Well, good morning and welcome. It's so good to see so many of you here this morning and even some visitors. Welcome. The Lord is so good to gather us to hear his blessed word and to receive it. And by the way, that's what we're talking about here in the adult Sunday school class time. We're reading the parable of the sower and the seed. We're looking at the second type of ground or heart that this parable of the Lord Jesus talks about. And I'm not going to read the whole parable, but I'm going to read verses 5 and 6 and 20 and 21. It says, some seed fell on stony places where they did not have much earth. And they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, they were scorched. And because they had no root, they withered away. And then verses 20 and 21, It says, but he who received seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately he receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but he endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. So there was a reason that the Lord Jesus gave these parables. And I believe that the reason, one of the main reasons, was so that people would understand that they needed grace to be saved. That they could not save themselves. Their hearts had to be good ground, but you can see here that three out of the four types of ground were not good ground. And we need to understand that, I've said to you before, in terms of people that we share the gospel with. That they may receive the word, as it says here, they may even receive it with joy at first, but then, as it says here, when trials come, when persecution comes, when the sun rises, then they're scorched. by it, and we saw that that relates to the persecution of believers or those who profess to know the Lord. Now what I want to focus on here this morning, as we've looked at this for at least one Sunday now, maybe this is the third, is this phrase, he has no root. And so as I've handed out these sheets to you, I've asked questions. And I just want to ask this question again. What is the root? Maybe you can interact with me here and we can benefit from this together. What is the root? Can you tell me? Go ahead, David. The root is regeneration. I've defined it here in my own notes as a living principle of grace. which the Holy Spirit plants in the heart of a person when they are caused by him to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And I want you to turn with me over to 1 Peter chapter 1 and we'll look at verses 2b to 5. Who would like to read these verses for me? Who's got it? Matt? May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. All right, thanks for that, Matt. Now, I've asked another question here in relation to these verses. On what basis is a person begotten again to a living hope, according to these verses? On what basis is he begotten again to a living hope? Yeah, that's right. Sovereign mercy of God. But in the verse itself, what does it say there? Has begotten us again to a living hope through what? That's right. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. So if it's the sovereign mercy of God, which it is, We need to understand what the basis of that sovereign mercy is. How it's going to be extended to a person in the new birth. It's extended to them on the basis of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead. Do you see that? In other words, you didn't cause yourself to be born again. It was a sovereign act of God. The wind blows where it wishes. You hear the sound of it. You do not know where it comes from or where it's going. So it is with those who are born of the Spirit. But you notice that in John 3 there that John also preached the gospel. John 3, 16. After he talked about the new birth. That is the order of things, too, by the way. I think a lot of people mistakenly believe that the new birth happens as a result of their decision for Christ or their exercise of faith. But we must understand something, that man is dead in his trespasses and sins. He cannot make himself alive unto God. The seed has to be planted in the heart by the Holy Spirit. There has to be regeneration or the giving of life to be able to have saving faith. Do you see that here this morning? Now that should say something to us. It shows us how utterly dependent we are upon God for grace, but it also should say something else, that if we don't think that we've ever been born again by the Spirit of God, what should we do? What should we do if we've never been born again or if we sense that we have never been born again, if we don't have the Spirit of God in our life, if we don't have this root that we're talking about, what should we do? Ask Him to cause us to draw close to Him, to seek Him, to make Himself real in our life. We should pray to Him that He might be more real to us in our life. That's good. That is, that we would sense and know certain things about ourselves, that we really need God. And we really need His working in our heart. And this isn't just up to us to live the Christian life, and Christ has done something out here objectively, and then I respond to it, and I live the Christian life based upon the strength of my own will and determination to follow the Lord. That's not it. That's not the Christian life. Now you do need strength, you need determination, you need will, you need to exercise all that. But you also need to see that you need power to be able to live the Christian life. And how beautiful a thing it is when you realize that this power is in the Lord, that salvation is of the Lord. And that comes when you pray, whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved, And then what happens? Well, in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13, it says that you are sealed with the Holy Spirit. And see, I think that's where a lot of people mistakenly think that when they believe that then they received the Holy Spirit, they did, but they didn't realize the work that was going on before. in the new birth and regeneration and the Lord striving with people and causing them to be born again to a living hope. It has to be a living hope. And that living hope is by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. You see this in 1 John 3, verse 9. If you want to turn over there and if somebody would read me that verse, I would appreciate it. Who would like to read 1 John 3, verse 9? Abe, you got it? Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for his seed remains there, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. All right, thanks for that Abe. Now the question I've written on the handout is this, what does it mean when John says that the person who has been born of God does not sin? Does it mean that once a Christian is born again that he never sins or that he cannot sin? How should we understand this? That we would not choose to sin. That's good. That we would not choose to sin. That's very good. Yeah, go ahead, David. Yes. Yes. Yes, that's good. In fact, we could even say it's the kind of sin where you would walk away from Christ. Like we're talking about here, because you don't have a root. Do you see that? Because he's talking about being born of God. He's talking about being born of God. And he says here, in verse 9, he says, whoever has been born of God does not sin. And some translations have that, does not practice sin. The original, I think, is very strong here. But it goes on to say here that his seed remains in him. What is this seed? His seed remains in him. What is this seed? Well, if you think about it in the context of the parable that we're talking about, then the seed is Christ. And if the seed has been planted in you, the plant will be established according to the root, because the life is in the root of the plant. So without the root being healthy, it's not going to be able to produce anything in the plant that's good. So Christ is the health, because it's rooted in Christ. He produces fruit. Very good, thank you for that. I hadn't traced it back up in my own mind as far as to Christ himself, but that's very good, honestly, because that's where it comes from. That's where the seed of righteousness comes from. It comes from being born again, which again is the gift of God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead like we've just talked about here. Yes, go ahead. I was thinking that when I realized that I had been sinning, I recognize it because the seed is in me. The Holy Spirit tells me that this is not right. Yeah, that's good. The Holy Spirit within you recognizes when you sin that you've done something wrong, and that is conveyed to you, which is why sometimes Christians feel guilt. Well, they should if they've sinned. But there is forgiveness with God that he might be feared. But I want to go a little bit deeper with this particular verse because this particular verse is so key to the understanding of what we're talking about here. Whoever has been born of God does not sin. And I believe that the reason that John worded it this way is because the seed remains in him. In other words, he has this root that we're talking about. And when John says here that whoever has been born of God does not sin, it does not mean that we never sin after we're converted to Christ. It means that when we incline our heart to do what the Holy Spirit is leading us to do in terms of our obedience to God, that we will not sin. that we cannot sin in that sense. Why? Because whatever proceeds from the Holy Spirit is always righteous and holy. Do you see that? And so therefore whatever proceeds from your new nature also is righteous and holy because that is the seed that has been planted in your heart. Do you see that? Now that doesn't mean that you don't have the flesh. You still have the flesh in you after you become a Christian, but that flesh has been dethroned according to Romans chapter 6 and 7. And since it has been dethroned, it cannot ever take the place it once did of ruling you. Do you see that? And the reason it can't do that is because of the seed, because the root has been planted in you. And that's what I want you to see because that is such a precious, precious truth. Whatever is born of God does not sin. Whoever is born of God does not sin. Everything that comes from the Spirit and the new nature is holy and in the motions of our heart it will be leading us on to greater holiness and righteousness and understanding of the truth. So we cannot sin in the sense of departing from Christ because we have been born again. That's what I want you to see. Whereas if a person doesn't have the root, If his ground is hard, his heart is hard, then he can be disappointed, can't he? When persecution comes, when temptation comes, when trial comes to him, and he's scorched by the heat, and then he leaves the faith. I want you to look over at Job chapter 19, verses 23 to 28. with me, I want you to see that having this root is very essential in relation to your facing trial and persecution. Job 19 verses 23 to 28, and I will read this for the sake of time. Job says, oh that my words were written, oh that they were inscribed in a book. O that they were engraved on a rock, with an iron pen and lead forever, for I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth, and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another, how my heart yearns within me. If you say, how shall we persecute him? Watch this. Since the root of the matter is found in me, be afraid of the sword for yourselves, for wrath brings the punishment of the sword, that you may know that there is judgment. So you can see here that Job's trying to get his friends to stop persecuting him. By the way, Job was going through this horrific trial, and his friends had taken the position, which was false, that these things that had come upon Job came to him because he was not a righteous man who feared God and was turning away from evil, which was the reason that he had these things come upon him. But instead, it was because that he was a hypocrite. And so his friends felt that they had to get to the bottom of this. And so they persecuted him all through this book until chapter 28 when Job so stridently defended his own righteousness that they ceased talking to him. And finally Elihu had to take over and it was Elihu's words that convinced him that he was trying to justify himself too much in the sight of God. That was his sin in the matter. But what I want you to see here is the preciousness of these words of Job's here where he says in verse 25, for I know that my Redeemer lives. And at the last, he's going to take a stand on the earth. Now what is he saying there? He's saying, I believe in a future resurrection. And when the dead are raised on that final day, then I will be there, he's saying. And I will see my Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, for myself. Now this is one of the first books that was ever written in the Bible, way back there, way back there. But I'm trying to show you that even though it was way back there, he still believed in the resurrection, and he still believed in a Redeemer. That is, the future Lord Jesus Christ in terms of his incarnation. But of course, the Divine Son was already there with God from the beginning, and He created all things. All things were created for Him, by Him, through Him. And He was promised to be the Redeemer from eternity past, in the councils of redemption, when He agreed that He would come and become incarnate. And that He would live the righteous life and die for the sins of His people. But I'm trying to show here, this is the same principle that we're talking about here with his root in relation to trial and persecution. He says, stop persecuting me because the root of the matter is in me. And what he means by that is that he's a regenerate man, that he has this work that has taken place in him, that he knows the Lord, that he's not a hypocrite, that he's not gonna walk away from God, he's not walking away from his faith in the Redeemer. I know that my Redeemer lives. But he's saying here, stop persecuting me because I have been regenerated by God. Oh, how Job's heart yearned for that day of the second coming of Christ. Do you yearn for that, beloved? Oh, this is so good. By the way, when Christ comes again, it says in Revelation chapter 1 that every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. Which implies that there is only one second coming of Christ, contrary to what many Christians believe. And if that's the case, that's why none of us will miss the rapture. We will all be there. We will all behold Christ's return. Not one of us will miss it. Not even those who crucified him will miss it, according to Revelation chapter 1. But here Job is, way, way, way back there. He's talking about these things in terms of this. And he says to his friends, you know, you need to be afraid for yourselves, for wrath brings the punishment of the sword, that you may know that there is a judgment. So here's Job once again. His friends think he's a hypocrite, but he's a man who fears God. And he's turning away from evil, even when he's going through persecution and trial. And you know, what was the basis that he was able to do that? he had the root of the matter in him. That's what I want you to see. And then third, the root is the basis of perseverance. Take a look at Philippians chapter one and verses 19 to 21. The apostle says, for I know this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness as always. So now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. The question that I have here for you is what was the basis of Paul's faith and hope that he would be delivered from his trial and be able to persevere in his faith and fulfill his ministry according to these verses? What was the basis of his faith? Do you see it there? Well, it's found in verse 19 there. It says, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer, there's a means to the end, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed. But with all boldness, as always. Look at this confidence. Look at the confidence here. So now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. You see, he didn't know what lay immediately ahead of him, whether it was life or death. In fact, he said, I don't know which to choose. He says here. But whatever it is, for me to live is Christ. and to die is gain. See, that's true in saving faith. That whatever comes, whatever trials that come to you, you will persevere. And the reason that you will persevere is because you have the root of the matter in you. You have the Holy Spirit in your life. You have the new nature. You have the seed of righteousness. You're going to be guided into all the truth. You are going to be guided into how to persevere. in relation to your faith even, if you can think of it that way, which I think we should. The root is the basis of these things that we're talking about here. Let's see if I'm far enough along with that particular point. Yeah, the fourth point is that the root is the basis of your bearing fruit to God and thus proving yourself to be Christ's disciple. In Proverbs 12, 3, it says, a man is not established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous cannot be moved. Isn't that good? That is the root of the righteous there is that regenerate heart of yours, which is established by grace, not by wickedness. A man who doesn't know the Lord, their heart is established by their own selfish interests, their own wickedness, but the root of the righteous cannot be moved. In Proverbs 12, 12 and 13, the wicked covet the catch of evil men, but the root of the righteous yields fruit. Oh, that's so good, isn't it? The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous will come through trouble. Oh boy, this is good. And that's the way it always is with the righteous. The righteous always do come through trouble because they have the root. They have Christ with them, the hope of glory. They are not dismayed no matter what happens. They are going to keep going on. They are not going to turn back. But I'm saying the reason that they're able to conclude that and to make those kinds of decisions is because of grace at work in their heart and their life. Whereas in Luke 8.13 it says, but the ones on the rock are those who when they hear they receive the word with joy, yes they do, but these have no root, who believe for a while, and in time of temptation they fall away. And then in closing here, I'm not sure we're going to get an awful lot farther here, but if you'll turn with me to John 15. I guess I could ask this question because I've got it written down here. Why is it that those on the rock, the rocky soil, believe only for a time? Why is that? Because They look really good for a time. They receive the word, they receive it with joy. What's going on with them? I can give you an example. Friends I've known who've lost a loved one. Sometimes they will turn away from God, and others will continue to follow in God. In fact, they'll be strengthened. Amen. Amen. Bev says she's known people, and I have too, who they lose a loved one or a child, perhaps. This happened years ago when I was at Community Christian Fellowship back in the 1970s, but there was a couple who came and they were very decided about following Christ and apparent believers and everything, but And they conceived and they had a child, but the child died. And they could not stay. They left. They left the church. They, as far as I know, left the faith. Never heard one thing from them ever again. Well, this is the kind of thing we're talking about here. If you don't have the root, then you're not rooted and grounded in the love of Christ, and in the love of God, who causes all things to work together for good to those who love him, including the death of loved ones, or the death of a son or daughter, or however that is, the death even of a parent at a young age, or just the grief that you feel. Well, John chapter 15 in verses 1 to 8, and then we'll close here. I've got one more point, and that is if the root appears to be totally destroyed, God can cause it once again to bear fruit. I won't have time to look at that, but we'll look at John 15 in verses 1 to 8 here. I'll just sort of overview this for you, and we'll close. But it says here, Jesus says, I am the true vine. And my father is the vinedresser. And every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. Jesus says, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch. So there it is, the person leaving or being cast out as a branch. There's no fruit there, there's no root to be able to grow up to bear fruit. and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father has glorified that you bear much fruit, so you'll be my disciples. So this is what I want you to see, that the root is the basis of perseverance, of enduring trial and persecution. It's also the basis of bearing fruit unto God. Well, if you go through that experience, you know that you've been pruned, as it were, by the Lord, which every believer is pruned by the Lord, which is his discipline of them. Whom the Lord loves, he disciplines. and scourges every son whom he receives. Therefore, receive it, he says, because it's for your good and because you'll bear fruit coming through whatever trial you're facing. Oh, that's so very good, isn't it? But the Lord can give new life to the root even. And I'll read the verse and then close. Isaiah 37, 31, 32. And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and those who escape from Mount Zion, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Well, let's pray together. Father, we thank you for this time. We know that you are sovereign in all of your ways and acts, and many times this past our finding out. in terms of the things that happen to us or the trials that we go through or the things that we lose. But help us, Lord, to see that with the root there is everything to gain in our lives, that with the root that we will be able to bear fruit to you, that we will be able to persevere. that we will not depart from the faith, that you will continually renew us in our strength and our hope. You will forgive our sins through Jesus Christ our Lord. You will help us on to glory. You will help us to be faithful. We pray that you will help us even today to grasp these truths, to lay hold of them, to live by them, and to encouragingly bring them to people around us, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.