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Speaker: All right, man.

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Well, we are gonna continue
with the parable of the soils.

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We're in the second soil.

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Um, so if you've got your Bibles,
we're not gonna be in Mark this time.

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We're gonna flip over to Matthew.

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So Matthew chapter 13 is where
we're gonna camp out together.

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Uh, Matthew is telling the same
parable from a different perspective.

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This is, again, one of the synoptic
gospels, one of the four, uh, one of

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the three synoptic gospels, I should
say, that record a lot of the same

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things we heard from Mark earlier.

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We're gonna hear from Matthew this time,
but before we get into the text, uh, I

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wonder if you guys have seen the series.

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We kind of talked about it last year.

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In fact, it was, I think, the theme
of our series last year, but Band

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of Brothers, you guys remember that
series or you've maybe read the

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books or anything else like that?

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I want you to think about this.

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This is actually a picture of the original
part of Easy Company from Operation

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Market Garden when they were going to
liberate Holland and around this time.

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And the reason I bring up this picture
specifically is around this time,

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uh, there was a group of replacement
soldiers that came into Easy Company.

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Now they were trained in the same training
that, uh, that the men of the, the hundred

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first Airborne had gone through at.

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They, they had gone through all of the
training, they had gone through all the

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rigor and everything else to be qualified.

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To join Easy Company.

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And yet when they got there, the men
of Easy Company looked at these fresh

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recruits, looked at these, these new
guys, these reinforcements that were

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getting there, uh, to help them.

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And they looked at them side eyed.

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They looked at them skeptically, they
looked at them and they kind of thought to

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themselves, and can we trust these guys?

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And a lot of that was because these
guys, the originals, they were the ones

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that parachuted in behind enemy lines.

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They were the ones that were there to
help facilitate the landing on D-Day.

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They were the ones.

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That had seen brothers die in battle.

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They were the ones that had gone toe
to toe against the enemy and emerged

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stronger than they were before.

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They were the ones that
had been tested and proved.

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Then you've got these new guys come in.

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And they weren't interested in
hearing about basic training.

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They weren't interested in hearing
about the, the number of jumps that

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they had during the, the testing.

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They weren't interested in hearing
about, uh, their, their pedigree

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and their background and, and what
they were ready to come and do.

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They were interested in looking
at these guys and saying, are they

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going to be tested and proven the
way we've been tested and proven?

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In fact, what led to them being brought
in to the rest of the group was the

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battles that they fought side by side.

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When they saw that these guys could
be trusted, they could be relied

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upon, they were the real deal.

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It wasn't enough just to put
on the uniform and show up

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with a gun in their hand.

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They wanted to know, is this authentic?

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Can we trust these guys?

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Can they stand up when
the heat gets turned up?

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There's other things in life
that we look to, to, to validate

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before we're gonna trust, right?

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Like if you're gonna go buy a new car.

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You're gonna do some research on
that car, you're going to wanna know,

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okay, what's the history of this car?

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What are the, the mechanical
problems with the car?

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What has it been tested?

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Has it been shown to be something
that's reliable over time?

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Because it's been tested
and it's been proven.

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We treat friends that way too, right?

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You've got brothers that
are closer than others.

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Because you've been
through more with them.

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They've been there through
thick and thin with you.

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They've walked through difficult
times in your life, and so you've

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seen, I can trust these guys.

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They're tested and they're proven.

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Where you think about maybe jumping
out of an airplane with a parachute

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strapped to your back, that's something
that you're gonna want to know.

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Hey, is this parachute tested?

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Is it proven?

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Another thing that we wanna make
sure is tested and proven is faith.

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Faith has to be tested and proven.

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And as we seek to follow Christ
in a christless world, as we've

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even even been talking about in
one Peter, it's gonna bring its

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fair share of, of opposition to us.

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We are going to encounter battles,
we are going to encounter trials,

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we are gonna encounter suffering.

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And what we're gonna find is
that the faith that lasts is a

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faith that is tested and proven.

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Uh, put another way, uh, negatively
speaking, we would say untested.

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Faith is unproven faith.

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Faith untested.

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Faith is unproven faith.

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And that's what we're gonna find
in the parable in this next soil

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that we're gonna look at together,
which is again, soil number two.

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And this is the rocky ground.

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So Matthew chapter 13, if
you're there, grab your Bibles.

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Flip over to Matthew 13, five and six.

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Matthew 13, five.

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We read this other seeds fell on rocky
ground where they did not have much

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soil, and immediately they sprang
up since they had no depth of soil.

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But when the sun rose, they were scorched.

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And since they had no
root, they withered away.

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Uh, Matthew 1320 through 21, the,
the explanation of the parable.

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When the disciples go back to
Jesus later and they say, Hey,

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what does this parable mean?

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1320 through 21, we read this as for
what was sewn on the rocky ground.

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This is the one who hears the word
and immediately receives it with joy.

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Yet he has no root in himself,
but endures for a while.

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And when tribulation or persecution
arises on account of the word,

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immediately, he falls away.

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As we're thinking about faith
that's tested, faith that's proven,

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uh, except for the seed that
hits the path that Pastor Rogers

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talked about in our first session.

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Every other seed is going to
show initial signs of life.

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Every other seed is going to
look like we're making progress.

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What's going to bear itself out
is, is whether or not that seed is

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going to stand the test of time.

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Whether or not that initial life that
we see there is going to stand up when

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it's tested, is it going to be proven?

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Point number one this evening.

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Along those lines is this, recognize
the deception of shallow faith.

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Recognize the deception of shallow faith,

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the deception of shallow faith.

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Again, pastor Rod, he, he's put this
as our, our thesis of the weekend out

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here, and so let's look at it again.

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The condition of your heart determines the
fruitfulness of your response to the word.

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The condition of your heart determines the
fruitfulness of the response to the word.

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We saw the hard heart, the rocky path,
that that doesn't show any signs of life.

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Satan comes and immediately
snatches it away.

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This time we're transitioning
into a different soil in the

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heart, and it's the rocky ground.

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And the thing that we've gotta be
careful with is initially it's going

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to look like this is a good response.

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It's gonna look like we're
seeing a positive response, a

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positive reaction with this soil.

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He says, other seed fell on the
rocky ground and sprang up where

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they did not have much soil,
and they immediately sprang up.

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He says, as for what was sewn on rocky
ground, this is the one who hears the

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word and immediately receives it with joy.

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Notice again that the, the decept
deceptive language that's even

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employed here, not by Jesus trying
to deceive us, but show that these

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things look so good initially.

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Immediately it springs up immediately.

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They receive it with joy.

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And again, this is the seed that
falls in in this kind of ground.

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This is what it means by rocky ground.

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In fact, I was noticing as we walked over
to dinner over here, if you look at some

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of the medians and some of the around
the curbs, this is what you see there.

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You see ground that looks a lot like this.

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This is similar to the path, but
it's not quite as hard packed.

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There's still some loose soil there.

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And so this is the person who
hears the gospel and there's

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initial signs of life here.

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The word receives in the text here,
it's from a, a word that according

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to one Greek di dictionary can mean
to believe something and then even

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to not just believe it, but to also
act in accordance with that belief.

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And, and so this is more
than just a profession.

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There's some response here, there's
some reaction to the gospel here.

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In fact, one of the, the leading
Greek dictionaries says, this

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means to accept something as true.

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So this is, maybe you, you can think back
to a time in your life the first time

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you heard the gospel, and, and maybe it
wasn't the the time that you actually

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got saved, but when you heard it, you
thought you were saved, you received

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it, and you thought, man, this is true.

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Jesus died on the cross for my sins.

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He rose again so that I
can live with him forever.

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I'm a sinner.

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I need forgiveness from God, and,
and I'm gonna receive it as true, and

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yet it's not falling on fertile soil.

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Uh, this word receives,
shows up in John 17, eight.

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Jesus says, for I have given them
the words that you gave me, and

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they have received them, okay?

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They, they've received the words that
you gave me and have come to know

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in truth that I came from you, and
they have believed that you sent me.

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And so this tells us something
right off the bat here.

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This tells us that the initial
reception of God's word can produce

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false results in somebody's life.

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And so this is, again, rocky soil,
Rocky Terrain, and yet you see there's

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something here that looks like it's alive.

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It looks like it's bearing
some sort of fruit here.

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And yet what we find is, is that
this seed that's sown on the rocky

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path is not a seed that's gonna last.

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And so what we find is, is that saving
faith is more than the initial response.

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Saving faith is more than
the initial appearance.

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The seed that so on Rocky Path
doesn't represent saving faith and

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yet there's some sign of life here.

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Take your Bibles and flip back in in them
from Matthew 13 to Matthew chapter seven.

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Matthew chapter seven, verse 24 I,

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Matthew 7 24.

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Jesus is, is gonna tell
another parable here.

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It's part of the Sermon on
the Mount and he says this.

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He says in Matthew 7 24, everyone
then who hears these words of mine

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and does them, will be like a wise
man who built his house on the rock.

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Okay, look at verse 26.

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Everyone who hears these words of mine and
does not do them will be like the foolish

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man who built his house on the sand.

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If, if you know this parable, you, you
know that Jesus tells about these two

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houses, and while he doesn't go into a
great amount of detail, I would contend

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that he was depicting two houses that
from the outside, from the street

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level, would've looked exactly the same.

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Right?

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They would've looked like, okay,
these are are the same houses.

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He's not distinguishing one.

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He doesn't call one a
mansion and one a shack.

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He doesn't call one a a, you know, a,
a palace and one just a, a track home.

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He just says they, they built two houses.

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And I think he's after that conclusion
from us, man, that, that these things,

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they, they look the same from the
outside as we're looking at them.

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We're gonna come back to, to this
story of these two houses throughout

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our time together this evening.

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But back in, in Matthew chapter
13, we're talking about this

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seed that hits the rocky soil.

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And initially there's signs of life.

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Initially, it, it looks good.

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In fact, you might take somebody who's a,
a genuine believer right after the moment

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of conversion and somebody who's the
rocky ground right after the moment that

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they hear the gospel from the first time.

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And their responses may look identical.

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And yet, remember, untested
faith is unproven faith.

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My wife and I joke with our twins
that we're gonna get them one driver's

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license and we're just gonna say, Sam
John Burner on the driver's license.

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And we're gonna let them take turns
driving because insurance is ridiculous.

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And we we're gonna have
three teenage boys.

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'cause Luke is gonna be turning 16
right in front of them on our insurance.

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Why?

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Because they're identical twins.

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And, and, and yet at the
same time, they're not.

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They're different.

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In fact, one has an appendix.

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Now the other one doesn't
have an appendix now.

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So if you're wondering, which one are
you and you're ever there at church,

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just be like, do you have an appendix?

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If he says, yes, that's John.

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Okay, there you go.

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But they're not.

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They're not.

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00:11:18,060 --> 00:11:20,520
They look the same, but
they're not the same.

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When we're dealing with the rocky
soil in the good soils, pastor

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Rod's gonna preach on tomorrow.

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They, they look the same initially,
but they're not the same.

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Untested.

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Faith is unproven faith, and
eventually truth reveals all.

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Matthew 1327 through 29.

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00:11:38,205 --> 00:11:40,515
Uh, this is another
parable that Jesus tells.

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00:11:40,785 --> 00:11:43,395
In fact, it's, it's not far from
our main text, so if you wanna

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00:11:43,395 --> 00:11:48,135
look down there at, at your bibles,
you can, the parable of the weeds.

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00:11:48,615 --> 00:11:49,485
Look at verse 27.

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00:11:49,485 --> 00:11:52,725
The servants of the master of the
house came to him and said, master, did

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you not sow good seed in your field?

248
00:11:55,245 --> 00:11:56,655
How then does it have weeds?

249
00:11:57,225 --> 00:11:59,655
And he said to them,
an enemy has done this.

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00:12:00,045 --> 00:12:02,925
So the servant said to him, then, do
you want us to go and gather them?

251
00:12:03,795 --> 00:12:04,905
But he said, no.

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00:12:04,905 --> 00:12:10,155
Lest in gathering the weeds, you
uproot the wheats along with them

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00:12:12,104 --> 00:12:14,775
in, in your backyard, in your
flower beds at home, your gardens.

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You, you may be able to identify the
weeds from the flowers pretty easily,

255
00:12:18,285 --> 00:12:22,155
but the, the type of weed that Jesus is
talking about here is a weed that would

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00:12:22,155 --> 00:12:26,744
infest a wheat field, and it would look
almost identical to the, the wheat itself.

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In fact, here you go.

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00:12:27,780 --> 00:12:30,870
This is a, a, a head of wheat on the left.

259
00:12:31,050 --> 00:12:32,670
This is a tear on the right.

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00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:36,810
Do you see how similar they look
and how if you're going in pulling

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00:12:36,810 --> 00:12:40,050
up the tears, you may mistakenly
pull up the wheat at the same time?

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00:12:40,740 --> 00:12:44,820
Jesus' point in that parable is, Hey,
the, the church, the, the, the people

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of God are going to have unbelievers
in their midst until the end, and it's

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gonna be to left up to, to God, to
ultimately sort that out in the end.

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00:12:52,650 --> 00:12:57,120
But what I want us to see is
there is a, a false profession.

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That looks a whole li like the real deal,
at least initially, the, the seed that

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falls into rocky soil shows signs of life.

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These are the people who receive the
gospel and maybe even begin to live

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00:13:11,235 --> 00:13:15,495
differently because of it, but it would
eventually prove to be fraudulent.

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00:13:15,495 --> 00:13:17,295
Just like again, back with the two houses.

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00:13:17,295 --> 00:13:20,145
The house that's built on the sand,
man, the house that's built on the

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00:13:20,145 --> 00:13:21,584
sand house is built on the rock.

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00:13:21,765 --> 00:13:25,155
They look like the same house
from the outside, but eventually

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one is gonna be proven to be.

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00:13:27,030 --> 00:13:30,840
Shaky built on the wrong foundation
and it's not going to last.

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So what do we do with this man?

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Well, if you're here tonight as as a
Christian, I think that this text, this

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00:13:37,650 --> 00:13:41,520
whole series, this whole retreat is
a good reminder to us that we should

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be suspecting ourselves, we should
be inspecting ourselves, we should

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00:13:46,470 --> 00:13:50,010
be examining ourselves, even as Paul
instructs us to, in one Corinthians,

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00:13:50,010 --> 00:13:53,340
to say, man, I want to examine myself
to see whether or not I'm in the faith.

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I want to be continually making
sure that I am staying the course.

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00:13:58,815 --> 00:14:02,295
And, and, and I'm not trying to undermine
the doctrine of eternal security.

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I do believe that once you are
saved, you will always remain saved.

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00:14:06,555 --> 00:14:10,935
But I also know the deception of a human
heart, and I want us to make sure that

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00:14:10,935 --> 00:14:15,045
none of us, as the writer of Hebrews talks
about, is gonna fall prey to the deception

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00:14:15,045 --> 00:14:17,265
and drift away from the gospel of Jesus.

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00:14:17,715 --> 00:14:20,355
We wanna make sure that all of us,
as Pastor Rod uses the, the, the

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00:14:20,355 --> 00:14:21,465
terminology in the first message.

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00:14:21,750 --> 00:14:23,580
Persist all the way until the end.

291
00:14:24,210 --> 00:14:27,690
And so if we're gonna persist all the
way until the end, it's good for us

292
00:14:27,690 --> 00:14:30,030
from time to time to examine ourselves.

293
00:14:30,210 --> 00:14:33,780
Don't satisfy yourself on a
resume of past faithfulness.

294
00:14:34,470 --> 00:14:40,080
Don't find your security only in praying
the prayer or walking the aisle or

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00:14:40,290 --> 00:14:43,590
having the, the, the, the meeting with
your mentor where you broke down in

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00:14:43,590 --> 00:14:46,680
tears of your sin and you confess your
sins and you put your trust in Jesus.

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00:14:46,770 --> 00:14:49,920
Don't let that be all that
your confidence is built upon.

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00:14:51,030 --> 00:14:54,510
Because saving faith is a
faith that's tested and proven,

299
00:14:54,510 --> 00:14:56,339
and the tests will come.

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00:14:57,180 --> 00:14:59,699
If you've been a Christian in this
room for any period of time, you've

301
00:14:59,699 --> 00:15:02,069
probably already experienced the test.

302
00:15:02,310 --> 00:15:06,180
The true Christian is going to distinguish
himself because the true Christian

303
00:15:06,180 --> 00:15:09,839
is going to stand out, he's going to
persist, he's going to keep growing.

304
00:15:10,170 --> 00:15:13,560
He's not gonna put all of his eggs in
the basket of an initial professional

305
00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:15,689
faith in some early victories over sin.

306
00:15:17,699 --> 00:15:19,829
So the question tonight
then is, are you growing?

307
00:15:20,939 --> 00:15:23,310
Are you seeing progress
in your walk with Christ?

308
00:15:23,460 --> 00:15:26,550
When you consider where you were
a year ago, are you in a different

309
00:15:26,550 --> 00:15:29,430
place in your spiritual maturity
today than you were last year?

310
00:15:29,460 --> 00:15:29,970
At this time?

311
00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:33,689
What areas of your faith are
you currently developing?

312
00:15:33,689 --> 00:15:35,010
Are you currently growing in?

313
00:15:35,100 --> 00:15:37,530
Where is God stretching you right now?

314
00:15:39,090 --> 00:15:42,750
If you're not experiencing
that growth, then, then that

315
00:15:42,750 --> 00:15:43,710
would be cause for concern.

316
00:15:45,135 --> 00:15:46,574
That would be cause for concern.

317
00:15:46,574 --> 00:15:46,995
Living.

318
00:15:46,995 --> 00:15:48,074
Things grow.

319
00:15:48,165 --> 00:15:52,515
Living faith grows as it sinks
deep roots into fertile soil.

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00:15:53,805 --> 00:15:56,805
And so it's good for us to recognize
the deception of shallow faith and

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00:15:56,805 --> 00:15:58,905
make sure that we're examining our
own hearts to make sure that, that we

322
00:15:58,905 --> 00:16:00,675
haven't bought into a a shallow faith.

323
00:16:00,675 --> 00:16:03,015
We'll talk more about what that shallow
faith looks like here in just a minute,

324
00:16:03,765 --> 00:16:08,415
but I want to talk to us about evangelism
for just a second, because you may

325
00:16:08,415 --> 00:16:10,935
be discouraged by this when you think
about sharing the gospel with someone.

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00:16:12,270 --> 00:16:14,819
Those of you in the room that are dads
or maybe your, your grandparents or maybe

327
00:16:14,819 --> 00:16:19,199
you're just you, you've got friends that
are, are, are un, that are lost or unsafe.

328
00:16:19,199 --> 00:16:22,290
But, but lemme just talk to the dads
for a second in the room when you

329
00:16:22,290 --> 00:16:25,380
share the gospel with your kids, if,
if your kids one day profess faith

330
00:16:25,380 --> 00:16:29,250
in Christ and we pray that they will,
your job is not done, then it's not

331
00:16:29,250 --> 00:16:30,900
like you, you get to say, okay, great.

332
00:16:30,930 --> 00:16:33,420
My kid professed faith, I'm, I'm all set.

333
00:16:33,719 --> 00:16:35,760
E even after he is, he's baptized.

334
00:16:36,300 --> 00:16:36,600
Great.

335
00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,480
He got baptized, he met with Pastor
Rod, he met with Pastor pj, he met

336
00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:40,590
with Lewis, he met with Pastor Mark.

337
00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,770
They, they validated his
testimony and he got baptized.

338
00:16:44,010 --> 00:16:44,730
I, I'm done.

339
00:16:44,790 --> 00:16:45,600
He's, he's saved.

340
00:16:45,630 --> 00:16:46,320
I'm good to go.

341
00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:47,190
I'll see him in heaven.

342
00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:49,770
You have to stay on top of it.

343
00:16:49,770 --> 00:16:51,630
You have to keep discipling.

344
00:16:51,900 --> 00:16:52,260
Right.

345
00:16:52,530 --> 00:16:56,250
Or, or when you share the gospel with
someone at, at work and, and they tell

346
00:16:56,250 --> 00:16:58,890
you later on, they come back the next
week and they're like, Hey, guess what?

347
00:16:58,890 --> 00:17:00,510
I got saved this weekend, man.

348
00:17:00,510 --> 00:17:01,080
Praise God.

349
00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:03,630
But don't cross their name off your
prayer list and just think that then

350
00:17:03,630 --> 00:17:04,589
they're, they're good to go now.

351
00:17:05,730 --> 00:17:07,409
You need to invest.

352
00:17:07,409 --> 00:17:10,260
So this isn't an invitation
to skepticism with this point.

353
00:17:10,260 --> 00:17:12,300
Number one, it's an
invitation to discipleship.

354
00:17:13,348 --> 00:17:16,770
It's an invitation for you to, to
do the work of coming alongside

355
00:17:16,770 --> 00:17:20,638
and, and fertilizing the heart of
that unbeliever who's now saved.

356
00:17:20,638 --> 00:17:24,990
We hope and we pray so that they will
grow in their walk with the Lord.

357
00:17:25,949 --> 00:17:27,388
Partners is, is great for them.

358
00:17:27,929 --> 00:17:31,290
And so if, if they're, I would say
if they're depending, we've got some.

359
00:17:31,919 --> 00:17:34,949
Maybe as young as middle school,
but certainly high school and and

360
00:17:34,949 --> 00:17:38,280
above partners is a great way for
you to begin to fertilize the, the

361
00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:41,820
faith of this person to make sure we
don't want it to be the rocky soil.

362
00:17:41,939 --> 00:17:45,719
We want to make sure that they
are going to grow in their

363
00:17:45,780 --> 00:17:47,219
relationship with the Lord.

364
00:17:48,209 --> 00:17:50,129
Recognize the deception of shallow faith.

365
00:17:50,129 --> 00:17:54,715
Eighth, unfortunately, I think
we're gonna find in eternity that

366
00:17:54,715 --> 00:17:57,510
there's people missing from heaven
that we thought we would see there.

367
00:17:58,709 --> 00:18:00,360
I think that's what this
whole parable is about.

368
00:18:01,650 --> 00:18:02,400
That we're gonna think.

369
00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:02,700
Man.

370
00:18:03,780 --> 00:18:05,130
There was a guy that was my youth leader.

371
00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:07,530
There was a guy that was
my small group leader.

372
00:18:08,220 --> 00:18:12,240
There was a guy at work that I always saw
there and he, he was on fire for Christ.

373
00:18:13,230 --> 00:18:16,110
There was a guy at at church
that was always there early.

374
00:18:16,110 --> 00:18:20,430
He was setting up, he was tearing down
and we're gonna look for him in heaven

375
00:18:20,430 --> 00:18:21,930
and we're gonna find out he's not there.

376
00:18:23,130 --> 00:18:25,410
'cause untested faith is unproven faith.

377
00:18:26,250 --> 00:18:29,175
Faith that saves is faith that
endures is faith that lasts.

378
00:18:30,525 --> 00:18:36,315
And this rocky soil is a faith that looks
good initially, but it's not a faith

379
00:18:36,315 --> 00:18:37,485
that's gonna stand the test of time.

380
00:18:38,655 --> 00:18:41,115
But maybe you're asking, okay, but,
but what would lead somebody to believe

381
00:18:41,115 --> 00:18:43,425
in the first place if their faith
wasn't gonna be genuine in the end?

382
00:18:44,085 --> 00:18:47,355
Why would they want Christ if
they're gonna eventually fall away?

383
00:18:48,465 --> 00:18:52,905
Well, it's because shallow faith is not
only deceptive, but it also grows from

384
00:18:52,905 --> 00:18:55,665
a heart that has been deceived itself.

385
00:18:55,665 --> 00:18:57,285
So it's not only externally deceptive.

386
00:18:57,915 --> 00:19:02,055
But it's born from within in somebody
who themselves have been deceived

387
00:19:02,055 --> 00:19:04,635
into what they think is saving faith.

388
00:19:04,635 --> 00:19:05,925
That's not truly saving faith.

389
00:19:05,925 --> 00:19:09,225
Point number two tonight is this,
uncover the lies of shallow faith.

390
00:19:10,155 --> 00:19:12,255
Uncover the lies of shallow faith.

391
00:19:18,345 --> 00:19:22,185
Back in our text in chapter
13, verses five and and six.

392
00:19:22,514 --> 00:19:23,024
Says this.

393
00:19:23,084 --> 00:19:26,235
It says of them, since they had
no depth of soil, but when the

394
00:19:26,235 --> 00:19:28,784
sun rose, they were scorched.

395
00:19:29,745 --> 00:19:31,544
When the sun rose, they were scorched.

396
00:19:31,814 --> 00:19:34,935
21 says He has no root in
himself but endured for a while.

397
00:19:34,935 --> 00:19:38,475
And when tribulation or persecution
arises on account of the word,

398
00:19:38,564 --> 00:19:39,854
immediately he falls away.

399
00:19:41,084 --> 00:19:41,564
Sunlight.

400
00:19:41,685 --> 00:19:42,705
Think about sunlight for a second.

401
00:19:42,945 --> 00:19:45,465
Sunlight is beneficial for
a plant with deep roots.

402
00:19:46,185 --> 00:19:49,965
Uh, but that same sunlight that
is beneficial for a plant with

403
00:19:49,965 --> 00:19:53,085
deep roots is destructive for
a plant with shallow roots.

404
00:19:53,625 --> 00:19:56,385
It will scorch it and
it will wither it away.

405
00:19:57,765 --> 00:20:00,050
My wife and I lived in Arizona
for a a period of time.

406
00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:04,290
And Arizona's beautiful, but
Arizona is, is far from lush.

407
00:20:04,740 --> 00:20:07,410
Uh, these are the, the superstition
mountains that are in, uh,

408
00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:09,360
just east of, of Mesa, Arizona.

409
00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:12,390
We could see them from our, our
street, not this close, but we could

410
00:20:12,390 --> 00:20:13,680
see them from our, our street there.

411
00:20:13,860 --> 00:20:15,570
And, and it's, it's beautiful.

412
00:20:15,570 --> 00:20:17,820
And yet nobody would say this is lush.

413
00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:23,280
The reason why this desert landscape
is barren, the way it is, is because

414
00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:26,430
if you look down here at the bottom of
this image, this is the type of soil

415
00:20:26,430 --> 00:20:28,500
that the, the plant life has to grow in.

416
00:20:29,130 --> 00:20:29,970
It's the rocky soil.

417
00:20:31,125 --> 00:20:33,555
And so it's, it's a soil
that's gonna be very shallow.

418
00:20:33,555 --> 00:20:35,865
It's a soil that's not
gonna allow for deep roots.

419
00:20:35,865 --> 00:20:39,585
It's a soil that when the hot Arizona
sun comes up and begins to bake, it

420
00:20:39,735 --> 00:20:44,025
is gonna cause anything living in that
soil to immediately wither and die.

421
00:20:45,195 --> 00:20:47,925
Contrast that with a picture like this.

422
00:20:48,675 --> 00:20:49,755
This is good soil.

423
00:20:50,775 --> 00:20:53,625
You see the, the difference,
it's not hard, right?

424
00:20:53,625 --> 00:20:55,995
You've got the arid, dry, shallow.

425
00:20:56,685 --> 00:21:01,785
Rocky soil, and then you've got
the fertile, lush green good

426
00:21:01,785 --> 00:21:05,985
soil, the, the rocky soil here.

427
00:21:06,165 --> 00:21:09,675
This is what he's talking about in this
part of the parable, and he's saying

428
00:21:09,885 --> 00:21:12,105
the roots can't get deep enough there.

429
00:21:12,915 --> 00:21:19,110
If you plant a Rose Bush, if you plant a
a, a sod in that grass or in that grass,

430
00:21:19,129 --> 00:21:20,710
in that dirt, it's not gonna survive.

431
00:21:21,379 --> 00:21:23,510
It's gonna wither and die under the sun.

432
00:21:24,915 --> 00:21:27,795
Look at verse 21, where Jesus
tells us what the sun is.

433
00:21:28,965 --> 00:21:33,885
He describes it as tribulation or
persecution, tribulation or persecution.

434
00:21:34,605 --> 00:21:37,575
In other words, this is opposition
to faith that produces suffering

435
00:21:37,575 --> 00:21:40,665
or affliction because it's it's
tribulation or affliction on account

436
00:21:40,665 --> 00:21:43,185
of the word, on account of the word.

437
00:21:43,185 --> 00:21:45,660
We've been talking about tribulation
and suffering a lot on on Sundays.

438
00:21:47,070 --> 00:21:47,159
One.

439
00:21:47,159 --> 00:21:50,970
Peter chapter four, verse 12 says,
beloved, do not be surprised at

440
00:21:50,970 --> 00:21:53,550
the fiery trial when it comes upon
you to test you as though something

441
00:21:53,550 --> 00:21:54,510
strange were happening to you.

442
00:21:55,710 --> 00:22:01,560
The HeartMate of the rocky soil is
surprised by the tribulation and

443
00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:04,500
the suffering in the opposition that
comes on account of the word, and

444
00:22:04,500 --> 00:22:07,710
this is what I mean by uncovering
some of the lies of shallow faith.

445
00:22:08,505 --> 00:22:11,895
The, the, those that believe because
of the rocky soil, because they're,

446
00:22:11,925 --> 00:22:13,545
they find themselves in the rocky soil.

447
00:22:13,785 --> 00:22:15,405
They're buying into a gospel.

448
00:22:15,405 --> 00:22:16,755
That's not a biblical gospel.

449
00:22:17,595 --> 00:22:20,295
They're buying into a, a, this
is gonna make your life better.

450
00:22:20,295 --> 00:22:21,855
They're buying into an ease of believism.

451
00:22:21,915 --> 00:22:23,745
They're buying into, you
don't have to change.

452
00:22:23,925 --> 00:22:26,655
They're buying into Jesus
loves you just the way you are.

453
00:22:26,715 --> 00:22:30,465
They're buying into it's okay
that you sin a little bit and

454
00:22:30,465 --> 00:22:32,145
still claim to follow Christ.

455
00:22:33,075 --> 00:22:34,215
They're buying into a gospel.

456
00:22:34,215 --> 00:22:35,505
That's not the biblical gospel.

457
00:22:36,390 --> 00:22:39,450
And when opposition arises to
their faith, they're shocked.

458
00:22:39,450 --> 00:22:40,650
They are surprised.

459
00:22:41,460 --> 00:22:43,950
And what our text says as we continue
on, and we'll get there in just a

460
00:22:43,950 --> 00:22:46,350
minute, is, is that that's too much
for them and they can't handle it.

461
00:22:48,780 --> 00:22:53,220
Back in Matthew, chapter seven
again verses 25 and and 27,

462
00:22:53,310 --> 00:22:54,630
back there with the two houses.

463
00:22:54,630 --> 00:22:56,340
If you wanna flip back
there, you can look at this.

464
00:22:56,340 --> 00:22:57,810
If not, I'll, I'll read it for you.

465
00:22:57,810 --> 00:22:58,950
Matthew 7 25.

466
00:22:58,950 --> 00:23:05,190
The rain fell and the floods came and
the winds blew and beat on that house.

467
00:23:05,490 --> 00:23:07,590
This is the, the house
with the strong foundation.

468
00:23:08,190 --> 00:23:12,870
Look at verse 27, and the rain fell
and the floods came, and the winds

469
00:23:12,870 --> 00:23:17,250
blew and beat against that house again.

470
00:23:17,250 --> 00:23:18,630
I want you to see the similarity there.

471
00:23:19,530 --> 00:23:23,190
The storms are coming on both
houses and the, the way that Jesus

472
00:23:23,190 --> 00:23:24,630
describes it is verbatim the same.

473
00:23:24,630 --> 00:23:27,090
The rain fell, the floods
came, the winds blew and beat.

474
00:23:27,210 --> 00:23:29,400
The rain fell, the floods
came, the winds blew and beat.

475
00:23:30,570 --> 00:23:32,640
The difference is the foundation.

476
00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:35,040
The difference is whether or
not there's genuine faith there.

477
00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:37,440
One built on the rock,
one built on the sand.

478
00:23:38,909 --> 00:23:42,389
If we're going to align ourselves
as followers of Christ in this life,

479
00:23:42,389 --> 00:23:44,010
we're going to face opposition.

480
00:23:44,010 --> 00:23:48,480
We're going to face storms, we're going
to face trials, and then it becomes

481
00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:50,129
about far more than the external.

482
00:23:50,850 --> 00:23:53,909
It becomes far more about what
it, it looked like initially.

483
00:23:54,030 --> 00:23:57,240
The question then becomes about whether
or not we're gonna weather or not,

484
00:23:58,110 --> 00:23:59,490
whether or not we're gonna stand up.

485
00:24:00,450 --> 00:24:04,200
To the trial and the opposition and
survive and come out on the other side

486
00:24:04,230 --> 00:24:05,970
stronger than we were to begin with.

487
00:24:08,100 --> 00:24:08,490
Men.

488
00:24:08,490 --> 00:24:10,500
Why do you think this guy is so popular?

489
00:24:12,555 --> 00:24:18,030
I, I, I mean, we, he's, he's a joke in our
circles, but he's not to so many people.

490
00:24:19,020 --> 00:24:23,190
He is a, a spiritual leader
to millions of people.

491
00:24:24,060 --> 00:24:28,230
45,000 people on average attend
his church on, on every Sunday.

492
00:24:29,205 --> 00:24:30,885
45,000 people.

493
00:24:32,264 --> 00:24:36,854
He has an estimated 60 million
television or streaming viewers,

494
00:24:36,915 --> 00:24:40,844
weekly, 60 million people.

495
00:24:42,824 --> 00:24:43,844
Why

496
00:24:46,334 --> 00:24:49,695
Just a, a sampling of his recent sermon
titles of the last couple of months.

497
00:24:50,685 --> 00:24:52,334
Your super bloom season.

498
00:24:54,554 --> 00:24:55,695
Stay positive.

499
00:24:56,835 --> 00:24:58,845
Breaking the chains of limitation.

500
00:24:59,775 --> 00:25:02,115
You are loved, God's there for you.

501
00:25:03,675 --> 00:25:06,975
And then there's his
bestselling book, your What?

502
00:25:06,975 --> 00:25:13,515
Your Best Life Now, which has sold
at last count, 8 million copies.

503
00:25:15,195 --> 00:25:17,895
He was asked in an interview,
Hey Joel, are you cheating your

504
00:25:17,895 --> 00:25:21,375
people by not preaching more on the
realities of suffering and trials

505
00:25:21,375 --> 00:25:22,755
that accompany being a Christian.

506
00:25:23,805 --> 00:25:25,065
That's what we're talking
about here, right?

507
00:25:25,305 --> 00:25:27,945
Are you cheating your people by not
preparing them for the fact that they're

508
00:25:27,945 --> 00:25:30,045
going to face suffering in trials?

509
00:25:30,255 --> 00:25:31,185
Here was his response.

510
00:25:31,185 --> 00:25:32,685
This was a CBS interview that he was on.

511
00:25:33,135 --> 00:25:36,255
He says, most people are
beaten down enough by life.

512
00:25:36,585 --> 00:25:38,535
They already feel guilty enough.

513
00:25:38,865 --> 00:25:41,265
They're not doing what they
should, raising their kids.

514
00:25:41,535 --> 00:25:44,745
We can all find reasons, so I
want them to come to Lakewood or

515
00:25:44,745 --> 00:25:46,245
our meetings and be lifted up.

516
00:25:46,845 --> 00:25:47,955
To say, you know what?

517
00:25:48,015 --> 00:25:50,775
I may not be perfect,
but I'm moving forward.

518
00:25:50,835 --> 00:25:51,885
I'm doing better.

519
00:25:52,005 --> 00:25:54,315
And I think that motivates
you to do better.

520
00:25:56,085 --> 00:26:01,305
He, he's giving a saccharin gospel that
lacks all of the substance, all of the,

521
00:26:01,305 --> 00:26:06,735
the foundation, and he is hurting his
people because he's not preparing them,

522
00:26:06,735 --> 00:26:10,545
that when the storm comes, they're meant
to hold fast and weather the storm.

523
00:26:11,775 --> 00:26:12,945
The storm is to be avoided.

524
00:26:12,945 --> 00:26:15,345
The storm is bad in Osteen's perspective.

525
00:26:16,490 --> 00:26:19,845
And, and, and how, maybe that's a,
a good thing for us to ask are, are

526
00:26:19,845 --> 00:26:21,225
storms okay for us as Christians?

527
00:26:21,255 --> 00:26:22,935
Are they good things for us as Christians?

528
00:26:24,645 --> 00:26:25,035
Yeah.

529
00:26:25,035 --> 00:26:26,805
They are good things for us as Christians.

530
00:26:27,285 --> 00:26:31,035
The same storm that that brings, the
wind that beats against the plants

531
00:26:31,125 --> 00:26:35,865
with deep roots also brings the rain
to help the, the plant grow, right?

532
00:26:37,095 --> 00:26:40,515
The same sun that, that scorches
the plant with shallow roots,

533
00:26:40,725 --> 00:26:42,315
feeds the plant with deep roots.

534
00:26:43,950 --> 00:26:46,980
God will use trials in our
lives, Christians for good,

535
00:26:46,980 --> 00:26:48,300
to make us more like Christ.

536
00:26:48,300 --> 00:26:51,060
In fact, he says that over
and over and over again.

537
00:26:52,650 --> 00:26:55,200
And, and, and so for us as, as
Christians, to sit here and say,

538
00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:57,480
well, the, the trial is, is is wrong.

539
00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:59,220
You live your best life now.

540
00:27:00,060 --> 00:27:00,600
You should be.

541
00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:01,980
I wanna lift you up.

542
00:27:02,195 --> 00:27:03,780
I want you to have your super bloom.

543
00:27:03,870 --> 00:27:04,830
I don't even know what that means.

544
00:27:05,550 --> 00:27:08,550
Have, have your super bloom season, y'all.

545
00:27:11,265 --> 00:27:16,845
These are the deceptions of a shallow
faith that buys into this idea that

546
00:27:16,845 --> 00:27:19,065
if, if I'm suffering something's wrong.

547
00:27:20,745 --> 00:27:23,655
And unfortunately, some, some
people have, have been lulled

548
00:27:23,655 --> 00:27:25,095
into this sort of a gospel.

549
00:27:25,725 --> 00:27:28,545
And so that when they encounter suffering,
they begin to say, well, man, if,

550
00:27:28,575 --> 00:27:31,155
if I'm suffering, something's wrong.

551
00:27:31,590 --> 00:27:34,035
And, and, and they're left
to say, so what do I do?

552
00:27:34,635 --> 00:27:36,795
Well, I'm just gonna throw my
hands up and walk away because

553
00:27:36,795 --> 00:27:38,570
I guess this Christianity thing
doesn't work out after all.

554
00:27:41,939 --> 00:27:44,939
Storms and trials and scorching sun are
inevitable parts of following Jesus.

555
00:27:44,939 --> 00:27:47,520
And the genuine believer not only
endorses them, but welcomes them

556
00:27:48,090 --> 00:27:53,669
as part of the growing process, the
lies of shallow faith that convince

557
00:27:53,669 --> 00:27:57,659
you that they're not necessary, that
is, that storms aren't necessary and

558
00:27:57,659 --> 00:27:58,770
they're, they're not for your good.

559
00:27:58,770 --> 00:28:02,310
The, the lies, the rocks of
the rocky soil lies like this.

560
00:28:02,370 --> 00:28:04,290
You don't have to be so
extreme with your faith.

561
00:28:05,310 --> 00:28:07,949
You don't, you don't have to be
that guy that's always telling

562
00:28:07,949 --> 00:28:08,790
other people about Jesus.

563
00:28:09,780 --> 00:28:09,990
You.

564
00:28:09,990 --> 00:28:12,659
In fact, here's another lie
of the the rocky ground.

565
00:28:12,690 --> 00:28:14,430
You don't have to share the gospel at all.

566
00:28:14,639 --> 00:28:15,659
Other people can do that.

567
00:28:16,740 --> 00:28:18,450
God doesn't really expect that of you.

568
00:28:18,990 --> 00:28:19,980
You don't need to do that.

569
00:28:19,980 --> 00:28:21,210
You might be rejected.

570
00:28:21,540 --> 00:28:22,889
It might get uncomfortable for you.

571
00:28:23,970 --> 00:28:27,899
You might find that somebody's
gonna mock you another lie of the

572
00:28:27,899 --> 00:28:31,560
rocky, so you know what you're
being asked to compromise at work.

573
00:28:31,620 --> 00:28:33,180
You don't have to take a stand on that.

574
00:28:33,735 --> 00:28:37,064
God understands if you need to sin to
keep your job, then sin to keep your job.

575
00:28:37,064 --> 00:28:38,955
After all, you gotta take care
of your family, don't you?

576
00:28:39,915 --> 00:28:40,304
Oh yeah.

577
00:28:40,304 --> 00:28:41,834
Your, your testimony, your witness.

578
00:28:41,865 --> 00:28:42,764
Uh, don't worry about that.

579
00:28:42,764 --> 00:28:43,094
It's okay.

580
00:28:43,094 --> 00:28:44,445
You're not sharing the
gospel with them anyways.

581
00:28:44,445 --> 00:28:47,804
They wouldn't know another rock.

582
00:28:48,405 --> 00:28:50,715
You deserve that promotion.

583
00:28:53,115 --> 00:28:55,784
You don't have to confess
that sin and fight it.

584
00:28:57,495 --> 00:28:59,939
You don't have to ask for
forgiveness from your wife.

585
00:29:00,689 --> 00:29:03,540
Even though that you were the one
that was to blame for the conflict

586
00:29:03,540 --> 00:29:07,020
that you guys had last night, after
all she sinned too, didn't she?

587
00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:08,250
She got mad at you.

588
00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:10,560
You don't, you don't need to
humble yourself and go seek

589
00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:11,699
forgiveness from your wife.

590
00:29:13,770 --> 00:29:15,870
You don't have to wake up earlier
and get in your Bible and pray.

591
00:29:17,250 --> 00:29:19,110
You don't have to do that after all.

592
00:29:19,110 --> 00:29:23,010
You, you remember, remember 50
years ago you prayed the prayer?

593
00:29:24,389 --> 00:29:27,419
Don't you remember back when you
were in, in, at camp as a a kid?

594
00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:31,560
You bowed your head with every eye closed
and you raised your hand and the pastor

595
00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:32,880
told you you're safe, so you're good.

596
00:29:33,030 --> 00:29:34,800
You don't need to grow
as a Christian anymore.

597
00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:36,300
That costs too much to do.

598
00:29:36,300 --> 00:29:36,990
That sort of thing.

599
00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:41,190
You don't have to give up the porn.

600
00:29:43,260 --> 00:29:44,190
That's ramping him.

601
00:29:44,220 --> 00:29:45,000
Every guy.

602
00:29:45,690 --> 00:29:47,760
Come on, all guys lust.

603
00:29:49,140 --> 00:29:50,220
You don't have to give up the porn.

604
00:29:51,750 --> 00:29:53,070
Jesus died for your sins.

605
00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:54,630
His grace covers that.

606
00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:56,490
You heard the pastor preach that one time.

607
00:29:56,490 --> 00:29:58,410
He said, you can't outs
send the grace of God.

608
00:29:59,130 --> 00:29:59,700
So you're fine.

609
00:29:59,700 --> 00:30:00,360
Don't worry about it.

610
00:30:01,290 --> 00:30:02,460
Or you know what?

611
00:30:02,820 --> 00:30:04,020
Indulge in it for now.

612
00:30:04,170 --> 00:30:05,280
Later on, you can deal with it.

613
00:30:08,460 --> 00:30:09,480
You won't get sick.

614
00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:12,570
God would never bring a,
a sickness into your life.

615
00:30:13,380 --> 00:30:14,340
You're not gonna get cancer.

616
00:30:15,750 --> 00:30:16,110
You know what?

617
00:30:16,110 --> 00:30:17,190
You'll never lose your job.

618
00:30:18,090 --> 00:30:19,380
God wants you to be happy.

619
00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:20,910
God wants your best life.

620
00:30:20,910 --> 00:30:22,410
Now you're, you're fine.

621
00:30:22,650 --> 00:30:25,260
In fact, yeah, I know the next
round of layoffs is coming,

622
00:30:25,260 --> 00:30:26,160
but, but you're gonna be fine.

623
00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:26,430
You know why?

624
00:30:26,430 --> 00:30:27,660
Because God wants you happy.

625
00:30:30,900 --> 00:30:34,170
These are the lies of the Sandy Foundation
of the House from Matthew seven.

626
00:30:34,170 --> 00:30:36,630
These are the rocks and the
soil here from Matthew 13.

627
00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:39,510
Does God want you to be happy men?

628
00:30:40,500 --> 00:30:41,550
Does God want you to be happy?

629
00:30:42,870 --> 00:30:44,640
Yeah, absolutely.

630
00:30:45,570 --> 00:30:46,795
But not as much as he
wants you to be Holy.

631
00:30:48,900 --> 00:30:50,670
He will see to your
holiness no matter what.

632
00:30:51,450 --> 00:30:53,940
And a lot of times he, because
of his grace and his mercy in

633
00:30:53,940 --> 00:30:56,970
our lives, that's gonna also
accompany seasons of happiness too.

634
00:30:57,750 --> 00:31:01,200
Not the same happiness the world offers
us, but a happiness that's better.

635
00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:04,470
A happiness that's deeper, A happiness
that comes from our brothers in cries.

636
00:31:04,470 --> 00:31:07,290
A happiness that comes from
enduring and pressing through

637
00:31:07,290 --> 00:31:08,700
and seeing his faithfulness.

638
00:31:11,100 --> 00:31:13,530
I said it a minute ago that the same
sun that can help grow a healthy

639
00:31:13,530 --> 00:31:15,930
plant with deep roots is gonna
wither the one with shallow roots.

640
00:31:17,715 --> 00:31:20,145
So you should expect opposition, right?

641
00:31:20,175 --> 00:31:22,905
If you're sitting here tonight, as,
as a believer, you should expect

642
00:31:22,905 --> 00:31:26,475
opposition, you should expect the
storm, you should expect the trial.

643
00:31:27,074 --> 00:31:31,155
You shouldn't buy into anything that
would, would promise you anything even

644
00:31:31,155 --> 00:31:35,504
close to this idea that, you know what
Christianity, it's, it's an easy road.

645
00:31:36,375 --> 00:31:39,435
It's walking the aisle and then
you get just to take a, a nice easy

646
00:31:39,435 --> 00:31:40,814
stroll all the way into e turn.

647
00:31:42,105 --> 00:31:45,435
In fact, if you read the, the, the New
Testament, if you read the New Testament,

648
00:31:45,435 --> 00:31:48,135
starting with the gospels and what Jesus
talks about, what it looks like to walk

649
00:31:48,315 --> 00:31:52,034
after him and to follow him, you won't
find anything even remotely close to that.

650
00:31:52,935 --> 00:31:54,195
Jesus says, you wanna follow me?

651
00:31:54,315 --> 00:31:54,794
Great.

652
00:31:54,825 --> 00:31:57,284
Here's your, here's your hangman's noose.

653
00:31:57,495 --> 00:31:58,754
Here's your electric chair.

654
00:31:58,815 --> 00:32:00,315
Here's your lethal injection.

655
00:32:00,405 --> 00:32:02,534
I need you to take it every
single day and come after me.

656
00:32:05,415 --> 00:32:06,615
Uh, you wanna be my follower.

657
00:32:06,705 --> 00:32:07,455
Fantastic.

658
00:32:07,605 --> 00:32:09,014
The road is narrow.

659
00:32:09,195 --> 00:32:10,635
In the way is hard.

660
00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:13,050
That leads to eternal life.

661
00:32:17,670 --> 00:32:19,710
And so it's important for us
to, again, examine ourselves.

662
00:32:19,710 --> 00:32:23,340
Have we been lulled into a modified
health wealth and prosperity gospel?

663
00:32:24,810 --> 00:32:28,620
In, in other words, have we read the,
the, the, the, the Bible and the gospel?

664
00:32:28,620 --> 00:32:31,860
Even things like I, I was just talking
about there, those passages and have we

665
00:32:32,070 --> 00:32:35,340
bought into the lie that okay, but yeah,
but I, I know that's generally true,

666
00:32:35,340 --> 00:32:36,570
but I'm gonna be the exception to that.

667
00:32:37,980 --> 00:32:39,030
God does want me to be happy.

668
00:32:39,420 --> 00:32:40,590
My road is gonna be smooth.

669
00:32:41,190 --> 00:32:42,510
I'm not gonna get the cancer.

670
00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:43,890
My marriage is gonna be perfect.

671
00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:45,990
All my kids are gonna get, get saved.

672
00:32:47,550 --> 00:32:48,900
See, I think that's our threat.

673
00:32:50,010 --> 00:32:53,670
I don't think any of us are here
saying, oh yeah, Joel Stein's my boy.

674
00:32:53,700 --> 00:32:54,780
I watch him all the time.

675
00:32:55,170 --> 00:32:56,700
I know what my super bloom season is.

676
00:32:56,700 --> 00:32:57,510
I'm leaving it right now.

677
00:32:57,510 --> 00:33:00,660
Can't you tell I don't think that's us.

678
00:33:01,350 --> 00:33:04,920
I think we're of the, the, the,
the camp that's like, I know the

679
00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:06,300
doctrine, I know the theology.

680
00:33:06,300 --> 00:33:08,220
I'm just praying to God
that I'm the exception.

681
00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:14,550
And the problem is if we embrace
that mentality, there's two potential

682
00:33:14,550 --> 00:33:15,870
dangers that we're gonna face.

683
00:33:16,860 --> 00:33:20,430
The first danger is when suffering does
come, it's gonna catch you flat-footed.

684
00:33:21,750 --> 00:33:22,920
It's gonna catch you not ready.

685
00:33:24,629 --> 00:33:27,510
See, expecting the suffering puts you in
a good position to be able to handle it.

686
00:33:27,510 --> 00:33:31,860
When it does come, it's the difference
between bracing for a punch, you

687
00:33:31,860 --> 00:33:34,500
know, is coming and getting sucker
punched in the back of the head.

688
00:33:36,885 --> 00:33:39,465
We have to make sure our faith
isn't only as good as the

689
00:33:39,465 --> 00:33:40,875
circumstances we find ourselves in.

690
00:33:42,375 --> 00:33:44,895
You have to anticipate the fact that
your circumstances are going to get

691
00:33:44,895 --> 00:33:46,545
worse at some point in time in this life.

692
00:33:47,115 --> 00:33:49,815
As you seek to follow Christ in a
christless world, it's going to get

693
00:33:49,815 --> 00:33:52,605
hard and you have to be ready for that.

694
00:33:54,075 --> 00:33:54,945
That's the first danger.

695
00:33:54,945 --> 00:33:57,585
If we embrace the mentality that says,
Lord, I just hope that I'm the exception

696
00:33:57,585 --> 00:33:58,665
is we're gonna be caught flat-footed.

697
00:33:58,665 --> 00:33:59,745
The second danger is this.

698
00:34:00,885 --> 00:34:02,775
We may not have true
saving faith to begin with.

699
00:34:04,980 --> 00:34:07,800
And that's something that, that as
pastors as we were even preparing

700
00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:10,710
this series, we're, we're not just
preparing this series to, to preach

701
00:34:10,710 --> 00:34:13,259
to a room full of people that we're a
hundred percent certain are Christians.

702
00:34:14,370 --> 00:34:16,799
Not that we're singling anyone
out in our mind saying, this guy I

703
00:34:16,799 --> 00:34:18,569
don't think is a Christian or that
guy I don't think is a Christian.

704
00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:24,060
But we also know the deceptive
nature of a false belief that

705
00:34:24,060 --> 00:34:26,429
you can think that you're in
Christ when you're not in Christ.

706
00:34:28,034 --> 00:34:30,495
And if you're think sitting
there thinking, okay, I, I just,

707
00:34:30,824 --> 00:34:32,745
I, I'm sure I'm the exception.

708
00:34:32,835 --> 00:34:35,895
If you're living with the expectation
that you're not gonna get the cancer,

709
00:34:35,895 --> 00:34:38,625
you're not gonna get laid off, that your
kids are going to all get saved, that

710
00:34:38,625 --> 00:34:43,065
the economy will never collapse, that
you'll never have to bury a child, that

711
00:34:43,065 --> 00:34:47,145
you will have kids to begin with, that
you'll find companionship because God is

712
00:34:47,145 --> 00:34:48,404
good and wants you to have good things.

713
00:34:48,580 --> 00:34:51,735
If, if that's your expectation and
your faith is anchored to that,

714
00:34:51,735 --> 00:34:53,324
because so far that's worked.

715
00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:57,150
What happens when you do
get the cancer diagnosis?

716
00:34:57,509 --> 00:35:00,480
What happens when your child
dies and you weep next to their

717
00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:02,009
graveside is you have to bury them.

718
00:35:02,339 --> 00:35:05,609
What happens when your
wife walks out on you?

719
00:35:05,609 --> 00:35:08,190
What happens when you lose your
job and have to sell your house

720
00:35:08,190 --> 00:35:09,270
to be able to make ends meet?

721
00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:12,330
What happens then if your faith is
built on the shallow foundation that

722
00:35:12,330 --> 00:35:15,600
says, well, God just wants me to
happy, and so far I've been happy as

723
00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:19,020
a believer, and so this Christianity
thing is great when all of a sudden

724
00:35:19,109 --> 00:35:20,970
you're not happy as a Christian anymore.

725
00:35:21,060 --> 00:35:23,100
You have to figure out,
do I have faith anymore?

726
00:35:24,330 --> 00:35:25,470
And if I do, in what?

727
00:35:27,810 --> 00:35:29,279
What am I holding onto anymore?

728
00:35:30,509 --> 00:35:33,720
If your faith is only as good as your
circumstances, when the storms hit,

729
00:35:33,899 --> 00:35:39,455
when the sun scorches, your faith will
crumble, which is where we're headed

730
00:35:39,455 --> 00:35:40,615
in our final point this evening.

731
00:35:42,955 --> 00:35:44,734
But first, lemme remind you of a verse.

732
00:35:45,509 --> 00:35:46,800
That we're gonna talk about this weekend.

733
00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:49,740
It's a verse that even Pastor Rod was
alluding to in the, the illustration

734
00:35:49,740 --> 00:35:51,360
with the, the mountain lion on the path.

735
00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:53,130
It's this verse one Peter five, eight.

736
00:35:53,130 --> 00:35:55,530
He says, be sober minded and be watchful.

737
00:35:55,590 --> 00:35:58,230
Your adversary, the devil
prowls around like a roaring

738
00:35:58,230 --> 00:36:01,620
lion seeking someone to devour

739
00:36:03,900 --> 00:36:04,140
men.

740
00:36:04,140 --> 00:36:07,195
Stand guard, like Pastor
Rod was saying, be alert.

741
00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:13,350
Be watchful because you have an enemy
with legions of demons at his disposal

742
00:36:13,350 --> 00:36:17,760
who wants to do everything in his power
to take you out, and I don't think

743
00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:19,140
he's gonna do that by killing you.

744
00:36:20,100 --> 00:36:22,950
I think he's gonna do that by lulling
you into a false sense of security and

745
00:36:22,950 --> 00:36:26,190
a gospel that doesn't save, and then
ripping it out from under your feet

746
00:36:26,220 --> 00:36:29,700
all of a sudden, because that's gonna
damage the kingdom, that's gonna damage

747
00:36:29,700 --> 00:36:32,400
the testimony, that's gonna damage the
name of Jesus more than anything else.

748
00:36:32,475 --> 00:36:37,035
Well, when the world looks at people
who once stood up and said, yeah,

749
00:36:37,035 --> 00:36:38,085
I go to church, I'm a Christian.

750
00:36:38,145 --> 00:36:39,315
And then they walk away.

751
00:36:39,615 --> 00:36:41,055
And how many of those
stories have we seen?

752
00:36:41,205 --> 00:36:45,615
The deconstruction people, the, the
YouTubers and everybody else that

753
00:36:45,735 --> 00:36:47,205
were once saying, I'm a believer.

754
00:36:47,295 --> 00:36:48,134
And then they walk away.

755
00:36:48,134 --> 00:36:49,424
And what do they do on the way out, man?

756
00:36:49,424 --> 00:36:51,825
They pick up the biggest stones that
they possibly can and they throw

757
00:36:51,825 --> 00:36:52,845
them at Christ on their way out.

758
00:36:52,845 --> 00:36:53,205
Don't they?

759
00:36:55,515 --> 00:36:56,955
Be on the alert.

760
00:36:56,955 --> 00:36:59,145
Make sure you believe the biblical gospel.

761
00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:04,920
Make sure that you've built your
faith, your, your life on the rock.

762
00:37:06,750 --> 00:37:10,350
And again, as you share the gospel, make
sure that you share the biblical gospel.

763
00:37:11,370 --> 00:37:12,750
Don't sell a bill of goods.

764
00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:16,170
Don't make the gospel about,
Hey, your life is gonna get

765
00:37:16,170 --> 00:37:17,069
so much better if you come.

766
00:37:17,069 --> 00:37:17,580
Follow Jesus.

767
00:37:20,399 --> 00:37:24,089
Preach Christ, preach forgiveness,
preach hope and eternity.

768
00:37:24,509 --> 00:37:25,770
Preach hope in the inheritance.

769
00:37:25,770 --> 00:37:26,339
That's ours.

770
00:37:26,339 --> 00:37:28,830
That's imperishable and unfading
and undefiled that's being kept in

771
00:37:28,830 --> 00:37:31,950
heaven for us who are being guarded
by God's faith for salvation ready

772
00:37:31,950 --> 00:37:33,209
to be revealed in the last time.

773
00:37:35,430 --> 00:37:38,640
And be honest with your
own testimony, man, I'm I.

774
00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:40,319
This is not about your life.

775
00:37:40,379 --> 00:37:42,839
Your life may get better,
your life may not improve.

776
00:37:42,839 --> 00:37:44,220
Your MI life might get harder.

777
00:37:44,220 --> 00:37:44,640
Let me tell you.

778
00:37:45,015 --> 00:37:47,475
This is how my life has been
since I followed Christ.

779
00:37:47,654 --> 00:37:49,875
It hasn't been all roses and dandelions.

780
00:37:50,025 --> 00:37:53,265
I've walked through some stuff, but
this is why Jesus makes it better.

781
00:37:53,325 --> 00:37:55,815
As I go through the valley, as
I walk through the the trial,

782
00:37:58,395 --> 00:38:00,465
be honest with people
as you evangelize them.

783
00:38:00,884 --> 00:38:02,190
Uncover the lies of shallow faith.

784
00:38:03,270 --> 00:38:07,140
As we see shallow faith when
tested can become abandoned faith.

785
00:38:07,860 --> 00:38:10,560
If your faith is only as good as
your circumstances, the end of

786
00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:12,660
that shallow faith is, is not a
place that any of us wanna be.

787
00:38:12,660 --> 00:38:14,790
And so our final point this
evening is this fear the end.

788
00:38:15,509 --> 00:38:18,060
Fear that end of shallow faith,

789
00:38:21,030 --> 00:38:22,170
fear the end of shallow faith.

790
00:38:22,170 --> 00:38:25,200
Again, in our text it says, and
when tribulation or persecution

791
00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:30,360
arises on account of the word,
immediately, he falls away.

792
00:38:33,195 --> 00:38:38,475
In fact, if you look at, at the fullness
of verse 21, there it says, yet he has no

793
00:38:38,475 --> 00:38:41,145
root in himself but endures for a while.

794
00:38:42,285 --> 00:38:45,105
That word e endures for a while
comes from a word that emphasizes

795
00:38:45,105 --> 00:38:46,875
that it's temporary or transitory.

796
00:38:47,565 --> 00:38:51,075
Sometimes we think of endurance as
something that's really good, an endurance

797
00:38:51,075 --> 00:38:54,165
runner, those crazy people that run
marathons, and the a hundred milers

798
00:38:54,165 --> 00:38:57,885
and all those things, that endurance
is something that lasts a long time.

799
00:38:58,215 --> 00:38:59,745
This word is almost
stressing the opposite.

800
00:39:00,810 --> 00:39:02,370
They endure, but only for a little bit.

801
00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:06,720
They're only with Christ for a tiny
little bit of, uh, uh, of time.

802
00:39:08,220 --> 00:39:09,330
It's not gonna last.

803
00:39:09,330 --> 00:39:12,210
In fact, the the word suggests
that it's, it's not long at all.

804
00:39:12,690 --> 00:39:15,120
Maybe they're gonna write off one
or two disappointments initially

805
00:39:15,540 --> 00:39:17,430
after they profess faith in Christ.

806
00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:21,630
But at some point, the storm's gonna get
too much and they're gonna look for the

807
00:39:21,630 --> 00:39:23,040
nearest lifeboat and get off the ship.

808
00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:25,200
They're gonna say, I'm, I'm out.

809
00:39:25,290 --> 00:39:25,890
I'm not in.

810
00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:28,290
And they're gonna fall away.

811
00:39:29,625 --> 00:39:30,464
They're gonna fall away.

812
00:39:32,055 --> 00:39:35,294
Verse 21 tells us that they fall
away because their shallow faith

813
00:39:35,294 --> 00:39:37,395
starts to cost them too much.

814
00:39:37,935 --> 00:39:43,484
When tribulation or opposition arises on
account of the word, they fall away again.

815
00:39:43,484 --> 00:39:46,575
Maybe you think back in your own
life of, of people who were once

816
00:39:46,575 --> 00:39:50,115
by all appearances walking with the
Lord, but now they're living a life

817
00:39:50,115 --> 00:39:51,615
that completely denies the gospel.

818
00:39:53,294 --> 00:39:56,174
Maybe it was a youth pastor
that you had that's walked away.

819
00:39:57,525 --> 00:39:59,355
Maybe it's a family
member that's walked away.

820
00:40:00,825 --> 00:40:03,855
Maybe it's a, a celebrity that initially
you thought, Hey, look at this person.

821
00:40:03,855 --> 00:40:06,195
They're, they're following
Jesus and they've walked away.

822
00:40:07,395 --> 00:40:09,795
Maybe it's a pastor who walked away.

823
00:40:12,435 --> 00:40:17,325
Remember the deception of shallow
faith that that ultimately leads to

824
00:40:17,325 --> 00:40:20,655
this end because this was a person
that looked every part of a Christian.

825
00:40:21,795 --> 00:40:23,175
They said the right things.

826
00:40:23,175 --> 00:40:26,715
They, they, they carried the
ESV or the LSB if you'd rather.

827
00:40:26,745 --> 00:40:27,195
Speaker 2: Right.

828
00:40:27,405 --> 00:40:28,755
Speaker: They're super Christians.

829
00:40:31,245 --> 00:40:37,245
They look the part, they're even showing
some signs of, of positive movements.

830
00:40:38,055 --> 00:40:40,040
Maybe they're, they're willing
to do a Bible study with you.

831
00:40:40,365 --> 00:40:42,045
They're memorizing scripture.

832
00:40:42,405 --> 00:40:43,905
They're thinking, man,
this, this is awesome.

833
00:40:43,995 --> 00:40:46,815
Maybe they're even sharing
the gospel with other people.

834
00:40:46,905 --> 00:40:49,095
And if somebody were to pull
you aside and say, Hey, is

835
00:40:49,095 --> 00:40:50,535
this person a, a, a Christian?

836
00:40:50,535 --> 00:40:52,785
You would say, you would laugh and
you would say, what do you mean?

837
00:40:52,785 --> 00:40:57,675
Of course they're a Christian, because
remember the deception of shallow faith.

838
00:40:58,965 --> 00:41:03,285
But then the trials came and the,
the storms began to mount blow after

839
00:41:03,285 --> 00:41:06,405
blow came to their finances, to
their marriage, to their parenting.

840
00:41:09,480 --> 00:41:12,300
And for a little while, they were
comforted by promises of God's word

841
00:41:12,300 --> 00:41:15,930
of, of all things work together
for good, for those that love God.

842
00:41:16,275 --> 00:41:17,250
And, and, and you know what?

843
00:41:17,250 --> 00:41:19,470
There's, there's a future glory that's
gonna make the suffering that they're

844
00:41:19,470 --> 00:41:22,470
going through right now feel like light
momentary affliction, but eventually that

845
00:41:22,470 --> 00:41:28,530
light momentary affliction feels a lot
more like heavy ongoing crushing weight.

846
00:41:30,464 --> 00:41:34,665
And instead of turning to the Lord, now
they, they begin to turn to sinful outlets

847
00:41:34,665 --> 00:41:36,975
to be just distracted, to escape reality.

848
00:41:37,935 --> 00:41:42,645
And they're finding those far more
effective than the Bible verses or the

849
00:41:42,645 --> 00:41:49,424
Bible studies or the conversations than
guilt from these sinful encounters,

850
00:41:50,145 --> 00:41:53,595
mounts, and adds to their disenchantment
with the God they thought they knew

851
00:41:53,595 --> 00:41:54,915
until it reaches a breaking point.

852
00:41:54,915 --> 00:41:56,980
And they make, they make a decision
that they thought they never would.

853
00:41:59,310 --> 00:42:01,680
They look in the mirror and
realize they don't believe anymore.

854
00:42:02,970 --> 00:42:05,160
In fact, they would say they,
they can't believe anymore.

855
00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:09,360
They can't continue to obey the word
and trust of God, who doesn't seem

856
00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:11,940
to care for them the way that they
thought that God should care for them.

857
00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:17,640
Too much has happened and they've
suffered too much for God to be good,

858
00:42:18,210 --> 00:42:20,730
and now they've gone so far down the
road of sin that they feel like there's

859
00:42:20,730 --> 00:42:22,380
no coming back, even if they wanted to.

860
00:42:23,730 --> 00:42:26,940
And so they embrace the stark reality
and they admit they're not a Christian.

861
00:42:31,365 --> 00:42:32,655
Matthew 7 25.

862
00:42:32,715 --> 00:42:35,325
The rain fell, the floods came,
the winds blew and beat on that

863
00:42:35,325 --> 00:42:39,495
house, but it did not fall because
it had been founded on the rock.

864
00:42:40,695 --> 00:42:45,015
Matthew 7 27, the rain fell, the
floods came, the winds blew and

865
00:42:45,015 --> 00:42:50,415
beat against that house and it
fell and great was the fall of it.

866
00:42:51,675 --> 00:42:53,415
Great was the fall of it

867
00:42:55,455 --> 00:42:56,145
when a man.

868
00:42:57,465 --> 00:43:01,125
In shallow faith in the rocky
ground falls away from Christ.

869
00:43:01,125 --> 00:43:02,384
It is devastating.

870
00:43:04,275 --> 00:43:09,705
It's devastating to him, to his
family, to his loved ones, to his

871
00:43:09,705 --> 00:43:15,134
brothers and sisters in Christ, to
his church, and to Christ himself.

872
00:43:17,505 --> 00:43:21,375
This is why the writer of Hebrews
has so much to say to this man.

873
00:43:23,415 --> 00:43:24,465
Hebrews six.

874
00:43:25,560 --> 00:43:29,790
Starting in verse four
says, it's, it's impossible.

875
00:43:30,300 --> 00:43:33,420
In the case of those who have once
been enlightened, who have tasted

876
00:43:33,420 --> 00:43:37,110
the heavenly gift and have shared
in the Holy Spirit, man, that sounds

877
00:43:37,110 --> 00:43:38,610
a lot like a Christian, doesn't it?

878
00:43:39,720 --> 00:43:41,130
And, and, and yet it's not.

879
00:43:41,190 --> 00:43:42,480
And you say, well, how
do you know it's not?

880
00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:45,900
Because shortly after this, the writer
of Hebrew says, but in your case,

881
00:43:45,900 --> 00:43:49,350
beloved, we are convinced of far better
things, things pertaining to salvation.

882
00:43:50,970 --> 00:43:54,569
So the writer of Hebrews separates the
one he's talking about here in Hebrews

883
00:43:54,569 --> 00:43:58,470
six, four from the, the believers
that he's writing to there by when

884
00:43:58,470 --> 00:44:01,710
he says, we're convinced of better
things for you, things about salvation.

885
00:44:01,770 --> 00:44:02,129
Okay?

886
00:44:02,430 --> 00:44:04,620
But this sounds a lot like
a Christian, doesn't it?

887
00:44:05,129 --> 00:44:07,440
Look, I, I mean, if you've got
your Bibles, you can make your

888
00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:09,660
way over to Hebrews six, four,
and, and put your eyes on it.

889
00:44:10,109 --> 00:44:10,815
It's impossible.

890
00:44:10,815 --> 00:44:15,029
In the case of those who have once been
enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly

891
00:44:15,029 --> 00:44:17,220
gift and shared in the Holy Spirit.

892
00:44:17,549 --> 00:44:21,209
And have tasted of the goodness of the
word of God and the powers of the age to

893
00:44:21,209 --> 00:44:27,810
come, what in the world, we would look at
that person by all reasonable conclusions.

894
00:44:27,810 --> 00:44:29,310
Say he's talking about a Christian.

895
00:44:29,310 --> 00:44:31,529
That's why people argue this
is a passage that says somebody

896
00:44:31,529 --> 00:44:32,640
can lose their salvation.

897
00:44:32,939 --> 00:44:34,560
But again, my argument earlier holds.

898
00:44:34,560 --> 00:44:36,209
I think that he's
separating them out here.

899
00:44:36,390 --> 00:44:37,980
So then who is this person?

900
00:44:39,569 --> 00:44:41,669
I think this is the rocky soil.

901
00:44:42,629 --> 00:44:45,314
I think this is, as Pastor Mark's gonna
preach on tomorrow, the thorny soil.

902
00:44:47,105 --> 00:44:49,259
And, and notice what he
says, it's impossible

903
00:44:51,270 --> 00:44:54,660
once they've done all of those
things and then have fallen away

904
00:44:54,660 --> 00:44:57,930
to restore them again to repentance
since they are crucifying once

905
00:44:57,930 --> 00:45:02,430
again, the son of God to their own
harm and holding him up to contempt.

906
00:45:04,485 --> 00:45:06,509
This is why this is
something to fear y'all.

907
00:45:08,160 --> 00:45:12,150
We don't know who's beyond
the saving reach of of God.

908
00:45:13,035 --> 00:45:15,944
Not because God's incapable,
but because God gets to a point

909
00:45:15,944 --> 00:45:17,295
where, point where he's unwilling.

910
00:45:19,005 --> 00:45:21,045
We don't know who falls
into that category.

911
00:45:21,525 --> 00:45:24,495
There are people that are in the,
the rocky ground and they walk

912
00:45:24,495 --> 00:45:26,295
away, and then they truly get saved.

913
00:45:27,015 --> 00:45:27,345
There.

914
00:45:27,375 --> 00:45:31,005
There is that person that's out there,
but then I, I think there's a lot of

915
00:45:31,005 --> 00:45:34,634
people that were in the rocky ground
that walk away and God says, I'm done.

916
00:45:36,285 --> 00:45:36,674
I'm done.

917
00:45:37,755 --> 00:45:39,615
You've spurned Jesus.

918
00:45:39,944 --> 00:45:41,714
You've trampled his blood under your foot.

919
00:45:42,450 --> 00:45:43,500
You've rejected him.

920
00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:45,210
I'm finished.

921
00:45:46,140 --> 00:45:46,710
Have at it.

922
00:45:47,280 --> 00:45:48,180
Take whatever you want.

923
00:45:50,490 --> 00:45:52,440
That is terrifying.

924
00:45:54,150 --> 00:45:57,390
The end of shallow faith that walks away
from God while accusing him of failing to

925
00:45:57,390 --> 00:46:00,420
be the God they thought he was is hell.

926
00:46:02,580 --> 00:46:04,290
This is not saving faith.

927
00:46:06,464 --> 00:46:08,745
And when they walk away accusing
God of failing to be the God that

928
00:46:08,745 --> 00:46:09,884
they thought he was, they're right.

929
00:46:09,915 --> 00:46:11,895
He's not the God he that
they thought he was.

930
00:46:16,035 --> 00:46:18,015
The God they're walking away from
is the God who doesn't actually

931
00:46:18,015 --> 00:46:21,044
exist outside the shattered remnants
of their dreams and expectations.

932
00:46:25,245 --> 00:46:26,955
And this is why we have
to be men of the word.

933
00:46:28,544 --> 00:46:29,475
We have to know the Bible.

934
00:46:30,524 --> 00:46:31,575
We have to read the Bible.

935
00:46:31,904 --> 00:46:32,325
We have to.

936
00:46:33,825 --> 00:46:34,935
Devour the Bible.

937
00:46:35,055 --> 00:46:37,965
We have to, like Pastor Rod said, we
have to come hungry to the word of God.

938
00:46:38,715 --> 00:46:40,845
We have to be the men that
we've been studying about

939
00:46:40,845 --> 00:46:41,955
in men's Bible study, right?

940
00:46:41,955 --> 00:46:44,565
During this resolve series,
men like Daniel and Elijah and

941
00:46:44,565 --> 00:46:46,305
Joseph, think of those men.

942
00:46:46,785 --> 00:46:47,355
Did, did they?

943
00:46:47,355 --> 00:46:49,725
Did they go through any
trials for following the Lord?

944
00:46:51,135 --> 00:46:56,235
Little Paquito, a few Daniel's
ripped outta Babylon, outta

945
00:46:56,445 --> 00:46:57,465
or ripped outta Jerusalem.

946
00:46:57,465 --> 00:46:59,715
He's ripped away from the temple
he is ripped out of, of Israel.

947
00:46:59,715 --> 00:46:59,835
He is.

948
00:46:59,835 --> 00:47:01,125
He's taken to this foreign land.

949
00:47:02,910 --> 00:47:05,340
Oh, and then by the way, there's
this law about, hey, you, you

950
00:47:05,340 --> 00:47:08,430
can't worship anybody, but, but
the, the King of Persia here.

951
00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:11,340
Oh, Daniel, you're worshiping Yahweh.

952
00:47:11,340 --> 00:47:11,490
Yeah.

953
00:47:11,490 --> 00:47:16,740
We're gonna throw you to a, a,
the, the lions Joseph, Joseph

954
00:47:16,740 --> 00:47:18,000
face any suffering in his life.

955
00:47:19,140 --> 00:47:20,340
A little bit, huh?

956
00:47:21,810 --> 00:47:24,360
All of those men went through periods
of trial that was made even harder

957
00:47:24,360 --> 00:47:27,060
because of their relationship with God,
and yet they all stayed the course.

958
00:47:28,740 --> 00:47:31,260
Peter, Paul, James, John New Testament.

959
00:47:31,964 --> 00:47:35,955
These men would all suffer immensely
for their relationship with God.

960
00:47:35,955 --> 00:47:37,785
And yet they all stayed
the course because why?

961
00:47:37,785 --> 00:47:39,734
Because their faith transcended
their circumstances.

962
00:47:39,884 --> 00:47:41,205
So their roots ran deep.

963
00:47:43,725 --> 00:47:43,935
Man.

964
00:47:43,935 --> 00:47:45,194
What's the state of your faith tonight?

965
00:47:45,975 --> 00:47:46,995
Are the roots running deep?

966
00:47:47,835 --> 00:47:49,365
Is your foundation the rock?

967
00:47:50,055 --> 00:47:50,805
Is your foundation?

968
00:47:50,805 --> 00:47:51,345
The sand?

969
00:47:52,424 --> 00:47:53,830
What's your hope where you sit tonight?

970
00:47:57,075 --> 00:47:58,155
What I know to be true is this.

971
00:47:58,155 --> 00:48:00,645
If you're here tonight and you have truly
repented from your sins and put your trust

972
00:48:00,645 --> 00:48:06,435
in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior,
that there's not a storm and there's no

973
00:48:06,435 --> 00:48:13,215
amount of brilliant scorching light that
can take you away or shake your faith,

974
00:48:16,095 --> 00:48:20,685
Romans 8 35 through the end,
Paul says, who can separate

975
00:48:20,685 --> 00:48:21,525
us from the love of Christ?

976
00:48:21,525 --> 00:48:22,815
Spoiler alert, nobody.

977
00:48:25,860 --> 00:48:28,050
So if you're in Christ, you
don't have to fear falling away.

978
00:48:29,730 --> 00:48:33,120
But I still think even with this last
point, it's helpful, helpful for us.

979
00:48:33,120 --> 00:48:36,660
Much like the warning passages of
Hebrews are to say, man, I don't

980
00:48:36,810 --> 00:48:43,290
want to even come close to modeling
or showing or living anything even

981
00:48:43,290 --> 00:48:45,030
closely resembling a shallow faith.

982
00:48:46,410 --> 00:48:50,220
I don't want in, in the good soil of
my heart to let any pockets of rocky

983
00:48:50,220 --> 00:48:51,540
soil begin to creep into my life.

984
00:48:53,490 --> 00:48:56,370
It's like these things, you've
probably heard me talk about this

985
00:48:56,370 --> 00:48:58,710
before, but what is that guard rail?

986
00:48:58,710 --> 00:49:00,000
It's a guardrail, right?

987
00:49:00,210 --> 00:49:03,810
And they put them where they put them
on, on places that are dangerous.

988
00:49:04,380 --> 00:49:07,230
Back in, in California, we took
our, our college students to a

989
00:49:07,230 --> 00:49:08,970
retreat in, in Prescott, Arizona.

990
00:49:08,970 --> 00:49:11,400
If you're not familiar with
Prescott, Arizona, uh, this

991
00:49:11,400 --> 00:49:12,630
next image may shock you.

992
00:49:12,779 --> 00:49:15,840
But this is actually a, a live image that
was taken of our, our college students

993
00:49:15,840 --> 00:49:17,850
on the way up to the retreat center.

994
00:49:19,380 --> 00:49:19,890
Um.

995
00:49:21,345 --> 00:49:24,045
Yeah, I was in that bus and
Danny was in the bus behind me.

996
00:49:24,675 --> 00:49:28,485
Um, but the, the, the, the
guardrails are there on the, the

997
00:49:28,485 --> 00:49:33,195
mountain road and they're there
because the, the, the guardrails

998
00:49:33,195 --> 00:49:34,545
aren't gonna do much good are they?

999
00:49:35,235 --> 00:49:39,135
Like, if, if you hit those guardrails,
you're probably not coming back.

1000
00:49:39,735 --> 00:49:43,005
The guardrails there more to serve as a
reminder to you to say, Hey, idiot, stay

1001
00:49:43,005 --> 00:49:44,715
away from the side of the, the road.

1002
00:49:45,285 --> 00:49:47,805
Because if you don't, you're
gonna end up like these guys.

1003
00:49:49,575 --> 00:49:49,634
Woo.

1004
00:49:53,024 --> 00:49:54,585
This is also from our bridge retreat.

1005
00:49:54,645 --> 00:50:01,125
Um, this, this was Danny's bus,
um, the Danny off the side.

1006
00:50:01,185 --> 00:50:01,904
Yes.

1007
00:50:01,964 --> 00:50:02,294
Yeah.

1008
00:50:02,475 --> 00:50:04,634
This, yeah, that, that guy
Swan diving off the side.

1009
00:50:07,875 --> 00:50:12,075
Men, the guardrails are there to
keep you close to the mountain.

1010
00:50:13,605 --> 00:50:14,774
The mountain is Christ.

1011
00:50:15,855 --> 00:50:18,615
And as you navigate this life,
this road that you're in.

1012
00:50:19,500 --> 00:50:21,540
Uh, there's times that you
go up a mountain road where

1013
00:50:21,540 --> 00:50:22,470
you feel pretty comfortable.

1014
00:50:23,400 --> 00:50:24,780
It's not all that frightening.

1015
00:50:25,800 --> 00:50:29,070
And yet there's other stretches of a
mountain road where you are so thankful

1016
00:50:29,550 --> 00:50:33,420
that the guardrail is there because it
reminds you don't get close to the edge.

1017
00:50:34,125 --> 00:50:37,140
And, and even there's some safety.

1018
00:50:37,200 --> 00:50:42,720
The closer you get to the mountain isn't
there as you continue up that road.

1019
00:50:45,420 --> 00:50:47,850
And then the fate that we want you to
have is a faith that hugs the mountain.

1020
00:50:49,725 --> 00:50:51,495
That doesn't come anywhere
close to the guardrail.

1021
00:50:52,545 --> 00:50:54,525
And so that's one of our
motivations in preaching this,

1022
00:50:54,525 --> 00:50:56,775
this weekend to you because why?

1023
00:50:56,775 --> 00:50:58,634
Because untested faith is unproven faith.

1024
00:50:58,634 --> 00:51:00,435
We want everybody in this
room to have a tested faith.

1025
00:51:00,435 --> 00:51:01,395
That is a proven faith.

1026
00:51:02,025 --> 00:51:04,905
We want everybody in this room to have
a faith that goes deep, roots that

1027
00:51:04,905 --> 00:51:08,325
run, deep roots that are there, so that
the condition of your heart, as Pastor

1028
00:51:08,325 --> 00:51:10,365
Rod was saying earlier, determines
the fruitfulness of your response.

1029
00:51:10,365 --> 00:51:13,155
We want this to be a room full of
men that have a fruitful heart.

1030
00:51:13,155 --> 00:51:14,565
You're gonna hear more
about that tomorrow.

1031
00:51:16,140 --> 00:51:20,130
But shallow faith, like we've
talked about tonight, won't pass

1032
00:51:20,130 --> 00:51:21,420
the test when they inevitably come.

1033
00:51:23,370 --> 00:51:25,440
And so let this passage be
a warning to us tonight.

1034
00:51:26,190 --> 00:51:29,730
Let this passage spur on our evangelism
tonight as we think about how we

1035
00:51:29,730 --> 00:51:33,089
share the gospel with others, let it
spur on our discipleship with other

1036
00:51:33,089 --> 00:51:36,120
people and other brothers in Christ
to say, Hey, we wanna make sure that

1037
00:51:36,360 --> 00:51:37,770
I, I wanna hold you accountable.

1038
00:51:37,830 --> 00:51:38,730
I wanna spur you on.

1039
00:51:38,730 --> 00:51:41,400
I, I wanna see that you don't drift
away, and I want you to see that I

1040
00:51:41,400 --> 00:51:45,299
don't drift away, so that we both
cross the finish line together.

1041
00:51:47,445 --> 00:51:48,225
Lemme pray for us.

1042
00:51:49,905 --> 00:51:53,355
God, we are grateful for Christ and
we are thankful that we can build the

1043
00:51:53,355 --> 00:51:57,495
house on him, the solid rock, and that
we can have that firm foundation so

1044
00:51:57,495 --> 00:52:00,795
that when the storm comes, the rain
is gonna hit, that the winds are gonna

1045
00:52:00,795 --> 00:52:02,355
blow and is gonna beat against us.

1046
00:52:02,355 --> 00:52:07,095
And yet we'll be stronger still through
it all because of our faith in Christ.

1047
00:52:08,535 --> 00:52:12,345
Lord I I pray for anybody in this
room tonight whose heart is rocky.

1048
00:52:13,950 --> 00:52:16,680
That as they listened to this
sermon tonight that you would've

1049
00:52:16,680 --> 00:52:17,700
been revealing that to them.

1050
00:52:18,660 --> 00:52:22,770
I pray that you would in your
mercy to them, even though

1051
00:52:22,770 --> 00:52:24,030
it might not feel like that.

1052
00:52:24,930 --> 00:52:28,710
I pray that you would make them
miserable tonight until they do

1053
00:52:28,710 --> 00:52:33,060
business with you, and I pray that you
would lead them to genuine repentance.

1054
00:52:35,010 --> 00:52:39,330
Lord, you are the one that can cultivate
the heart to make it rich in good soil.

1055
00:52:40,335 --> 00:52:42,015
I pray that you do that
in anybody's heart.

1056
00:52:42,015 --> 00:52:42,915
Who needs that tonight?

1057
00:52:44,865 --> 00:52:48,525
For those that are here in this room,
Lord, that are believers, I pray that this

1058
00:52:48,525 --> 00:52:51,165
would be an occasion for us to examine
our hearts to say, are there pockets of

1059
00:52:51,165 --> 00:52:57,195
rocky soil somewhere in my heart where my
faith is shallow, where if bought a lie,

1060
00:52:59,280 --> 00:53:05,085
and that you would help us to turn that
over to you, to repent in those areas

1061
00:53:06,315 --> 00:53:07,345
and to continue to bear fruit for you?

1062
00:53:09,120 --> 00:53:09,960
Well thanks for this evening.

1063
00:53:09,960 --> 00:53:10,650
Thanks for these men.

1064
00:53:10,650 --> 00:53:11,700
Thanks for the patience.

1065
00:53:12,270 --> 00:53:12,840
Two messages.

1066
00:53:12,840 --> 00:53:14,340
A lot to process so far.

1067
00:53:14,340 --> 00:53:17,520
We've got two more tomorrow, but this
is so good for us to give ourselves

1068
00:53:17,520 --> 00:53:18,480
over to the study of your word.

1069
00:53:19,170 --> 00:53:21,210
So we pray that this would
be a fruitful weekend for us.

1070
00:53:21,210 --> 00:53:22,410
In Jesus' name, amen.

1071
00:53:23,520 --> 00:53:25,890
Alright man, just a couple
of notes real quick.

1072
00:53:26,580 --> 00:53:30,630
Um, what we're gonna do from here is
we are gonna go to to small groups.

1073
00:53:30,630 --> 00:53:33,270
Now small groups don't
have to be your normal and.