October 29, 2023
Persevering
- Matt Nickoson
Sermon Notes
Luke 8:5a NIV
"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed,…"
1) "some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up." – Luke 8:5b NIV
2) "Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture." – Luke 8:6 NIV
3) "Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants." – Luke 8:7 NIV
4) "Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." – Luke 8:8a NIV
When (Jesus) said this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear." – Luke 8:8b NIV
Luke 8:11-12 NIV
"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved."
Luke 8:13 NIV
"Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away."
Luke 8:14 NIV
"The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature."
Luke 8:15 NIV
"But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."
"To retain or restrain" the word of God means to hold fast, keep secure, or even in the opposite sense, it can mean to "restrain" it and not let it escape from you.
James 1:22 NIV
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
"… by persevering, produce a crop."
hupomoné = a remaining under, a patient endurance (endure under…)
James 1:12 NIV
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
What was the last thing the Lord told you to do?
Have you done it?
Luke 8:22 NIV
One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out.
Mark 4:36a NIV
"Leaving the crowd behind, they took (Jesus) along, just as he was, in the boat."
Jesus is inviting the disciples into a bigger story than they had ever imagined possible.
Luke 8:23 NIV
As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
Luke 8:24 NIV
The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.
Luke 8:25 NIV
"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."
A crisis of faith occurs when you realize the storm you're with is bigger than the storm you're in.
"If you live a long time, eventually your body will give out, and you'll die. And maybe it will happen sooner – through an earthquake, a fire, or some other disaster. Nature is violent and overwhelming – it's unmanageable power, and it's going to get you sooner or later. You may say, that's true, but if I go to Jesus, he's not under my control either. He lets things happen that I don't understand. He doesn't do things according to my plan, or in a way that makes sense to me. But if Jesus is God, then he's got to be great enough to have some reasons to let you go through things you can't understand. His power is unbounded, but so are his wisdom and his love" – Timothy Keller, Jesus the King: Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God
Sometimes, the purpose of the storm is to prune your life for more effectiveness.