All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn back to Matthew 13. The Lord has set forth the parable
of the sower. In the first few verses, told
his disciples when they asked, why do you preach in parables?
Because it's given to you to know. The mystery of the kingdom
of heaven to them is not given. Then the Lord now, starting in
verse 18, is going to give the explanation of the parable that
he just taught. A parable about a seed that was
sown by a farmer. That seed, Luke, in Luke's account
of this parable, He says that the seed is the Word of God. The seed that is sown is God's
Word. Peter, who heard the Lord preach,
he said in 1 Peter 1, verse 23-25, he says, being born again, not
of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the Word of God. which liveth
and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, all
the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth,
the flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord endureth
forever. And this is the word which by
the gospel is preached unto you." So, we know that this parable
about a seed, the sower, is actually about the sowing of the gospel. That's what this is all about.
This is how the Lord is pleased to call his own. Now let's consider
the effect of that seed falling upon the different types of granite. Remember, now there's only four
types, so we're all listening. to this parable that the Lord
has sent forth, and all of the possibilities of the ground upon
which the gospel that's being preached right now, all the possibilities
of the ground that it's going to fall on is in four grounds. He's going to talk to us and
tell us what these different grounds are in the hearts of
men. Now, the Lord starts off in verse
18, He said, the parable of the sword. Hear the gospel, hear
what's being preached, hear what's being said, hear the message,
that word, hear the truth of the gospel. He says in verse
19, when anyone heareth the word of the kingdom, now what do you
mean Lord? Anybody that hears the gospel,
anybody that hears that gospel, and understandeth it not, Then
cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his
heart. This is he which receiveth seed by the wayside." Told that
parable, some fell by the wayside. He said, now, when someone hears
the gospel being preached, and they understandeth it not. What do you mean? He said, when
they don't perceive the truth of what's being said. They don't
hear that gospel being preached with understanding. They've not
been made wise unto salvation. Those who don't accompany or
associate in heart with the message. He said whenever someone hears
that gospel preached and they don't Understand it. There's nothing there that makes
no impression on them whatsoever. The Lord said they are the wayside
hearers. They hear the message. They hear it. Now you hear what
I'm saying. Everybody in here, I'll bet you,
understands English. You know, I know I say things
sometimes a little differently, but you know what I'm saying.
You understand what I'm talking about. They hear the words, but
they hear the words with no regard or concern. What happens is the wicked one,
the devil himself, Satan himself comes and catches away, the Lord
said, that word which was preached. and seizes it, takes it away. You hear it, but there's nothing
more than a careless, thoughtless regard for what's being heard. You hear what I'm saying, but
it just doesn't matter. It just don't matter. The glorious
gospel has no effect. And listen to this. The devil
is permitted to take it. Somebody said, well, if Satan
hadn't come and gotten it, maybe, you know, maybe the devil does
nothing but that which God Almighty permits him to do. You remember
Job? Have you considered my servant
Job? He's a just man. He eschews evil.
The devil says, yeah, but you got a hedge about it and I can't
get to it. The Lord said, I'll permit you to get to it. You
can't kill it, but I'll permit you to buffet him. Satan can
do nothing until God Almighty allows him to do it. Now if God permits the gospel
to be taken from one that he's left to himself, God Almighty
has done that justly. He does it right, but now listen
to what I'm saying. Now listen to me right now, and
I mean it. If you hear what I'm saying right now, and you have
no regard for it, and I'm about to, you can go ahead and turn
to Matthew chapter 10. Just turn back a few pages, Matthew
chapter 10. If you hear what I'm saying right now, And you
know what I'm reading. You can read just like I can.
You can read these scriptures. If you hear what I'm saying and
you read these words with your eyes and you have a brain to
understand what the Lord, at least I know in your head you
do. If you disregard what the Lord is saying, I'm just repeating. I'm just, I'm a messenger. I'm
just, Paul says we're ambassadors for Christ's sake. I'm just telling
you what the Lord said. God's called me to repeat what
He said. These are not my words. These
are the words of the Lord. If you hear what I'm saying and
you disregard it, you're responsible for what you heard. And it's
going to be brought up again on the Day of Judgment. I'm telling
you, disregard what I'm saying right now. And I'm telling you,
the books are going to be open. Now I'm going to prove to you
what I'm saying. Look at Matthew chapter 10, verse 14-15. And whosoever shall not receive
you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house
or city, shake off the dust of your feet. For verily I say unto
you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah
in the day of judgment than for that city. Now let me tell you
what the Lord just said. He said, you disregard what I
say. And you just counted as nothing.
Well, that preacher, he's just one of those hard shells, or
whatever they call us now. He said, you shake the dust off
your feet. And he said, in the day of judgment,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than it will
be for you. Why? Because you heard, you heard. Look at Matthew 11. 20 to 24. Then began he to upbraid the
cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they
repented not. Woe unto you, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! For
if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in
Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth
and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall
be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment
than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art
exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell. For if
the mighty works which had been done, and thee had been done
in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto
you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the
day of judgment than for you." Listen, let me tell you something.
God has sent the Gospel to Katy, West Virginia. These words that have been spoken
all these years out of this pulpit are consistent with these Scriptures.
And the Lord says these mighty works that have been done, look
at the mighty works that God's done. in this place called dead
sinners out of darkness? He said if the mighty works that
have been done here had been done in Sodom and Gomorrah, they
would have repented. But he said I'm telling you it's
going to be more tolerable for them than it will be for you. Why? Because we heard. Will God hold a man responsible
for what he hears? Yes sir. I'm telling you. I'm telling you. These words
are going to come up again according to the scriptures. He said in
that day, in the day of judgment, it's going to be. So he said
whenever this gospel is preached, here we're seeing the fulfillment
of what Isaiah said in Isaiah chapter 6. I'll read this and
if you want to turn there, Isaiah chapter 6 verse 9 and 10. Here's
what the Lord told Isaiah to say. Now, I'm going to read this
to you. Let me tell you what He's going
to say first, so when I read it you'll understand. He's going
to say, you tell them, Isaiah, that this is going to be your
attitude. He said, you tell them that they're
going to hear and they're not going to regard it. You go ahead
and tell them, you're not going to regard what I'm saying. And
you tell them, because of that, because of their rebellion, I'm
going to leave them to themselves. Now you go tell them what I'm
telling you. And Isaiah went and preached
it. Isaiah chapter 6 verse 9 and 10. And he said, go and tell
this people, hear ye indeed. Hear ye according to hearing. You hear. You hear what I'm saying.
Hear ye indeed, but understand not. And see ye indeed, but perceive
not. Make the heart of this people
fat, and make their ears heavy. Shut their eyes, lest they see
with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their
heart, and convert, and be healed. What did the Lord say? He said,
I'm telling you what you're going to do. I mean, this is God. This is who we're dealing with.
The Lord said the wayside hearer is the one that hears, he has
no regard for. It's just water off of a duck's
back. He disregards what God has to
say, but the Lord said it's going to come up again in the day of
judgment. Oh, but thanks be unto God. God
has been pleased to not leave the totality of mankind to their
dead rebellion. Carnal heart. He's reserved that
remnant we were talking about. Then he said back in Matthew
13. He said, now that's the wayside
here. The wayside here hears it, has
no regard for it. Verse 20 and 21. Here's the next
one. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same
is he that heareth the word, and Anon with joy receiveth it. Yet hath he not root in himself,
but dureth for a while, for when tribulation or persecution ariseth
because of the word, by and by he is offended." Now here's the
second one. The second here is not like the
first that just totally disregarded it. This stony ground here, he
hears the word preached and Anon with joy. What does that mean?
At once. At once. He welcomes, accepts
it with what appears to be a promise of faith. I'll tell you why I
said it that way. There's an immediate excitement. Some hear it and they seem to
be taken up with the What they're hearing, what is really produced in a
new heart of faith, they make an appearance of being real excited
and there's a reception of it, it looks like, and a joy. Maybe there's something in their
life that needs to be, you know, they want to have their conscience
soothed. You know, maybe if I just go to church. Maybe I can sit
here and there's an emotional need that I might have to have.
You get around God's people. God's people are gracious people,
kind, compassionate. And that stony ground here, he
may just be desiring to associate with a group like that. Maybe
he's curious. Maybe he's heard some things.
He just, maybe he's coming out of habit. He just happens to,
you know, he just showed up or something. But his conscience,
that dead conscience tells him that he needs to be, I need to
turn over a new leaf. I need to, you know, but maybe
he's caught up with the preacher. Maybe he just likes the preacher.
You know, maybe there's just something about the preacher.
It's an amazing passage. Hold your place. Turn to Ezekiel
33. I don't think that I'd ever read
this passage of scripture before. If I have, I just read it and
I just, in my dullness of heart, I just missed it. But Ezekiel
33, and I'm gonna read verses 30 to 33. 33 and this is this what this is
about is a people they're taken up they're just taken up with
the preacher I mean they just like what he preached it's not
what the message they're not taken up with a message they
just like him you know listen this is what the Lord said to
Ezekiel Ezekiel 33 verse 30 he said also thou son of man the
children of thy people still are talking It says against thee,
it's actually about you. They're talking about you. By
the walls, in the doors of the houses, and here's what they're
saying. They speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying,
come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth
from the Lord. What they're saying is, they're
going to say this about you, Ezekiel. They're going to say,
listen, come listen to this guy preach. And they come unto thee
as, or just like my people come, as the people cometh. And they
sit before thee as my people. What they're doing is they're
going through the motions. That's what they're doing. They're
coming like God's people come to hear. They're hearing like
God's people do. And they hear thy words, but
they will not do them. For with their mouth they show
forth love. They speak it, but their heart
goeth after their covetousness. And lo, thou art unto them as
a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can
play well on an instrument. For they hear thy words, but
they do them not. And when this cometh to pass,
and lo, it will come, then shall they know that a prophet hath
been among them. Ezekiel, I want you to go preach
to these people and here's what they're going to think. Man,
I like that guy. Man, he is a great guy. I just like the way he preaches.
He's just such a, he just, you know. He said, but I'm going
to tell you something. He said, they're not hearing
what you say. They like you because they like you. He said, but there's
going to come a time when they're going to realize that there was
a prophet among them. And it's going to be too late.
He said these stony ground hearers, they hear a message and maybe
it's new to them, maybe they're delighted with it for a while
and they immediately appear to be full of joy and zeal for what
they're hearing. And though the hearing, hearers appear to be
taken up with it, but you know, there's going to be a problem.
Something's going to happen and this is what it's going to be.
They'll endure for a while. When the scorching sun of persecution,
not the sun of righteousness, but the scorching sun of persecution
or opposition for the sake of the gospel comes, when they're
going to be confronted with somebody, you mean to tell me you believe
that? Do you actually hear what they're saying? Do you know what
they're saying about this election stuff? Do you understand? When
they're confronted, with those that hate the glorious message
that gives all the honor and glory and praise unto Almighty
God, when they hear that opposition, when they realize this is going
to cost something. The Lord says, who starts to
build a building that doesn't count the cost? You better make
sure you get all the prices before you go. It's going to cost. By
and by, he's offended. And he'll leave because he was
never convinced of his own depravity. He was never convinced of his
need. He saw no beauty in the Lord
Jesus Christ. And before you know it, they're gone. They sat here for
a while and for a while they just seemed like they were really
enjoying what they were hearing. And all of a sudden you turn
around They're gone. Why? They were offended. Something
offended them. Something offended them. And
it's always something in their mind that's logical. Then the
Lord said in verse 22, He also that receives seed among thorns
is he that heareth the word and the care of this world and deceitfulness
of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful. Now, this to me is one of the
most serious of all the hearers. Because in every believer, before
I'm done saying what I'm saying, you'll know what I mean. I speak
for myself and I'm sure I do for those that know him. This
hearer, this is unlike the wayside hearer that just sloughed it
off. And he's different from the stony ground hearer that
appears you know, to just be so joyful and everything, but
just soon, I mean as soon as persecution came, there was some
tribulation, there was, for the sake of the gospel. He'd gone. He'd gone. I'm going somewhere
where I need a little, I just need a little something that's
just a little bit more peaceful, if you don't mind. I want to
hear a little bit more about God loving everybody, if you
don't mind. That's what, they're gone. But now, this one, the
scripture sets forth, this one truly appears, and very possibly,
for years, for years and years and years to be consistent. They've sat, they've been in
the midst of God's people under the sound of the gospel and they
seem to possess an undivided love for the gospel and for God's
people. They speak honorably of the truth. They speak honorably, now listen,
of the truth. of the gospel of God's free grace.
They're consistent in their proclamation concerning what they believe,
concerning God's sovereignty and salvation is totally by the
grace of God. And they are a sinner in need
of the Savior. And when they're confronted by
those that are opposers of the gospel, the truth, they speak
consistently. And they give a good confession
of hope in Christ. But, in time, something becomes
evident that possibly no one sees but the Lord. It may not ever become obvious,
but the Lord Himself sees it. And this is where I say, and
I'm just going to be I'm just straight up about this. This is for me. This is the most
serious one. I'm thankful for the last one
that I'm going to look at in just a second because I'm going
to wrap this up. But this one right here is the
most arresting to me because of what the Lord says about this
type here. He said something becomes evident is not evident to him, possibly
not evident to everybody else. Thorns began to spring up other
things, the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches,
things began to spring up that intertwined and began to partner
with this hearer's desire, heart. And there's a dividing of his
affection. It's not that there's a total
abandonment of the acknowledgement of the doctrine that he confesses.
He doesn't abandon that. Like the stony ground hero did.
He left. He just left. I'm leaving. I'm
out of here. But this one, there's not an
abandonment, but there's a struggle. He doesn't want to abandon Christ,
and he doesn't want to give up the world either. and he's satisfied
to give equal love to. There's a struggle between having
Christ and this world. He's not willing to openly give
up the care or the distraction of this world. I can have this
and the Lord. I can give as much attention
to this as I can to Him. I don't have to give up then.
And the deceitfulness of riches that wasn't perceived at first
began to choke and to strangle and to crowd out the word and
the scripture says he becometh unfruitful. He becometh no fruit. And this type of ground that
every true believer zealously desires to war and
fight against God. Why? Because it's all in us. Now listen to me. Somebody say,
well I'm glad I'm not a wayside hearer. Oh yes you are. I'm glad
I'm not a stony ground hearer. Yes you are. That, Paul says,
that there is in me. That is in my flesh. There dwells
no good thing. This is what every believer struggles
and wars against. That God Almighty will not allow
this to have dominion over us. That's the comfort right there.
Don't think that this is not within us. This is there. We think, I'm just glad I'm not
like they are. That's what the Pharisees said.
I'm glad I'm not like that publican right there. This, this, this,
this, this. My friend, I'm going to read
you a couple of scriptures in a minute that will actually,
I pray, arrest you as it did me. It does me right now. This
is what I know is so. The propensity to do this is
here. Right here. This is the old man. This is where every believer
is. That God would keep him from
it. If the Lord leaves me to myself,
I know what I'm going to do. I know I'm going to fall victim
to the very thing that I fear. If God left me to myself. Listen,
whenever the Lord was talking to Peter, Matthew 26. Matthew 26, listen to this. Now
I'm going to show you, I'm going to show you what I'm saying is
so. Somebody say, you'd never catch me doing anything like
that. Matthew 26, 31. Matthew 36, 21. Then said Jesus
unto them. He's talking to his apostles.
All ye shall be offended because of me this night for it is written
I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall
be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before
you unto Galilee." Now listen to what Peter said. Peter answered
and said unto him, though all men shall be offended because
of thee, yet will I never be offended. Now listen, let me
just put that in layman's terms for us right now. I could say
unto the Lord, though Lord you've spoken of wayside hearers, stony
ground hearers, thorny ground hearers, though they are all
offended with you, I'll never be. I'll never do that. I would never Verse 34, Jesus
saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before
the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him,
Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise
also said all the disciples. Now let me ask you this, what
did Peter do? The very thing he said he would. The very thing. The Lord at his last at the Last
Supper. Lord, at the Last Supper, He
said, the Scripture declares, Verily I say unto you, that one
of you shall betray Me. They were exceeding sorrowful
and began every one of them to say unto Him, Lord, is it I? Is it Me? I'm going to be betrayed by one
of you tonight, Lord, is it Me? You know what they knew? Every
one of them knew that that heart was there. Am I the one? I'd say to myself, I will never
deny the Lord. I know the gospel of God's grace.
God's taught me the gospel. He's called me to pastor this
church. I'll never deny the Lord. That's a foolish statement. Because
I can read in scriptures where others that knew God did that
very thing. That thorny ground here is one
that the cares of this world, those cares that's right here, the cares of this world, the
deceitfulness of riches, if God Almighty leaves me alone, that's
me. The only reason that I wouldn't
do that is because God kept me from myself. Don't you ever think
that you're that strong. You're not. There's no possible
way. If God Almighty is pleased to
keep me, I'm kept. Then the scripture declares,
verse 23, but he that receives seed into the good ground is
he that heareth the word and understandeth it which also beareth
fruit, and bringeth forth some a hundredfold, some sixty, some
thirty." Now let me tell you what that is. That good ground,
what is it? I can tell you exactly what it
is. It's that new heart that's given, that Ezekiel spoke of.
Ezekiel 36, 26. He said, I'll remove that heart
of stone. And he said, I'm going to give you a new heart. A new
mind, a new will. He said, I'm going to write my
law, the law of my grace and mercy to you in Christ. I'm going
to write that on your heart. And I'm going to be to you God. I'm going to be God and you're
going to be my people. And wherever God Almighty has
given that good ground, that good ground, there's the second
nature. We always talk about there's
two men in every believer. That old man right there, what
is he? He is that wayside, stony ground, thorny ground hero. That's him. That's me. Still
with me. And here's a new man. Created
in righteousness. That loves God. That sinneth
not. That wars against this old man.
Because he sees him and he resists him. He fights against him. I'll read this and I'm going
to close. 1 Corinthians chapter 9. Listen to the words of the
Apostle Paul. Paul the Apostle. 1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse
26. Paul says, I therefore so run,
not as uncertainly, so fight I. He's warring with himself. Warring against that old man.
So fight I, not as one that beateth the air. He said, I'm not shadow
boxing. I'm not just kind of going through
the motions, you know, looking good, you know, showing some
good moves. He said, I'm not shadow boxing.
He said, I keep under my body and I bring it into subjection.
He said, I'm in a real battle. With me. With myself. I bring it into subjection. I
war against it. Fight against it. Pray God keep
me. Lord help me. Lord I've got a
battle going on within me. And it's that old man. That wayside,
stony ground, thorny ground hero, that's me. Lord, the one that
will run after everything that opposes you, and I'd leave you
in a heartbeat if you let me. If you left me, I'd leave. I'm
going. He said, I keep unto my body, and bring it unto subjection,
lest that by any means, when I preach to others, I myself
should be a castaway. Let me tell you what a believer's
saying right now. I know that old man's there. I hear Him. I feel Him. And I'm fighting
against Him. I'm warring against Him. And
I'm warring and being kept on because God's keeping me. That's
the only reason I'm still here. It's not because I've done anything.
But where the Spirit of God has given a new heart, He gives a
fruit of God's Spirit back in Matthew. Matthew chapter 13. That last verse I looked at. Verse 23, He that hears the seed, good ground,
brings forth fruit, hundredfold, sixtyfold, thirtyfold. God is
pleased to manifest maybe in some more than others, but it's
the same fruit. Maybe there's a difference in
the quantity, but there's not a difference in the quality.
Here's the fruit of God's Spirit. Galatians 5.22, love. For God,
His Word, His people. Joy. Blessing and happiness that
arises from a sense of God's mercy. It's been communicated
to a sinner, and that's what I need is mercy. Peace. Being
reconciled to God by the blood. Long suffering. Bearing up. bearing long with others through
the loving chastisements of the Father. Gentleness, that is kindness
as opposed to a harsh spirit. Goodness, a desire to do good
toward others, especially the household of faith. Faith, that
is to trust in Christ alone for life, salvation, and meekness,
a humble spirit, and temperance, self-control. The Lord says whenever
the gospel is preached, it's going to fall on one of these
types of grounds. All men's got three of them.
A believer's got all four. I pray that God teach us. Lord,
help me. Lord, save me. Lord, teach me
and keep me according to your good pleasure for Christ's sake
and for my eternal good. Amen.