Almost Heaven
Well-known
As sad of a reality that it is, the truth is that most people today are not interested in hearing the gospel. What makes this even worse is that some in the church have decided that changing the message is the way to increase interest and receptivity to what we are saying. Many churches have adopted the philosophy of presenting themselves as an “affirming church”, meaning they recognize all sexual preferences as acceptable. Others have adopted the method of presenting a message of self-improvement and prosperity “if” you come to know Christ.
Mark 4:3-9 KJV – “Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
After Jesus shared this parable from a boat on the Sea of Galilee because of the size of the crowd seated on the shore, His disciples came and asked Him what it meant. He answered:
Mark 4:14-20 KJV – “The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.”
Jesus did not tell the disciples, “Use the wayside seed for those by the wayside. Use the stony ground seed for the ones with no root in themselves and the thorny ground seed for those among the thorns and the good ground seed for those of the good ground.”
Since the soils clearly represent types of people and their receptions to the gospel, what Jesus said was that there is one gospel for all people. We don’t change the message based on the receptivity of the masses.
Galatians 1:6-8 KJV – “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
Paul tells the church at Galatia that there is no other gospel, and changing the gospel only leads to being accursed. This is the danger of the aforementioned practices in much of the church today. If you sow a gospel that is not the true gospel, you have changed not only the seed, but the fruit of the seed as well, meaning the outcome of the message.
2 Timothy 4:2-5 KJV – “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”
We live in the time of which Paul prophesied, and his instruction in such a time as this is to preach the Word. He also says that we must “endure afflictions” for having done so. That means in the last days when churches are teaching fables instead of gospel facts, those who speak the truth and sow the true gospel seeds are not going to be well received nor is their message.
Do we then change the message to something more acceptable? To use one of Paul’s favored responses, “Certainly not!” Preach the Word, dear friends, even though it is not popular. Because some of those gospel seeds are going to land on good soil, and, remember, saving faith comes by hearing the word of God, not by fables.
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.
Mark 4:3-9 KJV – “Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
After Jesus shared this parable from a boat on the Sea of Galilee because of the size of the crowd seated on the shore, His disciples came and asked Him what it meant. He answered:
Mark 4:14-20 KJV – “The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.”
Jesus did not tell the disciples, “Use the wayside seed for those by the wayside. Use the stony ground seed for the ones with no root in themselves and the thorny ground seed for those among the thorns and the good ground seed for those of the good ground.”
Since the soils clearly represent types of people and their receptions to the gospel, what Jesus said was that there is one gospel for all people. We don’t change the message based on the receptivity of the masses.
Galatians 1:6-8 KJV – “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
Paul tells the church at Galatia that there is no other gospel, and changing the gospel only leads to being accursed. This is the danger of the aforementioned practices in much of the church today. If you sow a gospel that is not the true gospel, you have changed not only the seed, but the fruit of the seed as well, meaning the outcome of the message.
2 Timothy 4:2-5 KJV – “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”
We live in the time of which Paul prophesied, and his instruction in such a time as this is to preach the Word. He also says that we must “endure afflictions” for having done so. That means in the last days when churches are teaching fables instead of gospel facts, those who speak the truth and sow the true gospel seeds are not going to be well received nor is their message.
Do we then change the message to something more acceptable? To use one of Paul’s favored responses, “Certainly not!” Preach the Word, dear friends, even though it is not popular. Because some of those gospel seeds are going to land on good soil, and, remember, saving faith comes by hearing the word of God, not by fables.
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.
