LutheranLectionary.org

1 Year Lectionary – Sexagesima – Sunday, February 20, 2022 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough

Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough:

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:28	the holy gospel according to saint luke
0:31	the eighth chapter and when a great
0:33	crowd was gathering and people from town
0:36	after town came to Jesus he said to them
0:38	in a parable a sower went out to sow his
0:40	seed and as he sowed some fell along the
0:43	path and was trampled underfoot and the
0:45	birds of the air devoured it and some
0:47	fell on the rock and as it grew up it
0:49	withered away because it had no moisture
0:52	some fell among thorns and the thorns
0:54	grew up with it and choked it and some
0:56	fell into good soil and grew and yielded
0:58	a hundred fold as he said these things
1:01	he called out he who has ears to hear
1:03	let him hear and when his disciples
1:05	asked him what this parable meant he
1:07	said
1:08	to you it has been given to know the
1:10	secrets of the kingdom of god but for
1:12	others they are in parables so that
1:14	seeing they may not see and hearing they
1:16	may not understand now the parable is
1:18	this the seed is the word of god the
1:21	ones along the path are those who have
1:23	heard then the devil comes along and
1:25	takes away the word from their hearts so
1:27	that they may not believe and be saved
1:30	and the ones on the rock are those who
1:32	when they hear the word they receive it
1:33	with joy but these have no root they
1:36	believe for a while and in a time of
1:38	testing they fall away as for what fell
1:40	among the thorns they are those who hear
1:43	but as they go on their way they are
1:45	choked by the cares and the riches and
1:47	the pleasures of life
1:49	and their fruit does not mature
1:52	as for that in the good soil they are
1:53	those who hearing the word hold it fast
1:56	in an honest and good heart and bear
1:59	fruit with patience this is the gospel
2:01	of the lord in the name of Jesus amen
2:06	so y’all y’all remember the movie bug’s
2:08	life yeah
2:09	that was that second pixar movie with
2:11	flick and dot and you know you remember
2:14	that remember when flick was giving that
2:16	that pep speech to dot because dot was a
2:19	she was a she was an immature
2:22	queen aunt in training kind of thing and
2:25	and she wasn’t really able to fly and do
2:27	a lot of great things so what does flick
2:29	do he goes and grabs a rock okay and he
2:32	says listen
2:35	you’re just like a seed you know and you
2:36	know the the in and he starts talking
2:39	about how inside of a seed are all these
2:41	important things and then when it
2:42	matures it turns into something
2:44	beautiful right
2:45	and dot just doesn’t track with it you
2:47	know she kind of looks and kind of weird
2:49	and goes but it’s a rock right and it’s
2:51	it’s kind of cute how the way she does
2:53	it so here’s the thing
2:55	you’ll note that in scripture
2:57	this seed
2:59	plant fruit metaphor
3:02	you know they’re they’re the scriptures
3:04	are filled with them in fact let me let
3:06	me kind of throw in another metaphor the
3:08	scriptures are watch this ripe with them
3:11	you see see what i did there okay
3:16	but
3:17	all of that being said Jesus is doing
3:19	the same thing so the seed that is sown
3:22	in our parable
3:23	is the word of god and if you think
3:26	about it the seed of the word of god as
3:28	we heard in the prophet isaiah chapter
3:30	55 this morning it accomplishes the
3:33	thing for which he sends it god’s word
3:36	does stuff but we have to also as we
3:39	look at this parable note something here
3:42	Jesus is engaging is in some pretty
3:45	heavy
3:46	law
3:47	and exposing the sin in our hearts and
3:50	worse than that exposing the fruit of a
3:54	different word if you would if you were
3:55	to think of the devil’s words in the
3:58	garden of eden as a seed now
4:01	let me make something clear there’s this
4:03	weird heretical doctrine out there
4:04	called the serpent seed doctrine that
4:06	ain’t what i’m talking about i’m talking
4:08	about the actual words of the devil they
4:10	had they were like a seed and they
4:13	produced in us all kinds of really awful
4:17	things so returning to the scene of the
4:19	crime which i do from time to time let’s
4:21	again hear
4:23	uh where the problem comes in and and
4:25	where what it is that we naturally
4:28	because we are born dead in trespasses
4:30	and sins
4:31	bear the fruit of and where that seed
4:33	came from
4:34	it says in genesis 3 serpent was more
4:36	crafty than any other beast of the field
4:38	that the lord god had made and he said
4:40	to the woman did god really say you
4:43	shall not eat of any tree in the garden
4:45	that’s not what god said by the way this
4:47	is slander and so the woman said to the
4:49	serpent well we may eat the fruit of the
4:51	trees in the garden but god said you
4:52	shall not eat of the fruit of the tree
4:54	that’s in the midst of the garden
4:56	neither shall you touch it lest you die
4:59	now now i’m going to note here you know
5:02	if if those of you in my catechism
5:04	classes you’ll you’ll note that the kids
5:06	i make the kids memorize the the
5:08	commandments right so if you know if i
5:10	were to ask you all right uh let’s see
5:13	here uh you know lily what’s the third
5:15	commandment literally would just go oh
5:16	the third commandment is remember the
5:18	sabbath day by keeping it holy right and
5:20	then and i said all right what does this
5:22	mean and she might go well it means um
5:25	to fear and love god
5:27	so that um we keep the sabbath day holy
5:30	she might say something like that it was
5:32	real really early on right and so you’ll
5:34	note that you know she doesn’t quite get
5:37	the catechism memorization thing right
5:40	but she’s in the ballpark so eve says
5:43	you shall not eat of the fruit of the
5:44	tree that’s in the midst of the garden
5:46	neither shall you touch it lest you die
5:48	i’ll take two points off for her memory
5:50	work she needs to hammer that out a
5:52	little bit better but the serpent then
5:54	keeps the attack on and then he says
5:56	this you will not surely die in other
5:59	words god’s a liar and i’m telling you
6:01	the truth for god knows that when you
6:03	eat of it your eyes will be open and
6:06	you’ll be like god’s knowing good and
6:09	evil
6:11	then there’s the temptation you’re gonna
6:13	be like god right and what’s really
6:15	interesting is is in the in the
6:17	septuagint this is the greek translation
6:20	of the old testament that was uh written
6:23	uh you know long before Christ was born
6:26	they actually translated gods
6:28	it’s a little provocative
6:30	the serpent says you’ll be like gods
6:32	knowing good and evil in other words
6:34	he’s saying to adam and eve you’re going
6:36	to be you’re going to be deities man
6:38	you’re you’re going to know you’re going
6:39	to be just you’re going to be gods just
6:41	like god is god
6:43	and so what does the woman do rather
6:45	than listen to the seed of the word of
6:47	god
6:48	the word that said you will not eat of
6:51	that tree that’s in the midst of the
6:52	garden
6:53	well
6:55	here’s what happens she becomes an
6:56	enthusiast she goes inside all right
7:00	and so so when the woman saw that the
7:02	tree was good for food
7:04	feelings
7:07	and that it was a delight to the eyes
7:09	nothing more than feelings and that the
7:12	tree was be
7:14	desired to make one wise
7:16	feelings
7:18	whoa
7:19	feel this
7:20	okay and here’s the
7:22	who’s she listening to again
7:25	words from the devil
7:27	this is where the devil sows
7:30	weed seeds all right and what does she
7:33	do
7:34	well she took of its fruit she ate it
7:36	and she also gave some to her husband
7:38	who was with her and he ate
7:41	well
7:42	fast forwarding to the book of galatians
7:45	paul writing about the fruit of the
7:46	flesh which is uh brought about as a
7:49	result of our fall into sin now the
7:50	fruit of the flesh the words of the
7:52	flesh they’re evident are you ready
7:53	sexual immorality impurity sensuality
7:56	idolatry sorcery enmity strife
7:59	jealousy fits of anger rivalries
8:01	dissensions divisions envy drunkenness
8:03	orgies and things like these i warn you
8:05	as i warned you before that those who do
8:07	such things will not inherit the kingdom
8:09	of god
8:10	so uh you’ll note that the fruit of that
8:14	seed the word of the serpent has borne
8:17	death in us and has brought us into much
8:21	shame
8:22	vice and just horrible horrible horrible
8:26	sin it’s
8:27	well stripped us of our godly dignity
8:30	and made us like the devil
8:32	so when Christ talks about in our
8:34	parable then
8:36	that the word of god is
8:39	like a seed
8:40	all right
8:41	he’s going on about something that we
8:44	need to pay close attention to
8:46	and that is is that there are a few
8:48	commandments that are in play here and
8:50	we need to listen carefully to the the
8:52	law in Christ’s parable
8:54	because it’s going to identify
8:56	well ways in which we need to repent
9:00	ways in which we need to be forgiven
9:03	ways in which we need to cry out to god
9:04	the holy spirit to help us so first
9:07	commandment in play is that third
9:09	commandment and what is the third
9:10	commandment remember the sabbath day by
9:12	keeping it holy what does this mean we
9:14	should fear and love god so that we do
9:16	not despise
9:18	preaching and his word
9:20	but hold it sacred and gladly hear and
9:24	learn it
9:25	now when we hear Jesus’s explanation of
9:28	this parable the parable of these
9:29	different soils all right Jesus is
9:32	making it clear to his disciples to them
9:34	has been given
9:35	that to them to know the secrets of the
9:37	kingdom but for others he’s speaking in
9:39	parables so that seeing
9:41	they do not see hearing they do not hear
9:43	and do not understand
9:45	and so the parable then is this the seed
9:48	is the word of god the ones along the
9:50	path of those who’ve heard and then the
9:52	devil comes and takes away the word from
9:54	their hearts so that they may not
9:55	believe and be saved now what’s really
9:57	interesting for many years i have always
10:01	kind of just assumed
10:03	that this first bit about um about them
10:07	hearing the word and then uh and then
10:10	not believing that this would be like
10:12	what happens to people who are out there
10:14	you know out preaching the gospel on the
10:16	streets i i think of my my friend in the
10:19	uk pastor gervais nicholas edward
10:21	charmly uh there’s video of him from
10:23	time to time he goes out on the streets
10:25	of hanley stoke on trent what a cool
10:28	name for a town by the name hanley stoke
10:30	on trent that’s an awesome name but he
10:32	goes out and he has a little soapbox
10:34	that he’s created legitimately it’s a
10:36	soapbox and he goes out there and he
10:38	proclaims Christ and him crucified for
10:40	our sins and he’s proclaiming the need
10:43	for people to repent to turn from their
10:44	wickedness and trust in Jesus so that
10:47	they can be forgiven and so when i think
10:49	about the devil coming along and
10:51	snatching the word up i always kind of
10:52	think about it in the context of street
10:54	preachers
10:56	but then this week you know for the
10:58	first time ever ever i actually read
11:00	luther’s sermon on this
11:02	and you know what luther thought it was
11:03	about
11:04	and he may be right he’s actually kind
11:06	of describing what’s going on in the
11:08	church because the church is a place
11:09	where the word of god is preached all
11:11	the time
11:12	now all of a sudden you sit there and go
11:14	whoa what if that’s true then this first
11:18	bit it might actually apply to me even
11:22	hold on a second here
11:24	have you ever had this experience maybe
11:26	it’s just me
11:27	you wake up in the morning you grab your
11:30	very large cup of coffee and i filled
11:32	this up a couple of times during the
11:34	morning and and there you are you kind
11:36	of sit down at your laptop or maybe you
11:38	pull out one of those analog bibles you
11:40	guys remember those things analog bibles
11:42	they have things called pages in them
11:44	but anyway you you open up your bible
11:46	and you’re going to do your morning
11:49	devotion right so you open up the word
11:52	and no joke you read like five six
11:55	paragraphs
11:57	and none of it is sunk in
11:59	not a bit
12:00	and you you all of a sudden you realize
12:02	like five minutes later you go
12:04	oh i’m reading
12:09	i
12:11	and you don’t know a thing that you were
12:13	reading
12:14	it have you ever had that happen to you
12:16	it happens to me and so you’re gonna
12:18	note that we have this amazing ability
12:22	to be a hundred percent
12:24	inattentive
12:26	to god’s word to not hear it to not care
12:29	about anything that say in fact i i
12:31	would even say that within the church
12:33	there are fellows who uh when a pastor
12:35	preached the word they get annoyed
12:38	all right they’re looking at their
12:40	watches they’re checking their instagram
12:42	feed to see if they got another like on
12:44	that photo they posted yesterday they’re
12:46	checking to see who’s checked in on
12:48	snapchat or facebook or whatever you
12:50	know i don’t really know that much about
12:52	some of the other social media platforms
12:54	you get what i’m saying though right
12:56	and so the idea here is is that
12:59	well the devil’s kind of like a bird of
13:01	praise johnny on the spot as soon as the
13:04	word is sown as soon as it’s get it gets
13:06	out there you know you can almost hear
13:08	that
13:10	and it comes swooping in and grabs that
13:12	word right up so that it doesn’t have
13:16	any opportunity to get watered yet alone
13:18	you know
13:19	you get the idea and and this is what
13:21	happens by the way in um
13:23	in heretical churches too
13:25	i mean boy the one thing i’m
13:28	absolutely convinced of nowadays is that
13:30	heretics are absolutely counting on and
13:33	banking on in pun intended
13:36	that people are completely ignorant
13:38	about what the scriptures say and you
13:40	know what people who attend churches
13:43	year after year week after week they are
13:45	legitimately illiterate when it comes to
13:47	the word of god
13:50	and
13:51	you sit there and go there’s something
13:53	seriously wrong here and then you think
13:55	about the fact that the soil that’s
13:56	being described here is like a beaten
13:59	path didn’t Jesus say
14:01	broad is the road that leads to
14:03	destruction right so that beaten path
14:06	kind of hints at something here that
14:08	this is the way that everybody goes and
14:11	and anything that runs contrary to like
14:15	the the status quo the agreed upon
14:18	understanding of how religion and
14:20	spirituality works
14:22	that ain’t gonna that ain’t gonna fly
14:24	but here’s the thing this impacts us all
14:28	because i even within my own soul
14:32	in my own daily reading of scriptures i
14:34	can be a hundred percent inattentive to
14:37	it or
14:39	just you know
14:40	you know just go through the motions
14:41	yeah i read my bible today whoop-dee-doo
14:46	right
14:47	and so note then the law portion of this
14:50	convicts us all how many of us can say
14:53	we are absolutely innocent when it comes
14:55	to being inattentive to god’s word and
14:58	not breaking
14:59	the third commandment
15:02	unfortunately i’ve broken it and so have
15:04	you but here’s where we have to point
15:06	something out then
15:08	so
15:09	if you are found guilty as a result of
15:12	what Christ has said in this parable
15:14	what’s the solution this is a solution
15:16	that you try harder
15:19	commit yourself to doing gooder i’m
15:22	going to make a new year’s resolution
15:24	that i’m going to you know
15:26	okay that’s not the solution
15:29	the solution is this repent
15:31	see your sin for what it is
15:34	see that you have really actually
15:36	that rather than shoe off the devil you
15:38	know this bird of prey and be attentive
15:41	to god’s word that many times you are
15:43	guilty of just completely being
15:45	inattentive ignoring it not taking it to
15:48	heart not listening to it uh you get the
15:50	whole point and so as a result of it you
15:52	have broken one of god’s commands
15:55	and you deserve his righteous wrath but
15:57	Christ he has bled and died for that sin
16:01	all of your breakings of the third
16:03	commandment he took your sin upon
16:05	himself bled and died and so cry out to
16:08	him for forgiveness and mercy and you
16:10	know what he’ll forgive and then ask god
16:13	the holy spirit to take you off that
16:17	path that broad highway that’s well
16:19	paved that seeds don’t actually
16:21	penetrate and till up the soil of your
16:24	heart so that his word may bear fruit
16:31	next one
16:32	okay so all right maybe you’re not going
16:35	the way of like you know the the popular
16:38	spirituality of the day and you’re not
16:40	on that path or and the in the birds you
16:42	you know they’ve been shoot off and and
16:44	well the the word reaches your heart and
16:47	well the ones on the rock
16:49	are those who when they hear the word
16:52	they receive it with joy oh that was
16:54	such a good word right but they have no
16:57	root they believe for a while and then
16:59	in the time of testing they fall away
17:01	and here’s here’s the next bit of it
17:03	okay so this this runs us straight into
17:06	the sin of idolatry you will have no
17:08	other gods
17:09	this the commandment says what does this
17:11	mean we should fear love and trust in
17:13	god above all things but here’s the
17:16	thing you believe in Jesus
17:19	okay well the devil’s making note of
17:22	that and we learn from job that the
17:24	devil might want to make your life a
17:25	living hell he might put you through all
17:27	kinds of suffering pain
17:30	and affliction
17:31	your health might go put that’s an
17:33	official theological term by the way
17:35	kaput
17:36	okay
17:37	or or even worse maybe your confession
17:40	of faith in Jesus will draw the
17:42	attention of those who hate Jesus and
17:45	they will bear you a grudge and make
17:47	sure that you suffer and are persecuted
17:50	well tremendously
17:52	so you you’ll find the word
17:54	the word will take root you receive it
17:57	with joy but all the rocks of
17:58	persecution and suffering are in place
18:01	designed to make you fall away in fact
18:04	we need to pay close attention this
18:06	Jesus warns that in the last days
18:08	which i kind of think we’re in you know
18:10	and we have been for a while and have
18:12	you noticed that things are really
18:13	getting crazier by the day
18:15	you know that in the last days he says
18:17	because of the increase the of
18:19	lawlessness of wickedness the love of
18:22	many would grow cold and he says many
18:25	will fall away you know
18:27	you know family members betraying each
18:30	other and stuff this is what’s being
18:32	talked about here
18:33	and so you’ll know what what’s the
18:35	problem
18:36	oh well
18:37	i i want a religion i want a
18:40	spirituality that’s going to make me
18:42	important that’s going to make me
18:44	successful that’s going to make my life
18:47	better what’s the point of having a
18:48	religion if i can’t be the head and not
18:50	the tail if i can’t have prosperity
18:53	health and divine whatever you get get
18:56	the point right so people they don’t
18:58	sign up for Christianity in order to be
18:59	persecuted or to suffer
19:01	they they want to have
19:04	a word we used a few weeks ago glory
19:08	self glory
19:09	and when they don’t get the self glory
19:11	well you know they just totally fall
19:15	away
19:17	but here’s the thing
19:19	each and every one of us is guilty of
19:21	loving ourselves our own skin more than
19:24	loving god
19:25	and making ourselves into an idol
19:29	many of us are guilty of having these
19:32	stones in our soil
19:35	so what do we do
19:36	repent repent Christ has bled and died
19:40	even for this self-idolatry this desire
19:43	to save your own skin the desire for you
19:45	to be the head and not the tail i mean
19:47	isn’t this what Jesus was tempted with
19:48	when the devil said oh listen all the
19:50	kingdoms of the earth i’ll give them to
19:52	you
19:53	if you just
19:55	bow down and worship me right
19:57	you get the point we you know but we we
20:00	want to be in charge and we don’t want
20:02	suffering we don’t want persecution
20:04	so we need to repent
20:06	confess this sin to Christ and be
20:09	forgiven because of his great mercy
20:12	and the redemption the price that he
20:15	paid so that you and i can be forgiven
20:18	well if the devil’s not gonna get us
20:19	through uh persecution
20:21	and suffering well he can take things
20:24	all the way to the opposite side of the
20:26	pendulum
20:28	next side of the pendulum check this one
20:30	out all right so because the goal here
20:31	we don’t want that word of god to go
20:34	deep for those roots to go down and for
20:36	that fruit to mature because you know
20:38	what happens with mature Christians
20:41	they tell other people about Jesus
20:43	and those people who
20:45	hearing the gospel are brought to
20:46	penitent faith in Christ and then they
20:48	go
20:49	and they tell people about Jesus
20:51	so all right so some fell among the
20:53	thorns
20:55	and they are those who hear but as they
20:57	go on their way they’re choked by the
20:59	cares the riches and the pleasures of
21:01	life and their fruit doesn’t mature so
21:04	the devil sits there and goes fine all
21:06	right
21:08	you’re going to bear up under suffering
21:09	you’re going to trust Jesus in the midst
21:11	of it and there’s no rocks there like
21:12	that i’m just going to pour the riches
21:14	of earth into your lap and see what you
21:16	do with that okay
21:19	and you’ll note that that’s always a big
21:21	temptation too
21:23	and who of us
21:25	have
21:26	not been guilty
21:27	of well you know
21:29	thinking about you know working on
21:31	planning our next vacation during the
21:33	divine service you know of thinking
21:35	about the you know the places that we
21:37	can go and the things that we can see
21:39	and the things that we experience i
21:40	always think about the my great need to
21:42	do some pastoral ministry in barbados
21:45	because it’s so warm there right now
21:46	we’re in the middle of a blizzard right
21:48	but that’s kind of the idea
21:51	life offers so many
21:54	interesting pleasures note here that
21:56	like food and drink they’re not a sin in
21:58	it of themselves but we have an amazing
22:00	ability to take these gifts that god has
22:02	given us and turn them into idols money
22:05	itself becoming an idol
22:08	and when when your obsession ends your
22:11	focus
22:12	is on the pleasures and the riches and
22:15	the things of this life
22:17	what is what does it say the fruit
22:19	doesn’t mature i mean have you ever
22:21	noticed that the people who attend like
22:23	ken copeland’s church they’re not really
22:26	known for their evangelism they’re known
22:28	for their greed
22:30	right
22:31	and there’s a reason for that
22:34	a reason for that
22:35	well he sits there and go oh you know um
22:39	there’s there’s some
22:40	there’s some weeds and thorns in my soil
22:43	and uh
22:44	and Christ’s parable here has really
22:46	kind of pointed that out what do i do
22:50	repent
22:52	repent
22:53	trust Christ he’s even bled and died for
22:56	this idolatry he’s bled and died for all
22:58	the ways where you’ve taken the good
22:59	gifts that he’s given us in this life
23:02	and turn them into the things that you
23:04	look to
23:05	in order to give you good
23:07	but then we have this last soil and
23:09	here’s where we have to start with this
23:11	one this one as for that in the good
23:13	soil they are those who hearing the word
23:16	hold it fast in an honest and good heart
23:18	and bear fruit with patience and here’s
23:20	what we have to start with this one was
23:23	it not Jesus who was the one the only
23:26	one among us
23:27	who literally had
23:30	a honest
23:31	and good heart whose soil was perfect
23:35	that he kept god’s word perfectly
23:38	scripture is so clear he was tempted in
23:40	every way that you and i are tempted yet
23:42	is without sin Christ at no time in his
23:45	life was ever inattentive to god’s word
23:48	Christ at no time did he ever yield to
23:51	the temptation of like putting god’s
23:54	word aside because of the persecution
23:57	and suffering he was made to go through
23:58	in fact
24:00	it was god’s will to crush him the
24:02	scripture says and Jesus he laid down
24:06	his life willingly
24:09	not only being persecuted but being
24:11	murdered
24:12	by you and i
24:14	so that he could bear our sin and our
24:16	grief and our guilt and our shame so
24:19	that we could be forgiven
24:22	and so you’ll note at no point was Jesus
24:24	did Jesus ever yield to that temptation
24:26	and when tempted regarding the things of
24:28	this earth Jesus basically said to the
24:30	devil it is written you shall worship
24:32	the lord your god and him only shall you
24:34	serve Christ is the good soil
24:38	and here’s the best bit
24:40	he calls us to repent and to be forgiven
24:44	and by the power of the holy spirit
24:46	Christ will till up the soil he will
24:48	take that hard path and make it into
24:50	good soil he’ll remove the rocks he’ll
24:52	pull the weeds he’ll send even more of
24:56	his words so that it bears fruit and he
24:58	does this all out of his good and
25:00	gracious and kindness and will and mercy
25:04	and so note then scripture also
25:06	describes Christians as those who have
25:09	had their heart of stone
25:11	taken out and replaced with the heart of
25:13	flesh
25:14	so by faith then trusting in the one who
25:16	is the good soil Jesus we hear the word
25:20	and we hold it fast and we cling to
25:22	Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins
25:24	with the honest and good heart that he
25:26	has given us by grace through faith and
25:29	then here’s the thing we do bear fruit
25:34	passively the fruit of the spirit and
25:36	rather than that list that horrible list
25:39	that we heard
25:40	paul say regarding the fruit of the
25:41	flesh sexual immorality and purity and
25:44	sensuality and idolatry and sorcery
25:46	instead now Jesus through his word
25:48	produces in us
25:50	love
25:51	and joy
25:52	and peace
25:54	patience and kindness and goodness and
25:57	faithfulness
25:58	gentleness and self-control
26:00	these are all the fruit that Jesus bears
26:03	within within us
26:05	by his mighty power through his holy
26:07	spirit
26:08	so this calls us again as we get closer
26:10	and closer to that season of lent
26:13	to look a little closer
26:15	inside of our heart and see the rocks
26:18	and the weeds
26:19	and the hard stony places
26:22	and confess to Christ that we still
26:25	are under the influence of the original
26:27	seed that was sown in us by the devil
26:29	and that we need to be forgiven by him
26:32	and ask and plead with him to remove all
26:36	these things so that his word may have
26:38	its way with us that we may in
26:40	experience the joys of salvation the
26:44	well the honor of being persecuted for
26:46	his name’s sake and forsaking everything
26:49	in this life and
26:50	well humbling ourselves taking up our
26:53	cross and following Jesus to the new
26:55	world that is coming which he gives us
26:57	as a gift
26:58	um
26:59	this is a great parable
27:02	but it takes a little bit of time to
27:04	kind of sort out how the soils work and
27:06	how our sin is involved but when we do
27:08	we find our savior there to forgive us
27:11	to renew us and strengthen us through
27:13	his word in the name of Jesus amen

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