Faith That Works

Sunday December 12, 2010
Speaker:

Mark 4 (The Parable of the Sower and the Seed). After the seed (the Word of God) is planted in good ground (a person’s heart), Satan comes immediately to steal the seed (the Word). He uses external influences of offenses and affliction and persecution. There’s always a contest against the Word. Then, if the Word gets past the external pressures, it comes in contact with the person’s internal forces of: 1- the cares of the world, 2- the deceitfulness of riches, 3- the desires for other things. Satan is afraid of the Word in your heart. Governments are afraid of the planted Word in the hearts of missionaries. We need to take heed to what we hear (Mark 4:24) and how we hear (Luke 8:18). You can learn from people you don’t agree with. In Mark 4:35 Jesus demonstrated how faith works: the person speaks faith with purpose (“Let’s go to the other side.”), the storm comes (the conflict, test) but the person is at rest, causing the person to reach his destination. The disciples demonstrated how the cares choke the Word (Don’t You care…?”). You will have problems because of the Word when you try to serve the Lord. What kind of people should we be? James 1:22 tells us to be doers of the Word. Wherever there’s deception entering into your life, there’s inactivity. Satan tries to talk you out of obedience through delay, reasoning, rationalization. You forget who you are when you stop acting on the Word. The Word is a mirror that shows your natural face, the way God created you. Satan is not interested in you but in the Word in you. Do what God tells you to do.