. 00:32:19.019 --> 00:32:20.740 Without commitment, you have to be committed 00:32:20.740 --> 00:32:23.579 to the Word of God. You have to be committed 00:32:23.579 --> 00:32:26.359 not only to the Word, but to your personal relationship 00:32:26.359 --> 00:32:29.720 with Jesus Christ. But we care too much about 00:32:29.720 --> 00:32:33.180 what somebody said on Facebook. We care too much 00:32:33.180 --> 00:32:35.960 about how many likes I got, how many follows 00:32:35.960 --> 00:32:39.359 I have. Did my TikTok go viral? Maybe y 'all 00:32:39.359 --> 00:32:41.180 don't care about that, but some do. Understand 00:32:41.180 --> 00:32:47.670 I'm a youth pastor, okay? But maybe you do. I 00:32:47.670 --> 00:32:49.369 don't know. I get this notification on my phone 00:32:49.369 --> 00:32:51.349 every once in a while. How many gets this? My 00:32:51.349 --> 00:32:54.970 weekly report tells me, like, how much usage 00:32:54.970 --> 00:32:57.750 I have, how much I've been on my phone. How many 00:32:57.750 --> 00:32:59.710 get that? Y 'all get that report? Do y 'all look 00:32:59.710 --> 00:33:01.890 at it? People are like, no, I don't look at that 00:33:01.890 --> 00:33:04.650 thing. I don't either. It depresses me every 00:33:04.650 --> 00:33:09.549 time. What I would tell you is to look at that 00:33:09.549 --> 00:33:14.470 and then do some self -reflection. I'm just being 00:33:14.470 --> 00:33:16.450 honest and real with you guys, transparent. The 00:33:16.450 --> 00:33:20.630 kids know I'm totally transparent. But if we 00:33:20.630 --> 00:33:22.109 really think about how much time we spend on 00:33:22.109 --> 00:33:26.569 our devices, in front of a TV, chasing after 00:33:26.569 --> 00:33:30.250 our own desires, how much are we leaving on the 00:33:30.250 --> 00:33:32.769 table and God is standing there saying, son or 00:33:32.769 --> 00:33:36.329 daughter, I have so many plans for you. I want 00:33:36.329 --> 00:33:40.549 to use you to change your community, your school, 00:33:40.910 --> 00:33:44.589 your job, your family. I want to use you, son 00:33:44.589 --> 00:33:46.990 and or daughter, but you're too busy for me. 00:33:49.589 --> 00:33:52.109 If I go too long and I don't contact my mama, 00:33:52.269 --> 00:33:56.509 she's going to call me. God's there waiting. 00:33:58.349 --> 00:34:00.910 And I'm guilty of the one, I'm the guilty one 00:34:00.910 --> 00:34:03.589 that says busy, busy, busy. Eric and I talk about 00:34:03.589 --> 00:34:05.890 it all the time. The enemy will keep you distracted 00:34:05.890 --> 00:34:08.750 if he can't keep you, he'll keep you busy if 00:34:08.750 --> 00:34:12.010 you're not distracted. They both work against 00:34:12.010 --> 00:34:14.989 you in what God is trying to slow you down and 00:34:14.989 --> 00:34:17.710 pour into your heart and your life. Amen? So 00:34:17.710 --> 00:34:20.210 I encourage each of you today, let's not focus 00:34:20.210 --> 00:34:23.829 on our own desires. Let's focus on what God has 00:34:23.829 --> 00:34:25.590 in store for us in our life because he's wanting 00:34:25.590 --> 00:34:28.690 to use you to plant the seed all across this 00:34:28.690 --> 00:34:31.690 community, to throw the seed, to get out there, 00:34:31.789 --> 00:34:33.889 and God wants to transform you in your own life. 00:34:34.030 --> 00:34:35.670 If you're thinking, I'm not where I want to be 00:34:35.670 --> 00:34:37.929 with Christ, you have an opportunity today to 00:34:37.929 --> 00:34:39.829 get that right because God is standing before 00:34:39.829 --> 00:34:42.909 you, waiting to transform you, but you have to 00:34:42.909 --> 00:34:50.449 be willing to be committed. Peter 5 says, casting 00:34:50.449 --> 00:34:53.750 all your care upon him, for he cares for you. 00:34:54.530 --> 00:34:57.650 Jesus said in Matthew 6, 24, no man can serve 00:34:57.650 --> 00:35:01.909 two masters. This is good. You either will hate 00:35:01.909 --> 00:35:03.789 the one and love the other, or else you will 00:35:03.789 --> 00:35:07.130 hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot 00:35:07.130 --> 00:35:10.789 serve God and mammon. Pick a side, ladies and 00:35:10.789 --> 00:35:13.590 gentlemen. But I hope in my prayers that you 00:35:13.590 --> 00:35:16.130 pick God's side. Because that's the side where 00:35:16.130 --> 00:35:18.929 we have life and we have it more abundantly. 00:35:18.949 --> 00:35:23.989 Amen. You can't serve two gods. And then fourth 00:35:23.989 --> 00:35:29.909 and lastly, the unchained heart. This is the 00:35:29.909 --> 00:35:34.710 one whose seed is sown on good soil. A heart 00:35:34.710 --> 00:35:38.730 that has been tilled and churned up and ground 00:35:38.730 --> 00:35:42.150 up by the grace of God and is prepared to reap 00:35:42.150 --> 00:35:45.730 from what has been planted. This is the heart, 00:35:45.849 --> 00:35:48.789 the ones who hear the word, they receive it, 00:35:48.869 --> 00:35:51.909 and the Bible says it turns into the bearing 00:35:51.909 --> 00:35:56.230 of fruit some 30 -fold and 60 -fold and 100 -fold. 00:35:56.409 --> 00:35:59.449 I don't know about you today, but I always want 00:35:59.449 --> 00:36:02.070 my heart to be that heart of good soil. Not just 00:36:02.070 --> 00:36:05.719 one time. But all the time. I can't just have 00:36:05.719 --> 00:36:08.900 a good soft heart for a specific kind of seed. 00:36:09.139 --> 00:36:11.480 It's not about what kind of seed. It's about 00:36:11.480 --> 00:36:15.239 the seed in the word of God. And I always want 00:36:15.239 --> 00:36:18.539 my heart to be that of a good soil. Tilled up. 00:36:18.699 --> 00:36:20.880 Tilled up by the grace of God. Understanding 00:36:20.880 --> 00:36:24.139 and knowing that I'm only given this grace by 00:36:24.139 --> 00:36:27.079 my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Who came to 00:36:27.079 --> 00:36:29.579 this earth. He walked down that road. He died 00:36:29.579 --> 00:36:32.780 on a cross for my sin. He was buried in the. 00:36:32.840 --> 00:36:35.300 tomb, and three days later, he rose to give me 00:36:35.300 --> 00:36:38.159 a chance at life. That grace that I'm given has 00:36:38.159 --> 00:36:40.619 tilled my heart to where I want a relationship 00:36:40.619 --> 00:36:43.820 with that man. I want to know who he is. I know 00:36:43.820 --> 00:36:45.800 about him and what he did for me, but I want 00:36:45.800 --> 00:36:48.480 to know who he is. I want a relationship with 00:36:48.480 --> 00:36:51.280 him, and I have a way to the Father through the 00:36:51.280 --> 00:36:54.179 Son. So I'm diving in, and I hope that we all 00:36:54.179 --> 00:36:56.619 have hearts today. Everybody stand all over this 00:36:56.619 --> 00:36:59.489 house. I hope we have hearts today. Lord, that 00:36:59.489 --> 00:37:03.210 is of good soil, that can hear his word and it 00:37:03.210 --> 00:37:07.230 prick our hearts and us be turned to sow the 00:37:07.230 --> 00:37:09.909 seed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for him. Because 00:37:09.909 --> 00:37:12.929 that's what we're for. As believers of Jesus 00:37:12.929 --> 00:37:16.469 Christ, we are to sow the seed across the world. 00:37:16.489 --> 00:37:19.550 Amen. And I don't believe it has to be relegated 00:37:19.550 --> 00:37:22.409 to just a church or just a community or just 00:37:22.409 --> 00:37:24.610 a state. We're already doing it. We have these 00:37:24.610 --> 00:37:27.349 wonderful missions projects going on all across 00:37:27.349 --> 00:37:30.829 the world. And we're sowing seed. But it doesn't 00:37:30.829 --> 00:37:33.230 have to be across the world. It can be right 00:37:33.230 --> 00:37:36.329 here. It can be everywhere. It should be everywhere. 00:37:37.389 --> 00:37:43.389 We should take our seed with us. Amen? John 15, 00:37:43.590 --> 00:37:48.150 5 -8 says, I am the vine, you are the branches. 00:37:49.090 --> 00:37:53.389 Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that 00:37:53.389 --> 00:37:56.889 bears much fruit. For apart from me you can do 00:37:56.889 --> 00:38:01.190 nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is 00:38:01.190 --> 00:38:04.469 thrown away like a branch and withers, and the 00:38:04.469 --> 00:38:07.170 branches are then gathered, thrown into the fire, 00:38:07.210 --> 00:38:11.590 and burned. If you abide in me and my words abide 00:38:11.590 --> 00:38:14.510 in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be 00:38:14.510 --> 00:38:18.570 done for you. By this my Father is glorified 00:38:18.570 --> 00:38:23.530 that you bear much fruit, so prove to be my disciples. 00:38:23.630 --> 00:38:28.219 Amen. So I would ask you this morning, which 00:38:28.219 --> 00:38:31.699 of these four hearts does yours closely resemble? 00:38:33.780 --> 00:38:38.019 Have you already tuned God out? You're looking 00:38:38.019 --> 00:38:41.300 to where we're going to eat lunch later. I wish 00:38:41.300 --> 00:38:44.000 he'd hurry up and quiet down so I can get out 00:38:44.000 --> 00:38:48.639 of here. Maybe you want nothing to do with God 00:38:48.639 --> 00:38:53.360 or Jesus Christ. Maybe you're wondering, is it 00:38:53.360 --> 00:38:59.260 too late for me? Am I too far gone? Whatever 00:38:59.260 --> 00:39:05.420 it is, I can tell you that this morning that 00:39:05.420 --> 00:39:10.460 God loves you. You may want nothing to do with 00:39:10.460 --> 00:39:15.320 him, but he is still seeking you. You may be 00:39:15.320 --> 00:39:17.300 so far from him, you're thinking there's no way 00:39:17.300 --> 00:39:22.559 I can go back, but he's still seeking you. Because 00:39:22.559 --> 00:39:25.570 he wants a relationship with you. He wants to 00:39:25.570 --> 00:39:29.969 use you. He has a plan for you. He sets you apart 00:39:29.969 --> 00:39:36.489 from the rest. And he's calling out to you. He 00:39:36.489 --> 00:39:39.989 desires that relationship. And he wants to set 00:39:39.989 --> 00:39:45.889 you free of the burdens that you carry. He still 00:39:45.889 --> 00:39:52.820 specializes in heart transplants. Amen. I've 00:39:52.820 --> 00:39:55.940 watched him do it too many times. He can take 00:39:55.940 --> 00:39:59.920 a heart that's uncommitted, a heart that's hardened. 00:40:00.179 --> 00:40:02.519 He can take every one of them and turn it into 00:40:02.519 --> 00:40:06.000 that heart of good soil, that one that's unchained, 00:40:06.139 --> 00:40:09.340 that one that's reckless with their seed throwing. 00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:13.000 That will cast that seed everywhere they go and 00:40:13.000 --> 00:40:15.659 not care about it. They'll throw the seed. They 00:40:15.659 --> 00:40:17.960 won't care what the world says. They won't care 00:40:17.960 --> 00:40:19.960 who's telling them they're wrong. They won't 00:40:19.960 --> 00:40:21.760 care who's telling them they shouldn't be doing 00:40:21.760 --> 00:40:24.300 that. They look foolish. They'll throw the seed 00:40:24.300 --> 00:40:27.119 because they've got it in their good soil. Amen. 00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:31.019 Their heart's been tilled. It's good soil. And 00:40:31.019 --> 00:40:38.409 they'll throw the seed. Ezekiel 36, 26 says, 00:40:38.670 --> 00:40:42.929 and I will give you a new heart and a new spirit 00:40:42.929 --> 00:40:48.230 I will put in you. And I will remove the heart 00:40:48.230 --> 00:40:51.949 of stone from your flesh and give you a heart 00:40:51.949 --> 00:40:57.170 of flesh. If that's you today, if you have a 00:40:57.170 --> 00:41:01.550 heart condition, we already sung about the healer. 00:41:02.010 --> 00:41:06.289 His name is Jesus. I want to open up these altars 00:41:06.289 --> 00:41:08.469 to come if you have a need and you want prayer. 00:41:09.789 --> 00:41:12.050 If you find yourself with that heart condition 00:41:12.050 --> 00:41:13.789 and you're thinking to yourself, Lord, I need 00:41:13.789 --> 00:41:16.650 a touch. My heart's been hardened towards you. 00:41:18.150 --> 00:41:20.469 I'm not the soft, good soil that I need to be. 00:41:21.150 --> 00:41:23.469 There's reckless things that's happened in my 00:41:23.469 --> 00:41:26.030 life, and I'm not where I need to be. If that's 00:41:26.030 --> 00:41:28.829 you today, I want you to come. I want to pray 00:41:28.829 --> 00:41:32.150 for you today. If you're in that place, you're 00:41:32.150 --> 00:41:35.059 like, I need help. I need, God, for you to take 00:41:35.059 --> 00:41:37.900 these desires of my flesh away. I need you to 00:41:37.900 --> 00:41:40.719 help me control these worldly things that have 00:41:40.719 --> 00:41:43.599 distracted me from really pressing into who you 00:41:43.599 --> 00:41:48.960 are and my relationship with you. I want to pray 00:41:48.960 --> 00:41:54.280 with you today. Father, I love you this morning. 00:41:55.780 --> 00:42:00.239 I thank you, God, for your word. It is sharper. 00:42:02.510 --> 00:42:05.869 than a two -edged sword. Father, and I pray that 00:42:05.869 --> 00:42:11.289 as it pierces our hearts, Lord, may you churn 00:42:11.289 --> 00:42:16.469 up our hearts today. God, understanding who Jesus 00:42:16.469 --> 00:42:18.949 Christ is and what he did for us on the cross, 00:42:19.210 --> 00:42:23.650 let that grace be applied to us and absolutely 00:42:23.650 --> 00:42:27.489 till our hearts to be the soft, the good soil, 00:42:27.690 --> 00:42:30.730 Lord, that your seed can be planted in. Lord, 00:42:30.829 --> 00:42:34.250 all the hardened hearts, all the uncommitted, 00:42:34.349 --> 00:42:36.829 all those, Lord, who are struggling in this hour, 00:42:37.010 --> 00:42:38.949 God, I pray that you would meet them where they 00:42:38.949 --> 00:42:41.449 are. I pray that from the top of their head to 00:42:41.449 --> 00:42:44.150 the sole of our feet, you would reach your mighty 00:42:44.150 --> 00:42:48.690 hand down into our chest and transform our hearts. 00:42:48.750 --> 00:42:51.510 Give us that fresh heart of flesh that you promised 00:42:51.510 --> 00:42:53.929 in Ezekiel. Lord, I ask that you would give us 00:42:53.929 --> 00:42:57.869 a new spirit, Lord, one that's focused and solely 00:42:57.869 --> 00:43:01.480 on you today. Lord, that our hearts would cry 00:43:01.480 --> 00:43:06.239 out to you. God, for we can do nothing without 00:43:06.239 --> 00:43:11.659 you. But Father, your word remains true that 00:43:11.659 --> 00:43:18.159 we can do all things through Christ. In Jesus' 00:43:18.179 --> 00:43:22.000 mighty name, amen and amen.