Series: The Power of the Gospel XIV
Message – The Power to Bear Fruit unto Godliness X
We’ve been talking about the Power of God.
We are to look to, anticipate and rely upon God’s power for living Godly lives. (Not having a form of godliness but denying it’s power).
As a church we often say this statement before I teach, in order to build anticipation in God’s work of revelation…
“Blessed am I because my eyes do see and my ears do hear,
I anticipate God’s revelation in my life!”
The Four Hearts
Thorny:
Mat 13:22/Luke 8:14 As for what was sown among the thorn bushes, this is the person who listens to the word, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries of life (Flesh) and the deceitfulness of pleasures of life (EYES) and wealth (PRIDE) so that the fruit doesn’t come to maturity and can’t produce a crop.
- This is a heart that CANNOT glorify God – Jn. 15:8, 16
- This heart only produces IMMATURE FRUIT.
- Immature fruit
- Note the difference between their method of learning from the word and their method of learning from the world….
- One was as Christ was teaching – One time exposure to another person’s thoughts.
- The other was as they walk through the way – An ongoing inner dialogue between oneself and the word.
READ – Prov. 7:1-4,
“My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your nearest kin, That they may keep you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words.”
“How I love Your teaching! It is my meditation all day long.” ~ Psa 119:97
- The earth (heart) has IN IT all that is necessary to produce anything that is planted in it.
This is why we are told to guard it!
Prov. 4:20-23,
“My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;
For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”
All a heart needs to grow ANYTHING is…
- Seed
- Water
- Sunlight
- Time
Seed = the word of God or the “word” of this world. (cares of life, deceitfulness of riches & desires for other things)
Water = Dialogue either between you and God or you and the world. What has been planted is fed with thoughts which are consistent with the seed that was planted. It takes the form of Discussion…pondering…meditation…reflection…day dreaming
Sunlight = A catalyst. Something that stirs to activity – many times (though not always) a catalyst generates heat.
- Opposition to the word / affirmation of the world. – IF NEED BE 1Peter 1
- Remember in the last heart, the stony/shallow/DIVIDED heart – the Sun coming up with its burning heat was likened to opposition coming against the Word.
- Mat 13:6 “But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.”
- Mat 13:20-21/Luke 8:13 “… he believes for only a short time, but when times of testing come like trouble or persecution, he immediately falls away. This testing comes because of the Word that was sown – it is a test of the ground (heart).”
- Remember in the last heart, the stony/shallow/DIVIDED heart – the Sun coming up with its burning heat was likened to opposition coming against the Word.
- Calling to mind – Remembering – praising – worshiping
Time = Time/patient endurance – Hebrews 10:35-39
So …question – what is dividing your heart?
Anytime you feel the need to offer a reason for why something in your life is okay either to yourself or someone else…it ISN’T!
1Jn. 2:15-17,
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
The word love is agapao – To esteem, love, indicating a direction of the will and finding one’s joy in something or someone.
“For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
James 4:1-8
Now, let’s be clear – EVERY heart has weeds sown into it. Weeds can simply blow into a garden and begin to grow almost immediately. Having weeds is NOT the real issue – failing to weed them out IS.
So, what is the cure for the thorny heart…it ties in with our supplemental teachings from Wednesday on Abiding in the Vine –
- Obey His commands
- Love the Brethren
- Stay sensitive and in submission to the Holy Spirit
Obedience is another word for genuine faith in the New Testament.
Hebrews 3:16-18,
“For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: “TODAY, IF YOU WILL HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS IN THE REBELLION.” For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”
Let’s read three separate encouragements by Paul to three separate churches which led to producing fruit that remained, but also called on them to rely upon and be in expectation of God’s Power.
Eph. 1:7-23,
(7) “ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
(8) which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
(9) having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,
(10) that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
(11) In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
(What is God work of predestination in our hearts? Christ in us!)
(12) that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
(13) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
(14) who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
(15) Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
(16) do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
(17) that… the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
(18) the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
(19) and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
(20) which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, – ROMANS 6
(21) far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
(22) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
(23) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
This is where we ended this week. We will begin with hurtles to bearing fruit in our next message.
I realize that the graphic on the video says this is week 3 but that was my mistake and I did not feel like redoing the video so, I kept it like it is – my apologies.
I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
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Blessings!