Remember These Things PT 3

Matthew 13 ESV 

3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

Wayside ground represented a lack of understanding because of an attitude of the heart.  

Stoney ground represents a shallowness of our faith because of a love for our old life. 

Kathryn Kuhlman

You cannot have the fullness of God while holding onto pieces of self. 

Romans 8 ESV

13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Luke 9 ESV

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

Exodus 16 ESV

3 the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

It is impossible to live in the curse of slavery and in the blessings of God at the same time.  

IF WE LEAVE OUR SOIL THE SAME THEN OUR LIVES WILL STAY THE SAME. 

After the seed is sown, THEN WHAT?

1 Peter 1 ESV

7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire

Mark 4 ESV

5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 

6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.

They had no endurance. 

THE TESTING OF OUR FAITH COMES IN 2 FORMS……..

The attack comes for “The Word’s sake.”

“A test that comes from our enemy.”

“The testing of our faith is more precious than silver and gold.”

THE TESTING OF OUR FAITH COMES IN 2 FORMS……..

The Testing of our faith that comes from the Gardener. 

The gardener prunes off the bad/ undesirable things.

Hebrews 12 ESV

7 It is for discipline that you have to ENDURE. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 

10 he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.

11 For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

He treats us like sons.

DISCIPLINE = Correction or training. 

BOOT CAMP “IS  MEANT” TO BUILD ENDURANCE NOT PROLONG WEAKNESS.   

Romans 5 ESV 

3 we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame,

BELIEVERS AREN’T EXEMPT FROM BAD THINGS. 

What do the stones represent?

The old way of life. 

The old way of thinking. 

The old friend group. 

The old attitude. 

The old habits. 

For the seed to bear fruit, it has to have a different soil to grow in.

Endurance doesn’t happen overnight, It’s built up overtime!

If we don’t change the soil, we’ll never endure the heat!

James 1 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1 ESV

12 Blessed is the man who REMAINS steadfast under trial, 

for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 

Tests reveal what we really love. 

His Word or Our desires

His ways or This world’s ways 

His kingdom or This world’s kingdom.  

Matthew 13 ESV

12 To the one that has, more will be given and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has shall be taken away.

Wayside ground….

To him that has understanding.  

Stoney ground….

To him that has endurance.