Address—David Mearns
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Wonder if we could open our meeting this afternoon with singing #42 in the back of this little Block hymn book #42 in the back. If somebody could please start that.
And I saw the birds of all happened to me.
Not many.
Are.
Being.
Non Israeli No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
It is my brother's blood sweaters.
Turn with me, please, to Luke's gospel.
Luke's Gospel, Chapter 8.
This is where we're going to spend most of our time this afternoon.
It's my purpose to make a few preliminary comments with regards to the Gospels.
Then to read this parable of the sower.
Which is usually read in the gospel.
What I would look to look at often we we speak about our state of soul. We speak about being in a good state of soul. We speak about good being in a bad state of soul. But I'd like to narrow it down and perhaps look at this portion and to look at four states of Seoul that we find in this wonderful power parable of the sower. Now the Gospels are, are very different.
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They're very different, but I love them because of how they.
They they mold together and what you don't get in one, you get in another.
And they're a beautiful.
Array of various different situations that cross our Lords pathway and they're different. Just just for an example.
The in Matthews Gospel there's 21.
21 miracles.
In Mark's Gospel, there's 18 miracles.
In Luke's gospel, there's 22 miracles.
In John's Gospel, there's nine.
And of those nine, there's six of them that are only in John.
That's kind of interesting. And yet out of all those miracles, there's only one that's in all four.
The feeding of the 5000. So why would the feeding of the 5000 be in all four and not the feeding of the 4000 feeding the 4000? It's only in two. You know, it's very interesting to go through this pathway of the Lord Jesus in these gospels. To me, it's fascinating. I'm fascinated by details. Some people are.
Well, as we say, some people are splitters and some people are lumpers. Some people could see a big picture, some people narrow into small things.
It's good to have an outline of sound truth. I am affected by details.
If you were to ask.
If you were to ask four different people to give a discourse as to what I was like, if you were to ask my wife, she could perhaps write a paragraph as to what I was like as a husband. If you were to ask my daughter over there, she would give you a little discourse as to how what I was like as a father.
If you were to ask one of my customers, they would maybe let you know what I was like as a, as a, as a, as a Carpenter.
Free to ask my brother and sister-in-law were there, they would give you perhaps a little different flavor as to as to what I was like. And so we have in the gospels 4 different presentations of the Lord Jesus in a wonderful way. And I want to look at this parable. It's found in three gospels.
Department of the Sower in Matthew's Gospel. The focus.
Is on the sower. That's the focus. In Matthew's Gospel, the focus is on the sore. In Mark's Gospel, the focus is on the work of sewing.
That's if you go through the discourse in Mark's gospel, that's what's going to tell you the work of sewing this gospel.
The focus and I appreciated our last prayer meeting because there were so many mentions of the need for the Word of God in our life. In this gospel, the focus is on the seed.
That's the focus in Luke's gospel is on the seed. So let's read this parable and then as we go through it.
To.
To look at the different states of soul in which every one of us here have found ourselves in at one time or another.
And perhaps everyone of us here is in one of these states of soul.
And as to what the Lord has for our good and for our, our blessing in these states of soul with regards to his precious word, it's, it's, it's very instructive. So let's look at Mark's gospel, Elisa, Luke's gospel, chapter 8, and we'll look at this parable of the sower.
So in verse 4.
It says and when much people were gathered together, just make a comment on just that phrase before we read the portion. Sometimes the Lord Jesus spoke to individuals, sometimes he broke. He spoke to much people. We have before us this afternoon a group of people, not an individual, and I trust that as we go through this.
I would suggest that the speaker needs what we have here more than anybody else in this room.
Having meditated on it and looking at it, I need it so much. Well, I think we all need what we have here. So we find here there's much people and they were gathered together. I would just like to suggest too that.
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It's a serious thing.
Under any circumstances to gather people together.
Whether it's for three days of meetings, whether it's for him, Singh, whether it's for a soccer game, it's always a serious thing to gather people together and it can be for much profit if there is exercise when people are gathered together. So here we have much people were gathered together and we're come to him.
At a vet every city and he spake by a parable.
So of Sower went out to sow. Now here's the focus in this particular gospel. He went out to sow his seed, his seat. There's the focus. As he sowed, some fell by the wayside.
And it was trodden down.
And the fowls of the year devoured it.
And some fell upon a rock.
And as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.
And others fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bear fruit a hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
His disciples asked him, saying, what might this parable?
He said unto them, unto you. It is given to the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to others in parables.
They might not see and hearing, they might not understand. Now the parable is this. Here again we have that which would show us where the focus is.
In Luke's gospel with regards to the sower, we have in the 11 first the seed.
Is the word of God, and that is peculiar to Luke. Those by the wayside are they that hear. Then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
And on the rock are they which when they hear, receive the word with joy. And these have no root, Which for a while believe, And in time of temptation fall away, And that which fell among thorns.
Are they which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares?
And riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection, put that on the good ground, are they which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience, as also peculiar just to Luke.
So I realized that we take up this portion. We are very used to taking this portion up in the gospel.
But that's not my exercise.
This afternoon, as I said, it's to look at the states of Seoul that we find here. So the first one.
The wayside.
Verse 5A Sower went out to sow his seat.
Has he sowed some fell by the wayside and it was trodden down and the fowls of the air devoured it. The wayside we read read quite a bit about the wayside in the Word of God.
If we were to go back into Genesis, we would read about Judah in the 38th of.
Genesis And what does it say when he sends someone out to pay his debts? It says we're looking for the harlot that sat by the wayside. Sometimes the wayside is not a very good place. It says about Eli.
When they had taken the Ark of God out to the Philistines, it says, Eli sat in his seat by the wayside.
The wayside is the place where you have the hard packed dirt we all have the experience of of going down.
A pathway in in a vehicle that's perhaps not traveled very much and you see some grass on either side, you see some grass in the middle and where the tires go, there's nothing growing.
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That's the wayside. It's the hard packed dirt.
And we read here that when it comes to that hard packed dirt, when it comes to the, the, the seed that's sown, it says some fell by the wayside and was trodden down and the fowls of the air devoured it. You know, the reason that is, is because it, it couldn't, it couldn't germinate.
It can't penetrate that hard packed dirt.
You know, I can relate to that in my own life when there are those times in my life when the good seed is so in my soul and there's a hardness of heart and it just can't penetrate.
I wonder if there's someone here this afternoon. I know there's a lot of young folks here and you're going to identify with these states of Seoul. Perhaps there's someone here and the Word of God just can't penetrate it, just cannot get past that hardness.
You know, it's a state of soul that I found myself in numerous times. And there is a solution. There's a beautiful solution. Let's turn to.
Well, let's before we turn to it, let's look.
Let's look at the 12Th verse where the Lord Jesus is speaking about the is speaking about the wayside.
He said, Now the parable is this in the 11 First the seed of the word of God, and those by the wayside are they which hear and then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts.
Lest they should believe and be saved. You know, the devil is spoken of twice in Luke's gospel. The first time we read of him is when he unsuccessfully seeks to tempt the Lord Jesus. But here we find that the devil has spoken about and where he very successfully deceives men, and he takes away the word that's sown in the heart.
And I can identify with that the many times where there's been a brother that stood in a place like this.
And he has told forth many things and it has not made any connection whatsoever in my heart. And why? Because that hard packed dirt.
Because there was just no penetration. There's a hardness, there's a hardness. Oh, what a solemn thing to to have hardness of heart. But turn over with me now to the book of Job for a moment.
The Book of Job.
Job Chapter 23.
Chapter 23.
And in verse 16 we read this.
For God maketh my heart.
Soft.
God maketh my heart soft.
I've prayed that many times that God would take.
That hard packed dirt of my heart and make it soft, make it pliable. So the good seed that is sown. I think of the many times the the word of God has been held forth as the word of life and it hasn't had that effect in my own soul because of a hardness of heart.
We're not talking about unbelievers here. We're not talking about unbelievers that have hard hearts that are not interested in the gospel. We're talking about those of us who are believers that sometimes.
Whatever circumstances arise, it causes us. It says that it's trodden down and then there's a hardness there.
And because of that hardness.
The good seed just can't penetrate all that we would realize that God desires to make our hearts soft. You know there's another scripture in Speaking of the let's turn to it. It's in the book of Ezekiel. You farmers will appreciate this better than I will. Ezekiel chapter 36.
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Speaking about the mountains of Jerusalem, but.
The word there in Ezekiel 36 and verse nine is Behold, I am for you.
I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled, and so on. Although we desire that in our own souls to have that hard packed dirt killed up so that the seed can fall, the seed can go in it, the seed can germinate, and the seed can bring forth fruit. You know, it's not one of us here that doesn't desire to bring forth fruit for the glory and honor of the Lord Jesus.
But you know, even being able to sit down with the Lord to enjoy his presence.
If there's a hardness of heart.
There's going to be no connection. There has to be that, that pliable soil, that soil that's worked up. Oh, God is able to do that with our souls, isn't he, To make our hearts soft. Let's go on to the next one.
Luke's Gospel.
Just before we read that, if you look at the 12Th verse.
It says in connection with the wayside those are they by the wayside are they that hear, then come with the devil and take it the way the the word of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
You know, I was, I was visiting with.
With a brother.
And.
Hadn't seen him for a long time and I had a visit with him and he was he is someone that.
Got away from the Lord. The Lord had restored his soul. But in the meantime, from the years when I enjoyed fellowship with him as a young person, until a short time ago when I when I had a discussion with him, he had.
He had a marriage and had broken up, family broken up. He spent some time in jail and as I'm visiting with him and.
We were enjoying some things of Lord together, and I said, you know, and I called them by name and I said.
Since we last saw each other, there's been a lot of water that's gone under the bridge. And he kind of looked down and he said, yeah, a lot of dirty water, a lot of dirty water. And what it says here that the enemy wants to take away that seed lest they should be saved, That has to do with a saved life.
I'm amazed as I reflect on a young person like many of you are here.
Those that I had fellowship with, sweet fellowship, those who were encouragement to me when I was younger and how at the present time they've had a lost life. Yes, their souls are souls are are saved, but their life is lost. And that's what the enemy wants to do. As it says here. He wants to take away that seed sown lest they should believe and be saved. Well, let's look at the next one now.
The Stony ground.
The Stony Ground, verse 6.
Some fell upon a rock.
And as soon as it was sprung up.
It withered away.
Because it lacked moisture, it withered away.
Because it lacked moisture.
Now let's go over to.
The 13th verse.
Where the Lord speaks about this.
It says they on the rock are they which when they hear, receive the word of God with joy. Before I read the rest of that, I just want to make a comment, particularly those of you who are young.
What I enjoy doing as I read the scripture is to read.
Whatever portion it is as if I'm reading it for the very, very first time.
And then also to read it listening for the voice of the Lord as if I'm listening for the very, very first time. I mark up my Bible. I mark it up, but I read from one at home that's not marked up. And I read those verses as if I'm looking at them for the very first time. You say, how do you read John 316 as if you're reading it for the first time? You can do it.
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Read it as if you're seeing what's on those pages for the very first time, as the as the, as the wonderful Word of God.
And also read it as if you're hearing the voice of the Lord for the very first time.
And so we have that here, don't we? It says they that are on the rock are they which when they hear receive the word with joy. And these have no root, which for a while believe. You know, that's an interesting statement is, isn't it? If you turn into turn to marks gospel, it's just rendered a little differently. It says those endure for a while. They endure for a while. To me, that's such a solemn thing.
To look at this the the rocky soil. But what's the problem with the rocky soil?
The rocky soil as we have in the in the sixth verse, it says it sprung up and it withered because it lacked moisture. I understand the concept. It just withered. You know, I've, I've, I've experienced that in my own life.
When there's been a lack of moisture, a lack of the moisture from the word of God, and what does it do?
It has that withering effect, doesn't it? It just and.
We all know what a plant looks like when it needs moisture.
It's a symptom. We've got to get that plant some moisture.
I'm not a farmer, but I hear the farmers around around our place and you know, they have furrowed brows when there's been a dry spell and how we really need rain. Why? Because the plants need moisture and so our souls need moisture. And that's the problem here in the rocky ground.
It says here that it withered because it lacked moisture.
You know, I was I was visiting with a brother just last week, had breakfast with him, hadn't seen him for a long time was a brother that was once gathered and.
He was very much enjoying the Lord and we were reflecting on.
When we were younger, the many people in the sphere of our acquaintance that had a good start and yet had a bad finish. A good start but a bad finish.
And you know, the Lord's desire is for us is to have a good finish here, it says.
It says that it endured for a while.
Which for a while believe, and in the time of temptation fall away.
You know I'm going to do something.
I'm going to turn back to Second Chronicles just to make a point with regards to what we're Speaking of here. So let's go back to Second Chronicles.
Second Chronicles, the 13th chapter.
I want to go through a few of the kings.
We're just going to read very briefly some of these kings just to make the point that I'm making with regards to the Stony ground. So here in the 13th chapter we read about a man of by the name of Abaja.
And we read in the in the third verse it says Abide just set the battle in Array with an army of valiant men of war, even 400,000 chosen men.
And Jeroboam also set the battle in Array against him with 800,000 chosen men. You have a hopelessly, hopelessly unbalanced scenario here where you've got 400,000 against 800,000. And it says Abai GYM stood up upon Mount Zemaram. And in this tenth verse he says, but As for us, the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him. And we read in the 12Th verse, behold, God himself is for us, for our captain.
You know, you read that, you think, wow, what a marvelous thing. But let's go over to 1St Kings. Now the rest of the time we're going to spend in Second Chronicles, but here, in here in First Kings chapter 15.
Turn with me there in connection with this King. First Kings chapter 15.
It says in the 18th year of King Jeroboam, the son of Nevat reigned Abay Gem over Judah.
And we read in the third verse, And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him. And his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God as the heart of David his father. Here's a king.
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He had a good start, but he doesn't have a good finish.
Look at chapter 14 of Second Chronicles.
Have I just slept with his father's? They buried him in the city of David, and Asia's son reigned in his stead. And in his days the land was quiet. 10 years. And ASA did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. The 11Th verse in connection with a battle. And Isa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many or with them that have no power, help us, O Lord our God.
For we rest.
On the turn to Chapter 16.
Chapter 16. Verse 12.
And ASA, in the 30 and 9th year of his reign, was diseased in his feet until his disease was exceeding great.
Yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. A good start.
Bad finish.
Turn the page Chapter 17.
Jehoshaphat, his son ringed in his stead, strengthened himself against Israel.
Verse three And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not to Balaam, but sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.
Turn over to the 20th chapter.
20th chapter.
Verse 35.
After this the Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Isaiah king of Israel, and who did very wickedly, and he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish. And they made the ships. And Izan Kiber. Then Eliezer the son of A of Marsha, prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because that was, Join thyself with Aziah, the Lord hath broken thy work, and so on.
Good start.
Not so good a finish.
Turn the page.
Chapter 24.
First, first, Josh was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 40 years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zabaya of Beersheba. And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.
Chapter 24. Verse 17. Now after the death of Jehoiada came the Princess of Judah.
Made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them, and they left the House of the Lord God of their fathers, and served Groves and idols. Verse 22. Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada, his father had done unto him, but slew his son.
And so on.
Good start, bad finish.
One after another turn the page.
Actually don't don't even turn the pages. Chapter 25, a Messiah, a Messiah was 20 and five years old when he began to reign. He reigned 20 and nine years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Jehovahan of of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. And you turn the page in verse 27, it says after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the Lord.
Can you read that? You read that life history and you realize here's a man, he's got a good start.
And again he's got a bad finish. Chapter 26. Then all the people of Judah took Isaiah, who was 16 years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. Verse four. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Verse five. And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding of the visions of God. And as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. Verse 16 But when he was strong.
His heart was lifted up to his destruction, for he transgressed.
Against the Lord his God. Good start, bad finish.
That's the point of the state of soul.
Of the seed that is sown on the rocky ground that Withers if we do not give it the moisture of the Word of God. And so that's why it says here in our chapter, Luke's Gospel chapter, chapter 8. And these have no root which for a while believe.
And in time of temptation, fall.
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Away.
Dear young people.
It's sometimes hard for me to look at young ones. I'm just delighted when I see those that have a desire to go on in a manner that's consistent with the truth have a joy in the Lord. But as I look in my own souls experience, I look back to those that were an encouragement to me. Many of them had a good start and a bad finish.
You know, I was my wife and I took a woman out for supper there a few weeks ago.
And.
She.
Her husband left her.
And she was trying to get her life back together and she a number of months ago when this first happened, I, I said to her and I dressed her by name. I said, these are folks that were once gathered. I said, when was it that you stopped reading and praying together? And she hung her head and she said.
You know, Dave, we never did. We never did. And they always lacked the moisture of the word of God. You know, we had a we had a delightful.
Message in Montreal is in the reading meeting, a brother said we were looking at John's Gospel chapter three, he said. I'd just like to share a thought that was advanced to me many years ago when I was younger, he said in John's In John's Gospel Chapter 3, we have look and live.
In John's Gospel chapter 5, we have here and live. In John's Gospel chapter 6IN connection with the bread of life, we have eat and live. But in John's Gospel chapter four, we have drink and live, and that's the Stony ground. There needs to be a continual drinking. Who shall drinketh of this water? Shall thirst again? But who shall drinketh of the water that I shall drink? It's a continual drinking the water that I shall give him.
Shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Is there someone here this afternoon and you kind of feel withered?
You just kind of feel withered.
You know, it's the moisture of the word of God.
That revives us. I had the privilege of having a man some time ago, he called me up and he said, Dave, I had two aunts. I had two aunts and they passed away. When they passed away, they had peace.
And he said they had they had the same peace that you have. I want your peace.
I asked him to come over, he came over and umm, we chatted together and.
After we chatted some time, I said, you know, how real is this? Oh, it's, it's it's very real and to hear and poor, it's harder to God and to tell God that he was a Sinner and to and to receive his offer of salvation, which just a delightful thing.
But a short while later.
I was speaking with him. It was in the springtime. I was speaking with him and he said, you know, Dave, I'm having a hard time reading the Bible, just having a hard time.
And I was reading this portion at the time I went home and I, I thought about this portion. I thought, you know, he needs to hear this. He needs to hear this. And so I got in my truck and I drove over to his place. On my way over, I, I didn't quite get there. I pulled off of the side of the road and I, I wanted to read him the portion about how the, the, the good seed that fell on the rocky ground without moisture withered. I wanted to read him that. And, and he said.
And I said, I pull off to the side of the road and I just committed it to the Lord and asked the Lord to help me be able to present it in a manner that's he's going to be able to receive it and the time he's going to be right and you worry about all those things. And I got back in my truck and I drove in his driveway just as he's putting a sprinkler.
On to some fresh grass that he planted a week ago. And it's up this high. Like you couldn't possibly orchestrate such a thing like that. You couldn't dream of orchestrating anything like that. So I drove in the driveway. I watched him come down the driveway. The sprinkler's going and he goes over to the grass and he puts it down on this grass that's all up this high, comes around from the side of my truck. I roll down the window and I read in this portion.
As soon as I read a portion about the about how the the lack of moisture makes things wither, he just looked at me and said I get it. I get it with the God that we would always get it ourselves.
That when there was a withering in our soul that we would provide from the word of God that moisture that.
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Enables us to revive, to be able to grow well the rocky ground. What a solemn thing to read this. And on the rock the 13th verse are they which, when they hear, receive the word with joy.
These have no root, which for a while believe. Oh, what a sad thing to have a good start and a bad finish, and in time of temptation fall away. Well, what's the next one? The thorns?
The thorns.
Verse 7.
Some fell among thorns.
And the thorns sprung up and choked it.
And then we read over in the 14th verse, where the Lord is opening this up, and he says, And that which fell among thorns are they which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares.
And riches.
And pleasures of this life and bring no fruit.
To perfection.
I want to turn over to.
Matthew's Gospel for a moment.
Matthew's Gospel, the 18th chapter.
Just to.
Show what's happening here if we were to go further on in our chapter, the 8th chapter, it's where the.
It's where there's the 2000 swine and they run down the side of the mountain and they, they, they run right into the sea. And the word that's used there, it says and they choked and they choked Here in Matthew's Gospel, we have just what it is to be choked, and it's also a discourse.
That that the Lord gave. He spoke in the 23rd verse about the Kingdom of heaven, likened unto a certain king, which was to take account of his servants.
When he began to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him 10,000 talents.
And for as much as he had not to pay, his Lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, and said, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion, loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him 100 pence, and he laid his hands on him. This is the thought.
This is the thought of the thorns. It says He laid hands on and he took them by the throat. He choked him. That is a thought of the thorns. Have you ever watched?
A mother with a baby.
And the baby starts to choke.
Have you ever watched as to how involved the mother is with all the things around her?
You know, everything drops and there's full focus on the little baby that's choking and to try and get that little piece of whatever out of the throat. This is the thorns. These are the thorns in our life. It's a state of soul. And what does it say? It says here, these are they that fell among the thorns, and they which when they have heard, go forth and are choked.
With the cares.
The riches.
And the pleasures of this life and bring no fruit.
To perfection.
I think we understand that concept. You know, the cures of this life are real. They're very real.
But we can allow them to choke out the word.
The pleasures of this life are real.
And they can choke out the word. We all carry one of these things. It's a tremendous, tremendous tool of use.
Starting to brother in Egypt this morning because of this tool. But what else does this tool have? It is filled with corruption.
It is filled with that which completely wastes our time.
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That which is really for our good and profit. But if we allow it the cares of this life, the pleasures, the riches they choke out the word they choke it to me that's you know it turned Matthews gospel for a moment where where we we read.
A statement that we can put right alongside of this portion that we're reading Matthew's Gospel chapter 313, where we also have the parable of the Soar. But it's just a statement I want to make.
Which to me is so solemn in my own life.
Because in Matthews Gospel chapter 13 and verse 24 we read another parable. Put he forth unto them, saying, the Kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed here we are good seed in his field. But oh, this next statement it says, But while men slept, his enemy came.
While men slept, his enemy came. You know, I find myself in connection with these.
Cares. With these pleasures, with these riches, I find it's so easy to be asleep. It's so easy to be asleep. What happens when we're asleep? The enemy came and he did his deadly work.
We're having a little trouble with time, so let's push along now.
To the next state of soul.
Verse 8.
The other fell on good ground, and sprung up, and bear fruit in a hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And then over to the 15th verse.
Verse 15 But that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience. And that is that is peculiar to to Luke's gospel, but it starts off here.
In the in the eighth verse it says He that hath ears to hear.
Let him hear that little word. Let.
Pretty important word in the.
Scripture and justice about every time we read about read that word let in in the New Testament, it's God seeking.
To bring our soul.
Into a state where the Spirit of God can develop things.
In our life and take our wills into control and put us in a position where he can work that which he desires to work in our lives. The little word let well here it says in connection with the, the, the, the good ground. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear so. So what are we going to say about the good ground? What are we going to say about the good ground? You know, I got a text from a young man.
A week ago.
Here's a note. It's coming. He's here, but nobody would know that. So this is anonymous. He texted me this, this text, he says, Dave, how can we?
In faith fully depend upon the Lord when everything is going fine.
When everything is going well, you know, a good question. You know, I believe that is the very time when the enemy sees that there's an enjoyment of the Lord, that he wants to destroy it.
And I shared with them, you know.
Just talk to Joe. How long did it take for things to be going fine?
To be in a position where things were completely upside down, it wasn't very long. Oh, that we would seek to bear each other up before the Lord. And when we see those that are going on for the Lord, you know, we have a tendency to pray for those that are in the back row, those that are really having a struggle in their, in their Christian pathet. I'm not saying about those in the back row. There are those that have kids here that I'm very thankful you're here. You know what I mean? It's those that that that have no interest whatsoever in what we have here.
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But oh, to be able to realize that the enemy looks down and when there's an enjoyment of the word of God, that when there's an enjoyment of the Lord just does not want that. He wants to destroy that totally. Oh, that we would be mindful of the enemy and how he comes in so many ways. You know, he comes as an Angel of light. He comes as a roaring lion. He comes as a serpent. He comes as an adder. And when you step on an adder, it's a surprise. You don't see him coming. You see the lion coming.
Ephesians 6HE throws those fiery darts the world is seen in a bear takes takes a person that squeezes the lights out of That's the enemy of our souls, and he wants to destroy us.
He does these states of soul well. I'd just like to look now in closing to the Song of Solomon.
Song Solomon.
The Song of Solomon and the 2nd chapter.
The Lord's desire is that whatever state of soul we find ourselves in is that we pick up the word of God and we would enjoy it, and that once again we'd be able to carry on in a manner that we're delighted with. And a brother shared with me in Montreal, just in private, he said, you know, I like this. I like this, this definition of communion. And he turned me to Song of Solomon chapter 2, and he read this.
The end of the third verse.
I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit.
Was sweet to my taste. I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste. Oh, might we recognize that if we find ourselves in a scenario where there's the wayside and there's the hard packed dirt. Oh the Lord's desire.
Is that he would make our hearts soft.
If there's that scenario where we find ourselves in the rocky ground.
And there's a withering, oh, that we would feed our souls with the moisture of the word of God, and should we find ourselves where the thorns and they're choking out the word with perhaps real things, the cares of this life, but because we're asleep, we don't realize the pleasures. We don't realize the riches and how they overcome.
Oh, that we would find ourselves delighted.
In the moisture of the Word of God and the good ground, they would realize the enemy. When we're enjoying the Lord just like this, He wants to destroy. But oh, to be able to sit under His shadow with great delight, and to have His fruit sweet to our taste is a wonderful thing. Could we sing together another?
Another hymn.
Maybe 318 if a brother could start that for us.
318.
Oh God.
Close to the light here so I can't find.
It.
I hear it's been screaming on.
God.
Please.