assembly at Crow, West Virginia.
The brethren, I'm sure, would love to be here with us. And
I also want to thank, just as Paul in Romans 16, you know,
was thankful to folks that helped him and everything, I'm thankful
to Christian and Emily for keeping us and feeding us. And Mike,
I appreciate you allowing me to stand here. Most of you don't know me, and
I do want to say this. This right here is the only authority
right here. I'm no authority. This is all
of our authority. And I want you to judge me by
this word. It was noble for the Bereans to do it with Paul, and
it's certainly noble for you all to do it with Paul Pendleton. What I want to talk today is
about fathered, fathered of God. And if you would, turn with me
to Luke 8, Luke 8. And you know, this, This passage
I'm going to read, this account is given in Mark 13 and Mark
4, but there's a parable that our Lord gives here, but I don't
want to go through the parable. I want to go through the explanation
of a parable by our Lord. Our Lord is now going to explain
the parable. This is no longer a parable in
the verses that I'm going to read. It's our Lord explaining
the parable to His disciples and what He meant by the parable.
In Mark our Lord said to the disciples when they asked about
the parable in Mark 4.13 it says, and He said unto them, know ye
not this parable? And how then will ye know all
parables? So that would seem to indicate
to me that it's important to get a hold of this parable. Of
course, we know this will only happen if He opens our understanding,
but it is important for us to know that this parable, it would
seem to me, God has revealed in this book what He wants us
to know in His Word. We have His revelation with us
in our Bibles. I'm not interpreting His Word
to give the revelation. I'm proclaiming it. It is already
revealed. The problem is we are blind by
nature. So let's read the passage in
verses 11-15. Now the parable is this, the
seed is the Word of God. 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. They 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. 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. So the first thing
our Lord's explanation he tells us is about the seed. The seed
being sown is the Word of God. We're talking about the truth
of God here. This does not change, not when
we're talking about what's explained here. This is always the truth
of God, the Word of God. What falls on these ground is
always the Word of God, the truth in other words. This sower and
the sower does not matter here. It never tells us who the sower
is, so the sower does not matter. But the sower is just throwing
seed out. He doesn't know what kind of
ground it's going to fall on. I'm not going to go through each
of these grounds in detail. I just want to say about all
the other grounds, though, that that which is called, I just
wanted to say about all the other grounds other than this one that's
called good, for all the other grounds, there was no fruit to
perfection. A cup will have a start at it,
but it does not last or produce any lasting fruit. Another thing
I want to mention is we are talking about people here. Our Lord says
several times, these are they. So we are talking about people.
He also speaks of the heart. So we are talking about people
and we are talking about their heart. Not the muscle that pumps
in here, but the seat of affection. And you may have a better way
to say that. You know, I understand that and you can let me know
later. let me know, but it's the seed of affection, it's not
this heart pump that we have in here, the blood pump. These
other grounds will not receive this seed or the Word. Or you
might say they do not have what is needed for it to bring forth
fruit unto God. For these three other grounds
this is not the engrafted Word. This last ground though, our
Lord Himself says this, And I just want to remind you that this
is our Lord Jesus Christ speaking here. These are not my words,
they are His. He says this last ground is a
honest and good heart person, individual. Where did that come
from? The Scripture tells us our heart
as we are born in Adam, it says in Jeremiah 17, 9, the heart
is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can
know it? So where did this heart come
from, this good and honest heart? I've heard several people talk
about this parable and several have made the analogy this last
ground is tilled ground. It has been made good by tilling
and they might even say God tilled the ground. But nowhere in this
explanation that our Lord gives, He doesn't say the ground was
tilled. This is just a sower going out sowing seed. There is no mention of tilling
it in the explanation that our Lord gave. So I want to be careful
on what I say about this passage. The sower does not know which
is good ground. until the fruit is seen possibly,
even then it could be one of these other grounds. And later
on it just, it falls away. Now just to mention a few words
here in this passage, the words honest and good. And you can
look them up sometime if you feel so led. But these word mean
this. The word honest means virtuous
or good. The word good here means good,
but not just any good. intrinsically good. It is the
same word our Lord uses when the rich young ruler spoke to
him and he replied, why callest thou me good? There is none good
but God. The same word used in none good
but one, that is God, is used in this very passage. So I want to know where does
that come from? Where does that heart come from? Ezekiel 11 and
verse 19, and you find it a couple of places in Ezekiel, but it
says this in Ezekiel 11, 19, "'And I will give them one heart,
and I will put a new spirit within you, and I will take the stony
heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh.'"
So the heart we have is a stony heart or that kind of heart that
will not be moved toward God at all, a hard heart. There are
some that God says He will take this heart out. It says He will
give us a heart of flesh. This does not mean a fleshly
heart or a carnal heart. This means a living heart. That's what the word means. A
heart that is not hardened against God as the stony heart is. What
is this? Having this kind of heart given
by God? Life. That is what we are seeing in
our passage in Luke. Someone who has been given life.
What does it say the Word does? It does not till the ground.
It does not change the ground. It merely falls on the ground. Now when it talks about the seed
falling on the ground, it means much more than just falling on
top of the ground. It takes deep root. That's what
the word indicates when you look at that word on. What does it
say? They keep it. It means to possess,
to seize on it. And they bring forth fruit with
patience. What is this fruit? It's believing the gospel. Believing
the record God gave of His Son. I like to give the analogy of
what is happening here as conception and birth. This is not exactly
the same as natural birth, conception and birth, but I think it's good
to use this analogy. But the ground being made honest
and good is being fathered of God, and then the seed falling
on that ground and fruit perfected coming forth. Birth by the gospel
through faith. Our Lord also explains this to
us, and if you would turn with me to John 3, John chapter 3. familiar to everybody I'm sure. John chapter 3 and I want to
look at only two verses. And that's going to be verses
3 and verses 5. And let me just read those two
verses. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God. Now then if you go to verse five,
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man
be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God. We read in these verses the word
born. In both verses, the word is exactly
the same word. We must look at these words and
how they are used in context. Our late pastor Earl Cochran
used to say, a text without context is just pretext. So let's first
look at verse three. And along with this word born,
we have the word again. This word again means from above. So in this context, it is saying
you must be born from above or that is fathered conception.
This being born allows you to see this and to see it and to
understand the gospel kingdom. Now verse five, the word born
has two parts that follow it, if you will, that is born of
water and the spirit. This is talking about being born
by the Gospel, that is being brought forth or that is being
birthed. Entering in, that is being born
now enables you to enter to the Kingdom of God. The Scripture
says in Ephesians 5 verses 25 and 26, "'Husbands, love your
wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for
it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of
water by the Word.'" So we first are fathered and then we are
brought forth by the Word. Do I have anything else that
will shed more light on these words? I do. There's a passage,
Matthew 1 and 2, and this is what it reads. It says, Abraham
begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob begat Judas
and his brethren. The word begat is the same word
used born in John 3 in both places in John. Did Abraham by miracle
somehow burn out Isaac from his loins? No, this is talking about conception.
I think it's kind of obvious here. But then we have in Matthew
1 verse 20 it says, But while he thought on these things, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying,
Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy
wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
The word used here for that which is conceived is the same word
used in John 3 in those two verses. I think this one is quite clear,
isn't it? Jesus Christ had not been born yet. He hasn't come
forth from Mary's womb. This did happen later for sure.
But this is life before birth. Here it is very clear. But let's
look further at another way it's used. Luke 1 verse 57 it says,
now Elizabeth's full time came that she should be delivered
and she brought forth a son. This word she brought forth is
the same word used in John 3. And here it means gave birth
to a baby boy. That baby boy happened to be
John the Baptist. This is that baby who was alive already which
was brought forth into the world from the mother. And one more
to make my point, 1 Corinthians 4 and verse 15, "'For though
ye have 10,000 instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many
fathers. For in Christ Jesus I have begotten
you through the gospel.'" The word here for have begotten is
the same word in John 3. And Paul is saying here that
through the gospel which he proclaimed to them, that some were saved
under his preaching. They came forth in believing
the gospel under his preaching. So we can see that this word,
however it's used in the context, it is either conception or birthing,
being brought forth. Our Lord here in John 3 is explaining
to Nicodemus how God operates on a sinner in favor. At one
point even saying to Nicodemus, "'Art thou a master of Israel,
and knoweth not these things?' He also tells Nicodemus, "'That
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that's all it will
ever be. That which is born of the Spirit
is spirit, Christ also tells them, you do not know where the
Spirit came from or where He is going. You may hear the sound of it,
and that is what I believe to be, possibly, and this is my
opinion, I could be wrong, but that is someone believing the
record God gave of His Son and confessing before men. Why is
this so important, though, to know this? That is, knowing we
are first fathered of God and brought forth or born of the
Gospel. First of all, it's in Scripture.
God has it in His Word. So it has to be important or
God would not have given it to us. But this is important because
it is the promise of Jesus Christ. He tells us this in the very
passage in John 3 in verses 13 through 15. and no man hath ascended up to
heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of
Man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life." God gives us life, that's conception. He then sends someone with the
gospel, and by His Spirit, He brings us forth believing. But
now quickly, I want to go through one more thing. How is it that
God in His Word tells us we are enabled to believe? It says that
without faith, it is impossible to please God. So we must have
faith. We know God gives faith. Ephesians
2 says, "'For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.'" So grace, salvation,
and faith are God's gift. Again in Galatians 5 and 22 and
23 it says this, and this is where faith comes from. But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance, against such there is no law. Not only
are we given faith as it is the fruit of the Spirit, but we also
have love. We love His truth because His
love is part of that fruit and joy and all these things. That
gift, that which is the fruit of the Spirit which enables me
to believe, faith specifically. Faith comes from God Himself. The Spirit is God, so faith comes
from the Spirit. God does not give us some special
ability so that we can work up faith enough to believe. No,
He gives us the very faith of Jesus Christ, it being the fruit
of the Spirit. Hebrews 12 and 2 says this, looking
unto Jesus the author and finisher of, and I always like to say
take that word our out, in this passage it doesn't belong, it
doesn't really hurt it because His faith is our faith if it's
given. But this is talking about Christ. Looking unto Jesus the
author and finisher of faith. for the joy that was set before
Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at
the right hand of the throne of God." It is that faith that
Jesus Christ had which He endured the cross. And now having been
risen to the right hand of Him on high, we are assured of eternal
life through Him. Believing in Him, it says in
John 3, So having this is a promise of our Lord. So it seems pretty
important to me because all things work together for good. But these are those passages
which kind of, I mean, there are some passages which kind
of stumped me from time to time, and I have a bunch of those.
But one verse stumped me for the longest time. Romans 1, verses
16 and 17, and we read, For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone
that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein
is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the just shall
live by faith. What does this mean? What does
it say? Turn with me now to Romans 10,
Romans 10. If you would, if you want to
follow along. In verse 17. So verse 17 says, so then faith
cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. For the longest time, I did not
like that they put the word cometh in there. I had a doctrine I
was trying to defend until God opened my eyes to that passage
and I found out that the word is just fine if it's there. If
it's left there, it doesn't mess it up at all. When someone is
sent to you, and we're talking about sent in this way, by God,
someone is sent to you with the gospel, they are preaching to
you the faith of Jesus Christ. We see this in verses six, six
through eight of Romans 10. But the righteousness which is
of faith speaketh on this wise, say not in thine heart who shall
ascend into heaven, that is, to bring Christ down from above,
or who shall descend into the deep, that is, to bring up Christ
again from the dead. But what saith it? The word is
nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is, the
word of faith which we preach. So a person who has been fathered
of God, then God sending the sower, sowing the seed, that
seed or that word that speaks of the faith of Jesus Christ,
those in hearing that gospel, faith is coming to them or to
you if you are one that has this kind of faith by His Spirit.
That is from faith to faith. It is from the faith of Jesus
Christ being proclaimed to the faith in them that hear it. The
Spirit of God testifies to us His truth of Jesus Christ faith. The Spirit of God speaks of Christ
and He seals that truth to our hearts. John 16 and 13 reads,
"'Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide
you into all truth, for He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever
He shall hear, that shall He speak, and He will show you things
to come.'" I know some want to teach that the gospel imparts
life to a dead alien sinner, but according to Scripture it
is not so. It does give life as bread gives
life to a man, just as natural food would give life to a natural
man. But this food that we get from
the gospel, we need this food to live. We don't get it to get,
we don't have this food to get life. The gospel is food for
our souls. A dead man not only will not
eat and drink, he cannot eat or drink. 1 Corinthians 2 verses
13-14 reads, "...which things also we speak, not in the words
which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth,
comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned." is not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ spiritual
things? The Word of God, the gospel proclaimed to us is food
for our souls. That one who has been given life
already, that is conceived, this Word coming by His Spirit, the
faith given, we eat and drink it up because it's what we live
by. The gospel brings life and immortality to light. It does
not bring life and immortality. It just brings it to light. Jesus
Christ is my life. He is not just a way of life. He is, in fact, life itself to
me. The gospel is always a savor
of life unto life or death unto death. It is never a savor of
life unto death or death unto life. What is it that I'm getting
at today? Jesus Christ gives us life. He gives us the ability to see,
or that is to understand. He then sends us the gospel,
giving that one who has been given the ability to believe,
He gives them what they are to believe. The faith in them testifying
the words of the gospel being true. That is the things which
Christ's faith has accomplished and we believe. Being brought
forth into His kingdom as sons, we enter the kingdom. We must
lay line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little or there
a little, or as the New Testament puts it, rightly divide the word
of truth. Salvation from start to finish
is of the Lord. It is He who had to accomplish
salvation. It is He that has to bring salvation
to me so that I know about what He has done. He does this by
first giving me life. He then sends me the gospel,
having given me faith. That faith of Jesus Christ being
proclaimed to me, He then brings me forth in believing because
of what He has done and nothing of what man has done. It is God
that gives the increase. It is He that keeps that life.
It is He that will one day glorify my body. Him bringing me to Himself. What is this? This is glory. When you look at Jesus Christ's
glory, and He is to get all the glory. There's nothing, you know,
nothing about us to be glorified. It's all Him, because He did
all the work. So I just ask you, have you been fathered of God?
There is one way you can know, the Word tells us so. Do you
believe that Jesus is the Christ? That is more than just believing
that He was called Jesus Christ or that He existed. Do you believe
it was Jesus of Nazareth who came down from above, being God
Almighty Himself, and Him alone paying the price, taking my place
and yours if you believe Him? ascending to the right hand of
the Father, making intercession for us. He is the forerunner. He is saying, I have more coming
behind me. His faithfulness, His obedience
is needed for salvation and it was done. Do you believe that
Jesus is coming to flesh? It is God Himself who has come
down man to man as a man. fully securing our salvation
by His work and His work alone. Scripture tells us that if you
do believe this, then you are born of God. That is conceived
and brought forth by the Gospel. Confess Him, rest in Him.