The Condition of the Soil

0:01 We are continuing our Luke series, I know it seems like it's been a while But before we continue the Luke series. I'm not going to ask you to raise your hands. Although maybe I should but I don't know doesn't really matter. but I imagine that some of you have probably immigrated to Texas. In the last few years. I'm choosing my words on purpose. Okay? Not that we're a different Nation. just horrible

0:47 some of you have have found your way to Texas, you know as the old Texas saying goes I wasn't born here, but I got here as quick as I could. I was born here. but for others that being said you have now tasted. Your first dose of real, Texas. And probably about a decade actually. the this this last month has been miserable. In terms of heat and lack of rain. But this is pretty this is pretty standard for Texas up until basically the last decade we've had a quite a few cool Summers for those

1:32 of you who moved here in the last decade and you're thinking cool. We break a hundred all the time. I know. cool Summers But this summer just seems a little bit different. and it's interesting because you'll you'll notice. The plant life plants trees Etc that are native to Texas. During Seasons like this. Because not only do they survive, but they bloom. I don't know. If you've seen any of the crape myrtles around like they're in full bloom. Probably for the next I don't know week or two. Mine are already starting to to lose their buds.

2:20 But there's something about a plant. or a Shrubbery or bush or tree when it's native to the area. That during difficult times Seasons it grows stronger. and more resilient now I'm telling you all of this. You can you can breed that into a plant or a tree when you graft. Other other lines in you may be realizing where I'm going with my picture here in a minute, but we'll continue to develop this in a few minutes. Let's come back to Luke for just a minute.

3:09 We're in Luke chapter 8 today. The goal is to cover versus one through 21. We'll see. We'll see how well that does. But before we get into Luke chapter 8, I just I know it's been a while and I do this every time I talk from Luke. I just want to remind us. of the purpose of the Book of Luke I feel that as you read a book It's always important to keep the purpose in mind as you're as you're going through the book. So we find the purpose and Luke chapter 1 verses 3 and 4. This is Luke writing to Theophilus just as a in case you didn't remember.

3:57 He says in in verses 3 and 4 Therefore your Excellency. Since I have carefully investigated all these things from the beginning. It seemed good to me that I too should write you an accurate in order to narrative. so that so I know I've pointed this out multiple times. But so that gives us a purpose for the purpose of so that you might know how well-founded are the things about which you have been taught. In other words. Theophilus has already accepted the message of Yeshua. And perhaps he's entered into a season of testing or trial or four weeks of a hundred plus days.

4:43 And Luke is writing this and he says for the purpose or so that you might know how well founded or how sure are the things about which you have been taught. So what we see here is the purpose of the whole writing of the Book of Luke. Luke is writing to affirm or to strengthen the faith of Theophilus. And so what we see throughout Luke. Are instances or simple acts of what I call the inbreaking of the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven. The End Breaking of the Kingdom of Heaven is twofold. I know I've mentioned this multiple times. I'm going to continue as long

5:29 as we're in the Book of Luke. Which at the rate we're going will be a while. twofold number one in Breaking of the Kingdom of Heaven requires the king to return But number two it requires the people to conform their lives. To the ways of the king. So you see there's a top down and a bottom up. building of the Kingdom So now we come to this week versus one through 21. And before we read it, I just want to I want to break it up for you. So you can digest what we're

6:15 looking at. The first three verses gives us kind of a transitional statement from Luke chapter 7 that kind of sets the stage for Luke chapter 8 And we'll talk about them for just a moment. And then we see a parable often called the parable of the sower, but it's really the parable of the seed or even really more so the parable of the soil. But it's the sower who goes about and tosses Seed in and we're given four different places where the seed Falls. We'll get into this in a few minutes. And then Yeshua explains the parable to his disciples. So Yeshua gives the parable to the crowds that are with him, but he explains it to his disciples.

7:01 with a with this with a leading statement before he even does that we'll get into that in a minute. Then we have like a just a small Parable or it's really continuation in the same theme toward the end about a lamp that's lit and not being put under a basket but put onto a stand so it you guys all know these things. I'm just I'm laying it out for you so that you can grapple what's going on and then finally Yeshua addresses. He's brought the the notice that his family is near probably his family's on the outskirts of the of the crowd and can't get to him because there's a crowd. And so he's brought the news

7:47 that his family is there and and he follows up what we will see emerge as a theme. The hearing and the doing of the word of the Lord. Yeshua then talks about those who hear and do what he says those are as family to him. So let's let's start with the first three verses. Soon afterward Yeshua began traveling so soon after what let me just let me just jump back just for a moment soon afterward. So what what just happened was Yeshua had dinner at Simon the Pharisees house. And I'm just recalling the story for you so you can have it in the your mind because context matters. Yeshua has dinner there and then a woman comes who

8:35 has a bad reputation. She comes and she pours oil on yeshua's feet washes. His feet dries them with her hair and and is kissing his feet so on and so forth, by the way. I don't know about you. I wear shoes today with socks. And so my feet remained relatively clean even that being said feet disgust me like feet are gross. Like they're dirty. Back, then Yeshua wasn't wearing socks. And he was wearing sandals. So his feet are dirty. He's been traveling on the road. There's there's all sorts of circumstances that

9:21 are leading into this and she washes his feet and dries them with her hair. Now. This isn't even the portion of the scripture. I'm supposed to be preaching about but but just think about that and what that means. in that time period and Simon gets upset and some of the others get upset. Look she's wasting all of this oil on him and and he's letting this immoral woman come in and wash his feet and kiss him and all of these things. and Yeshua responds with with a little story let me just make sure I'm yeah. You sure responds with a little story about someone who lends money to two different

10:07 people one. He let's just put it in today's terms one. He lends a hundred dollars. And the other he lends a hundred thousand dollars. and then the time to pay the debt comes and Yeshua forgives the debt of the hundred dollars and then also forgives the debt of the hundred thousand dollars. And Yeshua says this story and then he says who do you think will love the moneylender more? The one who? Was lent a hundred thousand dollars and was forgiven their debt. In other words, the one who has sinned and realized it and come and repented before Yeshua that person loves him more because

10:53 they realize the the cost or the value of his forgiveness. So this is the context where we're coming from. So after these things is what the the text says soon afterward Yeshua began traveling throughout towns and Villages preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The 12 were also with him. And certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmer infirmities. Miriam the one called Magdalene out of whom seven demons had gone. Johanna the wife of kuza herod's Finance Minister and Susanna and many others were supporting them out of their own resources. Now I'm going to pause here because generally if

11:38 you're reading or if I'm reading maybe I'll keep it with me. Generally when I'm reading I read this and I'm like, oh, okay. What he just did was he gave us a transition statement to the next and the next is the most important. but there's details in this text that are important for us to realize so I'm going to give you a practice that I like to do. And I know that there are numerous other people here that do the same practice when reading scripture. And as a practice that I learned in grade school. When you read you ask who what where when how and why? And when you ask those questions and you spend a lot of time things will begin to emerge. So that we're not going to go in that order because I have a reasoning

12:25 for my order. So we're going to start with what what is happening here. What is happening is Yeshua is traveling throughout the towns and The Villages preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom. the kingdom of God That's what happening. That's what's happening. Who who is this? It's Yeshua. And then it says the 12. Some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sickness and then it names three of them. So Miriam or Mary a Miriam of magdala Magdalen Johanna or Joanna Rife of who's a herod's servant. And many others and I forgot there's one more listed Susanna.

13:12 Thank you Suzanna and many others. And then it adds a notation. Well, we'll get to that in a minute. Where is this all happening? They're going from one city in Village to another. When is this happening? We already talked about when as soon after his dinner was Simon the Pharisee. And how is this happening? Well, it's happening because these people who are supporting Prime people who are following Yeshua, primarily the women are financially contributing to his ministry to make it possible for him to continue. They're contributing to to their support out of their private means this is what it says. We're supporting him out of their own resources.

13:57 These people Darrell box says this these people as beneficiaries of God's grace gave support to yeshua's Ministry. In other words receiving should lead to giving It's a it's fascinating how we wouldn't have any of this if it weren't for the support. of some women Who basically bankrolled Yeshua? Out of their private means and not just some women. it mentions it mentions see where it mentions Miriam. And it said this by the way Luke is the only one who calls Miriam as one who had of whom seven out of whom seven demons had gone.

14:44 It mentions Johanna the wife of kuza Harris finance minister. Just before you blaze right past that. It's important to realize what's happening Herod. Is tetrarch of the area his Minister, it's his wife who's bankrolling the Ministry of issue by the way, Herod is the one wait. Am I remember it is the one who decapitated John? You know, yeshua's Ministry predecessor. Just think about that politically. What does that mean? Like his minister is now bankrolling yeshua's operation.

15:32 Who was raised up through the ministry of John who he had decapitated at the request of his wife now? We don't find that out in the Book of Luke. maybe later but But just think about the political consequences. of that and then others who were who were there? So now we've gone through that now, let's get to the parable. This is where we're going to spend the bulk of our time today. I say that it's already 1209. So which means I've spent a lot of time elsewhere. So we're just trying to spend the bulk of our time here in in these verses

16:20 After a large crowd had gathered from the people who kept coming to him from town after town Yeshua told this parable. A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed some fell along the path and was stepped on. And the birds flying around ate it up. some fell on Rock and after it sprouted it dried up from lack of moisture. Because it felt like, Texas. Some fell in the midst of thorns and the Thorns grew up with it and choked it. But when some fell into rich soil and grew up, but some fell into rich soil in grew and produced a hundred times as much as

17:05 had been sown after saying this he called out Whoever has ears to hear Let Him hear. I'm going to keep reading. And then we're going to come back in a moment. His talmadeem his disciples asked him what this Parable might mean. And he said to you it has been given to know the secrets or the mysteries of the kingdom of God. But the rest so now mind you Yeshua has has been addressing the crowd. and the sound team had his microphone on. And now he's addressing his tomidine those sitting in the front row in his microphones off. You see there's there's a distinction in the audience shift in the audience going on.

17:53 His tomidine asked what is his Parable my what what this Parable might mean and he said to you it has been given to know the secrets or the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but the rest are taught in parables. So that they may look but not see and listen, but not understand. And then Yeshua gives the explanation of the parable. The parable is this. The seed is God's message or God's word. The ones along the path are those who hear? But then the adversary comes and takes a message out of their hearts in order to keep them from being saved by trusting it. trusting the message or the word the ones on the Rock are those who when they hear the word accept it with joy.

18:39 But these have no root they go on trusting for a while. but when a time of testing or 113 degrees comes along they fall away. As for what fell in the midst of the Thorns, these are the ones who hear but as they go along worries and wealth and life's gratifications or Pleasures crowd in and choke them. So that they're fruit never matures. But what fell and rich soil these are the ones who when they hear the message hold on to it with a good and receptive heart and by persevering they bring forth a harvest. So I'm going to talk about this Parable but really I want you I wanted you to hear yeshua's explanation

19:25 because he's explaining his own words, and I don't really need to do much more than that. So, let me just talk about it for a few minutes. Luke leads the reader into this passage by stating that Yeshua is proclaiming or preaching. the kingdom of God That's the qualifier of what is going on now? And then Yeshua gives this parable. So the question that should arise in all of us is how is this Parable proclaiming the kingdom of God, by the way, I'm going to stop right now and tell you I'm going to ask a lot of questions. And I'm going to answer very few of them. So this is for you to go home and look.

20:12 How is this Parable proclaiming the kingdom of God it has to be because Luke has set it up as Yeshua is proclaiming the kingdom of God and then he gives this parable. The parable of the sower sowing the seed. There's different elements in this Parable. I just want to highlight number one. There's the sower. or the farmer and Yeshua actually doesn't really Define who the farmer is. Then there's the seed which will find in a minute that Yeshua defines the seed as the word of God or the message of God. And then there's the soil Yeshua explains the four different types of soil that encounter the word

20:58 of God. When he gives the parable he stops and then his disciples ask him. But before he even that he says he says these words. Whoever has ears to hear Let Him hear. That's a cryptic saying. Have you ever asked your parents? Hey, Dad, can I do this? and your your dad or your mother they're saying Whoever has ears to hear Let Him hear and you're like so you gave me permission. I'm not really certain I don't. How do I take that one?

21:45 There's something going on in this passage. with hearing and doing it's referenced over and over in every instance in every transition. It's reference. So in the first section Yeshua is proclaiming. Well, that means there's people hearing now there's a parable that Yeshua ends with those who have ears to hear Let Him hear then he gives this transitional statement. Which probably will have set some of you? He says to you talking to the tomidine to the disciples to you. It has been given to know the secrets or the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but the rest are taught in Parables so that they may look but not see and listen, but not understand.

22:32 Yeshua is referencing another Passage and I want to read to you that other passage before we move on. Because it's important for our context that other passage is found in Isaiah chapter 6. And he's really referencing two verses but I'm going to read you the whole chapter so that you have some context. in the year of King uzziah's death So we are. by the way, since we're asking questions about the win we are approximately 75 years before the destruction of the Temple In the mid, what would that be the mid?

23:21 Oh, no, maybe a hundred. Maybe I missed it math. I think we're in the mid 8th Century BCE. So that would be the mid 700s you ever you ever get confused when you talk about hundreds versus centuries. It's like super confusing. We're in the mid 700s time period with King uziya in the year of King uzi's death. I saw Adonai sitting on a throne high and lifted up. Let me stop Isaiah is a prophet just in case there's some of you don't know that Isaiah is a prophet and he has this vision and that's what he's now. He says I saw so you're seeing you're being let into a vision that Isaiah is given I saw the Lord I Saw other nice sitting on a throne high and lifted up and the train of his robe filled the temple.

24:10 So he's not in the temple on Earth. He's in the Heavenly Temple. Which by the way the temple on Earth is a copy of and we know that from Exodus when Moses goes up on the mountain and sees the Tabernacle and the Lord says make a copy of it and build it on Earth. For The Purpose By the way of dwelling in the midst of Israel. Oh, that's a whole nother message. But okay. The train of his robe filled the temple in seraphim. We're standing above him each had six wings with two he covered his face. With two he covered his feet and with two he flew. One called out to another and said holy holy holy is adonites about the Lord of hosts. The whole earth

24:57 is full of his glory. Then the posts of the door trembled. At the voice of those who called and the house was filled with smoke. By the way, the house is another reference to the temple. It's another way to to describe the temple. Then I said I being Isaiah then I said Oi to me. Or maybe some of your scriptures say, woe is me or something like the something that for I am ruined. Isaiah let me just pause here Isaiah is in the midst of the temple with the Angelic host with the Lord. And he sees the glory.

25:44 and his response is I am ruined. For I am a man of unclean lips and I am dwelling among a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the king the Lord of hosts Ira Knights of oat. He recognizes. his condition and the condition of the people with whom he dwells and he he recognizes that and says I I'm not worthy to be here. Like I don't even belong on the doorstep. Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a

26:30 glowing coal in his hand. Which he had taken with tongs from The Altar and he touched my mouth with it and said behold. This has touched your lips. Your iniquity is taken away and your sins atoned for then I heard the voice of the Lord saying who should I send and who will go for us? So Isaiah, so I said Isaiah said he naming here. I am send me by the way. Those are dangerous words. If you say Here I Am send me. Just before we read the rest of the contact context. Those are dangerous words if you if you utter those words. Then he the Lord said go. Tell this people here without understanding and see without perceiving.

27:16 Make the heart of this people fat. And their ears heavy and their eyes blind else. They would see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand what their heart and return and be healed. This is the the verses that yeshua's referencing. then I said oh Lord. For how long? Isaiah realizes the depth of what he is being called to do. And the difficulty of it. And he says how long do I have to go through this? Do my Ministry by the way, Isaiah's Ministry is to go and Proclaim to people who won't listen.

28:04 Show them things that they won't see. And try to speak to them of spiritual matters, which their hearts are too fat to understand. And he says how long do I have to have a zero successful Ministry? Like we talked today about what is Minister. What does successful Ministry? his zero like a big fat zero everybody and and he says how long do I have to do this? And the Lord answered until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitants. Houses are without people in the land is utterly desolate.

28:50 Well, that's not very long God. Adonai will drive people far away the desertion of the land will be vast. Okay, Lord, if it's mostly done, that's fine mostly dead. Though a tenth still be in it. It will again be burned. As a terabith tree or as an oak whose stump remains when cut down so the holy seed will be the stump. Those are difficult words. Isaiah receives his call from the Lord to go out and preach repentance to the people. And the Lord tells them they're gonna hear but they're not going to hear they're not going to understand.

29:36 They're gonna see and they're not going to perceive spiritually the hearts people's hearts will be dull. And heavy in their eyes blind. And all of this mind you Isaiah already knows. You want me to tell you how I know Isaiah knows this already? Because when Isaiah is there caught up he says Whoa is me for I'm a man of unclean lips from a people. Of unclean lips. He knows the state of the people already. He knows what's going on.

30:21 And then he says for how long and the Lord says until the city's lie waste the land lies desolate in the Lord removes the people far away. In fact only a stump will remain and in that stump will be the seed. The beginning of the Fulfillment of this starts in 586 with the destruction of the Temple. And really we see the fullest degree of the desolation of the land and the the land laid waste. From 70 with the destruction of the second temple.

31:08 from that point until the late 1800s and really I can tell you that. certainly with the foundation of Israel in 1948 But it was already happening for the previous 30 to 50 years the land began to bloom. You know Mark Twain journeyed to Israel. I don't know if any of you know, this he journeyed to Israel and he was asked what are your thoughts about it because that place is desolate. There's no life there. It's a wasteland. I got to tell you today Israel if you haven't been to Israel, you should go.

31:54 literally and I'm using these that term literally in the definitional scent not in the millennial scent the desert literally is blooming. Crops grow in the desert in Israel. Now listen Israel has done a lot on technology to to make it possible. But in the the 20s and the 30s and the 40s. There was Marshland and it took a generation of pioneers who sacrificed their lives and the lives of their families. To remove the marsh land and turn it into productive farming

32:42 land. the cities were were waste in the land was desolate. This is the passage that Yeshua is referencing. when he's talking about a farmer sowing seed he's talking about those who are hearing not hearing or not understanding. The passage yeshua's referencing is the one the passage where the people will not repent. They will not hearken I'm going old school here. They will not hearken to the word of the Lord the message of the Lord. They have dull hearts. Yeshua knows what he's referencing. He's not an idiot.

33:31 So let's talk about yeshua's explanation here for who? Just a minute. Didn't realize what time it was. Oh, I should know there's big clock on the back wall. Seeing but not perceiving. say true example here. The seed Yeshua says the seed is the word of God or the message of the Lord. Then he talks about the soil and he explains the soil. And what we see is let me just paraphrase for you. There's four different soils. There's the one along the path and they are the ones who hear God's word, but the adversary comes and takes the message or the word out of

34:18 their hearts. The adversary the enemy keeps them from being saved by their trusting in the word. So in other words, they have to trust in the word the word has to sink in. And they have to trust in the word in order to be saved what we see in Romans chapter 10, but not all heeded. The good news for Isaiah says Oh Lord, who is believed our report? In other words who has has heard our report? And and trusted that's what belief is. So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of the Messiah. So it takes the hearing. the word

35:04 To cause the faith or the trust which will then grow? Let's talk about Rocky soils. So this is we have the along the path by the way. Just also want to point out with the along the path if you guys ever walked on a on a path. Of dirt like it's it's hard. There's no softness to absorb the seed as the seed Falls it just sits on the surface. With other areas when you have other types of soil you. It falls in and it gets kind of absorbed into the dirt. And the rocky soil. These are the ones who receive the the word with joy, but they have no firm root. Let's just pictorially let

35:49 me help you. There's like lots of rocks and a little bit of soil on top the seed Falls in. It experiences the nourishment and it sprouts quickly. But there's no depth. For the seed to sink its roots. And so it Withers quickly they believe for a while, but then a time of testing comes and they fall away in other words a hundred and fifteen degrees rolls through the city or rolls through the the pasture lands. And the water which by the way, there's usually water more water at depth. Then there is right on the surface. The water on the surface is gone. They don't have sprinklers. You know to keep your lawn green when it's 113 degrees.

36:37 So this time of the season of testing comes and they fall away the third one is soil full of thorns. These are the ones who heard and as they go on their way. So they're they hear they accept the message. They're beginning to walk it out as they go along their way. They begin to notice. all of life's worries and their choked is what this is what Yeshua says they're choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life. And because of that they bring no fruit to maturity. It's very interesting. I planted a garden this the spring the vegetable garden.

37:22 And I one of them one of the vegetables we planted was cucumbers. And as I was studying cucumbers. They they talk about they have to have enough water. To continue to grow because if they end up with not quite enough water in it in the growing period takes too long the Cucumbers become bitter. And in the fruit never actually matures into good edible fruit. I find that interesting in light of this passage. Then Yeshua tells us about the fourth soil the good soil. These are the ones who have heard the word. with an honest and good heart and they hold it fast.

38:09 In other words, it becomes 113 degrees, but they hold fast to it. And then they bear fruit through perseverance or with perseverance. There's three three qualifiers here. They hear the word with an honest and good heart. It's not just to hear the word. But you sure it gives qualifiers here. They hear the word with an honest and a good heart. They hold fast to it. They treasure it. They hold it near to them. It's their precious. just sorry bad example. And then by persevering by making it through the difficult time period the difficult season they bring forth a mature Harvest.

38:54 or good fruit the types of soil in this passage allude to the heart condition of the of the hearer of the message. the hearer of the word of God my question is what is the condition of our hearts today? Let me be frank with you. Well before I'm Frank with you, let me let me ask a couple questions. Do we allow the word of the Lord? I guess this is being frank. Do we allow the word of the Lord to sink into the rich soil? Or are we not prepared for Drought conditions or seasons of testing and we end up with heart soil. That is Rocky or

39:39 full of thorns or even unable to let the seed penetrate into our heart. That's called hardheartedness, by the way the not even able to penetrate. Let me let me put this in the words of Isaiah. Those are fat hearts. Because the fat doesn't allow anything to penetrate it dulls the experience of the point. of not being able to to hear or see I was going to be frank and say something else and I forgot what I was going to say, so I'll be Ari.

40:25 Yeshua the one element that Yeshua doesn't explain or interpret for us is the sower. Who's the farmer? In the context it seems that Yeshua is the farmer that Yeshua is the one who scattering? the word and I think that if we interpret differently. It's okay. As long as we remember that that is the first interpretation. But secondly, each of us who have placed our faith in Yeshua called to walk in his way. To follow in his footsteps to be miniature. Yeshua is now like let me just be honest with all of you. Not that I haven't been honest yet. That's a horrible phrase. Let me be honest. I got to strike that from my vernacular.

41:17 What was I gonna say? Oh, yeah, we're supposed to be miniature yeshua's. We are imperfect. I know that's a surprise for most of us. One some of us it requires us getting married. To have the spouse then tell us. That we're imperfect. So just you know. Trust others who say you're not being perfect today. But we're still called to model Our Lives after Yeshua into walk in the way that he has set. And if Yeshua is the one who scatters seed by sharing the message of the Kingdom proclaiming the kingdom then we also are supposed to do that.

42:05 We also are supposed to to Proclaim to preach the kingdom to share the word. like Yeshua does Yeshua commissioned his disciples in just that manner and he said go forth. and make disciples as you are living your life as you were walking through life make disciples who follow me. In other words the proclaiming of the good news of the kingdom of God starts in the

42:51 heart. Let's let's briefly. Let's briefly look at the lamp. Let's move on to these next few verses. Verse 16. No one who has a lamp covers it with a bull or puts it under a bed. No, he puts it on a stand so that things so that those coming in may see the light for nothing is hidden. That will not be disclosed. Nothing is covered up that will not be known and come out into the open pay attention then to how you hear. Yeshua hasn't changed topics. He's still issuing commentary on his Parable pay attention to how you hear.

43:37 Are there four different ways that Yeshua just told us how people hear? Pay attention then to how you hear for anyone who has something will be given more but anyone who has nothing even what he has he seems to have we'll be taken away. Once a person's faith has been activated through the hearing. of the kingdom of God their trust their faith is activated it begins to grow. once that happens that shouldn't be hidden away. You see where Yeshua saying once the once those who have heard. begin to walk out their faith and their trust

44:23 that is like a lamp that shouldn't be covered. By the way. We don't live in a society that uses really lamps anymore. We have these incandescent bulbs or LED bulbs if you're being green. when you look at the lamps that they have archaeologically discovered like they're they're not huge lamps and then you would light it and and really the light put forth was really not a lot. Especially in the darkness of night, you know, we live in a city in Dallas. It's actually never dark here. You can walk outside without lights on I mean without a flashlight or anything and you can still see.

45:09 but when you go into Caverns that don't have natural light or when you you can even go into the country. on a new moon You know like 60 miles away from the city. like in the country You know, we're gonna get chiggers. You can go into the country and it and and you'll experience with dark is and then you'll see that even a little light. makes quite a difference Just a little lamp. That doesn't burn super bright. It's not a thousand Watts, you know, like one of those super flashlights that you get to illuminate everything in the world. It's just a little light, but that little light

45:55 makes a big difference in a dark place. and in fact You would only Kindle the light if it's needed. And so the light if it's needed you don't put a basket on top of it to hide it. Because if the light is needed you gotta you got to use the light. So what you would do is you put it up on a stand. And in fact, when you notice you put lamps up on a stand more Light reaches more area. So Yeshua is making some commentary here on people's trust. if something that needs to be made visible The trust is something that needs to be made visible to any who are coming in notice. That's what Yeshua says. He says, let's see. for

46:41 So that those coming in may see the light in other words, they're already coming toward and that they may see the light in other words. They may see your trust. So pay attention to how you hear. Or let me put it another way pay attention to the condition of the soil of your heart. What is the type of soil in your heart is it is this the type of soil the the soil that's along the path? is it hard or is it in the rocks or is it it's it's great in it allows you to experience quick Joy, but then When the season of testing comes it's gone. Or is it the type of soil that is with the Thorns when you begin to focus on the worries and

47:27 the pleasures and the everything of this life. That it chokes out. The bearing of mature fruit or is it the rich soil? If you have faith if you have trust more will be added to it. This is let me be frank. Let me be frank for a moment. all of us experience every single one of these types of soil None of us are are the perfect rich soil all the time. We have moments.

48:13 When it's it's that hard like it doesn't even allow the word of God to penetrate soil. We have moments where we get super excited and then it gets hot and we and we with her away. and we have moments when we focus on the things of this world and it prevents us from producing mature fruit. But we also have moments. where it sinks deep it becomes a mature plant that produces fruit. That is good. Let's move on to this final. Ooh, man. I'm going long today.

49:00 I apologize Elizabeth. I was supposed to be short today. I was like I was gonna be short one. Then yeshua's mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn't get near to him because of the crowd. It was reported to him your mother and your brothers are standing outside and want to see you. But he gave them this answer my mother and brothers are those who hear God's message and act on it. Yeshua brings some some final commentary here to those who hear and do the word of God. He connects. Those who are hearing and acting on it. He connects those people as members of his own family.

49:45 in other words, he's drawing them near and and affirming what it is that they are doing and walking out and acting out in their own life. I find it very interesting because it seems to me that yaakov or James. The brother of Yeshua is among the family who are outside. Who are waiting to hear? And yaakov. James says this Yeshua is in the process of addressing.

50:31 people and encouraging them to hear and to act to produce fruit and when you read the book of James, that's what the whole book of James is about. James says this what good is it my brothers and sisters if someone has says he has Faith but does not have works. Can such Faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food and one of you says to them going peace keep warm and well fed. But you do not give them what the body needs. What good is that? so also faith if it does not have works is dead

51:16 by itself. But someone will say you have faith and I have Works show me your faith without works and I will show you my faith by my works. James takes this message. And he just doubles down on it. And and even more so he writes an entire epistle about it. so what does this mean for you you and I let me leave you with a few few questions. What is the condition? Of your heart the soil of your heart. Have you heard the word of the Lord? Has your hearing produced trusting?

52:02 Has your trusting produced actions? Has the Lord done a mighty work in your life. That has increased your trust. Are you hiding it? Are you sticking it under a bushel under a basket? Or are you putting it on a stand? So that those who are coming in may see. And hear what the Lord is doing? Finally, let us be hearers and doers of the word. As Isaiah says in Isaiah 55, so my word will be that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me in vain.

52:49 But will accomplish what I intend and will succeed in what I sent it for. The word of the Lord is very powerful. Let us be hearers and doers of the word today and this week and from now on. Avina shabasha Mayim Our Father in Heaven Lord. We thank you for this Shabbat or I thank you for your encouragement that we find in the Book of Luke. Lord I just pray that you would strengthen us this week. That we might follow you with all of our hearts that we might hear you. And that we might obey you and put into action.

53:35 Our faith and our trust in you. We bless you today in yeshua's name. amen May the Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. if I recognize my ref ere Come Ye he saw tonight.

54:27 Hello. Be sure mishikenu in the name of our Messiah Yeshua. shabbat shalom