Be Like the 25% Who Overcome 1. The unprotected Christians The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. (Mark 4:14, 15 NIV) -Their hearts are like the path, hard, that the Word of God cannot penetrate. The Word is just in the surface. Unprotected because Satan is able to come and take away the Word. 2. The superficial or skin-deep Christians Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. (Mark 4:16, 17 NIV) -They are glad with the Word but dont stand on the Word. They easily fall away when confronted by persecutions and hardships because of the Word. They are superficial because the Word is only at the surface. 3. The worried and choked Christians Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. (Mark 4:18, 19 NIV) -They are worried about their needs, deceived by wealth and have desires for things. These three hinder the Word from penetrating into the ground of their hearts, thus, they do not obey Gods Word but instead walk away from it. 4. The practical Christians Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” (Mark 4:20 NIV) -They hear the Word, accept it and apply it in their lives thus producing 30, 60 and a hundredfold return. -They are practical because they put the Word into practice irregardless of the circumstance they are in. -Christ has already given us victory and yet from this parable, only 25% (one out of the four) who have heard the powerful Word that brings victory truly overcame. The rest ended up defeated, strangled by the evil one and overcame by the things of this world. -Reasons? 25% have not shielded themselves from the evil one. Another 25% just received the Word skin-deep, while another 25% are choked and worried about their needs, thus making the Word unfruitful in their lives. -Repentance is turning away from where we are going and going back to the right path. Confession is homologeo in Greek which means, saying the same things with what God is saying about what we are doing. -The Word is like a mirror to us. It shows who we really are so that transformation can take place. -We are any of the four. Which one are you? And which one would you like to become? (Jas. 1:22-25)
Posted on: Wed, 22 Jan 2014 03:43:23 +0000
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