Words of Jesus Podcast - Teaching Heavenly Things

Episode Date: October 7, 2022

Jesus did not teach universalism. Jesus said, "Many are called, few are chosen." While teaching the disciples the first parable, Jesus reveals foundational understanding required to become part of the Kingdom of God.  God hides things from people who are not called – blessed are ye who hear.  The implementation of God's will has been turned over to His people. God’s will is done when God's people do it. Strive to enter in.  The kingdom of God contains both judgment and reward.***Ch. 29: JESUS TELLS A PARABLE OF A SOWERTHE SAME DAY that his mother and brothers had come to see him, Jesus want down by the seaside.  Great multitudes came to hear and see him.  Jesus sat in a boat and spoke to the crowd on the shore, saying:             “Behold, a sower went forth to sow.  And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up. Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth; and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth.  And when the sun was up, they were schorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them.  But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”            When they were alone, his disciples asked Jesus:            “Why speakest thou to them in parables?”            Jesus replied:            “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given.  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance; but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.  And them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, “By hearing ye shall not hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive.  For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest as any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.  But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.            “Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower: When anyone heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the wayside. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it.  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while; for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”...

Think Red Ink Ministries presents the Words of Jesus series with Don C. Harris. Hello friends and welcome once again to the Words of Jesus series. I'm Don Harris, your host, and we're going to be talking today about one of my favorite parables. I remember when I first was doing the tour around the country on, I don't know if you're familiar with a DVD that this ministry offers called the Parable Paradox, but I was doing this seminar around the country talking about this parable of the sower. I remember as I was reading this for the first time that Jesus was trying to explain to his disciples certain principles

and foundational understandings and he said that I'm going to tell you this parable. And so he told the parable and the disciples asked him well we're going to read it here, you know, that explain unto us the parable of the sower. And Jesus says, don't you understand this parable? If you don't understand this parable, how can you understand all parables? And I got fascinated with that. I thought, boy, there's something here that is different than every other parable that we've ever heard Jesus ever give us, tell us.

And it's probably worthy of our attention, so I decided to take a look at it. I thought to myself, why would he just, you know, in the middle of his ministry, throw in a parable that says, if you don't understand this, you haven't understood anything I've ever said. Then I got to thinking about it, and I thought, hey, this is the first parable. This has to be the first one. He didn't give us a bunch of parables and then tell us that we didn't understand them. He gave us this one and said, this is the one you need to understand so that you can understand all parables. Now I've been

fascinated with talking to different people about this and I've always been fascinated that I say, you know Jesus said, if you don't understand this parable, you don't understand any parable. And silence. It's just silence. Do you know what parable he was talking about? Silence. And I'm thinking does this sound familiar to you at all? Yeah. Yeah. That he said if you don't understand

this parable, you don't understand any of them. Yeah. And you can just see their wheels turning and they're thinking, what parable is that? And I'm thinking to myself, you know what, this comes from just Bible reading. This is us picking up our Bible. It's time to read the Bible. And then people read it. And they're not even reading what it's saying. We're going to read what it says today if you don't mind. Jesus tells the parable of the

sower. Now this comes from Matthew 13. Also in Mark 4 and in Luke 8. This is chapter 29 of our little book. The same day that his mother and his brothers had come to see him, Jesus went down by the seaside. Great multitudes came to hear him, to see him. Jesus sat in a boat and spoke to the crowd on the shore, saying, Behold, a sower

went forth to sow. And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up. Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth, and forthwith they sprung up because they had no deepness of earth. And when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. And some seeds fell upon thorns,

and the thorns sprung up and choked them. But other fell into good ground and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. He who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Jesus ends his parable with this idea of he that has ears to hear, let him hear. I believe that he is introducing this concept, he who hath ears to hear, let him hear, by this parable that if you don't understand the parable, that you're not going to understand anything. I think that if he had said, if you don't have ears to hear, you're not going to understand anything. I think that if he had said if you don't have ears to hear you're not going to hear

it would have just bypassed our attention and perhaps gone away. But he told this parable and ended it with saying he that hath ears to hear let him hear. So what exactly happened here and this parable that he told? What does all that mean? Well, there's a lot of people that teach and preach on this that talk as if they do indeed understand what he has to say.

I'm going to show you that through just badly defined words that we might be in danger of really not understanding what this parable has to say. When they were alone, his disciples asked Jesus, Why speakest unto them in parables? Jesus replied, Because it is given for you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. But to them it's not given. Jesus replied, not from him it shall be taken away, even that he hath. Therefore speak I unto them in parables,

because seeing they see not, hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye ye shall hear and shall not understand and by seeing ye shall see and you shall not perceive for this people's heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed yes didn't he lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts,

and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are you. I just love this. But blessed are you. Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them,

and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Now, in this particular introduction to what he has to say next, he makes several points that I think that if we read over it, we may miss it. And that is that he says that parables are the choice, I've chosen parables to teach with. The reason that I've done that is because, simply, it is given for you to know. Friend, listen, are you called of God?

Have you answered his call by keeping his commandments? Are you working toward being chosen of god are you working toward salvation that'll come at the end of your life you know if that's you i have some good news for you it is given for you to know these things not to be taught it has nothing to do with your ears hearing words or your eyes seeing things in front of them. Because he says that hearing they shall hear, but they'll not understand. And seeing they'll see, but they won't perceive. Now you, on the other hand, you will hear and you will understand. You will see

and you will perceive. This is and you will perceive this is his promise this is a beautiful thing right here you know well i'm not so good in school has nothing to do with school i'm not so good at reading has nothing to do with reading as you know i'm not so good at whatever this that whatever reason doesn't matter. You're called of God. If you're called of God, then it is given for you to understand. Do you understand? Now, when a situation explodes in your home, do you understand why it happened? When things happen in life, do you understand why they happen?

Do you sit and wring your hands and wonder, God, do you understand why they happen? Do you sit and wring your hands and wonder, God, why me? Is that you? Because if it is, you are way below the potential that you have and way below the will of God for your life to understand these things. Many people are going to hear what you hear and not understand it doesn't have to be you many people are going to see what you see and they will not perceive but that does not have to be you this is a promise man this is this is something that he wants to give us understanding perception you know can you think of anything that would be more important in your life than that it's hard to believe that there could be anything more important than understanding.

He said, you know, even the prophets and the righteous men that you read about in the Old Testament, they heard, but they didn't understand. They heard what you hear, but they didn't understand. They see what you've seen, but they still don't perceive and these people that do not have this perception and they do not have this understanding the lord jesus is very kind here in in in teaching to us in so many words that a lot of this is not your fault. It's not your fault. There is such a thing as God hiding these things

from people they're not intended for. You know, I meet people all the time that, you know, they say, well, I don't want anything to do with that God stuff. You know, I tried that when I was a kid. I don't care for it. You know, they're an atheist now or they're agnostic now or whatever else. And I say, well, maybe it's not for you. What do you mean? Maybe you're not called. Maybe it's not God's intention to save you. What in the world? What are you saying?

It's God's intention to save everybody. No, the Bible says that it's His desire it's His will that no man should perish. But since when does God get what He wants? Since when did that ever happen? I hear people pray all the time and they say, well, you know if it's God's will it'll happen. No, it won't. Where'd you get the idea that God gets His will every time? You know, if what we're living in right now is the will of God, it stinks. Listen, he doesn't have, his will's not, that's why Jesus said,

Thy will be done on earth like it is in heaven. Why would he pray for something like that if it was already happening? You know, God doesn't get his way just because he wants it. He has turned, essentially, the rulership, the hands-on ruling of the earth, he's turned it over to his people. And if his will's not being done, it's because we're not doing his will,

not because he doesn't will it or he doesn't want it. It's just that we're not doing it. We've got other things to do. It's not time to feed the poor. It's time to go to church. So just because it happens to be God's will does not mean it's going to happen. And sometimes it's not his will to save every person on this earth.

You've got to know that. It's just not so. If it were so, Jesus probably. Remember what he said one time? He was talking about the rewards that we're going to receive in the next life. And he said, in my father's houses, you've got all kinds of places to live. Many mansions.

And he said, if it were not so, I would have told you. And I think this is kind of an overarching promise about what we read about the Lord Jesus and what he has to say. If it wasn't so, I wouldn't have told you that. Or I would have told you that it's not so. But here he's saying, you know, when he says that this is the way it is, if this weren't

so, he would have told us. Well, what are you talking about, Don? What did he tell us? Many are called. Many are called and few are chosen. Many are called, few are chosen. If what conventional Christianity is saying is true, that he wants everybody to be saved, wouldn't everybody be called?

And if everybody were called, why would Jesus say many? Why wouldn't he say everybody's called if you ever were chosen? It's just the fact. Well, when dealing with atheists and agnostics and things like that, I tell them, don't worry about it. Perhaps you weren't called. Not everybody's called. They're under the impression that they're called because God calls everybody. God loves everybody. God's going to save everybody. I mean, the other side of this coin

is the universalist idea that, well, everybody's going to eventually be saved. The ideas of reincarnation, the universalist doctrines, and these kind of things all come from the other side of this coin. But truth is, is it balanced on its edge, this coin tells it all. And that is, not everybody's called.

And certainly not everybody who's called, even those who have answered that call, are chosen. As a matter of fact, whatever few there be that are called, whatever comes out of that group are few again. Although many are called, few are chosen. Well, how do you say few? I mean, mathematically, what does few mean? Mathematically. Well, I would say that it means like 49% or less.

Actually, if it was 49%, I think somebody would have said something around half, wouldn't they? So let's just say it's 25%. Is that really few? Well, it's probably 25% all the way down to 1%, but few is few. There's a few people that are going to be chosen out of the many that are called we don't need to we don't need to play with this what is the idea of saying that god

wants to save everybody is that something that you're that you're telling your grandkids because you can't even imagine that one of your kids would go to hell hell's going to be full of kids friends there's not going to be a person there that doesn't have a mommy and daddy that loved him i mean hitler had a mommy at one time he was a cute little baby at one time but you see we're gonna have to look at these things in a real way not necessarily in some emotional way. But the truth is, is that we have to realize that if you've been called, that's a wonderful thing. And I try to tell atheists, you know, when you're talking to atheists and agnostics,

you say, well, perhaps you weren't called. You know, they might get a little bit about it. But you say, now, wait a minute. Are you telling me that you are called? That you did feel God tugging at you? That you did feel like that this is the right thing for you to do and it didn't work for you and so you quit? Now that's a different thing altogether.

That's just not answering his call. That's not enduring to the end. That's being lost. That's being rebellious. There's a totally different thing. So naturally the atheist switches over to, I don't believe in a God. Well, it's not that they don't believe in God.

It's just that they don't want to believe in a just reward for the way they've lived. Sorry, atheist. Hey, I'm the best friend you've ever had, Mr. Atheist. If you're watching television right now and you're an atheist um i'm your advocate uh because listen it was um you know it was tough for me to find myself agreed with atheist over and over and over and over again uh they've got a lot of decent

arguments about christianity and christianity has done absolutely nothing to answer them. It's really aggravating when I think about it. You know, they have serious and legitimate complaints with the church that is on the earth that calls themselves Christian. So what's the church doing about it? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

They're saying, well, they're atheists. Well, no, no, no no they're probably called of god most atheists i know were raised in church perhaps we're breeding them by our silly doctrines and illogical ideas and well you just got to have faith and you just got to hang in there and things will get better and you know when you when you don't when you get to the end of your rope just tie a knot and hang on you know you'd think jesus said that but he didn't there are people out there that seeing they see but they don't perceive there are people out there that hear but they do not understand then then he says lest now this is really odd because when i first read this i i thought um it sounds like

you don't want to save these people could this could this be well there is such a person in this world that was born and never called it is it is a fact and so he says that their heart is wax gross their ears are dull of hearing their eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them. It sounds to me like either the recipient of this healing or the provider of this healing

doesn't want it done. Isn't that amazing to even think about? So, he says, but blessed are your eyes for they see, your ears for they hear. For I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men So, he says, Then he starts out with, He's going to explain to his disciples what the parable of the sower. He's going to explain to his disciples. What the parable of the sower. Is all about.

When anyone hear. The word of the kingdom. And understandeth it not. Then cometh the wicked one. And catches away. That which was sown in his heart. This is he which received a seed by the wayside. In his parable, he says that some seed fell by the wayside

and the fowls of the air came and devoured them up. He's saying there that the seeds that are devoured by the wayside are the people who these seeds spring up, but the fowls of the air come and take these seeds away. Any farmer knows that this is an aggravation, and it happens. You sow seeds, you look behind you, and you see a flock of birds picking it up.

And it's just a fact of nature. There's nothing you can do about it. Well, not without ruining your seeds anyway um so um he's saying that uh that the only thing that can keep these seeds from being devoured by these fowl is what did you see it did you it? He says any man who hears the word of the kingdom and understandeth it not. Now he just got done saying anybody who has ears to hear let him hear. They hear they hear yeah but they don't understand.

They see but they don't perceive. So he's saying that if you do hear the words of the kingdom and you don't understand it the that the wicked one these birds come and take that seed away because you didn't understand it now let's see what else would happen he He says, but he that received the seed into stony places, the same as he that heareth the word and anon, or immediately, anon with joy receiveth it, yet he hath not rooted himself. Alright, so what are we developing here?

We're developing a list of the way we need to deal with the word of the kingdom and so first of all we need to understand what's being said second we have to receive what's being said and there are many people yeah i understand exactly what he's saying well are you going to apply this to your life? I doubt it. Well, if that is the case, you're falling into this category where he says that he received it into stony places. The same is here the word, and a nun with joy receiveth it, yet he hath

not rooted himself, but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by or immediately he's offended. This stony ground is a person of adamant will. I hear what he's saying, but I don't know that it applies to me. I'm going to continue doing what I've always

done. And, you know, sorry if you don't like it, but that's the way it is. Well, you know, you're talking to a person of a stony heart, the Bible teaches. And when seeds fall among this stony ground, sure, it springs up, and they understand it and they're fully aware of what's going on, but there's no root. They have no root in themselves. See this root is this root of

righteousness. This is that right living kind of a thing where we need to have soil that's not only fertile, but also the deepness of earth. We have to have that deepness of earth so that these roots can have a place to go. And then he says, He also that receives seed among thorns is he that heareth the word,

and the care of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and another gospel says, the lust of other things, enter in and choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. Now, this situation, number three on the list of creating this environment for these seeds, is this thing about being so concerned about yourself and about the world that you live in.

What do we eat? What do we dress? How do we dress? Where do we get our clothes? Where am I going to get my next job? And these kind of things can enter in and choke that word like weeds getting around a corn stalk or something else. They're just not letting it grow. And these are just weeds in our life that have to be dealt with, have to be dispensed with. And so what have we got? Let's see if we can review real quick.

One of them is that we need to hear and understand what's being said. When we do understand what's being said, we need to receive it into ourselves or receive it into our life. And number three, and there's going to be, and he's going to explain when we continue next show, he's going to explain what happens when you get these three together. The third one that we have to avoid is the cares of this world. They're going to drive you crazy. They're going to choke the Word of God out of your life if you're not careful.

All right, that's our time. And we're going to continue next time. We're going to be talking about the parable of the sower. And hopefully when we're all done, and I say, if you don't understand this parable, you don't understand any of them, you can say within yourself, yeah, but I understand that parable now.

I hope I can do that for you. All right, time is gone. Write to me if you'd like to. Just write to my email address, don at thinkredink.com we'll see you next time meet you right here bye Thank you. you've been listening to don c harris of think red ink ministries ThinkRedInc.com. That's ThinkRedInc.com. Join us again for the next episode in the Words of Jesus series. you