parables, saying, Behold, a sower
went forth to sow, a farmer. Got his seed in his container
and went out into the field to sow his seed. And when he sowed,
some of the seed fell by the wayside. on the path around the
field, on the unplowed ground. And the fowls came and swooped
down and picked up the seed and devoured them. And some fell
on stony places where they had not much earth, rocks, unplowed
ground, and forthwith they sprung up.
because they had no deepness of earth. And when the sun came
out, they were scorched. And because they had no root,
the plants withered away. And some fell among the thorns growing around the field. He
was scattering the seed, just throwing it out on the ground. And some of it fell over among
the bushes and thorns and sprung up and choked the seed. It bore
no fruit. It died. But some other fell
into good ground, ground that had been prepared and plowed
and broken up. And it fell there in the good
ground and brought forth fruit. Some a hundredfold, some sixty,
some thirty, but all of it that fell on the good ground brought
forth fruit. Now the master said, now who
hath ears to hear her, let him hear her. Not external ears, everybody
that was there in the crowd had external ears. And I'm sure everybody
in the crowd heard everything he said here. They gathered around
to hear him. But he's asking here, or saying
here, that everyone who has internal ears, that hath ears given to
him by God's grace, discerning ears, able by God's grace to hear with
the heart and hear with the understanding. He said, let these people let
them hear, let them make use of the gift of God, the gift
of hearing, and seriously attend to what I just said, and consider
these words. Our Lord uses that phrase about
one, two, three, four, five times in the word of God. Let's just
look at a few. Who hath ears to hear? Let him
hear. Matthew 11, I'll show you a few
places. Matthew 11, 15. He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear. If he has ears, if he has spiritual
ears, internal ears, by the grace of God. And then there in chapter
13, verse 9. Who hath ears to hear, let him
hear. And then in that same chapter
13, verse 43, Then shall the righteous shine forth
as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, who hath ears to
hear, let him hear. And then in Mark chapter 7, in
Mark chapter 7, verse 16, Mark 7, 16. If any man have ears to hear,
let him hear. All right, back to my text. So
when he said that, he gave this parable, and he said, now if
you have ears, intimating, our Lord is intimating here that
what he said would not be heard. by most of the people. Most of
the people will not hear. They will not hear and understand
and consider and attend to these things, but after you have ears,
hear it. So verse 10, And the disciples
came and said to him, Why do you speak to them in parables? Why do you speak to them in parable. What is a parable? You know,
we take for granted these things. Like I said this morning, a proverb
is a story taken from nature or experience, a short, simple
story that illustrates a heavenly truth. It has a heavenly meaning
for it. It's an obvious truth. is a short, simple story drawn
from nature and human circumstances that sets forth a lesson, a truth,
a spiritual lesson from the Word of God. And what's important
is not the story, but the lesson. What's important is not the parable
itself, but what the Lord is teaching in that parable. And
one writer suggested that two dangers in interpreting parables
in the scriptures. Two dangers in interpreting parables. Number one is focusing on the
story and not the message and not the truth that's taught.
People remember illustrations. A lot of times people hear me
preach a message, I heard that illustration before. But did
you remember the illustration or the truth that the illustration
taught. That's the danger with stories. That's the danger. It's even
Bible parables. It's people remembering the parable
itself and not the lesson that's taught, not the truth that's
taught. That's the danger. The second danger is this, and
preachers have to be very careful about this, and that is trying
to make Trying to make all the details mean something. Now that's
a great danger because you lose the spiritual truth when you
try to do it. You try to make every, make a
parable walk on four legs and you just can't do it because
it is an earthly story. It's an earthly story with a
heavenly meaning. The heavenly meaning is what's
important, not the story. And you can't make it every detail
mean something. Because it's just given to teach
one, usually one thing. And our Lord, now he answers
the disciples. They said to him, why do you
speak to them in parables? And verse 11, he answered. And
he said unto them, because it is given unto you by the grace
of God, it's given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven. But to them it's not given. I
speak to them in stories and parables because it's given to
you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. The mysteries
relating to the Divine Trinity, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The
mysteries relating to the Incarnation of the Son of God. The mysteries
relating to the prophecies and the promises in the Old Testament.
Let's go through the word just briefly and find that word mystery
and see what our Lord is referring to here. To you, by the grace
of God, it's given to you to enter into and to know and to
understand some mysteries regarding the purpose of God. First of
all, let's turn to Romans 16. And here in these passages We
have the word mystery, the mystery. To you it is given to know the
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Here's in Romans 16 verse 25. Now to him that is of power to
establish you, according to my gospel, and the preaching of
Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery. What
mystery is that? Jesus Christ, the gospel, the
preaching of Jesus Christ, and the revelation of the mystery
which has been kept secret since the world began. But now, it's
made manifest by the scriptures of the prophets, according to
the commandment of the everlasting God, and made known to all the
nations for the obedience of faith, the mystery of the gospel.
How God can be just and justify, how God saves men by the cross
of Christ, that's a mystery. And God's made it known to us.
1 Corinthians 15, listen to this. These are mysteries that the
world, the world, to them it has not been revealed. To you,
to you it's given by God to know these mysteries. Look at 1 Corinthians
15 verse 51. Behold, I show you a mystery.
Let's read verse 50. Now this I say, brethren, flesh
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth
corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery.
We shall not all sleep, but we'll be changed. My grandson Luke was here this
morning. We went home for lunch, and we
sat down. He said, I want to ask you a
couple of questions. I said, all right. He said, now a friend
of mine has a religion class, and the professor asked him last
week, my friend brought the question to me, and the professor asked
him when people die. I want you to find the answer
to two questions. Where do they go, and when? And how? Three questions. Where do they
go, and when? And what body? I said, that's
very easy for a believer who has life to answer one verse
of scripture. Our Lord said to the thief, to
die. That's weaning. Thou shalt be with me in paradise. Where's paradise? The presence
of God. In what body? Well, when Jesus Christ was taken
down from the cross, they put him in a tomb. But he went to
the Father. In what form? I don't know. And you don't either. But I do
know this. It's a building, a dwelling place,
not made with hands, eternal in heaven. So that's all right,
isn't it? That's where, that's when, and
that's how. And the professor of religion
ought not have any problem with that. But I'm afraid he's a professor
of religion. And that's when you have trouble,
when all you've got is religion. But that's a mystery, listen.
We shall not all see, but we'll be changed. Because corruption
can't inherit incorruption. We gotta be changed into his
likeness. That's a mystery. But you know,
I answered that so simply, because it is simple. if you've seen
it. It's like all questions are easy
if you know the answer. There's nothing to it. If God's
taught you the answer, there's nothing to it. Boy, if he hadn't taught you,
you're in the dark. Oh, here's another one. Ephesians
1. Mystery unto you is given to
know the mystery. It is given to know the mystery.
Ephesians 1 verse 9. This is talking about Christ.
He has made, having made known unto us the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself.
What is that will? Here it is, that in the dispensation
of the fullness of time he might gather together in one all things
in Christ, both which are in heaven already there, Moses and
Elijah and Isaiah and Abel. and which I honor, you believers,
even in him, in whom we've obtained and inherited. That's a mystery. But when the Lord Jesus Christ
enlightens us and illuminates us, it's so plain, the mystery
of God's will. Father, I will that those whom
you've given me be with me where I am. All right, Ephesians 3. Here's another, to you it's given
to know the mysteries. Ephesians 3, verse 3. Verse 2
said, Now you've heard of the dispensation, stewardship of
the grace of God which is given to me to you and for you? Hath
it by revelation Christ made known unto me the mystery? As I wrote before in a few words,
whereby when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the
mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the
sons of men, as it is now revealed." Now, it was made known, but not
like it is now. It is now revealed under his
holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit that the Gentiles
should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of the
same promise in Christ by the gospel. The mystery of the Gentiles
and the Jews both. God's broken down that middle
wall of petition, taken away the handwriting of ordinances
against us and made us one body in Christ. That's a mystery.
But it's revealed to us, oh, Ephesians 3, 9, mystery. And to make, Ephesians 3, 9,
and to make all men see what's the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been healed in Christ,
healed in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the
intent that now, under the principalities and powers in heavenly places,
might be known by the church of God, the manifold wisdom of
God. How blessed we are. How blessed
we are. Let me give you a couple more. Ephesians 5. Ephesians 5.25.
Here's another mystery that he's taught us. To you it's given
to know the mysteries of God, the kingdom of God. Husbands,
Ephesians 5.25. Love your wives. Even as Christ
loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify
and cleanse it with a washing of water by the word, that he
might present it to himself, a glorious church, not having
spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that it should be holy and without
blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies.
He that loveth his wife loveth himself. No man ever yet hated
his own flesh. But he protects it, and nourishes
it, and cherishes it, provides for it, even as the Lord his
church. We're members of his body, of his flesh, of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave
his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they
too shall be one flesh. This is a great history. But
I'm talking about Christ in the church. That's an analogy, that's
a picture. Christ and his church. Let me
show you another one, Colossians 1. These are mysteries, mysteries
that to you it's given to know. Colossians 1, 25, listen. Well, I am made a minister according
to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you to fulfill
or to fully preach the word of God. Even the mystery, even the
mystery, which has been hid from ages and from generations, was
now made manifest to his saints, to whom God would make known
what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles,
which is Christ in you, the hopeful glory. Religion is not in form and ritual
and ceremony and tradition. It's a living relationship and
unity with a person, Christ in you. That's the hope of glory,
mystery. Colossians 2, right across the
page, verse 2 and 3. That your hearts might be comforted
being knit together in love. and to all riches of the full
assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery
of God, and the Father of Christ, in whom are here all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge. If our gospel be here, it is
here to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world hath
blinded their minds, lest the glorious gospel of the grace
of God should shine unto But God, who caused the light to
shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give us a knowledge
and a sight of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus.
One more reading, 1 Timothy 3, about mysteries. 1 Timothy 3,
verse 9. 1 Timothy 3, verse 9. Verse 8 says, likewise must the
deacons be grave, deacons, elders, church leaders, not double tongued,
not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre, holding the
mystery of faith in a pure conscience. What a responsibility. On down
in verse 16, here it is, and without controversy, great is
the mystery of godliness. consisting of six things written
here. Listen. God was manifest in human
flesh. God Almighty was manifested in
the flesh. He was justified, vindicated
in the spirit. He was seen and ministered to
by the angels. He was preached to the Gentiles.
What a mystery. He's believed on in this world.
This crucified, you know one, the Apostle Paul says, I'm not
ashamed of the cross of Christ, of the gospel of Christ, though
he be crucified. Though he be crucified, I'm not
ashamed. Believed on, actually believed
on in this world. People actually believe that
that man on the cross redeems us from our sins by his death.
mystery. And he's received up into glory,
a man, a man in glorified flesh. It's one God and one mediator
between God and men, and that's a man, perfect man, the second
Adam, Christ Jesus, mystery of mysteries. And that's when the
disciples, go back to my text in Matthew 13, they said, why
don't you speak to them in parables? Because to you, because it's given to you to
know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Now do you have a
little better grip and grasp of the mysteries? And that's
just a few, all the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. They
have to be revealed. They don't come by education,
they come by revelation. But look at this, but to them
it's not given. Now here you have, you have sovereignty
and responsibility. Now sovereignty, let me show
you something, Matthew 11. Our Lord said in Matthew 11,
verse 25, now he'd been rebuking these cities in which most of
his mighty works were done, because they didn't Scripture said he
would do no mighty works because of their unbelief, and other
scripture says he could do no mighty works because of their
unbelief. And he began to rebuke them, saying, it's going to be
better for Sodom and Gomorrah in the judgment than for you
folks, in which I've done all these works. And then he paused
in verse 25 and lifted his eyes to heaven and said, I thank thee,
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, you've hid these things. from the wise and the prudent,
from the wise and the prudent, from the wearily wise, professing
themselves to be wise, and the prudent. And you revealed them
to babes, for even so, Father, it seemed good in thy sight.
Now, the natural man receiveth not the things of God, and I
know this is a sovereign matter, and God's pleased to reveal it
to whom he will. I'll be merciful to whom I will.
I'll be gracious to whom I will. But I tell you this, where it
is not given, there's a divine reason. Where it is not given, there's
a divine reason. It's not just arbitrary, it's
not just God saying, well, I'll reveal it to that one, well,
I won't reveal it to him, all things being equal. All things
aren't equal. There's a responsibility issue
here, and I can't explain it, but I just know it's so. I know
it's so. He says, to you it is given to
know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, to them it's not given.
Why not? They didn't want it. They would
not hear it. Let's read about it, these people
he's talking about. Turn with me first of all to
Luke chapter 7. Let's read about this now. I'm
saying that anybody in this town of Iceland that wants to know
the gospel can know it. That's right, if he wants to.
If he's really interested, if he's got any aspirations, desire,
or yearning to know God, I guarantee you he can know it. But that's
not what I'm finding. I don't find any aspirations
and inclinations and desire to know God. You'd find it where
you were. Anybody panning out to holiness, seeking God, wanting
to be saved, they're not knocking on my door. They're not calling
me on the phone. They'll call and ask silly questions,
but they won't ask me how God saved sinners. Look at Luke 7. Listen to this. Luke 7, verse
29. And all the people that heard
him, the publicans, they justified God. Being baptized with the
baptism of John, these people were hungry, they were thirsty,
they were lost, they wanted mercy, they came. And they said, what
God says is true, we justify God. But the Pharisees, and the
lawyers, and the religious Pharisees, they rejected the counsel of
God against themselves, and refused to be baptized. The first thing, the second thing
they refused to be baptized, they refused to submit, they
refused to listen. But the first thing they did,
rejected the counsel of God. That's what folks are doing,
they're rejecting the Word, they're not going to hear it. They're
not going to hear it. There's a lot of people that
won't even go hear a Baptist, or a Methodist, or a Presbyterian,
or somebody else, because they don't belong to that association,
or that organization. I'm not going to listen. Turn
with me to John 7. Listen to this. They wouldn't
hear it. Now listen to John 7. It's a matter of responsibility. Now this is what I'm touching
on here. John 7, verse 16. Listen to this. John 7, verse
16. Jesus answered them and said,
My doctrine is not mine. It's his that sent me. If any
man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether
it be of God, or whether I speak of myself, if any man," he didn't
say, if any man will to do his will, wants to know the will
of God. You know whether it be of God
or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeks
his own glory. But he that seeks his glory that
sent him, the same is true. And there's no unrighteousness
in him. They didn't want to know the
will of God. And here's another scripture.
Turn with me to Acts 13. Listen to Paul here. While you
turn to Acts chapter 13, I'm going to read you a statement
over here in Romans 1. Turn to Acts 13. Romans 1 says,
it says in Romans 1 verse 19, Because that which may be known
of God is manifest to them, God has showed it to them. For the
invisible things from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead, so they are without excuse. But when they knew God, they
glorified him not as God. And the next Sabbath day came
almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But
when the Jews saw the multitude, they were filled with envy. And
they spoke against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting
and blaspheming. Paul and Barnabas waxed bold
and said it was necessary that the word of God should first
have been spoken to you. But seeing you put it from you,
what did they do? Put the word away. They don't
want to hear this. They judge themselves unworthy of everlasting
life. I turned to the Gentiles. For
so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be
a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation
to the ends of the earth." And when the Gentiles heard this,
they were glad. They were glad. They glorified
God. And as many as were ordained
to lie, believed. But you've got two things there
now. You've got sovereignty, they were ordained to lie. But
you've got responsibility. You've got some people who want
to hear the Word. You have these religious fathers that didn't
want any part of it. Well, they're not going to get
any part of it. To them it's not given. But here are some
people who want to hear. They want to be taught. Teach
me. The Ethiopian eunuch said to
Philip, who's he talking about? Cornelius said to Peter, now
here we all sit. We're waiting to hear what God
has for us through you. Teach us. But you don't find
that. And here it is, John chapter,
you've got to read this with me, John 6. Listen to this. John
chapter 6. John chapter 5. John 5 verse 39. Our Lord's speaking to these
religious fellows. And he says in verse 39 of John
5, you search the scriptures. And they did, they were busy
searching the scriptures, reading the Bibles, Old Testament. For in the scriptures you think
you have eternal life. You think you have life in these
circumcisions, ceremonies, and sacrifices, and traditions, and
these things. You think you have life in these
things, good. But there they was testifying of me. Now listen,
read the next line. And you won't come to me. If you would, you'd hear the
word. You'd be saved. You won't come
to me that you might have life. Listen, where it is not given,
there's a divine reason. You write it down. There's a
divine reason. There's divine mercy where it
is given, but there's a divine reason where it's withheld. And
those who want here, want here. That's exactly right. Those who
will not hear, will not hear. You will not come to me. Look
at the rest of this. This is our Lord talking. I receive
not honor from men. I know you. You don't have the
love of God in you. I come in my Father's name and
you won't receive me. But you let another come in his
own name, a man broadcasting his own purpose, his own program,
his own popularity, his own foolishness. And Him they receive, they just
clamor after Him. How can you believe? Which receive
honor in one or another. You don't seek the honor that
comes from God. You don't seek the mercy that comes from God,
the grace that comes from God, the honor that comes from God
alone. It's not from men. It's not from
our accomplishments and deeds and religion and sacrifices and
commitments and all these things. It's the honor that comes from
God alone. He honors us to be his sons, to be crowned with
his love and grace. Don't think now that I'm going
to accuse you to the Father. I don't have to. There's one that will accuse
you. The Word. Moses. What's he talking about
Moses? He's talking about what Moses
wrote. Don't you think? I won't accuse
you. I didn't come to condemn. I came to save. It's like somebody
was talking last week. I brought out a point that Christ
has the keys of hell and death. He has the keys. He said, I'm
Alpha and Omega, beginning and end. I have the keys of hell
and death, hell and the grave, the grave and death. I have the
keys. But those keys aren't to lock people up. It's to let them
out. He's come to set us free. I didn't
come to lock them up. I came to set the captive free. I got the keys. But your pastor
don't have those keys. And your denomination doesn't
have those keys. I can tell the world this. And
your priest doesn't have those keys. My Lord has those keys. And if the Son sets you free,
you're free. Indeed. But they don't want to
be set free. They're happy in this comfortable
refuge of lies. They're happy in this comfortable
old profession that's stayed old. This old experience that's
stayed old. The only thing they've got to
tell is what happened 45 years ago. If you have to go back one
day to prove you're saved, you've missed Christ. If you have to go back to an
experience, or something that happened down under somewhere,
You've missed him because his mercies are new every morning. Christ lives. I didn't say Christ
is alive. I said he lives. And he liveth
in us. I tell you, it's deadly and dangerous. They don't want to hear. They
don't want to hear. And I, he said, I'm not going
to accuse you. I'll tell you what's going to accuse you. This
book, this book. This mighty, glorious, wonderful,
soul-saving truth of God is written and spoken by our Lord. Where divine sovereignty operates,
human responsibility is there too. And where grace is not given,
there is a divine reason. Barnard said one time fifty years
ago, The Lord's going to save all whom he can wisely save. All whom he can save and get
all the glory. Every smidgen of it. Every smidgen
of it. He said, I'll not share my glory
with anybody. Now those things aren't being
said, but they're so. They're so. Forgetting those
things which are behind, I press forward toward the mark of the
prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus. Let's look at a
few more things here. Verse 12, verse 11, you remember
what we said? He answered and said, Because
it's given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.
Don't brag, except in him. But to them it's not given. For
whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more
abundance. What's that saying? Let me tell
you. Whosoever has the true grace of God, the true mercy of God
in his heart, a true love for Christ and understanding the
gospel in his heart, a true saving knowledge of Christ Jesus and
a love for Christ, and a true knowledge of the gospel of his
glory has lifted us from the pit, from the dunghill, and set
us among princes. That man, that woman is going
to grow in that grace. He that hath, to him shall be
given more grace, more love, more mercy, more knowledge, more
abundance, more wisdom, more peace, more joy. That's right,
as the years go by, oh and he's going to have an abundance. His
latter days are going to be days of such joy. Isn't that right
Cecil? You know what I'm talking about. I'm going to call him by name
so he won't get mad at me. You mind. I won't identify anybody
my age anymore. All right. But I tell you, when
you know him, you grow in grace and the knowledge of him and
his word. You grow in all his graces. They all grow. Faith,
love, meekness, humility. even that he hath." And you know
Luke expresses that a little differently. Look at Luke 8,
same story, the parable of the sower, but Luke states it in
an interesting way. I'm going to let you look at
it a minute, see what you draw from it. In Luke 8, verse 18. What we've been talking about
all evening, take heed how you hear it. For whosoever hath,
to him shall be given. Whosoever hath not, from him
shall be taken away even that which he seemeth to have. He never had nothing, he just
seemed to. He couldn't have had it or it
wouldn't have been taken away. If it's Christ, it can't be removed. If it's life, it won't be turned
off. even the smallest light, even a little light, because
everything that's not of grace is a show. It's a vain show. It's not of God. So what this
fellow is going to have taken away from him is not what he
has, but what he seems to have. A false religion will one day be a very unhappy experience.
a false profession. It can't be anything but ashes,
because there's no fire. It's got to someday taste bad
and bring you into a bad experience. He that hath, more be given,
abundance, sweeter as the years go by. But he that just seemeth
to have, professing to have, going to be taken away from him
what he trust in. It won't last. All right, look
at this and I'll close. Therefore, speak out of them
in parables, because they seeing see not. These people saw the
Lord Jesus bodily. He walked this earth, but they
didn't know who he was. They didn't know why he came.
They didn't know what he was doing. They saw the miracles. In John chapter 2, they followed
him because of the miracles, but they didn't know what the
miracles represented. They saw the Old Testament scriptures,
they read the Old Testament scriptures, but they didn't believe what
they taught. Paul said in Acts 13 that those
things were read every Sabbath day in the synagogue, and when
they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they fulfilled
it by what they did. They took him down from the tree
and laid him in a sack. They saw, but they didn't see.
And he said they hear, but they don't hear. They hear externally,
but they don't hear with the understanding, and they don't
hear the message. And in them is fulfilled the
prophecy of Isaiah, which said, By hearing you shall hear and
not understand. It's got to be an appetite, it's
got to be a thirst. Blessed are they that hunger
and thirst after righteousness, they'll be filled. It's got to
be an interest. And seeing you shall see and
not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed
gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they
have closed. That's what I'm saying. Their
eyes are closed on purpose. And that purpose starts in their
hearts. They close, they will not. Their eyes have they closed,
lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear
with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should
be converted, and should be healed. What would be wrong? I came to
this crossroads one time. I've been in religion for years
and years and years. Well, not that many. A long time. I was raised in a church. I was
24 years old. But I sat in that service and
listened to that man preach the Word. And for the first time,
I saw the glory of God in the person of Christ. And you know,
I didn't get mad at the man and write him off and say, that's
not what I've always believed, that's not what I've always heard,
that's not what my mother and father believed, that's not what
I've been taught. No, sir. I said, that's the Word of God. That's the Word of God. And God
will bless that. But if you sit there and say,
now that's Baptist doctrine, or that's some other doctrine,
that's Calvinism, or that's something else. Don't give it a name now,
that's scripture. It's the grace of God in Christ
Jesus. That man wants to hear you here. But the big problem is they close
their eyes and put their hands over their ears. I will not hear. we're not here. And they won't. Our Father, the hearing ear and
the seeing eye is of the Lord. I pray you give every one of
us a seeing eye and a hearing ear and a hungry heart. Create in us strong desire to
know thee. Help every one of us to say with
Paul, Oh, that I may win Christ and be found in him. If I have
to go to the muddy Jordan, if I have to sit at the feet of
the unlearned, if I have to lay aside all of my pedigree, ancestry,
professions, deeds, and come naked and empty. I'm willing.
But I want to win Christ.