The Good Ground Hearer, Part 1

Introduction: The Sower's Weeping and Rejoicing

0:03 This sermon was preached on Sunday morning, December 16th, 1984, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey.

0:16 Now let us turn to Mark chapter 4 and follow as I once more read the account Mark gives us of the parable of the sower and then our Lord's interpretation of that fourth kind of soil which will form the focal point of our study this morning. Mark chapter 4, verses 1 through 9, and then verse 20. And again he began to teach by the seaside, and there is gathered unto him a very great multitude, so that he entered into a boat and sat in the sea. And all the multitude were by the sea on the land.

1:01 And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his teaching, Hearken, behold, the sower went forth to sow. And it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it. And other fell upon the rocky ground, where it had not much earth. And straightway it sprang.

1:26 And it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth. And when the sun was risen, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered away. And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing, and brought forth thirtyfold.

1:56 And sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. And he said, Who has ears to hear? Let him hear. Verse 20.

2:07 And those are they that were sown upon the good ground, such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. Now let us again seek the face of God. That God, by his Spirit, would grant us understanding in this portion of his word.

2:36 Our Father, we have sung together. Oh, that we, discerning, may come to grips with what you have taught in your holy word. And we pray this morning as we bend our minds and hearts to the words of our Lord Jesus. And seek to understand what he meant when he spoke.

3:01 And we pray. Not only of spiritual illumination. But of judgment day honesty, as we compare our hearts and their response to your word. With that which our Lord Jesus describes as the soil of a good and an honest heart.

3:29 O Father, come to us, so speak to us, that not one of us shall leave having any question as to what your word to our own hearts was in this hour. Hear us and speak, we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Now, many of us are familiar with that text in Psalm 126 and verse 6, in which the psalmist said, He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. As we have examined together this parable of the soils, perhaps we can understand more accurately the truth conveyed in the words of the psalmist. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing seed for sowing. As the sower went forth to sow in the parable of our Lord, the seed fell upon four different kinds or conditions of soil,

4:47 and in the case of three of them, the seed was utterly wasted. Well might the sower weep when three-fourths of his labor comes to naught. The seed which represented the toil of the previous year now becomes precious seed for sowing, and in three of the four cases the seed is utterly wasted. I say, well might he weep as he goes forth knowing that, that three-quarters of his labor is wasted.

Review of Unfruitful Soils

5:29 And in terms of this parable, we have seen first of all the seed that was wasted upon the wayside or the footpath soil, that soil that was packed hard by the continual tromp of the feet of those who passed through the field and made a path through the farmer's property. And there, our Lord says, is the picture of the thoughtless, careless, indifferent, non-comprehending hearer of the gospel, the man whose heart never experiences the penetration of the word of God. And the devil, like the birds of the air, is ever ready to snatch away that seed, so that not only does it fail to make an immediate impression, it fails to make any long-range or subsequent impression upon him. And then there was the rocky soil. The thin layer of soil over a shelf of rock. And though the seed germinated, it had no root system.

6:33 And when the burning Palestinian sun arose, it caused the plant to wither and die, for it had no roots that could suck up moisture from the depths of the earth. And here, our Lord says, is a picture of the shallow, enthusiastic, emotional hearer of the gospel, whose response may be in part, with the mind and with the affections, but it is not the response of the whole man to a whole Christ, offered in a whole gospel. And he thereby falls away. He is caused to stumble under the pressure of persecution and affliction.

7:13 And then we consider together the thorny soil, that soil which had all the appearance of potential fruitfulness, but because the root system of, the thorny growth was not extricated, when the seed fell among the thorns, the thorns grew with it, and utterly choked that plant so that it did not produce any fruit. And here we have a picture of the half-hearted, divided hearer of the gospel, the one who, though he gives some response, never knows what it is to respond with the whole of his heart. But the cares of this, this age, and the lust of other things entering in, and the deceitfulness of riches, choked the word. So you see the progression. In the case of the footpath soil, there was no penetration. The seed never penetrated the soil.

Facts of the Good Ground in the Parable

8:13 In the case of the rocky soil, there was a shallow penetration, but no root system. In the case of the thorny soil, there was a rivaled penetration. But thank God, as we turn now to what is called good soil, we see why the psalmist could say, though the sower goes forth weeping, he does indeed come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. And so we examine this morning, in the same framework we have done in our previous studies, first of all, what the parable itself says about the, the good soil.

8:57 The facts of the parable. Then having established them, we'll contemplate our Lord's interpretation of this part of the parable, and then begin this morning to consider the abiding message of the parable. First of all, then, the facts of the parable. I have read those facts in the account given to us in Mark, but I do want you to be aware of the facts as they are given to us, with some differing emphases in Matthew, and in Luke.

9:27 And so I ask you to follow as I read from Matthew chapter 13, Matthew chapter 13 and verse 8.

9:37 Matthew 13, 8. And others fell upon the good ground and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. And then in Luke chapter 8, and verse 8, Luke 8 and verse 8, and other fell into the good ground and grew and brought forth a hundredfold. Now bringing together the witness of Matthew, Mark, and Luke in their differing accounts of this one and the same parable, we discover three categories of facts pertaining to the good soil. The first thing we read is that the seed fell upon, or into good ground. Now in the context, what would constitute good ground?

10:38 Well really it's very simple. It's ground that was free of the influences which made fruit bearing impossible in the case of the three previous kinds of soil.

10:53 The good ground was well plowed earth in contrast to the good ground. In contrast to the hard-packed soil of the footpath. In the second place, it was deep earth as opposed to the shallow layer of soil over the shelf of rock, as was the case of the rocky ground or the rocky soil. And thirdly, it was ground cleared both of the upper and lower growth and root system of thorn bushes.

11:28 It was clean. It was clean ground. The uncleanness of the root system of the previous year's thorn bush growth had been carefully extricated so that when the seed was sown, there was the potential for ultimate fruitfulness because that seed was not rivaled by a contrary root system that would ultimately choke it out. And so the first fact that is given to us, that is given to us in the parable is that the seed fell into or upon good ground.

12:08 The second thing that is given to us with reference to the facts is that the seed grew up and increased. Mark chapter four and verse eight. Mark four and verse eight. And others fell into good ground and yielded fruit growing up and increasing.

12:32 And Mark uses two present participles. In other words, he uses a form that underscores the fact that the seed not only germinated, but it went on to continuous growth and development.

12:51 And you see the marked contrast with what happened in the three previous soils. Unlike the footpaths, soil, this seed sank into the earth and germinated. The seed that fell upon the footpath never penetrated the soil and germinated. But this seed was enfolded by the soil, it germinated and was growing up and was increasing. And unlike the rocky soil, it not only shot life upward, it sank deep roots downward. It was growing up and increasing because it had a root system essential to continuous growth and increase. And unlike the thorny soil, it was unimpeded and unrivaled in its development into a healthy grain-producing stock. There was no root system of thorn bushes.

13:57 Seeds to grow up with it and choke out its life from beneath and the sun and the fructifying influences from above, it was unimpeded in its development into a healthy grain-producing stock. The seed fell into good ground. We've seen what the good ground was. Secondly, it grew up and increased. And the third thing that is told us about this good ground is that it grew up and increased. And the third thing that is told us about this good ground is that it grew up and increased. And the third thing that is told us about this good soil in its relationship to the seed, it bore fruit. It was yielding fruit. Verse 8 in Mark, and others fell into good ground and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing, and brought forth some thirty, some sixty, some a hundredfold. It brought forth with varying degrees of fruitfulness, but every seed was unimpeded. The seed that fell upon good ground brought forth a harvest. It was the same in kind, though differing in degrees. And it was at this point that the latter part of Psalm 126 in

15:14 verse 6 was fulfilled. There came a day in the history of the sower when he returned with rejoicing, having his arms full of sheaves of grain that were the fruit of the seed. The seed was the fruit of his having sown some seed upon the good ground. The mill was made active to grind this meal. Mothers and housewives were made active in kneading it and shaping it into loaves and putting it into ovens. And little kids were made glad when they came in and had a peanut butter sandwich for their snack. It bore fruit. Now those are the facts of the parable.

Our Lord's Interpretation of the Good Ground Hearer

15:58 Now then, what is our Lord's interpretation of the parable? And here again, I want you to be familiar with the three differing accounts, so I ask you to go back with me to Matthew 13. We're simply attempting to grasp what is said in the text. In Matthew 13 and in verse 23, the Lord Jesus interprets his own parable. He that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that hears the word, a present tense verb, and understands it, a present tense participle, who verily, present tense verb, is bearing fruit, and bringeth forth, present tense verb, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He that was sown upon the good ground is he that is hearing. Understanding, bearing, and bringing forth. All right? Over to Luke's account, and then

17:07 we'll come back to Mark. Luke writes, verse 15 of Luke 8, and that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, are holding it fast, present tense, and bring forth. Present tense, with patience. So we may render it, that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, are holding it fast, are bringing forth fruit, with endurance, with patience.

17:51 Now Mark's account, Mark 4, verse 20, those are they that were sown upon the good ground, such as, again, present tense verb, are hearing the word, and accepting it, and bearing fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. Now, when we bring all of this witness together, and line it up, to set forth our Lord's interpretation of the facts, what do we have? Well, we have a minimum of six factors that constitute the essence of the soil of a human heart, receiving the divine seed of the word, unto a saving experience of that word. What are they? Number one, they are hearing the word of God. Mark 4, verse 20, those are they that were sown upon the good ground, such as are hearing the word.

18:55 Number two, they are hearing the word. The good soil represents those who, in the course of their pilgrimage, are not only arrested at one point in time, and give temporary attention to the word of the gospel, but they are brought into a spiritual frame and state in which attention to the word of God becomes the dominant characteristic of their whole inner spiritual condition.

19:29 Jesus stated it very simply. In John 10, my sheep are hearing my voice. So the good soil represents those who, number one, are hearing the word of God, and they hear it continually, unlike those who heard it when Jesus spoke of peace and rest, but when he spoke of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, said, that's a hard saying. We cannot hear that. Let's turn away from that.

20:02 But they, like Peter and the others, said, to whom else can we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. They are hearing the word of God. Secondly, they are continually given spiritual perception of that word. And this is the distinct contribution in Matthew. In Matthew 13 and verse 20, we read, sorry, verse 23, and he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he. He that is hearing the word of God and is understanding it. And that word for understanding means to be given insight into. They not only hear, but they are given a spiritual perception of the meaning of that word. And here again, a present participle is used. They are brought

21:04 into the realm of spiritual perception. They are not given a momentary flash of insight that makes sin odious and Christ glorious and heaven desirable and a life of holiness commendable. They are given a permanent introduction to the realm of spiritual perception that makes God and Christ and heaven and holiness continually and perpetually desirable and beautiful. They are here.

21:38 They are heard. They are here. They are hearing the word. Secondly, they are given spiritual perception concerning the word. Thirdly, Mark 4, 20, they are continually receiving the word. These are they that were sown upon the good ground, such as hear the word and are accepting it. And this is an intensified form of the verb, to take or to receive to oneself. And it means to take or to receive to oneself.

22:08 take to oneself with a view to retaining permanently. It's the verb used in Hebrews 12, 6, where it says, the father disciplines every son whom he receives. A man who receives a son into his family by adoption goes through all of the legal stages to make that person his own permanently. And our Lord says the good soil represents those who, when they hear the word, continue to hear. They are given insight into that word and the great realities that it conveys. The substance of spiritual reality comes to them in the word, and as a result, they are receiving, they are taking into themselves with a view to permanent retention of that word. That word is the good soil. That word is the good soil.

23:03 That word is the good soil. That word, so that that word becomes the formative, dominant influence of their whole life. That word is received to regulate thought about all reality, to regulate feeling, to regulate volition, to regulate patterns of life. They receive the word. And the fourth thing that is said about them is that they hold it fast. They hold it fast. We find out that in Luke's account, Luke chapter 8, verse 15, that in the good ground these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast. And another one of those pesky present tense verbs. They continually hold it fast. Now this word is stronger than

23:59 mere reception, taking to oneself with a view to retaining. It means to lay hold of, to see, to see. And to retain. It's the verb used in Matthew 21, 38. Matthew 21 and verse 38. But the husbandman when they saw the son said among themselves, this is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take. There it is. Let us take by force. Let us seize. Let us take his inheritance. It's the word translated hold fast in Hebrews. You ought to be familiar with that in the light of our society. There are studies in Hebrews. Hebrews 3.6, 3.14 and 10.23. Hold fast. So you see the progression. They hear and continue to hear. They perceive and continue to perceive. They receive and continue to retain. And then they hold fast with tenacity. And then fifthly,

24:57 they bear varying degrees of evident fruit. And that was true in all three accounts. Matthew and Mark speak of the thirty, sixty, a hundred in reverse order. And then we read in Luke 8.15, only the maximum is mentioned. They bring forth a hundredfold. But again, present tense verbs. The verbs used for bearing fruit are all in the present tense. And Matthew adds a little particle. It's very interesting, which is translated by the word verily. Notice it in Matthew chapter 13. Verse 23. This is he that hears the word and understands it, who verily, who in reality, who without sham is bearing fruit. So you see to underscore the fact that that which is pictured in the good soil is those who are bearing real bona fide fruit. There is real grain upon the

26:05 stalk, not sham grain. You didn't have an artist who came to make a collage of what a field of grain might look like and took grain from elsewhere and glued it on a lifeless stalk. They verily, they indeed and in reality are bearing fruit. And the degrees of fruit bearing are captured under the imagery thirtyfold, sixty and a hundred. And then the sixth thing that is said by our Lord is that they continue in the fruit. Bearing process. Not only is the continuance underscored by the tenses of the verbs, but in Luke 8, 15, our Lord adds another word. They bring forth fruit with patience, with endurance. Same word used in Hebrews 12, 1. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin

27:02 which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience. They bring forth fruit with patience, with endurance keeping on the track until the end. Our Lord says the good soil represents those who are hearing the word, who are given insight into the word, who as a result are receiving that word, holding it fast, bearing varying degrees of fruit. And they continue in the fruit bearing process until they are transplanted to heaven.

The Abiding Message: Continuance in Fruit-Bearing as Evidence of Salvation

27:36 They bring forth fruit with patience, with endurance unto heaven all at all according to law no other means to answer tritev建� orуж Let us get out of here of course. So this is what I'm going to do now. This is a retrograde is happening now, till the breath of Satan begins to rise until they are discipline. Now in this way our Lord describes the good soil. That which he calls in Luke the soil of a good and an honest heart. And since the parable does not concern itself with the question how does a human heart become a good and an honest heart, I am going to totally bypass that question in my exposition this morning.

28:01 It is not under consideration in the parable. It is under consideration in many other passages of the word. And God willing next week I hope to address that question. But my purpose this morning is simply to expound the facts of the parable, our Lord's interpretation of the parable, and in doing that I simply use his language.

28:24 That soil, that good soil, is called the soil of a good and an honest heart. Which coming in constant...

28:31 ...contact with the word of God, the message of God's grace and salvation in Christ, hears, the ears are opened, perceives, the eyes are opened, receives the whole soul, the affections and will, embrace it, hold it fast, the whole life is committed to it, fruit is born, that which the very word is calculated to produce, and that fruit is born continually in the heart.

29:01 ...in varying degrees.

29:04 Now I have labored to simply lay out the facts. Now then we come in the third place, having looked at the facts of the parable, our Lord's interpretation of the parable, what is the abiding message of the parable? And this morning we have time only to consider the primary message of the parable. The primary message of this aspect of the parable, and it should be self-evident to everyone if you've listened with even half an ear.

29:32 Here's the message. The only solid evidence of a saving reception of the word is continuance in a course of fruit bearing. The only solid evidence of a saving reception of the word is continuance in a course of fruit bearing. Now in the previous instances of the various kinds of soil, whatever there may have been of germination, and of sprouting, and even the emergence of a stalk, as in the case of the thorny soil hearer, there never was fruit. There was no grain at harvest time. However, when the seed fell upon good soil, fruit was the result. The farmer came back rejoicing.

30:35 Bringing his sheaves with him. And that's the crucial lesson of this aspect of the parable. That fruit bearing, continuous fruit bearing, is the only solid biblical evidence that the word of the gospel has done its intended work in your heart and in your life. Now if that's so, then the most crucial question that ought to be pressing in upon every conscience in this place this morning is this.

Defining the Fruit: Inward Character and Outward Conduct

31:04 What is the fruit which alone evidences a saving response to the gospel? If it is fruit, and fruit alone, which proves that my heart is good soil, what then is that fruit which is the infallible evidence of a saving response to the gospel? And my answer to that is this. It is the formation of inward character.

31:36 And outward conduct, which are mandated by the word received into the heart. Now just stop and think for a minute.

31:49 What happens when the sower sows seed upon good soil?

31:56 Whether he's ever thought through the laws of reproduction, seed bearing after their kind, he knows this much. If I put in a barley seed, and that seed is unimpeded, in its potential for growth, in the harvest time, I'm going to come home with an arm full of sheaves of barley. It is the seed which determines the nature of the fruit that is born in harvest time. And that analogy presses clean through the parable.

32:29 How do we know whether or not we are bearing that fruit, which alone proves that we have savingly embraced the message? We know it when there is formed in our inward character and in our outward conduct those things that are mandated by the word.

32:53 What does that word contain? What does it mandate? Well, in the case of our Lord Jesus, the summary is given by Mark in chapter 1. He came into Galilee preaching that men should repent and believe in the gospel.

33:08 The first thing. The first thing that word does is comes to us and says to us as the creatures of God, Look! You are alienated from God. You have taken the posture of an independent, self-sustaining creature.

33:25 You fail to reckon with the fact you're God's creature. Made to glorify and serve and honor Him. Made to live by His law and according to His precepts. But in Adam you have foully revolted.

33:39 And in him you have fallen. And you have turned like sheep to your own way. You're under wrath and curse. And God says in the gospel, I call upon you to repent.

33:50 Stack arms. Give up this proud, independent, self-sufficient, self-governing pattern of life. Turn from that which you were never intended to be. Repentance is not something abnormal or harsh or cruel.

34:07 It's a call to the creature to become what he was made to be. But which sin has kept him from being. A loving bondservant. A loving son.

34:19 An obedient member of the family of God. That's what repentance is. The summons to return to God. And then it's the summons to believe the gospel.

34:29 That is, to stand naked. Undone. Helpless in my guilt. And in my exposure to divine power.

34:37 And in my exposure to divine wrath. And confess that there is no way of release but through the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus. To entrust to another the whole matter of my soul's salvation. What is repentance unto life?

34:53 The shorter catechism answers so accurately. Repentance unto life is a saving grace. Whereby a sinner out of a true sense of his sin. Does with grief and hatred of it.

35:06 Turn from it unto God. With full purpose of and endeavor after new obedience. He turns from that which God never intended him to be and to become. In order to become that which God made him to be.

35:23 What is faith in Christ? Here I give you not the shorter catechism definition. But one that I believe is better. Professor Murray's definition.

35:32 Saving faith is whole soul commitment to Christ. In all the glory of his person and in all the perfection of his work. As he is so fully and freely offered to us in the gospel. Now you see the word comes to us.

35:48 Mandating that we repent and believe. And if our hearts have been made good soil. They have enfolded that word. And as a result.

36:00 Wonder of wonders. There is in us. A true. And an abiding disposition.

36:08 Of repentance and faith. Isn't that what the Beatitudes describe? The inwardness of that which a saving response to the word produces. Blessed are the poor in spirit.

36:25 Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. What is that?

36:36 It is describing the character produced inwardly. When the word is received into the soul. That's what it's describing. So the fruit is first of all.

36:49 The formation of that inward character. Which answers to the very things mandated by the word of God. And the word comes to us. Mandating that we repent.

37:02 Own our condition as sinners. Own our state as rebels. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Own it to the extent that we're horrified that we should dare to defy our creator.

37:16 Blessed are they who mourn. Own it to the point where all the strut. And the self-promotion are radically undercut. Blessed are the meek.

37:28 Own it to the place where we know we desperately need the righteousness of another. If we're ever to be accepted with God. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. The Beatitudes describe the inward character formed.

37:43 When the seed of the word falls upon good ground. And then there will be joined to that. The outward conduct. Mandated by that same word.

37:56 And hence the scripture says. The fruit of the spirit is. There you have a mingling of inward disposition and outward conduct. Love.

38:07 Joy. Peace. Long suffering. Gentleness.

38:11 Goodness. Faith or faithfulness. Meekness. Self-control.

38:16 And we could go through such passages as Philippians 3.3. And passages in the book of 1 John. But you see we must never deceive ourselves by saying.

38:26 Oh yes. The word has indeed produced in me. The inward dispositions mandated by the word. Can you validate that by the outward conduct and pattern of your life.

38:39 For Jesus said not everyone who says Lord Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven. But he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. By their fruit ye shall know them.

38:53 In the day of judgment. We will be judged by our what? By our works. No man will con God in the day of judgment.

39:01 And say well God my outward life was pretty shoddy. But you know God I surely had the right inward dispositions. God will say shut your mouth you hypocrite. For out of the heart are the issues of life.

39:15 Your life is the commentary of the true state of your heart. You live a prayerless life. And a Bible-less life. And a life unconcerned with living in the light of God's law.

39:27 In your home as a husband, wife, son, daughter. Amongst your peers in your place of business. Wherever you are. You live a life indifferent to the law.

39:37 In the patterns of your life. And it shows you've got a lawless heart. You're still an independent rebel. You're still a self-sufficient proud sinner.

39:47 Uncleansed. Unrenewed. Undustified. And under wrath.

39:51 Don't deceive yourself into saying well my inward disposition is right. Although my external patterns are not what they ought to be. God will hang you up on the day of judgment. Because the scripture says.

40:03 In that day every man shall be judged. According to his deeds. The road to hell is strewn with people. That have great intentions.

40:13 But they're not willing to pay the price. Of seeing those intentions come to fruition. In a pattern of life. That bears no other description.

The Fruit as Attachment to Christ and Obedience to His Word

40:25 But this. If any man be in Christ. He's a new creation. The old is past.

40:34 Behold. They are become new. To view it from another perspective. The inward disposition.

40:44 Is attachment to Christ. In faith and love. And the outward pattern of life. Is conformity to Christ.

40:54 By mortification of sin. And obedience to his word. As I put it in terms. You can get hold of what is fruit.

41:02 What is the fruit of a saving response to the word. Can I know. That my heart has been made good soil. That I've received the seed.

41:12 Unto fruit bearing. Here's how I can tell. Has it produced in me. The inward disposition.

41:20 Of attachment. To the person of Christ. In faith and in love. Can you say.

41:29 Sitting here this morning. I don't want to meet God. Without a daismon. Between us.

41:37 I don't want to go. And risk meeting God. On the basis of who I am. And what I've done or ever can do.

41:45 If I perish. I perish clinging to the pierced feet. Of the one who died for sinners. My only hope.

41:53 For acceptance with God. Is his perfect life of obedience. His dying. In the place of sinners.

42:01 Under the curse and anathema. Of his own father. My only hope. Is in Jesus Christ.

42:09 I dare not trust. This frame. That is my most holy motions. And dispositions.

42:17 But wholly lean on Jesus name. My friend. Is that disposition of faith in Christ. In you this morning.

42:26 Could you really sing. No not despairingly. Come I to thee. Sin has gone over me.

42:34 Yes. But this is my plea. Jesus has died. Is that inward disposition there.

42:45 It is. It will always be joined to its handmaiden. Love to Christ. Which is always the fruit of faith.

42:54 If any man love not our Lord Jesus. First Corinthians 16 22. Let him be anathema. Let him be accursed of God.

43:03 You see. The fruit of all true faith in Christ. Is love to the person of Christ. Can you say.

43:12 In spite of all of the consciousness. Of a thousand things. Your love. A thousand things.

43:20 That would cause it to be fickle. And at times well nigh buried. Can you look him straight in the eye. And say with Peter Lord.

43:28 Thou knowest. That I love thee. Can you tell Jesus that. When he says lovest thou me.

43:40 Lovest thou me. Can you say Lord. Thou knowest. That I love thee.

43:49 My love is not all. That I hope it will be. But Lord Jesus you know. And I know.

43:57 That you have become the object of supreme. Unrivaled religious affection. In my heart. No other person.

44:08 Will be allowed to rival you. You see that's the only terms on which he comes. Any man hate not. Father mother brother sister in his own life.

44:16 Also can't be my disciple. Christ will not come in to occupy. A divided heart. A divided heart is the thorny soil.

44:25 I'm trying to help you. You say well if this is the truth. Of the parable. That fruit and fruit alone is the evidence.

44:35 Of a saving response to the gospel. What is the fruit? It is inward character. The very character mandated by the word.

44:43 We looked at it from the standpoint. Of the mandate of repentance and faith. Now we're looking at it from another perspective. It is that disposition.

44:51 Of faith. In Christ. To Christ. And if those are real.

44:59 If you've been able to say yes Lord. You know that I trust you. You know that I love you. Then to some degree your outward character.

45:07 Will be formed by that inward disposition. For Jesus said. If you love me. You will what?

45:15 Keep my commandments. How many of them? All of them. You'll have a disposition to what the old writers called.

45:23 Universal obedience. Your attitude is. I esteem all of your precepts. Concerning all things to be right.

45:31 I hate every false way. And though your obedience may only be. In terms of a yard. Of command.

45:39 Your obedience may only be a half an inch. In that direction. You're set in that direction. And you're determined by the grace of God.

45:47 To go the full yard. You may only be an inch on the way. But your heart is set. On the full yard.

45:57 God says. Husbands love your wives. As Christ loved the church. You take that command as seriously.

46:05 As the command to repent and believe the gospel. And if you don't. You've never repented and believed the gospel. You see.

46:13 If true repentance is there. Then you say. I have no right to dictate the terms. On which I relate to my wife.

46:23 God has dictated the terms. And though it may run counter to everything in me. By nature. As Christ loved the church.

46:31 With self giving. Sensitive. Nurturing. Cherishing love.

46:39 If I must stomp upon all of my background. And training. And native temperament and inclination. Out of love to Jesus.

46:47 I'm determined to love my wife that way. Is that true of you husband? Is it? If you willfully.

46:56 Knowingly. As a pattern of life. As Christ loved the church. You have no grounds to claim you're a Christian.

47:04 Cause you fornicated. And whored around. Sexual fidelity to your wife. But you'll go to hell.

47:22 Because you refuse to love her as Christ loved the church. So full of yourself. So full of your own. Same way.

47:40 A woman can be sexually true to her husband. And never be an adulteress. And go to hell. Because she never embraces from the heart.

47:49 If you love me. I went after the men first. Wives. Subject to your own husbands.

48:01 In everything. If you love me. Keep my commandments. If you love me.

48:11 You will keep my commandments. You children. Children. Obey your parents.

48:19 Embrace their will. As God's will for you. If you love your heart. Then the pattern of your life should be one.

48:27 Of obedience. To mom and dad. Obedience to the command. To forsake evil companions.

48:36 Obedience to the commands of God. To be pure and holy. And seek to be the boy and the girl. That God wants you to be.

Self-Examination: Are You Good Soil?

48:44 Have I made it sufficiently plain. That you know what the fruit is. Now if I have. Then I ask you a simple question.

48:55 Are you one. Who hears the word. Who is given spiritual perception. You hear something more than words.

49:04 When you hear the word. God and Christ and sin. And heaven and hell. And the cross and repentance.

49:12 And faith and holiness. And obedience and grace. And salvation. You hear more than religious words.

49:20 God's given you insight. Your spiritual eyes. Have been opened. To behold the realities.

49:28 You are engaged in those words. You are hearing the word. You are perceiving it. Are you accepting it.

49:36 Are you holding it fast. Giving up the entirety of your life. Inward and outward. To its molding influence.

49:44 And are you bringing forth fruit. That character mandated by the word. And that pattern of life. Mandated by the word.

49:52 And are you doing it with patience. With endurance. Not growing weary in well doing. My friend if so.

50:00 God says. Your heart is good soil. In you the word of God. Has germinated.

50:09 Sunk down its roots. Is bearing its fruits. And this to me is the wonder of it. The best of the fruit is yet to come.

50:18 When all the contrary influences. Will be removed. Then what was begun here. By grace in a hostile environment.

50:26 Will be carried on by grace. In a congenial. Environment. And I'll be with none.

50:34 But those who love him. As I love him. I'll be with those. And only with those.

50:42 Who serve him. As I long to serve him. His name will never be taken in vain. His law will never be spurned.

50:50 His gospel never despised. And then the plantings of the Lord. Will blossom forth in such glory. And beauty and profuseness.

50:58 That will be the occasion. Of the astonishment of angels. Hallelujah. When God gets done with us.

51:07 Angels are going to throw their hands up in amazement. Right now God says through the church. He is manifesting. His manifold grace and wisdom.

51:15 But oh the astonishment. When we are like him. We see him as he is. Oh I ask you this morning my listener.

51:23 Is your heart. Good soil. The word of God has come in contact with it. Yes.

51:31 You've heard the message. Some of you hundreds of times over. You've heard the call to repent. To stack arms.

51:39 To believe. To give yourself to Christ. To give him that place of unrivaled affection. Supreme devotion.

51:47 You've heard it a hundred times. But oh have you ever heard it. You've heard it. But have you heard it.

51:56 And if you've really heard. Then you've seen. And if you've seen. If you're holding fast.

52:04 And if you're holding fast. You're bearing fruit. And if you're really bearing fruit. You'll continue to bear it.

52:12 That's our Lord's description. Of the good soil. Is that what you are? You say Pastor Martin.

Exhortation to Those with Unfruitful Hearts

52:21 If that's what it is. With judgment day honesty. I must confess that's not me. What in the world do I do?

52:30 My friend listen. You go to the God. The twelve inches of concrete. Poured on top of it.

52:38 And this is where the imagery of the word of God is so rich. And in my preparation. I was thinking of that rich imagery. God says in another place.

52:46 That his word is not like seed. It's like a hammer. Is not my word like unto a hair. That breaks the rock in pieces.

52:54 You may have twelve inches. Of reinforced concrete over your heart. But God can take the jackhammer of his word. And bust it all up.

53:02 You go to God. And take the jackhammer of his word. And break up all of that crusty pride. And self-sufficiency.

53:11 And preoccupation with your own career. And ambition. And notions. Go to God with your concrete heart.

53:19 And ask him to bust it up. Go to God. With that heart of yours. That has only had a thin layer of soil.

53:27 And many a time. There was something that looked like germination. That would produce fruit. Only to wither and to die.

53:36 Go to God and ask him. To plow up your heart. To the very depths. If you've got a heart full of thorn bushes.

53:45 Ask God to extricate them. Give you grace. To be willing to get your own hands. Pierced through until they're bloody.

53:53 In the process of turning from anything. That keeps your heart. From being good soil. Dear child of God.

54:02 I underscore in closing. The force of all those present tense verbs. I was struck. As I examined every passage in the original.

54:10 In preparation for this sermon. This morning. All of those present tense verbs. And there's a very interesting shift.

54:18 I don't want to give you a little lesson in Greek grammar. But it's an interesting shift. In all the other cases. The word for sown.

54:26 Is in the present. But in the case of the good soil. It's an aorist. It was really sown.

54:34 It was truly sown. By a farmer intended. When he cast forth his seed. And then all the present tenses flow out.

54:42 Present tense verbs and participles flow out. Hears. Receives. Holds fast.

54:50 Brings forth. He that has ears to hear. Oh let him hear. Let him hear.

54:59 Hear this morning my friend. Anything less than this. You're not a Christian. The word of the gospel.

55:07 Is simple and accurate. But I know that labor will be in vain. Unless God tends it with the spirit. Oh may God do so.

55:16 May your heart be good soil. Bearing fruit. Thirty. Sixty. A hundred.

55:22 God willing next Lord's day. Will take up two or three more lines. Of application of the passage. But I leave you with this one this morning.

55:30 Fruit bearing. With continuance. Is the only sure evidence. Of a saving response.

Prayer and Benediction

55:38 To the gospel. Let us pray. Our Father. We give you thanks for our Lord Jesus.

55:55 The master teacher. We marvel that he could take. The common things of life. And pack into them.

56:04 Such profound. And eternal truth. Continually seeing in the theater. Of this natural world.

56:13 That higher and eternal world. Oh God lift us above. The mundane and the temporal. Help us to feel and to see.

56:21 The realities. Of the spiritual and the eternal. May the word preached this morning. Bear much fruit.

56:29 Oh God may not the labors. Of the sower. Be wasted this morning. But oh that fruit.

56:37 Will be born. Even that character. And that pattern of life. Which your word mandates.

56:45 Hear us and answer us. For the glory of your beloved son. Amen.