Well, we're returning this morning to the study of the parables, and we're still in the parable of the sower and the seed, and I trust that together we are learning a good deal in this regard. Let me read the three verses that are a concern to me, and I hope that will be a blessing to you and your understanding here this morning. Matthew 13, 22-23, Now he who receives seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becomes unfruitful. But he who receives seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. Luke 8, 14, and 15, Now the ones that fell among the thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word, with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. And then I'm going to give you another couple of verses here from Luke 8 16 to 18. By the way, these are the verses that just follow right on the heels of the parable being explained by the Lord Jesus in Luke chapter 8 verses 14 and 15. These are verses 16 to 18. It says here, no one when he has lit a lamp covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Therefore take heed how you hear, for whoever has to him more will be given, and whoever does not have even what he seems to have will be taken from him." So our responsibility, we are told here, is to light a lamp, it says here, and put it on the lampstand. What do you think that that means? I want you to interact with me, if you will. What does it mean here when Jesus says that we need to light a lamp and set it on a lamp stand? Can you tell me? I'm using this as an introduction to what I'm going to talk about here, which is the differences in fruit bearing. There's a need for a manifestation of light. Amen. Amen. Amen. That's excellent. That's excellent. Because we've been talking about the preached word and it falling on these different kinds of soil. And Jesus is saying here, take heed how you hear or how you listen. And he's speaking about that in terms of the preaching of the word. When you hear the preaching of the word, each one of us needs to take heed how we hear it. And the lighting of the lamp is, it's our profession of faith, yes, but it's taking that light, that understanding that we have, and we put it on the lampstand of our life. That is so that everybody around us can see it. So that they can understand that there's been a change in us. by grace so that we tell others of the importance of the hearing of the Word preached and that they should come and hear the Word preached so that they might be saved and be able to have light in their life like Brian was just explaining to us. so that when we learn, then we act upon it, we obey the commandments of our Lord, we engage in good works, then we will bear fruit to God. So the injunction given here by our Lord is very important. Take heed how you hear. If you hear with spiritual understanding, brought to you by the Holy Spirit, in connection with the new heart, That is the root of the matter that we studied before in this parable. Because some didn't have the root of the matter in them. So you have to be born again in order to bear fruit unto God. So how do we account then for the fact that some Christians will bear only 30-fold fruit and others bear 60 and others 100-fold? That's what we want to look at here in the next few minutes. Well, I've given you a handout here, and so I'm going to interact with you over the questions that I have here for you. And the first question was what I just asked. We need to think about some of the reasons. And the first reason, and I've written this out so that you might help me, in this and I've written because of and then there's two words that I'm looking for and it relates to Acts chapter 9 verses 10 to 19. If you want to turn over there with me we're looking at the conversion of the Apostle Paul and then I'll ask that question once again and you'll be able to help me fill in that blank. that I've got up here. And I'll get my little pen out here so that we can do this, but I want to read for you these verses. It says, It says here, now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias, and to him the Lord said in a vision, Ananias, and he said, here I am, Lord. And so the Lord said to him, arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him so that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I've heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name. But the Lord said to him, go, for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel, for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake. And Ananias went his way and entered the house, and laying his hands on him, he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit, And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once, and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. And then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. So I'm saying, how can we account for the fact that some Christians bear only 30-fold fruit and others will bear 60 or 100. And the first one is that there will be differences in fruit bearing because of something that we have seen here in the verses that I've just read to you. And it relates to God's sovereignty. It's two words that I'm looking for. And what was it That took place here. God is sovereign over the life of every person and every Christian in terms of what here? In terms of Saul. What was it that the Lord did here? What was it that he said concerning Saul? What was it that he was doing here? Can you tell me? Well, that was certainly part of it. He revealed himself savingly to him, didn't he? On the road to Damascus. That's the first thing that I was looking for. And the second thing is what he did in relation to Ananias' speaking to him. What was that? Did he have many things planned for Saul? That's exactly right, that he had many things planned for him to do. And so the two words that I'm looking for is because of God's providence. His providence. God's providence. And that's one of the reasons that there's differences in fruit bearing. because of God's providence. Now God's providence is all over these verses that I just read to you. God's providentially ordering these things according to the counsel of his will. I hope that you can see this. This is what God had planned for us all. to do, and he had planned it beforehand. And you see it here in the way that all of these things transpire. I mean, what great providence it is. What is providence? God's providence. God's providence is his executing his decrees in the works of creation and in superintending it all in his sovereignty. We've studied this in the past. But this applies to people individually we are seeing here in the way that they are saved and what God gives them to do. And that's what is very important for us to see in terms of fruit-bearing, first of all, is that God is sovereign. He does save different people. in different ways by the same gospel. This was very dramatic and no doubt not to be repeated, at least not in the sense that it was to Saul individually at that point in time. But what a great conversion experience it was that here was a man who was persecuting the saints and had letters that he could take the saints bound to Jerusalem and he wanted to kill them. He wanted to put them to death. He was approving of Stephen's death. And yet the Lord providentially ordered it, that in his salvation, that right in the act of doing these things, that he strikes him with blinding light, he falls to the ground and he hears Christ's voice to him saying, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Then he's taken into town for three days, three nights blind, and Ananias comes to him and gives him the commission that I just read to you and scales fall from his eyes and he's baptized and then he spends some time with the disciples at Damascus it says here. So we need to understand that there are certain things that we can learn from this in terms of bearing fruit. What can we say was God's providential ordering and will concerning Saul? And we've just answered that. It's that he be saved, and also that he be commissioned to be the great apostle and preacher and teacher that he became. Now let's apply this to you and me. God does the same thing with you and me. Not on that great level of apostleship, or the great gifts that the apostle was given, But He gives each one of us a gift and He saves us. He saved us. And He saved us to have a purpose. And this seems to be the theme of the day today. The purpose is to show forth the meaning of grace in our lives. That people must have grace. in order to be saved and they must have grace to be able to live the Christian life. So we need to think about these things in terms of fruit bearing in that way. Where has God placed you? And what fruit can you bear in the place that he has placed you? In what ways can you minister on his behalf with a gift that he has given to you not only in the church here but outside of it to people around you the gift that he has given to you that's what we're trying to think about here together first of all in terms of fruit bearing because where God has placed you is in some amount a reason for the fruit that you will bear 30, 60, or 100 fold. That's the first thing that we need to see here. I think that we need to ask another question here, a couple of questions. Question five, would Saul bear much fruit in pursuing the fulfillment of this commission to him? Well, yes, he would, wouldn't he? he would bear much fruit in relation to this commission that he was given. You remember, though, that in the book of 1 Corinthians, he says in chapter 15 and verse 10, that I labored more than they all, yet not I. but the grace that is within me." Now that's again, that's God's providence giving him that grace, but he was faithful to labor according to the grace that he was given. That's what I want you to see. You are given grace, dear Christian, and so you have a responsibility to labor according to the grace that you have been given. The truth that you have been shown The gift that you have, the power of the Holy Spirit in your life showing you, revealing to you truth in relation to the Word of God, all that plays into how much fruit you will bear for God. One other question that we could ask here, would Saul's bearing fruit, six, the sixth question, would Saul's bearing fruit in fulfilling this commission involve suffering? Well, yes it would, because he says in the commission, I will show him how much he must suffer for my namesake. Now that's very strong, strong wording there. Here's a man who was a violent aggressor and a persecutor, and yet the Lord has mercy on him and saves him, but he's going to show him how much he will suffer. for his namesake. Now, was Saul willing to suffer for his namesake? Well, yes he was. But again, I want you to see that it takes grace to suffer. Why is it that when persecution arises, some fall from the faith? It's because they do not have grace. If you have grace, you will not fall from the faith. You will persevere to the end. Whatever that means for you in particular. And by the way, it doesn't always mean the same thing for every single Christian in terms of the amount that they'll suffer or what they'll go through or anything related to that. But I just want you to understand here, asking this question, will our bearing fruit involve some suffering? Well, all who would live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution, it says in the scriptures. So we need to believe with all of our heart that when suffering comes, because it will come at some points, that when it comes that we will be ready and willing to suffer for his namesake. Those are not necessarily easy things to receive, but I want you to understand that God is with you in everything that you are doing, that you would remember this. Okay, well, we need to ask another question here, question seven. Will there be an accounting for what we have done in relation to our attempts to bear fruit to God? What's the answer to that? Well, yes, there will be, and I've written down here, 2 Corinthians 5, 9, and 10. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well-pleasing to him that is absent from the body or present with the body. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body. according to what he has done, whether good or bad. So is that verse here that I just read to you, is that referring to Christians as well as unbelievers? It is, isn't it? Sometimes because of dispensationalism, people think that the Bema seat, as they call it, is different, you know, for Christians than non-Christians. Somehow Christians' works will not be evaluated, but all of our works will be evaluated. and you will receive a reward on the last day according to your works, or lose it if you've lost it according to your works. But we need to understand that God's perception of these things is perfect. That is how much fruit we have borne. And he will be able to show us personally in our personal interview with the Lord Jesus Christ, which all of us will have, by the way, where we will give an account of ourselves to God, it will be very personal as to how much fruit we bore for Him. All of these things are good for us to think about at this time. Well, second, there will be differences of fruitfulness based upon how much we, and I have put in here, how much you, one word in Christ, and keep two words here and we're looking at John 15 verses 7 to 10. 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 will be my disciples. As the Father loved me, I also have loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. Can you help me now with this sentence? Differences in fruit bearing will be determined by how much you what in Christ. Abide, abide in Christ. And keep, two words, my commandments or his commandments. Now I wonder if you see this, but this is the truth of the matter. We have to ask ourselves certain questions in relation to this, and I have them written down here. What does it mean to abide in Christ? Can you tell me? What does it mean to abide in Christ? What's a synonym for abide here in these verses? Can you give it to me? A synonym, a word like it. Say? Live. If you live in me. Yeah, you have to live in him to be able to abide. There's no doubt about that. I was thinking of another word that will complement what Lyle said. Walk in Christ. I was thinking of the word remain. The word remain. To abide is to remain in certain things in relation to Christ. Can you tell me what they are? Well, you remain in the doctrine of the gospel, for sure, and the doctrine of the Word of God, the good, sound doctrine of the Word of God. What else? And you remain in That's right, you persevere in relation to the truth. And you keep God's commandments. And it's very important then, by the way, that we do keep God's commandments. We show forth our love for Christ in this way. And, by the way, we will bear fruit. if we are filled with the love of Christ and we demonstrate that love to people around us. Well, we'll continue this study next Sunday, Lord willing. I hope that you're enjoying it and you will profit from it. Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for this time. We thank you for the way that you teach us the meaning of what it is to bear fruit for you. We pray that we would be faithful to you And we would respond to all the things that you providentially order in our lives, not by becoming discouraged or unbelieving, but by asking ourselves what it is that we can do to become more faithful to you, or be faithful to you in the situation that we're in. So help us in that regard, we pray in your precious name, Lord Jesus, amen.