Excited But Not Saved | Mark 4:1-20 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Series)

I and my savior am happy and blessed. Are you blessed? Are you happy in Jesus? I hope you are. And if you don't know Jesus today, I hope that you will come to know him.

And we will discover how we can know him as we come to the gospel of Mark in chapter four because we are continuing our series within a series by carefully surveying the parable of the sower. And so let's read again from verse one In Mark four, which reads, again, he began to teach beside the sea, and a very large crowd gathered about him so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land, and he was teaching them many things in parables. And in his teaching, he said to them, listen. Behold, a sower went out to sow.

And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path and the birds came and devoured it. Verse five. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.

And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold. And he said, he who has ears to hear, let him hear. Lord, give us those ears. And we ask that as we come to the second soil that you have taught your people then and taught throughout the centuries and are intended to teach us today. Lord, we want to know where we are, and we pray that you would help us by the spirit.

In Jesus name. Amen. In this parable, the Lord Jesus highlights four types of soil that represent different heart conditions that respond differently to the gospel and to the word of God as a whole. And it's important to remember that the teaching that Jesus gives us here is not designed to describe the unchangeable condition of men's hearts as though it was sealed in that way. But it aims to provoke the listeners to honestly examine themselves and the state of their own souls to say, which one am I?

Where do I fit? In other words, Jesus's description of these categories is a challenge for us to identify which class we fit in and then with the redemptive hope of making the appropriate repentance to be where we are, where God wants us to be rather, so that we can bear fruit for his glory. Spurgeon insightfully said that this parable defines four classes of hearers that are found in every congregation, and I amen that. And I say beyond these four walls, this also describes the types of listeners that are waiting to receive the seed, and we've been commissioned to plant the seed outside of these walls as well. And so you and I last week heard about the first type of soil, which is really characterized by immediate rejection and disinterest in divine revelation.

Like the paved paths in Jesus' day that found themselves around fields and even through the fields that have been compounded by foot traffic. There are some people who have hardened hearts towards the truth and have zero receptivity to what God has to say to them. The seed tries to find a home. It tries to find a place to abide, and instead, it collides with a stiff ground. It bounces off only for Satan to take it away, who is always ready to remove any potential influence of the truth seeping into your thoughts and your affections.

He is vicious, and the wicked one is most effective with those who have been calloused by an irreverence and by a carelessness towards spiritual realities. And it's amazing when Jesus talks about the first type of soil, he says in a different gospel account that men trample underfoot the seed. And men who trample underfoot, which is really symbolic of being irreverent towards the word of God, attract Satan's cruelty. And yet Isaiah tells us that those who not trample underfoot the seed, but who tremble at the word of God attract the mercy of God. The second type of soil is our focus today.

And as we will discover quickly, it is much different than the first. For many reasons, this group is often referred to as the rocky soil, and such individuals have a complex relationship with the truth. And it might be you today. So here and listen. Their extreme emotional responses, both positively and negatively, can leave even genuine believers perplexed of whether or not these people actually possess saving faith or not.

But Jesus is clear concerning the rocky soil. They share the same fate as those who have the roadside soil. In other words, both are unbelievers. Both will not have eternal life. Both are not saved.

And you and I, by the grace of God, will come to that conclusion as we look at three things pertaining to this type of soil. And the first one is how the rocky soil receives the seed. And from there, we will look at how the rocky soil relates to the seed. And finally, we will discover why the rocky soil rejects the seed. So how it is received, how it is related, and finally, why it is ultimately rejected.

And so let's come together to verse five of Mark chapter four to look at the receiving of the seed from this type of heart. In verse five, we read, other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil and immediately Mark loves that word. And immediately, it sprang up since it had no depth of soil. Unlike the first kind of soil, which was unresponsive, the rocky ground promises a measure of openness. According to Jesus' own interpretation, the the presentation of the gospel is met with warm exuberance.

Such recipients do not put up a fight. They don't, they don't have any resistance against what is being said by the preacher or by the friend who is sitting them down to give them saving knowledge. Instead, they are quick to absorb it. They are quick to act upon it. Whatever providence has brought their way, they're willing to nod their head yes and embrace it.

But the enthusiasm of the rocky heart is not after deep contemplation of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. It's just a quick reaction to the good news. It's good news. And they they can recognize that it's good news and it's so good, they don't wanna even hesitate to apply it to their lives. Scroll down with me to Mark four sixteen.

And these are the ones Now, this is Jesus's exposition, his expounding of the rocky soil. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground, the ones who when they hear the word immediately receive it with joy. So both in the parable and in the explanation, the Lord emphasizes how there are those who demonstrate a sudden and exhilarating profession of faith. And from the outside to both the sower and onlookers, this this kind of rapid growth, would even be deemed supernatural. There's an instant springing up.

There is this rapid acceleration, and it can give that kind of impression just like somebody's immediate response to, the urgent call to being saved by Christ. But what would seem to be a supernatural work is in fact the the fruit of a shallow heart. Since this type of soil lacks the depth necessary to consider all of the implications of what it means to say yes to Jesus, there's concern. And here is where I wanna say something extremely important that none of us can afford to forget, and it is this. Excitement is not the distinctive mark that someone has been born again.

That is not to say that emotions that are coupled with a genuine confession is always suspect of superficiality. But it does mean that emotionalism alone is no qualifier of genuine conversion. A flood of tears or a wide glistening smile is no sure sign that somebody has been saved by Jesus. Hebrews six five, and you don't have to turn there, warns us that it is possible for a person to taste the goodness of the word of God and to fall away into oblivion, to never repent again. You know what's so interesting when you look at this?

This is really the only parable that emphasizes emotion. And when you come down to verse 20 of Mark four, where Jesus describes the fertile soil, the good soil, the soil that actually produces fruit, there's something missing. Look at verse 20 of Mark four quickly. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit 30 fold and 60 fold and a 100 fold. Did you catch it?

He who hears the word and accepts it. There's no mention of extravagant emotion here. There's no mention of overwhelming reaction. All we see here is an earnest acceptance of the truth after an honest and clear assessment of what they are signing up for. And if emotions are aroused along with a genuine exception and a sober judgment of what it means to be saved, then praise God.

Let the tears flow, and let the laughter of liberation resound into the heavens. But to look at somebody who has simply been stirred by strong emotion and deemed them as redeemed, is dangerous for many reasons, and more importantly for that person whose foundation in the faith is ready to betray them eventually. There's something worth mentioning here also before we move on, and it is this. Although no sower can ever control the outcome of what happens to the seed. You see, the sower's job is just to broadcast it and to scatter it.

And wherever it falls, it is not his duty to analyze where the seed will go. That's God's job. There is no control on the part of the deliverer of the truth. Nonetheless, there is a responsibility that the sower has, particularly with this kind of heart posture. And it is to be careful not to do things for the sake of quick results.

Our evangelistic efforts as a church, as individual believers must be protected from sharing in the guilt of those who will accept the gospel in a shallow way. How is that possible? How can I, as a sower, share the guilt of the person who receives the gospel in a shallow way? Very easy. Give it in a shallow way.

Give the gospel in a shallow way, and you share in the guilt. This soil is uniquely characterized by emotionalism. Then if that is the case, you and I have to resist the temptation of manipulating our presentation for the sake of people making a decision for the moment and not for a lifetime. And there are many ways this can be, but I think one of the most criminal schemes of bringing this about is by tampering with the substance of the seed so that it can be more easily accepted. And you and I are gonna learn in a moment the reason why the sea will be rejected is because of future tribulation and trials.

So here's how the sneaky strategy goes. If it is gonna be trials and persecution and difficulty that's gonna cause people to be turned off by the gospel, then what do we do to make people accept it with with immediacy? Well, don't mention that stuff. Don't mention it. Don't tell people they're gonna suffer for Christ.

Don't tell people it's gonna come at a cost. Don't tell people that they are accepting a new kind of burden, though it is light is a burden still. Don't talk about how bearing the name of Jesus will come with different price. Unfortunately, this is exactly what many ministries are doing. They're canceling out certain ingredients of the gospel, so that it can be more widely accepted to the detriment of those who accept it.

And this is extremely dangerous. And what's the goal for it? Because we wanna see things happen now, right now. We wanna boast in the numbers of our attendance. We wanna boast in our building projects so that we can host the the crowds of people who come.

We wanna we wanna tell people in our newsletters and and then and compare ourselves to other ministries. Look how many baptisms we had over one weekend, and look how many people confessed Christ at our event. And it's all manufactured revival. It's man made. What they are really doing is setting up people for failure because when persecutions do come, and they will, they won't have the root system to keep them grounded and they will wither away.

In Philippians one twenty nine, Paul says, for it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ, you should not only believe in him, but also suffer for his sake. In Paul's mind, believing in Jesus Christ is a very close neighbor to suffering. They're inseparable. It's part of the package. If you are going to follow Christ and enjoy the assurance of your salvation, then you also must endure suffering for Christ as you await your redemption.

And suffering is not, something that we we share as a scare tactic or as a reverse psychology. No. It is a badge of honor. It is a privilege to to suffer for Christ because he's infinitely worthy to not just be believed on, but to suffer for. So if you're gonna believe in Paul's mind in that same sentence, you wanna believe?

Well, you're gonna suffer. Your flesh is gonna suffer. Different parts of your social life will suffer. And in the world's eyes, you will look like a fool for following Jesus in 2022. But he is worthy.

So if you and I wanna minimize the production of of shallow salvations in our midst, then all we have to do is have a firm conviction that we will teach and preach the whole counsel of God. And leave the results to God alone. Just leave it to the sovereign working of the Holy Spirit. And if anybody would say yes to the gospel and then fall away, then at least we will have a clear conscience to know that we offer the whole counsel of God. Which brings me to this important aspect.

Jesus is not teaching here that some will have a shallow salvation experience because the sower was shallow in his delivery. The sower receives no blame in all of this parable. He is a faithful steward who gives the true seed. And as you heard last week, let me emphasize it again. The issue here is not with the seed, it's with the soil.

And so what that means is, even if you and I preach the whole counsel of God, and preach the pure gospel, you're still gonna have people like this. You're still gonna have shallow soil to deal with. Which now brings me to the second point. Not just the reception of the seed, but the relationship with the seed. What's remarkable about this group of hearers is not just the joy that they show at the beginning, it's how they continue to enjoy it.

It's possible that while I've been preaching in the past few minutes here, that people, certain individuals have come to mind that really fit this description. Maybe even people that you have brought to a service, or you have brought to an event that you know and knew that was going to preach the gospel, and you were praying that something would happen to that lost loved one. And to your astonishment, when the call went out, here is your friend, here is your sibling, here is your cousin, your father, your mother. Here they are, and with delight and eagerness they say yes, only to never show up to church again. Only to not show an iota of interest in growing in their faith.

In fact, they went they went back to the very same thing they were in before that evening service. And as much as that is a regular occurrence, which is unfortunate and heartbreaking, this is not the type of person that Jesus is primarily describing in this parable. And I'll prove that to you. You have to come to Matthew's version in Matthew thirteen twenty to see it. In Matthew 13 verse twenty and twenty one, Jesus tells us how this kind of soil relates to the seed.

In Matthew thirteen twenty, Matthew's before Mark. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, very similar to Mark. Verse 21. Yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. That's scary stuff.

That's scary stuff. But endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately falls away. Luke's version would say that they believe for a while. Matthew says they endure for a while. And endure is important because it implies something more than just verbal adherence.

There is a level of steadfast commitment that's on display with this kind of soil. There is a practical follow-up after the initial impassionate confession. And such people might get baptized, they will gladly sit under sound teaching, they will regularly partake of the Lord's table. And here's here's what's even more scary, they can even commit to a local church and serve in different ways. Such people can be found leading, teaching, cleaning, serving, organizing, preparing.

And they can function in this way for weeks, months and even years before their faulty salvation is exposed. What this means is that this type of unbeliever is not easily identifiable like the soil on the wayside. Do you know how that's possible? Look back at verse 21 of Matthew 13. Before he says they endure for a while, Jesus gives us an important detail.

He has no root in himself. I don't know what comes to your mind in terms of imagination when you hear the rocky ground. I'm talking about literal picturing, but it's not a bunch of rocks that sit on a bed of dirt. What Jesus has in mind here, what was common in his day was actually sheets of rock that was beneath a thin layer of soil. And so it wasn't immediately perceivable.

So what would happen is when the seed would be scattered, it would fall into a level of soil that was warm enough and and contained enough moisture for it to germinate and decompose. And naturally, the roots would try to reach down to try to establish itself in something more concrete and promising for long term nutrition only to be rejected by a hard surface. But because of that energy it reverses and goes upward and springs up quickly. All to say that this kind of unbeliever is concealed. It's not so obvious.

In fact, they look like the legitimate thing. And here's the thing, I I was meditating on that and I thought to myself, you know, if I if I teach this, it's possible for people to apply it in the wrong way. Those who are genuine believers. And what do I mean by that? We can develop the wrong attitude as a church.

The people that we serve with, we can become suspicious about because we aren't sure if they're truly rooted in Christ. We can even start timing how long they will last. We can start robbing ourselves of joy and God of his glory when we see confessions of Christ or when people display their obedience to Christ through things like water baptism, and we clap, but we we we're just like, oh, I don't know. We'll see what happens here. That is a temptation we have to avoid because our job as a community of faith is not to prematurely judge those who will be legit and who will not be legit.

The New Testament actually calls us to the contrary, to encourage the weak, to pray for them, to support them, to embrace them. And listen to this. Even when they walk away from the truth according to James, to fetch for them and to bring them back from wandering to save his soul from death. So this this insight is not is not something to encourage us to be skeptical all the time to the point where we distance ourselves, lest we continually set ourselves up for disappointment. Disappointments will come, but it's okay to rejoice and believe because love hopes for the best.

Love believes the best. And so don't let this stifle with your excitement for God working in people. And here's the thing. It is not your duty or mine to discern or predict someone's status in Christ, because Jesus tells us in this parable that it will eventually be revealed without your participation or mine. Have you ever heard of Charles Blondin?

I haven't before yesterday. And you won't hear of that name unless you are a passionate historian concerning tight rope walking. Charles Blondin was the greatest tight rope walker in all of human history. And one of his greatest achievements was in 1859 when he dared to be the first man to walk on a tight rope that stretched across the raging waters of the Niagara Falls. And as you can imagine, a great crowd from both Canada and The United States gathered to witness this fearless soul effortlessly cross the northern border, not just once, but multiple times in death defying fashion.

Blondin gave his audience a show that they would never forget because he would do this several times. And every single time, he would challenge himself further, keeping his fans in suspense. And so at some points, he would blindfold himself and he would walk without being able to see as he suspended over the mighty waters of the Niagara Falls. And other times, he would do so with stilts, those wooden little poles that extend you above the ground, and he would he would balance himself with these sticks while holding on, and he would cross, and he would get creative. At one point, he actually put a small stove on his back, came to the center of the rope, and he cooked an omelet.

And you can imagine how the people watching were holding their breath with absolute silence in the atmosphere only to be interrupted with applause that was perhaps louder than the falls when he would make it through. Finally, at one point, Charles decided to push a wheelbarrow across Niagara Falls on that rope. And as he turned to his devoted fans who sang his praises, Charles noticed one particular man who was especially excited. And so he looks at him and he says, sir, do you believe that I can push someone in this wheelbarrow across the falls? And this man without hesitation said, yes, you can do it.

Of course, you can. And with a prepared response, Charles asked him, then get in. And what do you think the answer was from this crazed fan who expressed his great faith in Charles? With the same speed and strength in that yes, he gave a hearty no way. That is the quality of faith that Jesus is describing with the rocky soil.

People in the audience who testify and sing, I love him. I believe him. I will serve him. I will follow him until a personal test comes their way. Like that man who was buzzing with admiration, and he couldn't keep still at the sight of this fearless individual.

This tight rope walking history maker. Everything changed the moment that he realized that his confession can possibly cost him something. Look again here at Matthew 13 to understand what it is that causes rejection of the seed. Matthew thirteen twenty, but look at verse 21. He has no root in himself, but endures for a while.

And when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. Notice immediately he falls away. So immediately he receives it, and he is just as quick to reject it. And what this tells us is that an enthusiastic unbeliever can blend in the crowd of the children of God as long as he's able to exercise his shallow faith without intimidation or criticism. Such a man is willing to ride the wave of faithfulness as long as he is being supported by the clear sky of social ease and favor shining upon him.

But the moment he feels the chill of gray clouds overshadowing him, and the drops of persecution touching his sensitive skin. He's quick to get to the shore of compromise and take cover. He can't help but recant. He can't help but say I didn't sign up for this. Persecution on account of the word is the key verse, the key phrase.

Persecution is the defining moments that distinguish between the authentic and the almost authentic. And this is just one example of why, authentic. And this is just one example of why we don't say that someone lost their salvation when after even months and years of apparently walking with them, because this parable is just one of many proofs that that person wasn't safe to begin with. It was shallow. It it it seemed to look real until the test came, proving that it wasn't real to begin with.

And that's why what we're seeing in history Let me go on a little bit of a tangent here. What we're seeing in history today, The fact that our politics are becoming more and more about morality. The the fact that, our popular culture now is is making defining statements and declarations of what is righteous and what is wrong, as much as it is proof of the last days, it is also a sifting work of the sovereign God over his church. So all these things that we're seeing. Right?

What the supreme court did with abortion, and all this stuff that's happening. You're saying, well, why is it happening? And it'd be it'd be wrong to just limit it to the fact that we're headed towards the culmination of the age. It's more than that. The Lord is purifying those who profess his name.

And that's why we're feeling the heat a little bit in workplaces that are asking you, you better choose your pronouns, and you better write them in your emails, and you better stand by this narrative. That's why we're starting to see this now. This is now coming close to home, and you're wondering why is it happening? Well, because God is allowing it to happen. And it's gonna reveal those who are true to him, and those who are just excited about him when all was well.

It was easy to be a Christian in America in the fifties, sixties, early or even earlier than that. It's getting increasingly more difficult to associate with Christ, and that's nothing short of God and his work to reveal true faith and to expose counterfeit conversions. Luke adds another detail of why it it is that some who have rocky soil will turn away. So go to Luke's version in chapter eight verse 13. In Luke eight thirteen, And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy.

Notice every single gospel writer, except for John, tells us that they receive it with joy. But these have no root, they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. Testing is a broader word than just persecution or tribulation according or because an account of the word. So what you have here is that Luke is saying by the spirit, people don't just abandon sound doctrine and discipleship because of fear of social scorn. No.

There are people who will change course because of a variety of difficult trials that are painful, that persuade them to ultimately reject the redeemer and say, I don't want this. That includes physical, material, emotional, relational, financial affliction. All it takes is for some people to abandon ship is for a loved one to to get cancer, as tragic as that is, or to die prematurely. And with the same passion that they said yes with when it came to that one time they heard the gospel, with the same level of intensity they say, no. How can this God be good?

I will not give him a moments more of my devotion. All it takes is for people to have prolonged loneliness and that ache seemingly being overwhelming for them to say, he doesn't hear my prayers. He's not real. This doesn't make sense for somebody who's a child of God. I'm not interested anymore.

There's so many examples of how there are trials, times of testing where things don't go necessarily to your natural desires for people to give up. Do you remember how Jesus described trials, temptations and persecutions in the parable? Matthew three sixteen or thirteen six six rather tells us that Jesus uses the picture of the sun. Now, I don't have a a green thumb by any means. I'm not an expert in vegetation or in planting.

This man is. Pastor Ben is. Okay? But I know enough about gardening to understand that if a plant is gonna grow, it's gonna need some exposure to rays of light. Right?

Sunlight. So I don't understand here. Jesus says that when the sun rises, in my limited understanding of how this works, it's supposed to help the plant. It's supposed to give life to it. But instead, we're told it scorches it until it shrivels up and dies.

It's not really a mystery. It's not the sun's fault. It's because the plants that grow with this kind of soil lack the moisture necessary to benefit from the natural light. And so what was intended to grow them ends up killing them. And just like how the sun is capable of both giving life or taking life, the same goes with the heat that comes from blazing trials over those who profess faith in Jesus.

In other words, suffering is a divine's means by which God either confirms genuine faith or cancels the fake stuff. Why do people suffer? What's God's intention with suffering? Many things. But for the true believer, they're in a category on their own that no one else can share.

James one two tells us, count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. The same word that he used in the parable, trials. When you meet trials, when you meet tests of various kinds for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. The same word is used here, and do you know what the brother of Jesus is saying? You can be joyful when you are visited by the fierce heat of difficult seasons, because if you're the real thing, it's only gonna grow you.

It's only gonna stretch your soul. It's only gonna bring you higher. It's only gonna strengthen you. But the same object that is willing to give life can also shrivel up unbelief and shallow faith. You know, some people innocently say, God allows suffering so that we can prove to him that we have faith.

God knows what's already in you. If suffering does anything and it does a lot, it demonstrates to you that you have saving faith. And that's why you could count it all joy. You know, I've had many conversations with people who doubt the assurance of their salvation. But when I've done inventory of those people who have approached me genuinely concerned whether or not they are saved, I've realized something.

A lot of them were young. Either young in years or young in their journey in faith with the Lord. And I think there's something there. Because the longer you walk with the Lord, the more you're gonna go through. You're gonna get some scars.

We live in a cruel cold world And if you're walking according to the the plan of God, he will allow things to happen in your life that doesn't feel good. And what's incredible is you pull through. Don't you? Ten years walking with the Lord, fifteen years, twenty years, thirty years. And I'm sure those who are seasoned believers here, you have some stories to share.

You have seen some stuff. You've been through some splits in the church. You've probably endured some kind of level of physical suffering. You have watched a loved one die before you. You've lost a job.

You've lost lost friends. And just one episode after the next, and yet here you are. You still love him. You still trust him. You still worship him.

You still wanna serve him. You you still wanna meet with him. And so, whether you realize it or not, where you are today, even though you went through so much is a testament. Oh, that you have fertile soil and that the faith that is in you is true faith. It's genuine.

It has really regenerated you and kept you. But those who have rocky soil faith, they don't they don't have that testimony. They're out the moment that they feel like there is a cost to this thing. They're out the moment they realize that this is no longer exciting. This is actually costly.

This is actually painful. I I didn't really understand all of this when I said yes initially. And so trials remove them and they withered away, but not for the one who has endured. Enduring for a while is not the same as enduring until the end. But as you continue to walk with the Lord, something happens to your confidence in God's saving work in your life because you go through things and you come out loving him still.

I can imagine how this teaching might cause some people who are hearing to be to be more shaken and to be more assured in their faith. Right? And I and I understand where that's coming from because when you look at the the rocky soil, they look so similar to the genuine Christian. And so questions can be running through your mind. How do I know if my joy is the real thing?

How do I know if my testimony when I when I was broken, and so overwhelmed by the love of God tailored for me on the cross? How how do I know if that was true? How do I know if I'm gonna actually stand firm for Christ when the temperature gets hot? And I actually have to to say yes, and it might cost me this or that or even my own life. How do I know if I won't turn back on him?

That's that's a legitimate concern. And my answer is not philosophical. It's not multiple choice. It's really easy. If those concerns cause you to throw yourself at Christ and beg him to make your roots deep, then be encouraged.

You're you're listening to this parable correctly. You're hearing right. You see the rocky soil Christian has a public display of faith. The plant is above the bed of soil, but there is a lack of hiddenness. In other words, there is the absence of private devotion to God.

It's just not there. And if it is, it is extremely shallow. There is no communion with God in secret. There is no love and worship for God when you're alone. It's just here.

And it's exciting, and it's great, and it's wonderful, and you benefit from other people's moisture. But there isn't a sense of a secret investment in your relationship with God just like that plant that has very little to work with beyond the naked eye. So let me say this in love. If you're a person here who has a faith that is only seen by those in public, but deep down inside you know that you have no depth in your spiritual life. You have every reason to be concerned.

You do. I'm just being honest with you. You do. You have every reason to be worried. That's the point of this parable.

Are you shallow? Is it real beyond the surface? Is there evidence of roots and and roots going deeper and deeper? And if not, you should be afraid. You should.

We already saw in the past few years what has happened to big time pastors and churches when the son of persecution and tribulation tests have arose over our nation. The the deafening silence in the evangelical world when abortion was overturned was very concerning to me. Very concerning to me. And so as we prepare to partake, I wanna just end the way Peter ended his second epistle. And just listen to these words.

You don't have to turn there. Second Peter three seventeen. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. He's he's talking to Christians. At least professing Christians.

Beloved, don't lose your own stability. But look at verse 18, but grow. You wanna know how you can minimize the risk of losing your own stability? Verse 18, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Grow.

To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. Amen. The rocky soil should not be confused with a genuine believer I think I need to say this, and I hope it helps, who does endure trials but struggles and has intrusive thoughts that are contrary to thoughts of faith and love and devotion to Christ, that is not the same. You and I will go through challenges, and you and I will have moments even like Jeremiah who said, am I being deceived here?

I'm serving you and it's it's just I don't understand. I I don't know if I really signed up for this. That's what Jeremiah essentially said, and yet he was still a true servant of God. This kind of soil is so easy to to turn on Christ. It's so quick to do it.

So if you're wrestling and you're you're you're plowing through and you know down deep inside that he has the words of eternal life and there's nowhere you can go even though at some nights you feel like, I think I want to go. He's with you. And he is for you. And he is near you even in those dark moments. Lord, we thank you for this word, And we ask that as we come to this table, we would realize that it is not upon our works that we have assurance.

We do not rest in our efforts. Lord, we look to these elements and remember that it is what you have done for us. And yes, with joy, we celebrate. And yes, with excitement, we revive our confession of faith to you and our trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Lord, help us with the right hearts observe this and may it nourish us afresh to be strong and secure in our walk with you.

This is our desire and our prayer. In Jesus name, amen.