The Good Ground Hearer, Part 3

In this part of the sermon: Martin reflects on Jesus' unrecorded years, suggesting he studied the 'book of God,' 'book of nature,' and 'book of the human heart.' He argues that the parable of the sower…

An analogy suggesting Jesus spent his unrecorded years studying the 'book of God' (Scripture), the 'book of nature,' and the 'book of the human heart.' This illustrates the depth of insight Jesus brought to his parables, particularly the parable of the sower.

As you have reflected upon not only what is revealed concerning the life of our Lord, but what is not revealed, have you ever wondered what the Lord Jesus did during the time of his infancy, as recorded in Matthew chapter 1 and 2, and in Luke 1 and 2, and the time of his presentation. Formally and publicly in the waters of Jordan, at which time he was identified and set apart as God's Messiah. Have you ever wondered what he was doing during all of those years between his infancy and his full maturity as a man?

3:34 - 4:17 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The only valid evidence of a saving reception of the Word is continuance in a course of fruit bearing.

Pastor Clark's experience at a conference where a speaker taught that rocky and thorny ground hearers could be true Christians, despite being fruitless. This anecdote serves to validate Martin's earlier point that the idea of fruitless Christians is a prevalent, damnable heresy, not a 'straw dummy' argument.

said, really, pastor must be striking at straw dummies. Well, in our elders meeting last night, Pastor Clark mentioned that this very principle is not valid. And I think that's a very important principle that should be held to respect and respect for the good of our people. Every week, He listened to a series of tapes from a conference of responsible Christians and Christian leaders in which, someone gave a series of studies on the various kinds of Christians. And he used the parable of the sower, And apart from the stony ground soil all the others were true Christians. And so you had two kind...

10:48 - 11:25 Read in full sermon

Driving home: the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

An analogy of calling 'star' or 'key witnesses' in a courtroom to prove a case. This sets up the subsequent sections where Martin brings forth biblical passages as 'witnesses' to the natural condition of the human heart.

And we're going to call in four witnesses this morning. When they have a trial of great significance they talk about their star or key witnesses. And when a man's trying to prove his case of prosecuting attorney, he will call in his key witnesses. Well, we're going to call in four key witnesses this morning.

22:22 - 22:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third witness is Jesus, who in Mark 7 teaches that defilement comes from the evil thoughts and sins proceeding from within the heart. The fourth witness is Paul, who in Romans…

An example of the Pharisees' extreme and unbiblical traditions regarding ceremonial washings, particularly after coming from the marketplace, to avoid defilement from Gentiles. This illustrates their externalistic view of religion, which Jesus confronts in Mark 7.

They thought if you were in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing, saying the right words, you'd be right. So if they saw anyone who wasn't in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing, and saying the right words, they got terribly upset. And so they took exception to Jesus' disciples. They'd come in from the marketplace and instead of going through all kinds of washings prescribed by the scribes and Pharisees, not by God's law, but by their traditions, they thought someone was defiled.

36:00 - 36:27 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third witness is Jesus, who in Mark 7 teaches that defilement comes from the evil thoughts and sins proceeding from within the heart. The fourth witness is Paul, who in Romans…

A vivid, somewhat humorous, and exaggerated illustration of the Pharisees' fear of defilement, imagining Gentile germs on a banana. This highlights the absurdity of their external focus and sets up Jesus' teaching on internal defilement.

I mean, a Gentile might have been three blocks away from the stand where you bought your bananas. And if he sneezed, some of his Gentile germs might be on the banana. And if you eat that banana without ceremonially washing it in your hands, you might be defiled with Gentile dog germs. And then you're going to ingest those and take those into the holy system of an Israelite?

36:27 - 36:49 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You see, we do not believe in order to be born again. We are born from above in order that we might believe.

A metaphor describing natural humanity as "spiritual moles" who hate the light and love the dark tunnels of their sinful hearts. This illustrates the natural man's aversion to God's truth and his preference for sin, leading to the ultimate darkness of hell.

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. This is the condemnation, John 3.19 and following, that light has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light. By nature we are all spiritual moles.

52:02 - 52:15 Read in full sermon

Driving home: They didn't make their own hearts good soil. No other human being could make their hearts good soil.

An example of parents' deep desire to make their children's hearts good soil, even at great personal cost. This illustrates the human inability to effect spiritual change and underscores that only God can do this work.

The good soil portrays that person who hearing the message of God's saving mercy in Christ is given a saving sight of the glory of Christ, a saving embrace of the person and work of Christ, a saving transformation into an obedient servant of Christ. They didn't make their own hearts good soil. No other human being could make their hearts good soil. God knows those of us who are parents, we would give everything but our own salvation to acquire the power to make the hearts of our children into good soil, wouldn't we?

55:05 - 55:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Take the posture of the blind beggar, crying out to Jesus for mercy and asking Him to give you what you cannot give yourself: a new heart and spiritual sight.

An analogy of a blind beggar crying out to Jesus, "Son of David, have mercy upon me," recognizing his inability to see even if the sun's brightness were increased. This illustrates the posture of humility and dependence the unconverted must take, acknowledging their spiritual blindness and inability to save themselves.

You need to take the posture of that blind beggar who with his sight, his sightless eyes, turned in the direction of the Son of God and cried out, Son of David, have mercy upon me. Have mercy upon me. Give me what I cannot give myself. It will not do to turn up the brightness of the sun, O Son of David, for I can turn my face full in the direction of the sun, but my sightless eyes have no capacity to recoil.

57:59 - 58:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Reflect on your past state of indifference and how God, in His inscrutable way, brought you to salvation, acknowledging that you are a debtor to grace.

A personal example of Martin's own brother, who grew up under the same influences but remains indifferent to God. This illustrates the sovereign nature of God's grace and prompts believers to ask, "Who makes me to differ?" leading to humility.

Oh, what debtors to grace we should be. Who made us to differ? Who made us to differ? When I think of my own blood relatives, my own flesh and blood in a family of ten, all the same influences.

61:39 - 61:55 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin concludes with three further applications for believers: prayerfulness, recognizing that only God can make hearts good soil; confidence, knowing God can transform even the…

A metaphor describing God's Word as a jackhammer that can break up the hardest wayside heart. This illustrates the supernatural power of the Word, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to overcome human resistance and prepare the heart for reception.

And you see, that's where the parable breaks down. This is wonderful seed. Because you see, this is the kind of seed that can fall on the hardest wayside and bust it up like a jackhammer. Hallelujah.

63:17 - 63:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Preach and witness with confidence, knowing that God can transform even the most foul and deceptive heart into a good and honest one.

A metaphor describing God's Word as a "thousand-handed weed puller" that can remove the thorns from a heart. This illustrates the Spirit's power through the Word to cleanse the heart of worldly preoccupations and sins.

And then God can turn it into a thousand-handed weed puller. And this very word can go to work and pull those weeds. Thank God for the power of that word when the Holy Ghost takes it. They were pricked to the heart.

63:55 - 64:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Preach and witness with confidence, knowing that God can transform even the most foul and deceptive heart into a good and honest one.

The example of Peter's preaching on the Day of Pentecost, where the hearers were "pricked to the heart." This illustrates the Word acting as a knife, cutting to the heart and producing true repentance and faith through the Spirit's power.

Peter was preaching the word, sow and seed. And God suddenly made that word a knife and He cut them to the heart and made them bleed. And out came that lifeblood, that true, repentance and faith. What shall we do, brother?

64:10 - 64:26 Read in full sermon

The point: Be patient in ministry and evangelism, trusting that God works in His own time and can convert the most unlikely individuals.

A hypothetical survey asking Christians who was least likely to convert in the next year, with Saul of Tarsus being the unanimous answer. This illustrates God's sovereign power to convert the most unlikely individuals, fostering confidence and patience in evangelism.

God does it in His time. I venture to say if we took a survey the day before God got His man on the road to Damascus and we gathered all the Christians in Jerusalem together and said, now we want to take a survey. My name's not Harris, but I want to take a survey. Who do you think is the least unlikely man to become a Christian in the next year?

65:16 - 65:36 Read in full sermon