Luke 8:4-8 Sown for Maturity

Luke 8:4-8  When a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable:  "The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up.    "Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.   "Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out.  "Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great." As He said these things, He would call out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (NASB)

Maturity, or perhaps the antithesis of it, Immaturity is the prompt for today’s BLOG.  Perhaps you wouldn’t think of the parable of the sower when you think of maturity but it is there plain as day.  As Christians, Scripture challenges us to a life of Spiritual growth.  Doctrinally this is referred to as sanctification.  Simply put, sanctification is the process of growing up into Christ likeness.  In the modern sense it is living out that WWJD bracelet for real in your life.  When you have done that perfectly, (not that you can) you are fully sanctified.

The Easton Bible dictionary defines it this way:  Sanctification, “Involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration.  In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (Rom_6:13; 2Co_4:6; Col_3:10; 1Jo_4:7; 1Co_6:19). It is the special office of the Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption to carry on this work (1Co_6:11; 2Th_2:13)”.

So how does maturity or sanctification come to life in this parable?  Most often we look at this parable and analyze, what is the seed, who is the sower etc. etc.  By the time we’re all done with that, there is little time to look at the seed that took root and grew in the “Good soil”.  What happened?  Or better said, what is supposed to happen?

Before we get ahead of ourselves, this parable speaks of the Gospel message being shared and received by some.  By the power of the Holy Spirit that message comes to live in the new believer and takes root in this fertile soil prepared from eternity past to hear and receive the Word of God.  That is the, “Other seed (that) fell into the good soil”.  But my friends the message does not stop there.  The parable of the sower does not stop with germination and a sprout popping out of the ground.  In fact, Other seed did that.  “Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away.”  So that is not to be the fate of seed falling on the fertile soil.  That is not to be the fate of Christians.

"Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great."

Christians are to grow up through a process of sanctification into Christ likeness.  No, not all at once but steady progress over a life time is the design.  Paul rebuked some long time Christians who failed to grow up.  Here’s what he had to say.  ”For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.  For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.  But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil”. Hebrews 5:12-14  (NASB)

So how do I do this Dale?

That is the beauty of the Christian experience.  If you will just surrender and admit you don’t get it but open the Word and pray to the Holy Spirit to teach you.  He will!  That is the work of the Holy Spirit, to teach.  Pray when you are under the teaching of trained Bible teachers that you will “Get it”.  But you have to take some responsibility.  If you fail to attend services or studies, if you choose not to open the Word, If you choose not to pray for the Holy Spirit to teach you, how do you expect this to happen?

The Lord wants you to grow up spiritually, His word says so.  He will help you do it.  AMEN!

2 Timothy 4:1-2 Preach the Word

2Timothy 4:1-2  “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” (NASB)

There are three letters in the New Testament of our Bible that are referred to as the Pastoral Epistles.  That is, they are generally considered to be instructions for pastors.  This is because they were written to two guys, Titus and Timothy whom Paul was instructing in ways to lead the church. 

Why did he do this?  Paul knew that his ministry would one day come to an end and that he should be pouring his efforts not only into evangelism of the lost but also into the next generation of leaders.  To that end, he gives instruction to Timothy and Titus in the three letters we have.  The three letters named for the recipients are Titus and first and second Timothy.

On Saturday at a dinner Pastor Joey said we would see something “New” in the sanctuary on Sunday.  It didn’t take long to see where.  Posted right on the front of the podium, center stage, was a new inscription.  IN GREEK!  Having been tipped off I actually brought my Hebrew / Greek Study Bible and had absolutely no results digging in with my virtually nonexistent language skills.  The inscription read, “khrucon ton logon” and at that I’m giving you the anglicized version of the words.  I was staring at Greek letters which I have no way to type into the BLOG.

About nine O’clock last night I was about certain I had deciphered it.  “Preach the Word” from 2 Timothy 4 was what I came up with.  So after this rather long introduction let’s take a quick look.

Paul exhorts his protégé, Timothy “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus”.  Does that get your attention?  As a Timothy, it would me.  He goes on to remind Timothy a little about Jesus who, “Is to judge the living and the dead”.  Tuned in yet?  But Paul isn’t done, yet another reminder about Jesus “Appearing” which is a reference to His incarnation or walking among us; God among men.  Finally comes a reference to “His kingdom”.  “His kingdom”, reminds Timothy not only of His reign as King but also the eternal nature of that kingdom.

Now with all the emphasis Paul could muster he finally gets to what he’s asking Timothy to do.  “Preach the word”.  And be always ready to preach it regardless of the season; be ready.  Be ready with the word to, “Reprove, rebuke, and exhort”  all of this, “With great patience and instruction”.

So to put it in a nutshell, Paul wants Timothy to understand how serious his work for God’s kingdom is, to be ready to “Preach the word” whenever the opportunity or the need arises.  Perhaps the last is the most important.  Paul reminds Timothy to be gentile with the flock.  Paul knows Christians are just weak vessels that have been greatly blessed with the call of their Savior Jesus.  Elsewhere a similar reminder is given, “But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ”. Ephesians 4:15

So being a pastor is a serious even a solemn charge.  It is the choice of God to use the human vessel; to use a pastor to proclaim the truth of Christ with the love of Christ.  “Preach the word”!  AMEN!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 Inspired

2Timothy 3:16-17  “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (NASB)

Have you ever wondered why it is the Bible we turn to when we want to get our bearings?  Why is it that so much attention is paid to an ancient collection of hard words translated from foreign languages?

The Bible comments on itself and gives us insight as to how reliable it is and to what purpose it may be used.  This brief passage from 2 Timothy is one example rich in its insight.

The passage first references, “All Scripture”.  All Scripture includes the Old and New Testaments of our Bible.  Without going into detail and getting into a discussion of which I have only limited knowledge let me just say that godly men have worked through the writings included in our Bible to be certain they belong.  The “Canon” or complete collection is what we refer to as the Bible or Holy Bible.  This complete collection it is agreed meets the standard, “Inspired by God”.  Men wrote the Bible under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

The use of the phrase, “Inspired by God” comes from the Greek theopneustos.  (Theo = God, Pneustos = Breath)  It is interesting in that it could be translated, “God breathed”.  The truth shared here is that Scripture is God’s Word, what He says.

The passage goes on to talk about some of the benefits or uses of Scripture.  These include teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness.  The only hard word here is reproof which is a cousin of rebuke, convict, expose or reprimand.  The idea is a bit stronger than correction; it is the idea of proving the truth.

All this is for a purpose though.  The Bible isn’t here for us to beat people up with rather its purpose is shared in verse 17.  ”So that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

So the purpose of all that teaching, reproving, correcting and training that Scripture enables is so that those who follow Christ will be useable.  Being useable makes us ready for the work we are called to accomplish.  We’ll look more at that later.

For now, are you equipped?  Time in the Word and under Biblical teaching promises that result.  AMEN!