100:00:00,740 –> 00:00:08,660What we have here is nothing less than Jesus Christ’s assessment of the congregation.200:00:08,660 –> 00:00:18,900This is the report of Jesus Christ on what is going on inside the people who hear the word.300:00:18,900 –> 00:00:23,740Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick. I’m glad400:00:23,740 –> 00:00:28,400you could be with us today and today we continue the parable of the sower.500:00:28,600 –> 00:00:35,619And Colin, we’re looking at what these soils are and how people respond when they hear the word of God.600:00:36,160 –> 00:00:40,459The simplicity of Jesus’s picture is absolutely marvellous. So there’s a sower,700:00:40,459 –> 00:00:47,799there’s seed, and then there are different kinds of soil. And the soils relate to different conditions of heart,800:00:47,799 –> 00:00:54,680different kinds of people. I mean the seed is thrown into the soil and so Jesus is describing900:00:55,400 –> 00:00:59,639who receive the word of God and how it’s received. And he says, now there are some1000:00:59,639 –> 00:01:03,639people that are hard, and there are some people who are shallow, and there are some people who1100:01:03,639 –> 00:01:08,680are choked or preoccupied and then some people who become abundantly fruitful. So there are1200:01:08,680 –> 00:01:16,440different conditions of heart. So that in any congregation, in any audience for a radio programme1300:01:16,440 –> 00:01:20,440there are different conditions of heart, and the word of God will have a different effect1400:01:21,000 –> 00:01:27,080because of the different kinds of soil into which it is cast, and of course the soil can’t1500:01:27,080 –> 00:01:32,760change itself. And here’s the good news. There’s a gardener who can change the soil. That’s the1600:01:32,760 –> 00:01:39,959hope. There is a God in heaven who can change your hard heart and make it a fruitful heart,1700:01:39,959 –> 00:01:44,040and one that’s responsive. I’m praying that that’s what’s going to happen. As the word1800:01:44,040 –> 00:01:49,160of God is cast like seed into the ground today. So let’s get right into the message which is1900:01:49,239 –> 00:01:55,239Jesus will establish his kingdom. It’s Mark chapter four. If you can join us in your Bible.2000:01:55,239 –> 00:02:03,000Here’s Colin. Jesus story tells us about four different kinds of soil and these represent2100:02:03,800 –> 00:02:11,720different kinds of people verse 15 some people some people are like the seed on hard ground and2200:02:11,720 –> 00:02:18,759other people are like the seed on shallow ground others again are like the seed on choked ground2300:02:18,839 –> 00:02:24,440So Jesus is describing people who hear the word. People who hear the word.2400:02:26,199 –> 00:02:29,800Now we have a name for people who hear the word at least on Sunday morning.2500:02:30,600 –> 00:02:33,880We call them The Congregation. Right?2600:02:36,039 –> 00:02:44,759so this is for us. This is for us. Us folks who hear the word of God.2700:02:45,240 –> 00:02:52,919And what we have here is nothing less than Jesus Christ’s assessment of The Congregation.2800:02:55,080 –> 00:03:02,919This is the report of Jesus Christ on what is going on inside the people who hear2900:03:02,919 –> 00:03:08,440the word. And it’s very fascinating.3000:03:08,919 –> 00:03:13,880Some people, Jesus said, are simply hard.3100:03:15,639 –> 00:03:20,199Verse 15. Some people are like seed along the path where the word is sown3200:03:21,000 –> 00:03:27,080and as soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.3300:03:28,360 –> 00:03:33,399So Jesus is saying, look, this is what you have to understand in relation to the ministry3400:03:33,399 –> 00:03:39,720of the word, that whatever the word is given, it is given to some people who are hard.3500:03:41,080 –> 00:03:46,919Now, we can ask the question, why is it that many people today are hard towards the things3600:03:46,919 –> 00:03:53,399of Christ, though, of course, if you’re hard, you’re hard towards any seed. Which is the great3700:03:53,399 –> 00:04:01,000problem with hardness. But if we ask the question, why is it that many people today seem hard towards3800:04:01,000 –> 00:04:06,119the word of God, well, I mean, we could come up with many answers. Some commentators note3900:04:06,119 –> 00:04:10,600the fact that the path is hard because people have been trampling all over it.4000:04:10,600 –> 00:04:13,479Maybe you feel like that, boy, you see, if you knew my history,4100:04:15,160 –> 00:04:19,640people have been walking over me all my life and I’ve had to develop a kind of a tough shell,4200:04:19,640 –> 00:04:24,600and that’s been the course of my life and the story of my life, and you don’t know the half4300:04:24,600 –> 00:04:32,200of it, and I’ve no doubt that that is true. We could take a long time discussing how hardness4400:04:32,200 –> 00:04:40,600comes about, but the real question for you is not so much how did it come about,4500:04:40,600 –> 00:04:45,000but what can be done of it. What can be done about it?4600:04:45,920 –> 00:04:56,600What can be done about the condition of those of us who, for whatever reason, are hard4700:04:56,600 –> 00:05:02,859and therefore the Word of God, and frankly any other seed, doesn’t thrive in our life?4800:05:02,859 –> 00:05:11,920I’m going to answer that question today. There are other conditions among us. Some4900:05:11,920 –> 00:05:19,420are hard, some are shallow. That’s the second category in Jesus’ story, verses 165000:05:19,420 –> 00:05:25,399and 17, others like seeds sown on rocky places, they hear the Word and at once they receive5100:05:25,399 –> 00:05:31,420it with joy, so this is a person with a very smiling face, but since they have no root5200:05:31,420 –> 00:05:36,880they last only a short time and when trouble or persecution comes because of the Word they5300:05:37,239 –> 00:05:43,279quickly fall away. Now says Jesus some people are like stony ground or ground where the5400:05:43,279 –> 00:05:51,019earth is only shallow, the soil is shallow and so any effect of the seed is only temporary5500:05:51,019 –> 00:05:56,140in their lives, in other words they profess faith for a time and then they move away and5600:05:56,140 –> 00:06:01,760abandon it. Now we have already seen that that seems to be in epidemic proportions in5700:06:01,760 –> 00:06:09,299our time. There are folks who have joy and enthusiasm short term but no depth. They are5800:06:09,299 –> 00:06:15,220like cut flowers Jesus says they have no root and therefore just like cut flowers they fairly5900:06:15,220 –> 00:06:25,679quickly wither. They don’t think deeply, they don’t feel deeply, they have no root. Now6000:06:25,679 –> 00:06:30,859again I can ask the question why is it that we live in what seems to be a shallow culture6100:06:31,299 –> 00:06:35,980I think that would be a comment that’s often made about the culture in which we live that6200:06:35,980 –> 00:06:40,839there’s a shallowness about it. We can do all kinds of analysis about the media, the6300:06:40,839 –> 00:06:46,200dumbing down of culture, the pace of life that has us skimming from one thing to the6400:06:46,200 –> 00:06:51,459next in our endless and relentless search for the next experience. We could spend a6500:06:51,459 –> 00:06:58,619long time about why shallowness happens in people’s lives. And of course if you’re6600:06:58,859 –> 00:07:05,859shallow it will affect every area of your life, your marriage, parenting, work, everything.6700:07:06,600 –> 00:07:13,600You’re shallow. The real question is not what caused the shallowness? The real question6800:07:17,100 –> 00:07:24,140is what can be done about it. What hope is there for folks who’ve become shallow in6900:07:24,220 –> 00:07:31,640this culture, for folks who are wonderfully enthusiastic about all kinds of things but7000:07:31,640 –> 00:07:37,779it never lasts and so they drift through life with constant new beginnings and no perseverance.7100:07:37,779 –> 00:07:44,779We’re gonna answer that question in just a moment. There’s a third category in Jesus7200:07:46,040 –> 00:07:48,980story here you see it in verse 18 and 19.7300:07:49,980 –> 00:07:54,980Some people are preoccupied. Why does this hit close to home?7400:08:04,799 –> 00:08:11,799the deceitfulness of wealth and desires for other things, come in and choke the Word,7500:08:12,799 –> 00:08:17,179and choke the Word, making it unfruitful.7600:08:18,420 –> 00:08:20,720Now, Jesus says, you can picture it this way,7700:08:20,720 –> 00:08:25,660that some folks are like ground covered with weeds.7800:08:25,660 –> 00:08:29,260And though the seed may have some growth there,7900:08:29,260 –> 00:08:34,840very quickly, what happens is that the other weeds that are already in the8000:08:34,840 –> 00:08:39,440ground, coming up, choke the advance and progress of the8100:08:40,020 –> 00:08:41,099this person’s life.8200:08:41,099 –> 00:08:44,599And Jesus even identifies what the primary weeds are,8300:08:44,599 –> 00:08:47,739and we recognize them immediately, don’t we?8400:08:47,739 –> 00:08:54,239Worry, they can really choke the progress of the Word in your life.8500:08:54,239 –> 00:08:58,640A life that is given to worry,8600:08:58,640 –> 00:09:03,760the deceitfulness of wealth, the way in which money works its own8700:09:03,760 –> 00:09:09,460power in our lives unless we overcome that,8800:09:09,460 –> 00:09:14,119and the desire for other things.8900:09:14,119 –> 00:09:19,400These things together leaves so many people with a sense of frustration,9000:09:19,400 –> 00:09:23,159you know, I don’t have room for it, everything in my life.9100:09:23,159 –> 00:09:29,760And Jesus is saying that this preoccupation, this overcrowdedness of life,9200:09:29,760 –> 00:09:31,859this desire for other things,9300:09:32,260 –> 00:09:35,159I have to have it all and I have to have it now,9400:09:35,159 –> 00:09:41,159that will choke the progress of the Word of God in your life.9500:09:41,159 –> 00:09:44,760Now, surely we recognize that as speaking to our times.9600:09:44,760 –> 00:09:49,159And again, we could spend a long time talking about,9700:09:49,159 –> 00:09:53,960you know, what are the factors that make people preoccupied and lead to overcrowded lives.9800:09:53,960 –> 00:09:57,559We can talk about a multi-choice culture.9900:09:57,559 –> 00:09:59,359We can talk about too many options.10000:09:59,359 –> 00:10:01,460We can talk about the pressure of advertising10100:10:01,460 –> 00:10:05,760and all the rest of it, the competition in relation to raising children,10200:10:05,760 –> 00:10:08,760whatever that is, but the question is not so much,10300:10:08,760 –> 00:10:10,059how did we get there?10400:10:10,059 –> 00:10:14,659The question is, what can be done about it.10500:10:14,659 –> 00:10:18,059What can be done about it10600:10:18,059 –> 00:10:23,159if your life is preoccupied with worry,10700:10:23,159 –> 00:10:30,760it is preoccupied with the pursuit of wealth,10800:10:30,960 –> 00:10:35,859if your life is preoccupied simply by the desire for other things?10900:10:35,859 –> 00:10:38,659or with something else I want to do?11000:10:40,159 –> 00:10:42,359When I remember that Jesus is describing us here11100:10:42,359 –> 00:10:44,460and the more I’ve pondered this, this week,11200:10:44,460 –> 00:10:47,859the more I’ve become convinced, boy, this really is us, isn’t it?11300:10:47,859 –> 00:10:49,059This is life in our culture,11400:10:49,059 –> 00:10:51,960this is Jesus speaking to me,11500:10:51,960 –> 00:10:55,260the great temptations of my life.11600:10:56,359 –> 00:11:00,260A congregation that hears the Word of God11700:11:00,260 –> 00:11:02,960and some of us are hard,11800:11:02,960 –> 00:11:06,460and some of us are shallow,11900:11:06,460 –> 00:11:10,359and some of us are preoccupied,12000:11:10,359 –> 00:11:14,960but Jesus says some of us will become very fruitful.12100:11:14,960 –> 00:11:16,059Verse 20.12200:11:16,760 –> 00:11:19,659Others, like seeds sown on good soil,12300:11:19,659 –> 00:11:22,159will hear the Word, they accept it,12400:11:22,159 –> 00:11:24,359and they produce a crop,12500:11:24,460 –> 00:11:29,55930, 60 or even 100 times what was sown.12600:11:29,559 –> 00:11:31,760In the lives of these folks,12700:11:31,760 –> 00:11:33,159the living seed comes,12800:11:33,159 –> 00:11:37,000and it breaks down within the context of their lives,12900:11:37,000 –> 00:11:40,559and out of this produces13000:11:40,559 –> 00:11:43,460a glorious harvest of life13100:11:43,460 –> 00:11:48,460lived under the blessing of God’s rule.13200:11:49,559 –> 00:11:52,559Now, what kind of ground are you?13300:11:53,559 –> 00:11:56,260Actually, we can be pretty objective about this13400:11:56,260 –> 00:11:59,659because to determine what kind of ground you are,13500:11:59,659 –> 00:12:01,760all you need to do is to look at the effect13600:12:01,760 –> 00:12:05,760of God’s word in your life over these last years.13700:12:06,559 –> 00:12:09,859Are you joyfully submitting to the rule of God in your life13800:12:09,859 –> 00:12:13,859so that you are bearing fruit under the blessing of God,13900:12:13,859 –> 00:12:15,559or has that kind of fruitfulness14000:12:15,559 –> 00:12:18,760really been choked in your life,14100:12:19,460 –> 00:12:21,059or would it be that you would say,14200:12:21,260 –> 00:12:24,659you know, it was there once, but I’m not sure now,14300:12:24,659 –> 00:12:27,260or maybe it has never been there at all.14400:12:27,859 –> 00:12:30,460Now, if you are concluding14500:12:32,260 –> 00:12:35,159that you are hard14600:12:36,159 –> 00:12:38,960or that you are shallow14700:12:39,460 –> 00:12:42,460or that you are preoccupied14800:12:42,659 –> 00:12:45,760and that you have been unfruitful,14900:12:45,760 –> 00:12:47,659what can you do about it?15000:12:48,059 –> 00:12:50,859That really is the bottom-line question, isn’t it?15100:12:51,059 –> 00:12:52,859What can you do?15200:12:53,260 –> 00:12:55,960What can you do?15300:12:57,460 –> 00:13:00,859The soil cannot change its own condition,15400:13:01,859 –> 00:13:04,460so what hope is there for you?15500:13:05,960 –> 00:13:07,659Just this.15600:13:08,260 –> 00:13:12,059Thank God for the farmer.15700:13:12,659 –> 00:13:17,460Thank God for the farmer.15800:13:17,960 –> 00:13:19,859Thank God that the field15900:13:19,859 –> 00:13:22,859with its varying conditions of soil16000:13:22,859 –> 00:13:26,260is not left to itself.16100:13:26,659 –> 00:13:29,460The good news of the Gospel16200:13:29,460 –> 00:13:33,659is that God can break up the hardest ground.16300:13:33,859 –> 00:13:35,659That God in his mercy16400:13:35,659 –> 00:13:39,559can remove the biggest, ugliest stones.16500:13:39,659 –> 00:13:42,260And that God is in his incredible grace16600:13:42,260 –> 00:13:45,659can pull out the most stubborn weeds.16700:13:46,559 –> 00:13:50,260You do not have the capacity to change your heart16800:13:50,260 –> 00:13:51,260but God does!16900:13:51,260 –> 00:13:55,059And that is the promise of the Gospel.17000:13:55,460 –> 00:14:00,260Ezekiel 36 verse twenty six puts it so clearly.17100:14:00,460 –> 00:14:01,460God says,17200:14:01,460 –> 00:14:04,659I will give you a new heart.17300:14:05,059 –> 00:14:07,059I will put a new spirit in you.17400:14:07,260 –> 00:14:11,059I will remove from you a heart of stone17500:14:11,260 –> 00:14:13,960and I will give you a heart of flesh.17600:14:13,960 –> 00:14:15,859That is the Gospel.17700:14:16,059 –> 00:14:20,960That is the promise of God to us in Jesus Christ.17800:14:21,159 –> 00:14:23,559You do not have the capacity to change your heart17900:14:23,559 –> 00:14:25,659but God does!18000:14:25,960 –> 00:14:27,859And that is the promise of the Gospel.18100:14:27,960 –> 00:14:31,859Thank God for the farmer18200:14:32,059 –> 00:14:35,059because if it was not for the farmer18300:14:35,059 –> 00:14:36,780all of us18400:14:37,159 –> 00:14:39,859would be hard and shallow18500:14:40,559 –> 00:14:44,159and preoccupied for a lifetime.18600:14:44,559 –> 00:14:47,179Thank God for the farmer.18700:14:47,179 –> 00:14:49,059James Boyce puts this so well18800:14:49,059 –> 00:14:50,159he says, and I quote,18900:14:50,159 –> 00:14:53,659’…the soil cannot change its nature19000:14:53,960 –> 00:14:55,559but although you can do nothing19100:14:55,559 –> 00:14:57,960there is one who can, the divine gardener.19200:14:57,960 –> 00:14:59,859He can break up the hard ground19300:14:59,859 –> 00:15:01,859uproot the rocks and remove the thorns.19400:15:02,159 –> 00:15:04,659That is your hope, not you19500:15:04,960 –> 00:15:06,659but the gardener.’19600:15:06,960 –> 00:15:08,659That’s the Gospel.19700:15:09,260 –> 00:15:11,960And if you see that today19800:15:11,960 –> 00:15:12,760and if you believe it19900:15:12,760 –> 00:15:15,460why would you not come to Jesus Christ20000:15:15,460 –> 00:15:18,359and ask Him to give you a heart20100:15:18,359 –> 00:15:19,859that will receive the Gospel20200:15:19,859 –> 00:15:21,760a heart that will become fruitful20300:15:21,760 –> 00:15:23,460in relation to His Word?20400:15:23,859 –> 00:15:25,859That’s quite a question to think about20500:15:25,859 –> 00:15:27,659as we take a short break.20600:15:27,760 –> 00:15:29,359You’re listening to Open the Bible20700:15:29,359 –> 00:15:30,559with Pastor Colin Smith20800:15:30,559 –> 00:15:31,960and our message today20900:15:31,960 –> 00:15:34,460Jesus Will Establish His Kingdom.21000:15:34,460 –> 00:15:36,359It’s part of our series21100:15:36,359 –> 00:15:38,460called The Gospel According to Jesus21200:15:38,760 –> 00:15:41,159and if you’ve missed any of the series so far21300:15:41,159 –> 00:15:43,159or if you’d like to go back and listen again21400:15:43,159 –> 00:15:45,760you can do that by coming on-line to our website21500:15:45,760 –> 00:15:48,559openthebible.org.uk21600:15:48,559 –> 00:15:50,760There you’ll find all the messages21700:15:50,760 –> 00:15:52,460that have already gone out on air.21800:15:52,460 –> 00:15:54,859You’ll also find them as a podcast21900:15:54,859 –> 00:15:55,960and those are available22000:15:55,960 –> 00:15:57,659on all the main podcast sites.22100:15:57,659 –> 00:15:59,960Just search for Open the Bible UK22200:15:59,960 –> 00:16:02,760and subscribe to receive regular updates.22300:16:02,760 –> 00:16:05,159Pastor Colin has a new booklet out22400:16:05,159 –> 00:16:08,260it’s called What Jesus says to skeptics22500:16:08,260 –> 00:16:09,659and I’ll be talking to Colin22600:16:09,659 –> 00:16:11,760about that book later on in the programme22700:16:11,760 –> 00:16:13,260so I hope you’ll stay with us.22800:16:13,260 –> 00:16:14,559Back to the message now.22900:16:14,559 –> 00:16:15,760Here’s Colin.23000:16:15,760 –> 00:16:17,559The seed, the sower,23100:16:18,460 –> 00:16:20,460the varying conditions of the soil23200:16:21,359 –> 00:16:22,359and here’s the last thing,23300:16:22,359 –> 00:16:23,159the harvest.23400:16:23,159 –> 00:16:25,859And some wonderful encouragement here.23500:16:25,859 –> 00:16:28,559What does it take to raise a great harvest?23600:16:28,559 –> 00:16:30,159That’s really a question that arises23700:16:30,159 –> 00:16:31,359directly from this story.23800:16:31,359 –> 00:16:35,059What does it take to raise a great harvest?23900:16:35,059 –> 00:16:36,859It’s surely this.24000:16:37,260 –> 00:16:38,359Our work24100:16:38,359 –> 00:16:40,559which is sowing the seed24200:16:40,559 –> 00:16:42,460and God’s work24300:16:42,460 –> 00:16:44,460which is ploughing the ground.24400:16:44,460 –> 00:16:47,260Our work that is sowing the seed24500:16:47,260 –> 00:16:48,460and God’s work24600:16:48,460 –> 00:16:51,359that is preparing or ploughing the ground.24700:16:51,659 –> 00:16:55,359Sowing the seed is our work,24800:16:55,760 –> 00:16:58,859ploughing the ground is God’s work24900:17:00,059 –> 00:17:01,359both are needed25000:17:01,359 –> 00:17:03,059if there is to be a great harvest.25100:17:03,059 –> 00:17:04,359Both are needed25200:17:05,760 –> 00:17:07,359The mandate that is given to us25300:17:07,359 –> 00:17:08,920to communicate the Gospel25400:17:08,920 –> 00:17:10,959to impart the word of God25500:17:11,959 –> 00:17:13,359and the work of God’s grace25600:17:13,359 –> 00:17:14,560to change human hearts25700:17:14,560 –> 00:17:15,959we can’t do that25800:17:15,959 –> 00:17:17,959but that is what God does.25900:17:18,660 –> 00:17:20,160Both are needed26000:17:20,359 –> 00:17:24,459if there is to be a great harvest.26100:17:26,260 –> 00:17:28,160Now that just leads me to two conclusions26200:17:28,160 –> 00:17:28,959this morning.26300:17:28,959 –> 00:17:29,859The first is this26400:17:29,859 –> 00:17:31,459that we can count on God26500:17:31,660 –> 00:17:33,660to do what He has promised to do.26600:17:34,560 –> 00:17:35,760We can count on God26700:17:35,760 –> 00:17:36,760to be at work26800:17:36,760 –> 00:17:38,160ploughing up hard ground26900:17:38,160 –> 00:17:40,760and alleviating stony ground27000:17:40,760 –> 00:17:43,959and breaking up thorny ground.27100:17:43,959 –> 00:17:45,260We can count on God27200:17:45,260 –> 00:17:46,560to do what He’s promised27300:17:46,560 –> 00:17:47,959to take away a heart of stone27400:17:47,959 –> 00:17:51,660and to give a heart of flesh.27500:17:53,560 –> 00:17:55,760You may sometimes share the word of God27600:17:55,760 –> 00:17:57,359you know you meet someone on the train27700:17:57,359 –> 00:17:59,260or you communicate the Gospel27800:17:59,260 –> 00:18:00,760or you’re doing this with your kids27900:18:00,760 –> 00:18:02,060or you’re working with your small group28000:18:02,060 –> 00:18:03,560or you’ve got some ministry of preaching28100:18:03,560 –> 00:18:04,459or whatever it is28200:18:05,959 –> 00:18:07,160and you may feel28300:18:07,160 –> 00:18:08,959that after you’ve spoken truth28400:18:08,959 –> 00:18:11,459as far as you were concerned28500:18:11,459 –> 00:18:15,459it was just like seed falling on hard ground.28600:18:15,459 –> 00:18:17,359But listen28700:18:17,359 –> 00:18:18,560you don’t know where28800:18:18,560 –> 00:18:22,660God will be ploughing next week.28900:18:22,660 –> 00:18:25,760And when the plow comes29000:18:25,760 –> 00:18:27,359the seed that has been dropped29100:18:27,359 –> 00:18:30,459gets tipped into the opened ground29200:18:30,459 –> 00:18:34,560and everything is changed.29300:18:34,560 –> 00:18:37,160God will be faithful in plowing29400:18:37,160 –> 00:18:38,359you never know where29500:18:38,359 –> 00:18:40,060He’s been ploughing this week29600:18:40,060 –> 00:18:40,760and you never know29700:18:40,760 –> 00:18:42,859where He is going to be plawing next week.29800:18:42,859 –> 00:18:44,260But you can be certain about this29900:18:44,260 –> 00:18:46,260we can be certain about this in ministry30000:18:46,260 –> 00:18:47,560that God will be faithful30100:18:47,560 –> 00:18:50,359in His work of ploughing.30200:18:50,359 –> 00:18:52,060Therefore30300:18:52,060 –> 00:18:54,760we must be intentional30400:18:54,760 –> 00:18:56,760about our work of sowing30500:18:56,760 –> 00:19:00,660and we must sow indiscriminately.30600:19:00,660 –> 00:19:04,359We must sow everywhere we can.30700:19:04,359 –> 00:19:06,359We must sow without worrying about30800:19:06,359 –> 00:19:08,260the particular conditions of peoples hearts30900:19:08,260 –> 00:19:10,560because God will do His work31000:19:10,560 –> 00:19:14,060as He has trusted us to do our work.31100:19:14,060 –> 00:19:17,760We must be intentional about sowing the seed.31200:19:17,760 –> 00:19:20,760The finest seed31300:19:20,760 –> 00:19:22,760will not raise a harvest31400:19:23,359 –> 00:19:27,060if it’s piled in the barn.31500:19:27,060 –> 00:19:29,859And when you take the seed out,31600:19:29,859 –> 00:19:31,060you don’t have it in your hopper31700:19:31,060 –> 00:19:33,060and then dump it all in one place31800:19:33,060 –> 00:19:36,060because that won’t do any good.31900:19:36,060 –> 00:19:38,060You have to scatter it.32000:19:38,060 –> 00:19:40,060You have to spread it32100:19:40,060 –> 00:19:45,060as widely as you possibly can.32200:19:46,060 –> 00:19:49,560And Jesus says this will bring a harvest32300:19:49,859 –> 00:19:51,859thirty, sixty,32400:19:51,859 –> 00:19:55,859even a hundred times what was sown.32500:19:55,859 –> 00:19:58,859By the way, thirty times,32600:19:58,859 –> 00:19:59,859certainly in the time of Jesus,32700:19:59,859 –> 00:20:00,859I’m not sure what it is now,32800:20:00,859 –> 00:20:02,859but thirty times in the time of Jesus32900:20:02,859 –> 00:20:05,859would have been a bumper crop.33000:20:06,260 –> 00:20:09,859So sixty or a hundred is off the charts unimaginable.33100:20:09,859 –> 00:20:12,859That’s out of this world, literally.33200:20:12,859 –> 00:20:14,859And you see what Jesus is saying33300:20:14,859 –> 00:20:16,359to people who couldn’t imagine33400:20:16,359 –> 00:20:17,859a harvest more than thirty,33500:20:17,859 –> 00:20:21,859that’s the best we could ever ever predict.33600:20:21,859 –> 00:20:22,859Jesus is saying,33700:20:22,859 –> 00:20:27,359look, God the Father can do more in your life33800:20:27,359 –> 00:20:31,359through his word than you can ever imagine.33900:20:31,859 –> 00:20:33,359And God can raise a harvest34000:20:33,359 –> 00:20:34,359through your life34100:20:34,359 –> 00:20:36,359and through the ministry of the church34200:20:36,359 –> 00:20:40,359that is more than any of us can ever imagine.34300:20:41,359 –> 00:20:42,359When the word of God34400:20:42,359 –> 00:20:45,859gets into the soil of your life34500:20:45,859 –> 00:20:53,359there is no telling what God will raise up through you.34600:20:53,359 –> 00:20:55,859How will God establish his kingdom34700:20:55,859 –> 00:20:59,359in a world that rejects the King?34800:20:59,359 –> 00:21:01,859How can there be any hope34900:21:01,859 –> 00:21:04,859for people who are hard or shallow or choked up?35000:21:04,859 –> 00:21:06,359How can there be any prospect35100:21:06,359 –> 00:21:08,359of them finding the blessing of life35200:21:08,359 –> 00:21:10,359under the reign of God?35300:21:10,359 –> 00:21:12,859We sow the seed,35400:21:12,859 –> 00:21:15,359God plows the ground,35500:21:15,359 –> 00:21:17,859and there will be a great harvest.35600:21:17,859 –> 00:21:24,359Christ will establish his kingdom.35700:21:24,359 –> 00:21:26,060And at a moment where, no doubt,35800:21:26,060 –> 00:21:27,859the disciples were very discouraged35900:21:27,859 –> 00:21:28,859by all this rejection,36000:21:28,859 –> 00:21:30,859Jesus tells this wonderful story36100:21:30,859 –> 00:21:32,859to lift up their horizons,36200:21:32,859 –> 00:21:35,859to encourage them and to sustain them in ministry,36300:21:35,859 –> 00:21:38,859Look, on the last day,36400:21:38,859 –> 00:21:41,359there will be a great multitude36500:21:41,359 –> 00:21:43,359gathered around the throne of God36600:21:43,359 –> 00:21:46,359praising the Lamb36700:21:46,359 –> 00:21:49,359and enjoying the full blessing of life36800:21:49,359 –> 00:21:51,359under the reign and rule of God.36900:21:51,359 –> 00:21:55,359And how did they get there?37000:21:55,359 –> 00:21:59,359God’s people sowed the word,37100:21:59,359 –> 00:22:03,359and God’s Spirit plowed the ground37200:22:03,359 –> 00:22:07,680and there was a great harvest.37300:22:07,680 –> 00:22:09,359A reminder there that37400:22:09,739 –> 00:22:12,739God will be faithful in preparing the ground.37500:22:12,739 –> 00:22:16,739We just need to go ahead and scatter the seed.37600:22:16,739 –> 00:22:18,739That’s what we’re all about here at Open the Bible.37700:22:18,739 –> 00:22:21,739We want to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel37800:22:21,739 –> 00:22:26,739through radio, through podcast, and online.37900:22:26,739 –> 00:22:29,739Maybe you’ve only recently begun listening to Open the Bible38000:22:29,739 –> 00:22:31,739and you’d like to know more.38100:22:31,739 –> 00:22:34,739Come to openthebible.org.uk38200:22:34,739 –> 00:22:37,900there you’ll find all the different resources38300:22:37,900 –> 00:22:39,900for a small group and your church38400:22:39,900 –> 00:22:42,900to build your relationship with Jesus.38500:22:42,900 –> 00:22:45,900That’s openthebible.org.uk38600:22:45,900 –> 00:22:47,900Today’s message was38700:22:47,900 –> 00:22:50,900Jesus will establish His kingdom.38800:22:50,900 –> 00:22:53,900Sometimes we get so used to hearing about Jesus38900:22:53,900 –> 00:22:56,900that we lose the sense of amazement of who He really is.39000:22:56,900 –> 00:22:59,900That’s at the core of this series39100:22:59,900 –> 00:23:01,900The Gospel According to Jesus39200:23:01,900 –> 00:23:03,900If you’ve missed any of the series39300:23:03,900 –> 00:23:05,900or if you want to go back and listen again39400:23:05,900 –> 00:23:08,900please do that by coming online to our website39500:23:08,900 –> 00:23:10,900openthebible.org.uk39600:23:10,900 –> 00:23:13,900Or find us as a podcast39700:23:13,900 –> 00:23:16,900on your regular podcast site39800:23:16,900 –> 00:23:17,900Search for Open the Bible UK39900:23:17,900 –> 00:23:19,900and subscribe to receive regular updates.40000:23:19,900 –> 00:23:22,900Open the Bible is supported entirely by our listeners40100:23:22,900 –> 00:23:24,900that’s people just like you40200:23:24,900 –> 00:23:27,900and we are very grateful for the support you give us.40300:23:27,900 –> 00:23:29,900If you’re thinking about supporting40400:23:29,900 –> 00:23:31,900Open the Bible in this way40500:23:31,900 –> 00:23:33,900we have an offer for you this month40600:23:33,900 –> 00:23:36,900if you’re able to set up a new direct debit40700:23:36,900 –> 00:23:39,900in the amount of £5 per month or more40800:23:39,900 –> 00:23:42,900or give a one off gift of £50 or more40900:23:42,900 –> 00:23:43,900we’d love to say thank you41000:23:43,900 –> 00:23:47,900by sending you 5 copies of Pastor Colin’s new booklet41100:23:47,900 –> 00:23:49,900What Jesus Says to Sceptics41200:23:49,900 –> 00:23:51,900That’s one copy for you41300:23:51,900 –> 00:23:54,900and 4 copies to give away to your friends and family41400:23:54,900 –> 00:23:57,900Colin who is this booklet for?41500:23:57,900 –> 00:24:01,900Well people have always had very different reactions to Jesus41600:24:01,900 –> 00:24:02,900some are committed followers41700:24:02,900 –> 00:24:05,900other are hard core opponents41800:24:05,900 –> 00:24:08,900but there will be many people who are listening to the program today41900:24:08,900 –> 00:24:10,900who would identify with neither of these things42000:24:10,900 –> 00:24:12,900you’re not particularly committed to Jesus42100:24:12,900 –> 00:24:14,900you haven’t rejected him either42200:24:14,900 –> 00:24:16,900you do have questions42300:24:16,900 –> 00:24:18,900and this booklet is for you42400:24:18,900 –> 00:24:20,900and for others listening42500:24:20,900 –> 00:24:22,900there will be a skeptic in your life42600:24:22,900 –> 00:24:25,900there will be someone you know and love42700:24:25,900 –> 00:24:26,900who has real questions42800:24:26,900 –> 00:24:28,900they are not yet committed to Jesus42900:24:28,900 –> 00:24:32,900but this booklet really gives an opportunity43000:24:32,900 –> 00:24:34,900to listen to what Jesus has to say43100:24:34,900 –> 00:24:35,900to skeptics43200:24:35,900 –> 00:24:38,900Well we would love to send you five copies of this booklet43300:24:38,900 –> 00:24:40,900as our way of saying thank you43400:24:40,900 –> 00:24:42,900for setting up a new regular monthly direct debit43500:24:42,900 –> 00:24:45,900of five pounds per month or more43600:24:45,900 –> 00:24:49,900or a one off gift of fifty pounds or more this month43700:24:49,900 –> 00:24:52,900if you value Pastor Collins teaching on the radio and online43800:24:52,900 –> 00:24:54,900you will be helping to keep it here43900:24:54,900 –> 00:24:57,900and to support the work of open the Bible44000:24:57,900 –> 00:25:00,900Full terms and conditions about this offer44100:25:00,900 –> 00:25:04,900are on our website openthebible.org.uk44200:25:04,900 –> 00:25:07,900For Pastor Colin Smith and Open the Bible44300:25:07,900 –> 00:25:10,900I’m David Pick and I hope you will join us again next time44400:25:16,900 –> 00:25:18,900What scares you?44500:25:18,900 –> 00:25:21,900Maybe you’d say, nothing scares me44600:25:21,900 –> 00:25:23,900Find out what it would be like to be44700:25:23,900 –> 00:25:25,900in the presence of God44800:25:25,900 –> 00:25:28,900That’s next time on Open the Bible