WORD OF GOD - 2

Sunday Morning:  May 2, 2004

Text:  Luke 8:4-11  "And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: 5. A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. 6. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. 8. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? 10. And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God."

WHAT IS THE SEED

Luke 8:11  "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God."

SUBJECT OF PARABLES

Matthew 13:24  "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto . . ."

THE WORD OF GOD CAME TO JOHN

Luke 3:2  "Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness."

JOHN PREACHED THE SEED

Matthew 3:1-2  "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2. And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

THINGS KEPT SECRET

Matthew 13:34-35  "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."

KEEP IT A MYSTERY

Matthew 13:10-11  "And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11. He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."

RESPONSIBILITY

Luke 12:48  ". . . For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."

BETTER NOT TO KNOW

2 Peter 2:21  "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them."

EXCLUSION OF MOST

Matthew 10:5  "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:"

GO RATHER

Matthew 10:6  "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

PREACH THE SEED

Matthew 10:7  "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand."

EARS THAT CAN HEAR

Matthew 13:9  "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

EYES THAT CAN SEE

Matthew 13:16  "But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear."

 

ISRAEL SLOW OF HEARING

Romans 11:8  "(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day."

DULL OF HEARING

Acts 28:25-28  ". . . Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 26. Saying, Go unto this people [Israel], and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 27. For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 28. Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation (so great salvation of Hebrews 2:3) of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it."

MILK

Hebrews 5:12-14  "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong [solid] meat [food]. 13. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14. But strong [solid] meat [food] belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use (churning of milk) have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

IMMANUEL’S FOOD

Isaiah 7:15  "Butter and honey shall he (Immanuel) eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good."

BUTTER

Proverbs 30:33  "Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, . . ."

HONEY

1 Samuel 14:29  "Then said Jonathan, . . . see, . . . how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey."

EYES ENLIGHTENED

Ephesians 1:17-18  "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge [epignwsiv, (butter knowledge)] of him: 18. The eyes of your understanding [heart] being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,"

FROM MILK TO BUTTER

Isaiah 28:9  "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts."

TEACH CHURNING

Isaiah 28:10  "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:"

NEW BEGINNING BY THE SEED

1 Peter 1:23  "Being born again [anagennaw, begotten again, only here and 1 Peter 1:3], not of corruptible seed [the word of the kingdom], but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."

TO A LIVING HOPE

1 Peter 1:3-5  "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again [anagennaw, begotten again, only here and 1 Peter 1:3] unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4. To [for] an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

FAITH COMES BY IT

Romans 10:17  "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

THEY THAT HEAR ARE BLESSED

Luke 11:28  "But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear [present active] the word of God, and keep [present active] it."

BRETHREN HEAR AND DO IT

Luke 8:21  "And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear [present active] the word of God, and do [present active] it."

THE BLESSED INHERIT

Matthew 25:34  ". . .Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:"