Hearing the Parable of the Sower
Matthew 13:18-23
September 25, 2011

Studying through Matthew’s gospel we are now in the section
In which Jesus reveals the truths about the Kingdom of heaven.

His kingdom is a very present spiritual reality.
The physical kingdom will arrive when He returns,
But His spiritual kingdom is presently here.

Matthew 13 shows the realities of that kingdom.
In this chapter we find 8 parables concerning the kingdom of heaven.
As I told you last week, this is not a chapter meant
To explain to the lost how to be saved.
(That was the purpose of 5-7)

This is a chapter meant to explain the realities of the kingdom
To those who are entering it.

In fact, last week we learned that Jesus
Wasn’t even making the truths of the kingdom clear to everyone.

He only spoke a parable to them.
He gave them a farming illustration about a sower sowing seed.

After it was over He said (9) “He who has ears, let him hear.”

And of course none did.

The disciples were perplexed by this.
(10) “And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

They wanted to know why Jesus didn’t just tell them straight.
Why did He give them a farming illustration?

(11-13) “Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”

Jesus reveals that the reason He is speaking in a parable
Is because He is proving the blindness and the deafness of Israel.

He was revealing that though they thought they saw clearly,
They were really blind.
Now the disciples did understand.
They knew Jesus was talking about more than farming.

And Jesus said to them:
(16-17) “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. “For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

The disciples were blessed because God had made them able
To hear the Word of God.
God had made them able to understand.

Jesus would explain this parable, because they were willing to see Him
They responded correctly to their first piece of truth,
Now they get the second.

So in our text this morning, Jesus will explain the parable to them.

BUT THE DISCIPLES GET THE MEANING
(18) “Hear then the parable of the sower.”

And this is an important distinction.
I’ve often referred to this as “the parable of the soils”

But that isn’t what Jesus calls it.
He calls it “the parable of the sower”

So this parable isn’t about the soil, it is about the sower.
This parable is given to those who sow seed, not those who receive it.
And that is obvious, since those who would be receiving the seed,
Obviously aren’t listening to it.

This is a parable for any and all who spread the truth of the gospel.

Luke’s gospel gives us some more important insight.
Luke 8:11 “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.”

With just one statement of clarity,
This parable us unlocked and makes sense to us.

The farmer isn’t actually a farmer, he is a preacher of the gospel,
And the seed isn’t really seed, it is the word of God.
The soil isn’t really soil, it is those on whom the word of God falls.

And so we are talking to those who preach the gospel.
This is a parable for them.

There must be a preacher, and he must preach the word of God.
Romans 10:14-17 “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!” However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

And Jesus is here talking to those people.
Any who would dare to spread the truth to the lost world around them.

And this parable is meant to explain to them
Why everyone they preach to doesn’t enter.
It is meant to explain why some who seem to enter fall away.

You see, preaching the gospel can be a discouraging job.
• Sometimes people don’t even seem to listen to you.
• Other times people listen but won’t respond.
• Other times people respond, but don’t last.

And that can leave a preacher of the gospel extremely discouraged.

Jesus gives this parable so that preacher will not be discouraged.

You see the overwhelming point of this parable is this:
• It is not the fault of the sower.
• It is not the fault of the seed.
• It is the fault of the soil.

If you preach the gospel (throw true seed)
And the soil doesn’t take it, or doesn’t keep it,
Don’t blame yourself and don’t let others blame you either.

It is not the sowers fault, he did what he was called to do.
It is the fault of the soil.

And the disciples needed to hear that.
Before they went out in ministry, they needed to understand
That they are not to blame if not everyone wants to enter the kingdom.

And so Jesus presents a parable to explain that reality.

That being said, that doesn’t mean we don’t also learn
To examine our hearts while we study this parable.

Jesus here reveals four types of hearts that exist.
And while the main point is to help those who preach the gospel not get discouraged, we must also let God reveal our hearts as well.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? “I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.”

And so while we learn the truths about those we preach to,
We also learn to let God reveal our own hearts to us.

#1 THE HARD HEARTED
Matthew 13:19

If you go out and preach the gospel to four people this week,
Odds are good that at least one of them will be a hard hearted person.

WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?

Well notice the first thing about them.
“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it”

We are not talking about those who have never heard.
We are talking about those who heard, but didn’t care.

They didn’t “understand it”

Just like those we saw last week.
The light revealed their blindness.

You may speak the truth to them, and they won’t hear a word you say.

And that is a shame, because the opportunity doesn’t remain forever.
“the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.”

Earlier in verse 4 He said, “and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.”

Now we understand what happened to that seed.

What happens if you throw a seed on the path? Nothing.
The ground is not soft, it is packed hard, and the seed just sits on top of the gound.

And then something happens.
The birds will take it away.

It is not the fault of the seed, nor is it the fault of the farmer.
It is the fault of the soil. It is too hard.

I suppose you could blame the birds (the devil), but if the soil had protected the seed, the birds would have never been able to get to it.
This is the heart that is too hard to receive the word of God.
They will not apply it to their own lives…
They will not let it look at their hearts…
They keep the truth of the word of God away from their heart.

Luke’s gospel says:
Luke 8:12 “Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.”

We have seen this type of person in Scripture.

Exodus 7:13 “Yet Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.”
Pharaoh refused to allow his heart to be affected by the word of God.

Jeremiah preached to a people like this.
Jeremiah 15:6-7 “You who have forsaken Me,” declares the LORD, “You keep going backward. So I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am tired of relenting! “I will winnow them with a winnowing fork At the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy My people; They did not repent of their ways.”

Certainly Jesus preached to people like this:
Matthew 11:16-19 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘ He has a demon!’ “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

There are people in the world, who are hard-hearted people.
They don’t see, they don’t hear, they don’t understand

Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t succeed in converting them.
• Don’t change your message
• Don’t change the means
Just understand that their heart is too hard to respond to the gospel.

I know that seems foreign.
• Today it would be “Do whatever it takes to reach them”
• Change the means (instead of preaching use music, or drama)
• Change the message (hell is too direct, speak on something else)

And people do that today trying desperately
To get crops to grow on hard soil.

BUT YOU CAN’T GET CROPS TO GROW ON HARD SOIL
You may get them in church…
You may get them to pray a prayer…
But you will never get them to produce fruit.

Hardened soil can’t.
And Jesus here is telling the disciples that right off the bat.
When you preach the gospel,
Just know that there are some who will hear but never respond.

And so some hearts are hard.
#2 THE SHALLOW HEARTED
Matthew 13:20-21

Here Jesus explains the rocky soiled heart.
It is another type of person you are bound to come across.

And we notice again that “this is the man who hears the word”
The farmer has sown the seed.

But these are different from the hard-hearted.
“hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;”

These get all excited about what they have heard.
They might run down the aisle, they might talk about it with their friends,
And just put on a huge emotional display.

These people jump on what you said.

But again, we see there is a problem.
(21) “yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.”

The first guy didn’t understand the message.
This guy didn’t understand the cost involved.

• He thought Christianity was all ease and no cost.
• He thought he could be saved and never suffer.
• He thought he could keep this life and the next one.

But since he was never ready for the hardship, he did not last.

And since he did not last he proved that he was not real.
1 John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.”

You see true faith perseveres,
If there is no perseverance then there is no true salvation.

Now let me clarify.
I got accused after Ken Gilcrease’s funeral, because I said he persevered to the end, that I must believe a person can lose their salvation.

NO YOU CANNOT.
And if you would give me another couple of hours I could get exhaustive with you as to why you cannot lose your salvation.

Salvation is secure
• Based upon the full atonement of Christ to pay for all sin.
• Based upon the resurrection of Christ to prove justification.
• Based upon the ascension of Christ to sit and intercede for us.
• Based upon the strength of Christ to let no one snatch us out of His hand.

What we are talking about here
Is not a person who got saved and then lost their salvation.
We are talking about a person who never got saved.

Yes, they walked the aisle.
Yes, they prayed the prayer.
Yes, they got baptized.
BUT THEY DID NOT GET SAVED.

And we know that because they did not persevere until the end.
Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

We see these in the Bible all the time.
Hosea 6:1-6 “Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. “He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him. “So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.” What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning cloud And like the dew which goes away early. Therefore I have hewn them in pieces by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And the judgments on you are like the light that goes forth. For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

It is a dangerous thing for people not to count the cost of salvation
Today preachers do a real disservice to the gospel
By never calling people to count the cost.

We promise the good, and omit the bad.

I’ve probably told you about the chorus I hate
“Come just as you are, hear the Spirit call. Come and see, come receive, come and live forever. Life everlasting, and strength for today. Taste the living waters, that never flow away. Come just as you are, hear the Spirit call. Come and see Christ the King, come and live forevermore.”

Sounds great doesn’t it. It’s only half true.

Jesus always told you to count the cost.
Jesus told you to “Come to Me” but He did require you to take His yoke.
Luke 14:25-27 “Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Or how about the guy we saw earlier in Matthew’s gospel?
Matthew 8:19-20 “Then a scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

Jesus wouldn’t let people come without counting the cost.
WHY?

Because He was guarding against the Rocky Soil conversion.
And yet, even Jesus had some.

• How about Judas?
• How about the crowd in John 6 who wanted to make Him King?
John 6:65-66 “And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.”

• How about the crowd in John 8 who it says believed in Him, but by the end of the chapter they are trying to stone Him.

Even Jesus had followers who followed one day and abandoned the next.
AND SO WILL YOU.

But rest assured it is not your fault.
Today many have been blamed for not discipling well enough.

I’ve heard people say, “We are winning a lot of people to Jesus, but we aren’t doing a good enough job disciplining them, and they are leaving the church.”

That is not a discipleship problem.
That is a rocky soil problem.

Those people never were really saved, that is why they left.
You can’t do anything for a sheep that refuses to eat.

And so Jesus lets it be known that some won’t stay.

The Hard Hearted; The Shallow Hearted
#3 THE HALF HEARTED
Matthew 13:22

Now again, we see that “this is the man who hears the word”

The sower did his job, but there is another problem.
This heart already has a crop growing.

“and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

They cannot devote themselves fully to the gospel message,
Because they are not willing to deny themselves.

We have seen these throughout the Bible.
1 Kings 11:4 “For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.”

2 Chronicles 25:1-2 “Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart.”
Amaziah turned away from God to worship the gods of the Edomites.

But perhaps the most vivid illustration is found in the New Testament.
Matthew 19:16-22 “And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.”

You cannot love the world and God.

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

If you are not willing to forsake all for Jesus,
Then your heart is full of weeds, and the gospel cannot grow.

• The first guy didn’t understand the message.
• The second guy didn’t understand the cost.
• This guy doesn’t understand the value.

He actually traded the glory of heaven for the gold of earth.

And listen to me, if that person doesn’t respond to your gospel,
It is not your fault.

Yet many churches have shouldered the blame.
Some have even tried to create a Christianity that allows him to keep all his heart idols.
Listen, you just can’t grow crops in the midst of weeds.
They choke out the plant and you don’t get fruit.
(Which is why we preach repentance first)

But if they won’t leave their sin.
• It is not the preacher’s fault.
• It is not the gospel’s fault.
• It is their own fault, they love the world too much.

Even Jesus knew the Rich Young Ruler couldn’t be saved.
In fact he went on to say:
Matthew 19:23-24 “And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Was Jesus to blame for the Rich Young Ruler?
No, his weedy heart was.

It is not the sower’s fault, it is the fault of the soil.

The Hard Hearted; The Shallow Hearted; The Half Hearted
#4 THE WHOLE HEARTED
Matthew 13:23

Now we see the one we have been looking for.
“this is the man who hears the word and understands it”

He understands the gospel.
He understands the cost.
He understands the value.

And he is the real deal disciple.
HOW DO WE KNOW?

“who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

They love Jesus with all their heart, no matter the cost.

This was David’s heart.
Psalms 86:11 “Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.”

Luke 19:5-10 “When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
You see the heart that gave all to Jesus.

We even have a name for those types of people.
We call them Christians.

A TRUE CHRISTIAN
Hears the Word
Counts the cost
Accepts the Word
Obeys the Word

Everyone else is an imposter, regardless of if they claim the name.

And just as you can’t take the blame for those who didn’t respond,
You can’t take the credit for this guy.

The farmer didn’t produce the fruit, and neither did the soil.
WHAT PRODUCED THE FRUIT?

The seed.

It is the seed that produced the fruit.
But it took someone to plant it, and someone to accept it.

And here Jesus is revealing to the disciples what they will face
As they go out and sow the seed of the gospel.

• Some people won’t hear it at all.
• Some people will accept it quickly, but won’t last.
• Some will think it is too costly, and won’t leave their sin.
• But occasionally one will get it and become a true, fruit-bearing, kingdom citizen.

Just know that before you ever go out with your bag of seed,
So that you will not get discouraged
When the results aren’t as flattering as you would like.

Just remember, our goal is not to get people to pray a prayer.
Our goal is not to get people to come to church.
Our goal is to get people to produce fruit.

Anything less is a failure to indicate that the seed has taken root.

Now this parable is meant to encourage the disciples,
But we would be foolish to miss the other application.

And that is that we each have one of those 4 types of hearts.

Hard, Shallow, Half, or Whole.
And really determining which heart you have is not all that important.
What is important is determining
Whether or not you are producing fruit.

Because if you aren’t producing fruit
Then you don’t have the right kind of heart,
And you have missed the point of the soil.

If that is you this morning, let me encourage you to
Count the cost, Forsake your sin, and Surrender your life to Jesus Christ.

And then go and produce fruit.

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

066 The Purpose of Parables
Matthew 13:1-17
September 18, 2011

We have been on quite a ride thus far in the book of Matthew.

We’ve seen Jesus REVEALED, and Jesus REJECTED.

Matthew Revealed who Jesus was.
(Lineage, Baptism, Miracles, etc.)

Men Rejected Him.
Some rejected with INDIFFERENCE; some rejected with OPPOSITION.

John 1:11 “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.”

The Jews rejected Christ, and His kingdom,
So the kingdom was taken from them.

This takes us into a new section in the book of Matthew.
Jesus is going to reveal the REALITY OF HIS KINGDOM.
The Kingdom is here,
And it is advancing, it is growing,

Some ask: “How can you say Jesus’ kingdom is here, when He isn’t?

The kingdom is here for those who choose to enter it,
And for those who choose to follow the King.
For them, Jesus is King, and He is ruling.

For those who choose not to follow the King,
They are not members of His kingdom,
And when He returns, He will break them with a rod of iron.

ILLUSTRATION
• David was the rightful King of Israel.
• During his reign, Absalom tried to take his throne.
• David left Jerusalem – but he was still King.
• Some continued to follow David, they remained in his kingdom.

However some chose Absalom, rejecting David’s kingdom
They were punished when David returned.

And now, Christ has left earth, but He is still the King.
(And some follow Him)

The world is being run by the usurper Satan, the god of this world
(And many follow Him)

When the rightful King returns, they will be punished.
Philippians 2:9-11 “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

This is what Psalm 2 is all about.
Psalms 2 “Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!” He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'” Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”

You can try to follow another king, thinking Jesus is gone.
That only makes God laugh.
For God knows who the real King is, and that King will return.

THE KINGDOM IS HERE FOR THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO ENTER IT.

We are in the Church Age.
The Church is the physical picture of Christ’s kingdom on earth.
They are the ones who have rejected this world, in order to follow Christ.

It is that spiritual kingdom Christ deals with in Matthew 13.

In this chapter we will see 8 parables concerning the kingdom.
• Parable of the Soils
• Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
• Parable of the Mustard Seed
• Parable of the Leaven
• Parable of the Hidden Treasure
• Parable of the Pearl of Great Value
• Parable of the Dragnet
• Parable of the Head of the Household

Now many have assumed that Jesus is here giving parables
To better explain the kingdom to those who need to enter it.

That is to say that many see this chapter as evangelistic
As Jesus explains to the lost how to enter the kingdom.
THAT IS NOT TRUE

The Sermon on the Mount is where Jesus explained to the lost how to enter the kingdom.

This chapter is for those who are entering, or have already entered.

This is seen clearest in the last parable.
Matthew 13:51-52 “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes.” And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

Obviously then, the point of the chapter was for the disciples.
This chapter is for those in the kingdom.

This then is a chapter for the church.
• It is meant to explain to us why some enter and why some don’t.
• It is meant to explain to us how the kingdom grows and where it is headed.
• It is meant to explain to us the value and cost of being in Christ’s kingdom.
• It is meant to explain to us the responsibility of being in the kingdom.

But it is not necessarily for the lost.
Nowhere is that more clearly seen, than here in the first 17 verses.

3 Things this morning.
#1 THE POPULARITY
Matthew 13:1-2

“That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.”

So Jesus finished speaking to the crowds about morality and true righteousness and He has left to get some rest from the crowds.

But as you know, there was never any rest to be had for Jesus.
(2) “And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.”

It is obvious that the crowds were attracted to Jesus.
And they flock to Him here.

This crowd is an amazing group of people.
They are the same people who have been INDIFFERENT to Him.
They had seen so much.
And still failed to accept Him as the Messiah

He told these people they were worse than Sodom, Tyre, and Sidon.
Because they would have repented at such truths.

It is obvious they are only there for the miracles and excitement.
(That will be obvious in a moment)

This is partly why Jesus had to get in a boat.
This kept people from constantly touching Him and crowding Him
Looking for power out of His garments and things like that.
These people are very much like the crowds that listened to Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 33:30-33 “But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, ‘Come now and hear what the message is which comes forth from the LORD.’ “They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain. “Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them. “So when it comes to pass — as surely it will — then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst.”

That verse perfectly describes the crowd around Jesus.
He was like a sensual song to them.
But they had no intention of obeying, or submitting to His leadership.

They went to Him for entertainment, not for revival.
They could care less about the truth,
They only wanted to be catered to.

We certainly understand that today.

In seminary we were told all about this group of people called “Seekers”
And we have to be willing to find what they want and give it to them
In order to draw a crowd.

But seekers are nothing new.
Jesus is dealing with those people here.

But they don’t want truth as much as people think
AND JESUS IS ABOUT TO PROVE IT

#2 THE PARABLE
Matthew 13:3-9

“And He spoke many things to them in parables”

Jesus here delivers to them a parable,
Which is sort of like an illustration to help them apply the truth.

(Verses 3b-8)
He gives these people a parable, of course, He never explained it,
So to these people, this parable would have been nothing more than a riddle.

Hard Soil – Birds ate the unprotected seed.
Rocky Soil – large bedrock underneath, no root, withers and dies.
Thorns – Thorns steal, water, sun, and space – plant is unproductive.
Good Soil – allows the seed to grow, bears fruit.

Every one there certainly understood the farming illustration.
The only problem with the story,
Is all the people got out of it was a lesson on farming.

They didn’t understand the spiritual truth that Jesus intended.

So He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Jesus actually says, “That sermon wasn’t for everyone, but is only for those who can hear. And if you can hear what I am saying, then pay attention.”

Not everyone can hear God’s word.
WHO CAN?

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.”

These people could not hear because they would not hear.
And so Jesus will not give them anymore.

The Popularity, The Parable
#3 THE PURPOSE
Matthew 13:10-17

Here the disciples are very honest.
They just saw a massive crowd flock to Jesus. (This is what we want right)

And it appears to them that Jesus has laid an egg.
No miracles – No Signs – Not even that deep penetrating preaching
Jesus gave a farming report and then dismissed the crowd.

Think about it.
There are some in here that if you went to another church and all the preacher did was talk about the farming, you’d come back to me and tell me how terrible it was.

It looks like Jesus totally missed his opportunity.
And so the disciples confront Him.

Verse 10 “And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

Why didn’t you just tell them straight?
Why did you just give them a riddle, and leave it at that?
Why did you speak to them in a parable?

So Jesus answers their question.
And His answer has two parts.
The reason Jesus spoke to the people in parables
Is TO CONCEAL, and TO REVEAL.

1) TO CONCEAL (11-13)

The first reason Jesus speaks in to them in parables is to conceal.

He is purposely keeping from telling them the truth out right.

He says in verse 11, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.”

Quite simply He speaks to them in parables,
Because it has not been granted to them to know the mysteries of heaven.
I didn’t tell them because they aren’t allowed to know.

I know that sounds harsh.
Why would God keep the truth a mystery for some people?
Why would God keep that truth a secret?

Well, Jesus answers that question in verse 12.
Verse 12, “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

What in the world is Jesus talking about here?
I’ve told you the illustration before.
“Eat what you have, and then I’ll give you more.”

That is very similar to Jesus answer.

You see, the people had truth right before their eyes; – JESUS.
They had a plate full of truth.
But until they ate the truth they had, they weren’t getting any more.

“Whoever has,” or “Whoever has accepted this first part of truth”
“To him more shall be given,” or he can have seconds.

“But whoever does not have,” or “Hasn’t accepted this first truth”
“Even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

Jesus didn’t grant them to receive more truth,
Because they hadn’t done anything with the truth they had.

Truth just sat before them.
Their failure to take it,
Meant no more truth, and eventually that truth taken away.
Don’t assume that attendance always equals hunger for truth.
While the crowd looked good the disciples, Jesus knows that attendance and hunger aren’t necessarily the same thing.

• Some people only come because they want to be entertained.
• Some people only come because they want to be catered to.
• Some people only come out of habit.
• Some people only come seeking for a sign.

And Jesus knew that. In fact, He always knows it.
John 2:23-25 “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”

Later in John 6 He fed the five thousand and had great initial results.
John 6:15 “So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.”

But Jesus knew better, and He was right, for look at the next day.
John 6:60-66 “Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.”

SO IT WAS WITH THIS CROWD
They looked like a crowd hungry for the truth, Jesus knew otherwise,
And so no new truth for them.

AND SO THE ANSWER
Verse 13, “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”

He simply says, I speak in parables, because they are seeing truth,
And not paying attention to it.
They are hearing truth, and not listening to it.

I am not giving them more truth,
Until they deal with the truth they’ve got.
He purposely was concealing truth from them.

He doesn’t want to starve them,
He wants them to eat at their heart’s content.
But He wants them to eat what they’ve got first.

Isaiah 55:1 “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost.”

But for those who have refused to see Him, they get no more truth
And this truth is concealed from them.

2) TO REVEAL (14-17)

Jesus quotes Isaiah, “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled.”

Isaiah 6:9-10 “He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’ “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”

God told Isaiah to “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed.”

Now that sounds almost like God wants the people condemned.
Is that what He wants? No, of course not.
God is not willing that any perish. So why does He tell Isaiah to do this?

He wants Isaiah to render them without excuse.
Reveal that they are blind.

ILLUSTRATION: Blind man in a coal shaft.

What I want you to hear is the prophecy in Isaiah’s verse.
God told Isaiah, “Render the hearts of this people insensitive,”
Jesus says, in (15) “For the heart of this people has become dull,”

Isaiah was speaking of a future event, Jesus saw its fulfillment.

He was literally the light that God spoke of to Isaiah,
And He was the light that when it shined,
Would reveal the blindness and deafness of man.

John 9:39-41 “And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘ We see,’ your sin remains.”

Jesus spoke in parables
Not only to conceal more truth from them,
But to reveal their blindness.

He was revealing that they did not get it.
He proved it by speaking in parables.
If this crowd was not blind, they would have understood the parable,
But they didn’t.

This, by the way, is why the disciples did understand it.
(They may not have understood every concept,
But they did understand that there was more than just farming)

(16-17) “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

They had seen truth in Jesus and accepted,
And to them it was granted to learn of the mystery of the parables.

The disciples were blessed because of what their eyes were saw.

They saw something so special,
That even righteous men and prophets didn’t get to see it.

WHAT WAS IT THAT THEY SAW?
Jesus!

They saw the Savior.
And because they saw Him, Jesus called them blessed
And allowed them to see more.

But the crowd, having refused to see Jesus,
Was not allowed to understand the truths of the kingdom.

JESUS WAS THE CATALYST
What they did with Him determined everything else.

He was the light.
And He either showed you the truth,
Or He revealed that you were blind.

“The same sun that melts the wax, hardens the clay.”

WHICH HAS HE DONE FOR YOU?
Have you seen Him as the Son of God?
Have you seen Him as the Savior of the World?
Have you surrendered your life to follow Him?

If so, He has much more that He wants to show you,
Namely the truths of the kingdom.

But if you have never come to Him.
If you are just here for the food (so to speak)
But not interested in following Him.

Then don’t expect Jesus will give you the truths of the kingdom,
For He isn’t even giving the kingdom at all.

It is vitally important that you and I surrender our lives to Christ.
It is only for those who see and hear and understand.

“He who has ears, let him hear.”

The Faith of God’s Princess
Hebrews 11:11-12

Well, here we are this morning on Mother’s Day
The day in which mom is rightly praised and recognized by her family.

And since we are in between book studies
It seemed only fitting to take this one Sunday morning
And examine God’s Word with regard to
One of the truly great women of the Bible.

This morning we are going to look at God’s Princess.

Now many little girls grow up with the dream of being a princess.
Hannah dresses up in her princess outfits in order to play the part.
Older girls in beauty contest still love to wear the tiara.

This morning we are going to study the woman that God called princess.

Genesis 17:15-16 “Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. “I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

The name Sarai means “argumentative”
But when God looked at her He saw something else.

God changed her name to “Sarah” which means “princess”.

He had pegged her to be the mother of the nation of Israel,
And so Sarah would be her name.

This morning I just want to show you her faith.

I’ve always thought that Sarah
Tended to get a bad rap among the Christian world.

1) THE HAGAR INCIDENT
Genesis 16:1-6 “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight. And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me.” But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight.” So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.”

2) THE EAVES DROPPER
Genesis 18:9-12 “Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing. Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

3) THE SEND OFF
Genesis 21:9-10 “Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.”

As you will see in a moment,
Not all of those incidents were necessarily negative ones,
But because of those events, Sarah tends to get a little bit of a bad rap.

She is viewed by many as a temperamental woman
Who seemed to bully Abraham around.

If that is the impression you take from studying the life of Sarah,
Then you did not get the point God intended for you to get.

The New Testament routinely points to Sarah as a model woman,

1 Peter 3:5-6 “For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.”

Peter didn’t paint Sarah as an overbearing woman,
But rather as a woman of supreme submission.

And of course this is accurate.
Twice, Sarah obeyed her husband by saying that she was his sister
In order to keep him out of trouble.

And it was this woman that God called “A Princess”.

SO THIS MORNING WE LOOK AT THE LIFE OF SARAH
To do that we look at Hebrews 11

You know it as the “Faith Hall of Fame”
ONLY TWO WOMEN ARE SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED HERE.

While others are alluded to (Jochabed and the women who received back their dead)
Only Sarah and Rahab are listed by name.

So let’s look at the “The Faith of God’s Princess”
READ: HEBREWS 11:11-12
While we are using this passage to talk about Sarah, I find it very important that we never study a passage without knowing it’s purpose.

The author of Hebrews knows he is addressing men and women
Who have professed Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

However, because the persecution is so strong against Christians,
Some of them are tinkering with the thought of denying the faith.

The writer of Hebrews is strongly warning against that.

In Chapter 10 he actually gives the penalty of apostasy.
(READ 10:26-31)

Then he gives a word of encouragement.
(READ 10:32-34)

Then comes the point.
(READ 10:35-39)

In light of the present suffering and hardship,
The author is pushing these to quit walking by fear
And to start walking by faith.

“But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”

That then is the reason for Hebrews 11 – (The Faith Chapter)

The author now gives illustrations of those who have walked before them,
Who also faced difficult circumstances,
But who chose faith over fear and received the reward.

That is also why, after the faith chapter
The writer begins the 12th chapter by saying:

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

So the purpose of our text is to encourage the discouraged
By reminding them of the great faith
Of those who walked before them.

And on this list are some of
The greatest demonstrations of faith the world has ever seen.
Among those events listed are:
• Noah building the ark
• Abraham leaving Ur of the Chaldeans
• Moses forsaking Pharaoh’s court
• Joshua bringing down the walls of Jericho

And also included in this list is God’s Princess Sarah

She is meant to be an encouragement to you
To walk by faith in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Let me just quickly show you four points from this text.
#1 THE PROMISE OF GOD
Hebrews 11:11

Now there are other truths in that verse we will return to in a moment,
But what I want you to be aware of us what we see at the end of the verse.

And that is that God had obviously made a promise to Sarah.

Genesis 18:10 “He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.”

But this is not the first time that God had made that promise.
(It was the 3rd)

The first came on the day Abraham was saved.
Genesis 15:5-6 “And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.”

You may remember however that Sarah had trouble believing that promise
And that is why she gave her handmade Hagar to Abraham.

But that was never what God intended.

Then in Genesis 17 the promise was made again.
Genesis 17:15-21 “Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. “I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.”As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. “But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.”
That was the second time God spoke the promise,
And then of course the third time was the time
In which Sarah was listening in the tent.

But the point is that God had made a very specific promise
About Sarah’s role in the creation of the nation of Israel.

Sarah would be the mother of all.
Sarah would be God’s chosen princess.

That was the promise of God.
#2 THE PROBLEM OF ABRAHAM
Hebrews 11:11-12

I call it the problem of Abraham,
But it was really both of their problem.

Verse 11 says that Sarah was “beyond the proper time of life” for having children.

Verse 12 says that Abraham was “as good as dead”

The problem was obvious.
• Sarah was barren, unable to have children.
• Abraham was too old at this point, even if Sarah was able.

This is why they both laughed when they heard the news.
Abraham in Genesis 17
Sarah in Genesis 18

This is why Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham in Genesis 16

This was not just a minor problem.
This was a real issue.

And so you see what Sarah was up against.
On one hand she had a promise.
On the other hand she had the facts.

Sarah was found at that crisis of faith
Where she must determine what she believed.

The Promise of God
The Problem of Abraham
#3 THE PATIENCE OF SARAH
Hebrews 11:11

And this is a very important verse.
When you read the faith chapter
There are two obvious themes that emerge.

1) All showed great faith
2) That faith is measurable by their obedience

(4) “Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain”
(5) “Enoch…obtained the witness that…he was pleasing to God”
(7) “Noah…prepared an ark”
(8) “Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out”
(9) “By faith he lived as an alien”

Their faith is measured by their radical obedience.
Except for this one event.

Sarah’s faith is not listed by anything she did.
When you read verses 11&12
You don’t find any radical thing that Sarah did.

“By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.”

You could possibly make the argument that “she considered”
But that isn’t really a measurable action.

The point is it doesn’t look like
Sarah did anything radical or seemingly crazy for God.

Sarah’s faith is not measured by her radical obedience,
But by her consistent patience.

Let me show you the turning point in Sarah’s life.
Genesis 18:9-15 “Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing. Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’ “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Sarah denied it however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

That moment proved to be pivotal to Sarah.
God asked, “Is anything too difficult for the LORD?”

And Sarah was forced to answer.
SARAH NEVER WAIVERED AGAIN

In fact, at moments Sarah even exhibited greater faith than Abraham.

Earlier I read to you that incident
Where Sarah told Abraham to kick Ishmael out.

Many see that as a negative mark on Sarah.
IT WAS NOT

Genesis 21:8-12 “The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.” The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named.”

At that point, Abraham was still holding out hope for Ishmael,
But Sarah knew better.

Ishmael was a mistake.
He was partly Sarah’s fault, but a mistake none the less.
And she knew that Ishmael threatened what God desired to do.

In fact, thousands of years later when Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians he used this very event.

Galatians 4:28-31 “And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. But what does the Scripture say? “CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN.” So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.”

Paul knew that those who are of the flesh (Ishmael)
Have no inheritance with those who are of the promise (Isaac).

Sarah knew it long ago.

God asked Sarah if anything was too difficult for Him
And she decided that it was not.

And she never wavered again.
She never lost faith that she would have a son.
She never lost faith that her son would be the father of a nation.

DID SHE DO ANYTHING RADICAL?
No.
She just patiently believed while God worked out the details.
In this life, it is not always about
Doing wild and crazy things in the name of God.

Sometimes faith is just trusting God do to what He said
Even in the midst of discouraging situations.

If I were to pick a verse to demonstrate Sarah’s type of faith,
I’d give you this one.

Isaiah 40:31 “Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

Or any of these.
Psalms 46:10 “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalms 27:13-14 “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.”

Psalms 62:5-8 “My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.”

In fact, that was the same type of faith that Jeremiah had
While writing the book of Lamentations after the fall of Jerusalem.

Lamentations 3:22-26 “The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD.”

That is the type of faith Sarah had.
She wasn’t radical, she just believed God would do what He said,
And she continued to believe it,
Even when her circumstances seemed to dictate otherwise.

THIS IS NOT “NAME IT AND CLAIM IT” THEOLOGY.
THIS IS “READ IT AND BELIEVE IT” THEOLOGY.

Simply believe God will do what He says He will do.
Cling to His promises and never let them go.
Wait patiently on Him while He does what He said He will do.

That was the faith of Sarah.

 

The Promise of God The Problem of Abraham The Patience of Sarah
#4 THE PROCREATION OF ISRAEL
Hebrews 11:12

And here we see the effects of Sarah’s great faith.

Now don’t miss the point.
Sarah didn’t do this.
Abraham didn’t do this.
GOD DID THIS

Faith by itself has absolutely no power.
God is the One with the power.

He just asks us to believe Him and when we do, He shows up.

This old barren woman with her old barren husband
Actually conceived a child.

A child not created by the flesh or works of man.
A child created by the power of God.
A child who became the father of a nation.

Isaac had two sons.
Esau & Jacob.

Jacob’s name was changed by God to “Israel”
And Jacob’s 12 sons became the 12 tribes of Israel.

And it all started in the womb of a barren woman.
It wasn’t possible, except that God made it possible,
And Sarah chose to believe it.

This morning, as we have seen the faith of God’s princess
I want to encourage you to read God’s promises a little differently.

And I want to leave you with a simple word of testimony.
• A year ago on this day, Carrie and I were in Wichita Falls, not knowing what was going to happen.
• I started searching for a sermon, really just intending to get lost in Scripture.
• It was there I found this promise.

1 Peter 5:10 “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”
I’m not here trying to declare that our suffering is over.

Maybe it is, maybe it’s not.
Either way, God’s promise has held true for us.

And sometimes during rough times
All you can do is cling to that promise and wait just like Sarah did.

This morning let me encourage you to cling to the promises of God.
Wait on God
Trust in God
Hope in God

Because God always comes through with His word.

Abraham obeyed God
Sarah waited on God
God did it all.

Trust in Him.
Psalms 37:3-5 “Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.”

Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Psalms 105 (1-7)

I know that next week is the big shindig.
And it should be a day of great fellowship and remembrance.
But I desire it to be so much more than that for us.

THIS MORNING I JUST WANT TO HELP US ALL FOCUS
ON WHAT AN EVENT LIKE THAT MEANS.

Sometimes events like this can miss their purpose.
(Returning friends, Catered meals, Former preachers)

And by the time it’s over we realize we might have missed the point.

And so, I want to give you something to meditate on throughout the week
In order to prepare your heart for worship.

You’ve probably already noticed that the 105th Psalm is a long one.

But if you do take the time to read it, you find that it had to be a long one.
In fact, it is amazing that the Psalmist was able to get it that short.

Because it is a Psalm that remembers God’s faithfulness.
And it is also a Psalm that tells us how to respond to that faithfulness.

If you were to break the Psalm up, the first 7 verses are how we are to respond.
Verses 8-45 recount God’s faithfulness.

And so we are going to momentarily skip the first seven verses
And see exactly what God has done.

#1 ISRAEL SHOULD’VE BEEN DESTROYED, BUT GOD PROTECTED
Psalms 105:8-15

When I read those verses it is abundantly clear to you
That we are dealing with the generations of the Patriarchs.

It was God who called a man named Abram out of Ur of the Chaldeans
Into a land that was to be his inheritance.

And it was God who made a promise to that man.

Genesis 13:14-18 “The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. “I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. “Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.” Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.”
God had made a promise to Abram, and according to the Psalmist
God had remained faithful to that promise.

(8-11) “He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac. Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.”

God not only made that promise to Abraham,
He reiterated it again to Isaac
He made it again to Jacob

And we are familiar with the promise.

BUT THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT.

Try moving to Canada, pitching a tent
And declaring the land where you sleep your land.

Could you pull it off?
Maybe with a huge army

That is what makes the story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob so fascinating.

(12-13) “When they were only a few in number, very few, and strangers in it. And they wandered about from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people.”

They had no army.
“they were only few in number, very few”

In fact, you may remember that when Jacob finally follows Joseph
And moves into Egypt, their total number is given.

Genesis 46:26-27 “All the persons belonging to Jacob, who came to Egypt, his direct descendants, not including the wives of Jacob’s sons, were sixty-six persons in all, and the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt were two; all the persons of the house of Jacob, who came to Egypt, were seventy.”

And that number is when they were at full strength.

You may also remember what Moses recounted about them:
Deuteronomy 7:7-9 “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;”
The point is they didn’t have the man power to take the land.
They had no ability to enforce that claim.

NOR WERE THEY WELL LIKED
SO THAT SOMEONE MIGHT GIVE IT TO THEM.

“few in number, very few, and strangers in it.”

In other words they were not invited.
They were not necessarily welcomed guests.

That is why they “wandered about from nation to nation”

These were not welcomed people.

In fact:
Genesis 14:13 “Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram.”

This verse records when Lot had been stolen by the wicked kings
And they came to tell Abraham, so that Abraham could rescue him.

But did you notice what they called Abraham? “the Hebrew”

It is the first time the word is uses, and it just appears.
IT MEANS: “one who crosses over”

They identified Abraham as the river jumper, the alien, the foreigner.
He is the trespasser.

They were not welcomed into this land.
And they were not powerful enough to force their way in.

SO HOW DID THEY STAY?
(14-15) “He permitted no one to oppress them, and He reproved kings for their sakes: “Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.”

God placed a hedge around them so that they were untouchable.
THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED, BUT GOD PROTECTED

And you are familiar with His protection.

Abraham told Pharaoh that Sarai was his sister
Because he feared Pharaoh would kill him.
Genesis 12:17-20 “But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? “Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her and go.” Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him.”

Later Abraham did it again because he feared the same from Abimelech
Genesis 20:3-7 “But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married.” Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a nation, even though blameless? “Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. “Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

And later Isaac followed in his father’s footsteps fearing Abimelech as well.
Genesis 26:10-11 “Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” So Abimelech charged all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

God’s people were untouchable.
They should have been destroyed, but God wouldn’t allow it.

Israel should have been destroyed, but God protected
#2 ISRAEL SHOULD HAVE STARVED, BUT GOD PRESERVED
Psalms 105:16-24

Now we are dealing with Joseph.

(16) “And He called for a famine upon the land; He broke the whole staff of bread.”

And this should have been especially drastic on Israel; they owned no land
They had no farms.
They had no grain bins by which to save food.

What would they do in such a serious famine?

And you know the answer.
It is one of the greatest accounts of providence in all of Scripture.

(17) “He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.”

God’s answer to the dilemma was Joseph.
And after much hardship – Joseph delivered.

Then listen to the hindsight of Joseph
Genesis 45:4-8 “Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. “For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. “Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”

And so God preserved Israel through a famine
That should have wiped them out.

(23-24) “Israel also came into Egypt; thus Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And He caused His people to be very fruitful, and made them stronger then their adversaries.”

Israel should have been destroyed, and then they should have starved.

But God was faithful to His promise to Abraham
And He would not allow it to happen.

Israel should have been destroyed, but God protected
Israel should have starved, but God preserved
#3 ISRAEL SHOULD HAVE SUFFERED, BUT DELIVERED
Psalms 105:25-36

Once Israel settled in Egypt they got too powerful.
Exodus 1:9-12 “He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. “Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.” So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel.”

And Israel should have met their end in Egypt.
It appeared they had a destiny of eternal servitude
Until they were ultimately extinguished.

BUT GOD HAD MADE A PROMISE
And so He delivered.

(26-27) “He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron, who He had chosen, they performed His wondrous acts among them, and miracles in the land of Ham.”

And then the plagues are remembered.

When Israel was too weak to deliver themselves,
God delivered them.

He was faithful to keep His promise to Abraham.
#4 ISRAEL SHOULD HAVE PERISHED, BUT GOD PROVIDED
Psalms 105:37-45

The first thing we see is a great initial provision.

(37-38) “Then He brought them out with silver and gold, and among His tribes there was not on who stumbled. Egypt was glad when they departed, for the dread of them had fallen upon them.”

It is one of the most amazing instances of plunder
The world has ever seen.
Exodus 12:35-36 “Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.”

Could you imagine asking permission to rob your neighbor blind?
Yet that is how badly Egypt wanted Israel to leave.

God initially provided.
And it didn’t stop there.

When the sun was too hot
“He spread out a cloud for covering”

When the night was too dark
“And fire to illumine by night”

When there was not enough meat
“He brought quail”

When bread could not be found
“He satisfied them with bread from heaven.”

When there was no water
“He opened the rock and water flowed out; it ran in the dry places like a river.”

WHY DID HE DO ALL THAT?
(42) “For He remembered His holy word with Abraham His servant;”

Because He is faithful.

And then God took them back to the land that He promised to Abraham
And God made good on His promise.

(43-44) “And He brought forth His people with joy, His chosen ones with a joyful shout. He gave them also the lands of the nations, that they might take possession of the fruit of the people’s labor”
It is an amazing testimony to God’s faithfulness.

That entire nation entered the wilderness with no food or water
And they should have all perished there.
BUT GOD PROVIDED

After we read those 4 accounts the conclusion is obvious.

THE ONLY REASON ISRAEL CONTINUED TO EXIST IS GOD.
It was not due to their intellect…
It was not due to their strength…

And it certainly was not due to their faithfulness.
TURN TO: PSALMS 106

Psalms 105 & 106 work together to make a point.

Just to make sure we don’t attribute the existence of Israel to anyone other than God, we also have to read about Israel’s involvement.

THE ONLY REASON ISRAEL EVER RECEIVED THAT LAND
AND DWELLS ON IT TODAY
IS BECAUSE OF THE MERCY AND FAITHFULNESS OF GOD.

They can take absolutely no credit in the fact.
They can receive absolutely no recognition.
GOD DID IT ALL, IT IS ALL BECAUSE OF HIM

CAN WE IDENTIFY WITH THAT?
Why has FBC Spur endured 100 years?

• Is it because of the intellect of our members?
• Is it because of the perseverance of our members?
• Is it because of the faithfulness of our members?

We are just fortunate a Psalms 106 hasn’t been written about us.
Because if a historian wanted to tear apart
• Every decision ever made in this building,
• Or every incident of grumbling,
• Or every time someone resisted to follow God,
• Or every time we set up idols in our heart,
• Or every time we followed the pattern of this world

Then our history might sound a lot like that of Israel.

BUT WE EXIST
BECAUSE GOD HAS BEEN MERCIFUL AND FAITHFUL TO US.

He has protected He has preserved He has delivered He has provided

We exist because of God.
1 Corinthians 8:6 “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”

That is why the theme for the service next week is:
“Great is Thy Faithfulness”

There is not a single one of us who can receive recognition
Or a pat on the back for what has happened here.
All glory and honor and recognition and praise goes to God.

We are here because God has kept us here.

SO HOW DO WE RESPOND TO THAT?

That is what the Psalmist wrote in the first 7 verses.

This is also the Psalm that David sang in 1 Chronicles 16
As he was moving the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem.

8 responses to God’s faithfulness
1) GRATITUDE
“Oh give thanks to the LORD,”

We thank Him for His protection in dangerous times
In days of church burnings and church shootings, God has seen fit to protect us from such adversity and we thank Him for it.

We thank Him for His preservation through lean times
This church survived the Great Depression and other difficult times, because God preserved us, and we should thank Him for it.

We thank Him for His deliverance in hard times.
It is God who has delivered from our own bad decisions, and times of disobedience. It is God who has not treated us as our sins deserve, and we should thank Him for it.

We thank Him for His provision at all times.
Who has enough to build a building, or remodel a sanctuary, or replace an air conditioner, or meet the budget week in and week out? Who can send so many on oversees mission trips? God has provided and we thank Him for it.

2) TRUST
“call upon His name”

If God is the only reason we have endured,
Why would not continue to run to Him?
Gratitude, Trust
3) EVANGELISM
“Make known His deeds among the peoples;”

Could there be anything bigger
Than the mighty deeds which God has done for us?

If we eat at a good restaurant…
If we watch a good movie…
If we find a good sale on tennis shoes…
We tell everybody.

Is God not infinitely more worthy to have what He has done
Shared with a skeptical world around us?

Gratitude, Trust, Evangelism
4) SINGING
“Sing to Him, sing praises to Him”

I know there are some who like hymns
And some who like contemporary praise choruses.

But here the admonition is not to sing a song about Him,
But to sing a praise to Him.

We sang a great one earlier.
“How great Thou art! How great Thou art!”

5) TESTIMONY
“Speak of all His wonders”

Next week we asked Bro. Goad to share an incident
Of when God was faithful during his service here as pastor.

I could share some this morning.

In regard to money it is easy to see:
• (Budgets met, expenses absorbed – kitchen, doors, A/C, sanctuary)
• We saw over 30,000 come in for our first year of foreign mission trips
• The PBR paid our way to China

But even in spiritual areas, it is important to notice.

• 2005 – Lance Harris went on a men’s retreat and was saved.
• 2007 the same thing happened to Les Fincher (After the rest of his family)
• His fiancé at the time was saved the night he was baptized.
• (Rachelle Morrow, Karen Faubus, Cassie Adams, the Goodall girls)
And every single salvation that has occurred is only because of God.

Remember what Jesus said about salvation?
Matthew 19:25-26 “When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Only God can resurrect a dead soul into a living soul.
Only God can change a corrupt heart into a heart that beats for Him.

GOD HAS BEEN FAITHFUL

WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO HAVE GROWN SPIRITUALLY?
• Anji answered God’s call to go to Africa (twice) – along with several others.
• Pam, Alysia, & Gerri answered God’s call to be stay-at-home moms.
• Others stepped up to fulfill roles in the church.
• Many others devoted their lives to God and it changed their lives.

WHO CAUSED THAT?
Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

AND IT IS FITTING TO TALK ABOUT THOSE GREAT THINGS!
GOD HAS BEEN FAITHFUL TO MOVE IN OUR MIDST

Gratitude, Trust, Evangelism, Singing, Testimony
6) REJOICING
(3) “Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.”

There is no cause for us to walk around with a frown on our face.
There is no cause to be a grump.

GOD HAS BEEN SO GRACIOUS AND FAITHFUL TO US

Our lives should epitomize rejoicing, not cursing and bitterness.

7) SEEKING
(4) “Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually”

We remain committed to the relationship we have with Him.

We are not those like Jehoahaz who abandon the LORD
Now that things are easier.

We are those who seek Him in the good and the bad.
Because He is faithful all the time, we seek all the time.

8) REMEMBERING
(5) “Remember His wonders which He has done, His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth,”

In order to be faithful to the faithful God, we always remember.

I love the story in Joshua after the children crossed the Jordan.
Joshua 4:19-24 “Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho. Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. He said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ “For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

We ought to be a church of rock piles.

• Churches shouldn’t hang plaques with people’s names on them for giving…
• Churches shouldn’t be filled with certificates of achievements people have done…
• Churches shouldn’t be filled the works of men…

Instead we build monuments
That testify to the faithfulness of our great God
So that in the next 100 years those who follow after us
Will not see how faithful we were, but how faithful God has been.

It is our desire for all to know that our God is faithful.

And then the closing.
(6-7) “O seed of Abraham, His servant, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones! He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth.”
This morning let me remind you that our God has been faithful.
We exist only because of what He has done.
We have lasted 100 years only by His mercy and faithfulness.

He did it not us.
And this next week is all about remembering that.

Let me encourage you this week to honor God’s faithfulness.
Gratitude
Trust
Evangelism
Singing
Testimony
Rejoicing
Seeking
Remembering

For Great is His Faithfulness

Lamentations 3:21-25 “This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him.”

1 Peter 5:6-11

I know we have been studying through the Kings,
And I am excited about getting back into that study.

But in light of the last couple of weeks,
It did not seem right to return and jump right back into it.

It has indeed been a tough couple of weeks,
And I have learned many things through this event,
Most of which were lessons of a personal nature.

1) I have had a lot of arrogance in me that must be removed
2) I have had a lack of compassion for those who have suffered
3) In many ways God has confronted the manner in which I shepherd His flock

And indeed God continues to confront me and teach me about myself.

But this is not testimony time,
This is a time for the preaching of the Word of God,

And so I have been drawn to this passage of Scripture
As one that gets to the heart of the issue of suffering.

As you know, 1 Peter was written to the persecuted church.
1 Peter 1:1-2 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.”

I like to refer to the recipients of this letter as “The Rejected Selected”.
They had been selected by God, and as a result were rejected by the world.

They were on the run, and Peter writes to these suffering believers.

Throughout the letter Peter deals with many specifics.
To those who suffer under tyrannical rulers….
To those who suffer as slaves…
To those who suffer in bad relationships…

And Peter gives specific instruction as to
How to live an obedient Christian life in the midst of suffering.

But as he closes the letter, he gives a very powerful passage of reminder.

In this passage we are going to study this morning are
4 very important reminders that every Christian ought to know.

Certainly none of us are immune from trials and hardships.

Suffering has long arms.
It reaches the faithful and the unfaithful.
It is a promise to living in this fallen sinful world.

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

And because we have a promise of trials and hardships
It is imperative that every believer knows the truth about them.

That is precisely what we learn here.
It is the close to Peter’s letter.

What we get are 4 plain facts that you need to know when suffering comes your way.
#1 THERE IS A GOD WHO CARES
1 Peter 5:6-7

You will probably notice that this chapter begins
With an admonition to elders and then an admonition to younger men.

Peter calls the elders to “shepherd the flock of God”.
He then calls the young men “to be subject to your elders”

Then Peter gives a blanket command to everyone.
(5) “and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”

In calling for corporate humility
Peter quotes the O.T verse of Proverbs 3:34.
Proverbs 3:34 “Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted.”

And when Peter quotes that verse,
It catapults him into this final section of important reminders.

We recognize immediately that word “Therefore”

That is to say, since God is opposed to the proud,
But gives grace to the humble, then this is what we should do.

WE ALL WANT GRACE FROM GOD DON’T WE?

It was Paul who said:
2 Corinthians 12:9 “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”

We all understand the need for grace in those difficult circumstances.
Peter reminds us that if you want grace, there is only one place to get it.

And there is only one type of person he gives it to.
God gives His grace to the humble.
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.”

The implication is simple to understand.
God cannot lift you up if you do not humble yourself before Him.

There is a God who has all the power to help in your situation,
And He is asking you to come to Him so He can help.

But that is not all.
Peter tells us how to humble ourselves before Him.

(7) “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”

The main way in which we humble ourselves before Him
Is to cast all our anxiety on Him.

Our anxiety are those things that are beyond our control.
And the crazy thing is that we often try to carry those things alone.

It is precisely those things that God wants us to give to Him.

WHY SHOULD I?
“because He cares for you.”

And let me just remind you that this is great news.
If you get nothing else this morning,
Please get that God is good and He cares for you.

Through the hardest moments of the past two weeks,
God was always right there saying, “Give that burden to Me.”

You must remember that when trials come
We do not have to run from God, we run to Him.

His plan is for your good, His desire is to help.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. “For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.”

This is also what Jesus said:
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Regardless of your trouble…
Regardless of your trial…
There is a God who cares.

He is holding out His hand asking you to give your burdens to Him.
Let go of control, let go of your pride.

Take what you cannot handle and lay it at His feet so He can pick you up.

In this world of trials and tribulations we all need to know there is a God who cares.
#2 THERE IS AN ADVERSARY WHO DEVOURS
1 Peter 5:8

You will notice that Peter starts with a very pointed command.
“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert…”

When a person is drunk on alcohol, their senses are not as sharp.
They make poor decisions and do not recognize danger as easily.

Taking from that concept Peter says
That in our spirit, believers need to be sober.

In case we fail to understand, he says, “be on the alert”

The question then becomes, “Why?”
Because “Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

The reason we are called to be alert
Is because in this life we have an “adversary”.

“Adversary” translates ANTIDIKOS
“an opponent in a lawsuit”

You have seen the word before.
Matthew 5:25 “Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.”

Now we know who our opponent is, it is the devil.
(In fact, we don’t war against flesh and blood)

Satan is the accuser of the brethren, and Peter alerts us to his plan.
He “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

“devour” translates KATAPINO
“to drink down”

And that paints a picture for us.
We live in a world that is lawsuit happy.

We live in a world of people that will sue you in a heart-beat.
They don’t care about you, they only want to use a cheap excuse to get what you have.

Well the ultimate ambulance chaser is the devil.

He watches and lurks and looks for his chance to drink you down.
He wants to get all you got and devour you.

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”

Just as you have learned to watch out for those who will sue you,
You better be on the lookout for the spiritual adversary.

Watch out continually.

Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”

Now certainly since Peter was writing to those who were persecuted,
You would think this would be obvious.

Yet, for some reason it is our tendency to let our guard down.
Instead of watching and remaining alert,
We start trying to just trust that Satan won’t try anything.

But that is not true.

In these first two verses we are to trust God
And to watch out for the enemy.

Don’t give him opportunity to get you.
Ephesians 6:10-12 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

In a world were suffering is a reality, you and I need to know:
There is a God who cares
There is an Adversary who devours
#3 THERE IS A TESTIMONY THAT ENCOURAGES
1 Peter 5:9

This verse begins still speaking in reference to the adversary.

After you have been alert and spotted him at work, the next step is simple:
“But resist him, firm in your faith…”

And we all understand what that means.
It means don’t give him what he wants.

Jesus used the same word:
Matthew 5:39 “But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”

Jesus tells us not to resist an evil person,
Because we are looking to see them redeemed.

But Satan is afforded on such liberality.
We are commanded to “resist him”.

In fact James says:
James 4:7 “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

You don’t owe the devil a thing.
Don’t give the devil a thing.

But before we just pass that off as no big deal,
You and I know that resisting him is tough.

They don’t call it deception for nothing…
They don’t call it temptation for nothing…

And regardless of how alert we try to be,
All of us have fallen into his trap before.

The important thing is that we don’t give in again,
And for help Peter reminds us of a very encouraging testimony.

“knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”

For encouragement in the midst of your trial,
Peter points to your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Those who have experienced the exact same sufferings as you.

The only difference is their experiences of suffering have been
accomplished.

“accomplished” translates EPITELEO
It means “to complete” or “to carry out to the full”

The idea is that when you fall into suffering or hardship,
Then look to your brothers and sisters who have
Already walked victoriously through that exact trial.

That is encouraging.
I can’t even list the number of people during this past week
Who either told me or sent word that they struggled
With something similar to what Carrie went through.

Each told the story from the perspective of victory,
Meant to give encouragement that this trial can be survived,
And victory can be achieved.

This is sort of what Paul had in mind when he wrote:
1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
None of us are pioneers in regard to suffering.

What happens to me has happened to others.
What happens to others could happen to me.

In that fellowship we find encouragement to know
That God carried our brothers through it, and He will carry us too.

There is a God who Cares There is an Adversary who Devours
There is a Testimony that Encourages
#4 THERE IS A PROMISE OF RESTORATION
1 Peter 5:10-11

I nearly focused the entire sermon on verse 10,
Because it is such a wonderful verse in regard to trials and sufferings.

But it is also a verse of extreme hope and comfort
To know that there is a plan in the midst of your pain.

Let’s look at it for a moment.

The first thing we see in this verse
Is a reference to the duration of your suffering.

I don’t know about you, but any time I suffer,
I immediately get consumed with how long this trial might last.

(10) “After you have suffered for a little while…”

The encouragement here is found in the fact
That the suffering you endure will not last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
To the persecuted church at Smyrna Jesus said:
Revelation 2:10 “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Satan was not allowed in inflict forever, there was a limit.

Remember what Jesus said to Peter:
Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

In the same breath that Jesus informed Peter of the coming trial,
Jesus also spoke of the conclusion of it.

Suffering will come, but it only lasts for a season.

“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself…”

After the brief suffering, someone will come to restore you.
But before we see the restoration, let’s see who brings it.

Restoration comes from “the God of all grace”

Not the God of some grace, but “the God of ALL grace”

He owns it all, He possesses it all, He is the only source for it.

And just in case you don’t know who we are talking about.
He is the God “who called you to His eternal glory in Christ”

In that verse is found a tremendous reminder
Of God’s sovereign plan for your life.

God did not purpose your life to end in defeat, but in glory.
He has a plan and He will bring it to completion.

Paul said:
Romans 8:28-30 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”

While suffering may occur in your life, it never thwarts His purpose.

In fact, Peter even started this letter with a reminder of that.
1 Peter 1:3-9 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”

The God who has sovereignly decreed to carry you to glory,
Will show up with grace.

And notice Peter even says, “will Himself” do it.
Ever hear the statement, “If you want something done right…?”

God won’t send an intermediary,
God Himself will perform the work in you.

You are prized possession, you are a chosen vessel,
And after you have suffered, it is God who will put you back together

WELL, WHAT WILL HE DO?
“will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

Now at a first reading you immediately notice
That Peter uses four synonyms.

Each of these words are very close in meaning.

They can all mean “to strengthen”.

And so you and I learn that after you have been pummeled
Then God Himself will show up and put you back together.

That is great news.

But when you study each of these words by themselves,
You see the method God uses to do that.

Four words, and they give us a progression.

“perfect” translates KATARTIZO
“to get ready, prepare, complete”

It was actually a word used of mending a fisherman’s nets.
Matthew 4:21 “Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them.”

Paul also used this word in his letter to the Galatians:
Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”

And so, it is to take something that is tattered and broken
And to begin to piece it back together.

“confirm” translates STERIZO
“support, prop”

This is what Peter was asked to do after he was restored.
Luke 22:32 “but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

“strengthen” translates STHENOO
It means what it says.

And so after a person has been propped,
Then they are given strength to stand on their own two feet
Without any support or help.

“establish” translates KRATOS
“to lay the foundation of”

Now the person who has been patched, propped and strengthened
Is now poured in concrete so that they will never be moved.

God patches you, He picks you up, He strengthens you
And then He sets you in stone.

And He has the power to do it.
(11) “To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

That is what every believer ought to know.

You may suffer but even when you do,
• There is a God who cares.
• There is an adversary who devours
• There is a testimony that encourages
• There is a promise of restoration.

Our God is a great God and He is in control.
Run to Him, Trust Him, Cast your anxiety on Him, Love Him, Believe Him,
And let Him work His perfect work in your life.

1 Peter 5:10 “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”