Sowing Seed

Recently I preached about the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20. This message is a follow up to that message.

I. A Mystery: Mark 4:26-29

 And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷ and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. ²⁸ For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. ²⁹ But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

When we share the gospel, we don’t know how, or if, it will bear fruit. In some cases we are able to see the result of a person giving their heart to Jesus, but other times we may never know the final result. We don’t know how is working in a person’s life. We are still called to faithfully share the gospel.  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. I Corinthians 3:6

II. Wheat and Tares: Matthew 13:24-30

 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵ but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. ²⁶ But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. ²⁷ So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ ²⁸ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ ²⁹ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

This world is filled with people. Some will give their hearts to the Lord. Some will not. It is not for us to judge. We cannot tell if a person will respond today, tomorrow, in ten years, or never.

We should share the gospel with all whom we can share it. We should share it with our words and we should be careful to make sure that our lives illustrate the difference that Jesus Christ can make in our lives. People may listen to our words. They will also watch our lives. It is important that are consistent. This is not meant to put us under pressure. We know that we will not be perfect, but we should do our best.

III. The Impact: Mark 4:30-32

 Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; ³² but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”

Faith may start small, but it can grow. The change in our lives should continue throughout our lives as God continues to mold us into the people that we are meant to be. In turn, our lives can impact others. Then those others can impact still others. It is a continuing process throughout our lives. We will not truly know what impact we have in this life until we are in eternity.

IV. Don’t Quit! Galatians 6:9

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Our job is to share the gospel. We are to let the light of Christ shine through our lives. We should remain faithful until the end. Don’t give up just because you are not seeing the results that you would like to see. Be faithful in word and in deed.

Finish the race.

Finish strong.

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These are the sermon notes from the message that I preached on 2/25/24. The message contains additional material. If you would like to hear it as it was preached at the 8:30 service, you can view it at: https://www.facebook.com/100064322333786/videos/2214266908904214

All scriptures are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Any ads that appear are placed by WordPress. I have no control over them.

A Hard Question

Human life begins at conception. Pro-life advocates have been making this claim for years. The basic idea is that at the time of conception, a new human life begins, with it’s own unique DNA. This supports the view that the act of abortion ends a human life.

The Alabama Supreme Court, in it’s recent ruling, endorses this view. The human embryo is to be treated as a human life. Abortion already is not legal in Alabama. (There are only a few exceptions.) Now, with this new ruling, there will be ramifications in the area of In Vitro Fertilization.

In Vitro Fertilization typically involves the fertilization of a number of eggs so that the chances of success are greater. It is common practice to destroy defective embryos and any extras that might remain after the goal of a healthy baby has been achieved.

Now that embryos have been given legal status as a human life in Alabama, the destruction of these embryos could be viewed as the taking of a human life.

Some medical facilities in Alabama that provided IVF are currently pausing their provision of this service until there is legal protection, which may or may not happen.

The goal of IVF is to give parents a healthy baby. Many pro-life groups have given IVF a pass on the details of the practice since the goal is a healthy baby. Now there will have to be more discussion. If it is accepted that human life begins at conception, should IVF continue in it’s current form?

Go!

From the beginning, Christianity has been seeking converts. This mission is well expressed in the scriptures in Matthew known as The Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-20

 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

I. Jesus:

 .It is important to remember that the disciples knew Jesus in human form. It needed to be made clear that He was more than that. ‘All authority’ represents that Jesus is Lord over all. That there is no other like Him. He was human, but He was much more. Philippians 2:9-11 says Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father

II. Go!

This command is not only to the original twelve. We are all called to proclaim the gospel to others. We are to make disciples, not simply converts. It is not a one time prayer, but a lifelong commitment.

This commitment is demonstrated through baptism. Romans 6:4 says Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

This baptism is done in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This is the mystery of the trinity. It is the one God in three persons that theologians have struggled to understand and express for generations.

III. Teach

It is a wonderful truth of Christianity that any child can know the simple truth of the love of God expressed through Jesus Christ. That is the starting point, not the end of our Christian education.

Psalm 25:4-5 says:

Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
⁵ Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.

It is a life long process.

It is important that we put into action the things that we learn. James 1:25 says But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

IV. God With Us

As we have been sent into the world to share the love of God, it is important to know that Jesus is with us. We do not go in our own strength. We do not go alone.

This is similar to the promise given to the Children of Israel as they were entering the promised land.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Our battle is not fought with physical weapons. We do not fight for territory, but for eternal souls. The person who opposes us today, may be our brother, or sister, in the Lord tomorrow.

It is good to end with the same verse with which we began.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20

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These are the sermon notes from the message that I preached on 2/18/24. There is more material in the message. If you would like to listen to the message as it was preached at the 8:30 service, you can view it at: https://www.facebook.com/100064322333786/videos/7473237316048469

All scriptures are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Any ads that appear are placed by WordPress. I have no control over them.

Forgiveness

The most important commandment is to love God. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself. I would like to suggest the third most important commandment is the commandment to forgive others. 

I. Forgive! Matthew 18:21-35

²¹ Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ²³ Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵ But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. ²⁶ The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ²⁷ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸ “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ³⁰ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. ³¹ So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. ³² Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³ Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ ³⁴ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

³⁵ “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

We have all done something wrong. God forgives us. He expects, even requires, that we forgive others. 

II. Prayer: Mark 11:22-26

²² So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. ²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. ²⁴ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. ²⁵ “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. ²⁶ But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

It is amazing what God can do. If we have faith in God, our prayers can have tremendous effect. People love to quote verse 24. Believe and receive! 

The same people may not continue reading through verse 26. It is imperative that we forgive those who have wronged us. 

III. Jesus: Luke 23:34

³⁴ Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

And they divided His garments and cast lots.

As Jesus hung on the cross, He forgave the ones who had crucified Him. He has set an example for us. Those soldiers did not repent. They were not sorry. They gave him no thought. 

He forgave them anyway. 

We need to be willing to forgive those who have wronged us. Even if they are not sorry. Now, this does not mean that we have to set ourselves up to be hurt by the same person over and over. We can set boundaries, or limits on our relationships. 

We do need to forgive. This is especially true for people with whom we want to maintain relationships. We need to forgive our family members. We need to forgive our spouses. We need to forgive our friends. No one is perfect. We all need forgiveness. 

Even ourselves. We need to be willing to forgive ourselves as well. We make mistakes. Sometimes big ones. We need to forgive and move on. Notice I did not say forget, we should learn from our mistakes. 

People who harbor unforgiveness are hurting themselves. They allow a root of bitterness to take root and that will bear rancid fruit. We may became angry and bitter, unable to enjoy relationships with others who are meant to be a part of our lives. 

So how do we do this? I believe there is a three step process. 

1. First, we acknowledge that it is the right thing to do. 
2. We choose to forgive by an act of our will. Our feelings will catch up later.
3. Pray for the person who wronged us.  

We should repeat this process as often as necessary. At first, we may not feel like it. We might not feel any different the first time. We should repeat the process as often as necessary. In time our feelings will change. By repetition, I do not mean over and over in the same sitting, but rather day by day, or whenever it comes to mind. 

In time, our hearts will heal. It is not easy, but it is necessary. It is worth it. It is the right thing to do. 

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These are the sermon notes from the message that I preached on 2/11/24. The message contains additional material not in the notes. If you would like to hear the message as it was preached you can view it at:  https://www.facebook.com/100064322333786/videos/359319653592689

All scriptures are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Any adds that appear are placed by WordPress. I have no control over them. 

At The End

‘All’s well that ends well’ is a popular saying. For a Christian, it is a very true statement.

I. Call Upon God: Psalm 18:6

In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

We all experience hardships. No life is without trouble of some kind. For many people it is in times of trouble that they first turn to God. God is able to help. For the believer, or the unbeliever, we can call upon the Lord. He will hear us. He loves us. He is able to help us. 

II. Sometimes It Gets Worse: Exodus 5:22-23

So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? ²³ For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”

It is good to review briefly the story of Moses. He had been set adrift in the Nile by his mother as a baby. He was rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter. She raised him. When he was 40, he killed an Egyptian and fled into the wilderness. He spent 40 years in the wilderness. He was married and had two sons. God appeared to him in a burning bush. God told him to return to Egypt. He was to lead his people out of Egypt. Moses went to Pharaoh and requested that he let the people go. Pharaoh responded by making the situation worse. 

Deliverance may not happen immediately. Maybe the situation will even get worse. We can still trust God. He doesn’t necessarily work on our time schedule. He knows what he is doing. We need to be patient and trust Him. 

III. For Good: Genesis 50:20

Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”

¹⁹ Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? ²⁰ But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Again, a little review is in order. Joseph had been the favorite son of Israel. His brothers had been jealous and sold him into slavery in Egypt. Joseph rose to the position of chief slave. He was then falsely accused and thrown into prison. He then was brought out of prison and made second only to Pharaoh. His family eventually came to Egypt. After his father died, his brothers were afraid because of what they had done to Joseph. 

Again, we can trust God. He knows what He is doing. Things may go badly for a while, but they will turn out well at the end. 

IV, All Things: Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Maybe things don’t go so well in this life. 

For the believer, our true reward is in the life to come. 

God can, and does help us in this life. He will give us the wisdom to know what to do, and the strength to do it. He is with us throughout the journey if we are putting our trust in Him. 

He is worthy of our trust. 

It will all work out in the end. 

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These are the sermon notes from the message that I preached on 2/4/24. There is additional material in the message. If you would like to hear the message as it was preached at the 8:30 service, you can view it at: https://www.facebook.com/100064322333786/videos/1182599286446986

All scriptures are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Any ads that appear are placed by WordPress. I have no control over them. 

Why Did Hamas Invade Israel?

October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded Israel, killing over a thousand people and taking many hostages. I wondered what they were thinking. Israel is not known to take an invasion quietly. The reprisal would be swift and severe.

It occurred to me that Hamas could be working towards either of two possible outcomes. One option is that the reprisal from Israel would be severe enough that the suffering of the Palestinian people would move people from sympathy to outrage. The hope would be that other groups would join in the fight against Israel and that the ultimate goal of the elimination of Israel could be achieved.

There has indeed been additional fighting with other groups, but it has not yet escalated into the kind of conflict that it would take to eliminate Israel.

But it is not over.

A second objective could be the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Here the hope would be that the sight of all the suffering could raise enough international pressure on Israel to embrace a two-state solution.

The bulk of our media shows the suffering of the Palestinian people. There is a special emphasis on the suffering of women and children. It has indeed created pressure on Israel to consider a two-state solution.

Hamas is the elected leadership of the people in Gaza. They started this war, knowing full well the amount of bloodshed and destruction that it would entail. They continue to hold the hostages. They continue to fight. Their combatants do not wear uniforms so there is no distinguishing between civilian and combatant deaths. This plays into the narrative of the brutal Israelis killing civilians.

It is all part of the Hamas leadership gamble. The death and destruction of their own people may achieve their goals.

They fight on.

The media reports the destruction.

Protests call for an end to the suffering.

Many seem to forget that this conflict was started by Hamas. If they would surrender, and release the hostages, the conflict could come to an end. It has been, and is, a tragedy for all involved.

There are some questions.

Will the gamble pay off?

Will they achieve their goal either of full-scale, widespread war against Israel, or of the creation of an independent Palestinian state?

Was it worth the cost?”