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Dr. Robert Jeffress

Robert Jeffress - Prescription For A Healthy Heart (Part 1)

June 9, 2025 | S25 E274 | 29:0

Robert Jeffress - Prescription For A Healthy Heart (Part 1)
Pathway to Victory offers a practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through the clear, biblical teaching of Pastor Jeffress.
#inActive #WordofGod #Parable #Character #Apostles #Miracles #Truth #Seed #Righteousness

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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - Prescription For A Healthy Heart (Part 1) | June 9, 2025
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Male announcer: from the pulpit of the first baptist church of
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  • Dallas, texas, this is "pathway to victory"
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  • With dr. robert jeffress.
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  • Dr. robert jeffress: hi, i'm robert jeffress, and welcome
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  • Again to "pathway to victory."
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  • Whenever you share the gospel with someone,
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  • There's no predicting how they're going to respond.
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  • Some people welcome jesus with open arms, while others flat out
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  • Reject him.
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  • Why do people react so differently to the same message?
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  • Today, we're going to learn an important lesson about the
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  • Kingdom of god from the parable of the sower.
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  • My message is titled "prescription for a healthy
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  • Heart," on today's edition of "pathway to victory."
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  • Announcer: jesus declared, "you are the salt of the earth and
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  • The light of the world."
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  • With so much darkness creeping into our schools and
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  • Communities, now is the time to answer that calling, become the
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  • Salt and light the world desperately
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  • Needs through the "pathway to victory"
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  • Salt & light matching challenge.
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  • Your gift today, doubled in ministry impact, will empower
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  • "pathway to victory" to proclaim the gospel and stand for
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  • Biblical truth.
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  • Push back and hold strong
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  • Against moral decline by joining
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  • The salt & light matching challenge.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Jeffress: one thing we preachers learn very quickly is the power
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  • Of a good story.
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  • In fact, we often learn the lesson that long after people
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  • Forget the sermon, they remember the ser--the stories in
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  • The sermon.
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  • They remember that more than they do the sermon points.
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  • It's been more than a month, and i'm still getting letters about
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  • My cat story.
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  • People remember those stories very, very well.
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  • Jesus understood the power of stories, which is why he told
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  • Them in such number.
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  • Of course, the stories he told were called parables.
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  • And today in our study of the life of christ as told by luke,
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  • We have come to the first of the parables that jesus told, and
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  • It's a story that answers a question perhaps you have
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  • Wondered about, why doesn't everyone who hears the gospel
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  • Respond to the gospel?
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  • Or put another way, why is it you can have two people
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  • Listening to the same message from god's word, one responds
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  • Enthusiastically to that message, and the other turns
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  • Away from that message?
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  • Well, jesus answers the story in the first parable we're going to
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  • Look at today.
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  • If you have your bibles, i want you to turn to luke chapter 8 as
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  • We look at jesus's prescription for a healthy heart.
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  • Now, since this is the first of the parables we're going to look
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  • At, it might be helpful to remember a few things about
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  • Parables, first of all, the definition of a parable.
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  • The word parable comes from
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  • A greek word that means
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  • To lay alongside of.
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  • A parable is an earthly story, a story from everyday experience,
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  • That jesus lays alongside a deep spiritual truth to illustrate
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  • That truth.
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  • Now, there are four characteristics of parables that
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  • Will help you understand them when you read them.
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  • First of all, parables teach only one truth.
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  • Now, if you remember your english classes, allegories,
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  • Remember an allegory?
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  • An allegory was a story where everything in the story
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  • Represented something else.
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  • Every person had a symbolic meaning, every object, the door,
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  • You know, the grass, whatever, had a special meaning.
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  • That's not true in parables, there's only one truth that a
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  • Parable teaches.
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  • Number 2, parables must be understood in the terms of
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  • The culture.
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  • Parables have to be understood in terms of the culture.
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  • As we go through luke's gospel and read some of these stories,
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  • They're gonna just seem plain weird to us, or they seem
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  • Unfair, they're strange, and the reason they seem strange to us
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  • Is because we're reading these stories through the western 21st
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  • Century mindset, we have to travel back in time to
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  • Understand the culture in which these were written.
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  • As one writer says, we need to be able to smell the aroma of
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  • The jewish villages, we need to feel the dust of the galilean
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  • Roads as we try to understand what jesus is teaching.
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  • Number 3, and this is key, parables are meant to both
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  • Clarify and obscure god's truth.
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  • You know, i hear people say, "well, you know, since jesus
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  • Told so many stories, pastor, you need to tell more stories.
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  • We need to hear more stories because stories help us
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  • Understand god's truth."
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  • Well, as we're gonna see, jesus did use parables to clarify
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  • God's truth for some people, but he actually used parables to
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  • Also obscure or hide god's truth from other people.
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  • Jesus isn't trying to make god's word clear to everyone, only to
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  • Some people.
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  • You say, "well, now that sounds kind of strange," well, listen
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  • To what jesus himself said after telling the story we're gonna
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  • Look at in just a moment.
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  • Notice in luke 8 verse 9, the disciples began questioning him
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  • As to what this story, this parable might be, and jesus
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  • Answered, "to you it has been granted to know the mysteries of
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  • The kingdom of god, but to the rest it is in parables, in order
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  • That," and then he quotes from isaiah, "seeing they may not
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  • See, and hearing they may not understand."
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  • This first parable occurred at a very critical time in
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  • Jesus's ministry.
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  • The jewish leaders had rejected jesus as messiah, they were
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  • Plotting to destroy him, and so jesus is now speaking his truth
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  • Only to those whose hearts are receptive.
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  • Jesus uses parables to actually hide god's truth from those who
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  • Have rejected his truth already.
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  • Number 4, parables must be read in context.
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  • Each one of these stories can't be ripped out and looked at on
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  • Its own, it has to be looked at in context.
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  • Parables were given to illustrate a certain spiritual
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  • Truth or to answer a specific question, and that's certainly
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  • True about this first parable.
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  • You've turned to luke chapter 8, let's remind ourselves of the
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  • Context of luke chapter 8. look at verse 10 again, "and jesus
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  • Said, 'to you,' disciples, 'it has been granted to know the
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  • Mysteries of the kingdom of god.'"
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  • Jesus told this parable to illustrate one of the mysteries
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  • About the kingdom of god.
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  • Now, the phrase 'kingdom of god' is a phrase we read all the time
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  • In the bible, don't we?
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  • We read it so many times, we've heard it so many times, we don't
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  • Really know what it means.
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  • Jesus said, "the kingdom of god is at hand," "the kingdom of god
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  • Is this," what is the kingdom of god?
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  • Now, listen to this, a king's kingdom was that territory over
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  • Which a king ruled.
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  • It was that piece of real estate within which what the king
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  • Wanted done would get done.
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  • A king didn't have authority over everything, he had
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  • Authority over a specific piece of real estate.
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  • You know, the king of italy didn't have authority over the
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  • King of belgium, his territory.
  • 00:08:02.538 --> 00:08:04.740
  • A king could only rule within the confines of his kingdom,
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  • Where what the king wanted done gets done.
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  • Now, when we talk about god's kingdom, we're talking about
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  • That part of the universe in which god's will is done, where
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  • What the king wants done is done.
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  • So where is that, where is it that god's will is being done?
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  • You say, "well now, pastor, doesn't the bible teach god is
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  • Sovereign, he's in control of all the universe, all creation?"
  • 00:08:34.470 --> 00:08:38.808
  • Yes, yes, in a theological sense that is true, but in a practical
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  • Sense, there is one small speck of real estate in the universe
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  • Where god's will is not being done, and that little speck of
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  • Real estate is called planet earth.
  • 00:08:54.657 --> 00:08:58.327
  • Right now, god, for his own reason, has allowed a temporary
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  • Rebellion against the king.
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  • God has allowed there to be a place in the universe where his
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  • Will isn't being done.
  • 00:09:08.337 --> 00:09:10.706
  • But it won't always be that way, one day god is gonna quell the
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  • Rebellion on planet earth.
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  • One day jesus is coming back again to establish his what?
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  • His kingdom on the world, and at that time, what god wants is
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  • Going to be done.
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  • Isn't that what jesus prayed?
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  • You know, "thy" what?
  • 00:09:28.190 --> 00:09:29.525
  • "kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is now being done
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  • In heaven."
  • 00:09:37.466 --> 00:09:38.801
  • Now, stay with me on this.
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  • When jesus came the first time, he actually offered to set up
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  • His kingdom.
  • 00:09:44.874 --> 00:09:46.242
  • Had the jews received him as messiah, he would have
  • 00:09:46.242 --> 00:09:49.445
  • Established his kingdom right there.
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  • People would have submitted to his rule, it would have been the
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  • Kingdom of god on earth.
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  • But they didn't accept his kingdom, did they?
  • 00:09:56.952 --> 00:09:59.455
  • They rejected his kingdom.
  • 00:09:59.455 --> 00:10:01.057
  • Now, those of you who are thinking--people are probably
  • 00:10:01.057 --> 00:10:03.292
  • Saying to yourself, "now wait a minute, pastor, what if the jews
  • 00:10:03.292 --> 00:10:06.529
  • Had accepted jesus and his kingdom rule?
  • 00:10:06.529 --> 00:10:10.132
  • That means instead of crucifying him, they would have submitted
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  • To him.
  • 00:10:13.569 --> 00:10:14.937
  • And if he hadn't been crucified, he wouldn't have died for the
  • 00:10:14.937 --> 00:10:17.373
  • Sins of the world.
  • 00:10:17.373 --> 00:10:18.741
  • And had he not died for the sins of the world, you and i would
  • 00:10:18.741 --> 00:10:21.043
  • Spend eternity in hell."
  • 00:10:21.043 --> 00:10:22.978
  • That's absolutely correct.
  • 00:10:22.978 --> 00:10:25.281
  • And here's the genius of god, god used the rejection of israel
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  • To accomplish his ultimate purpose, which was the salvation
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  • Of the world.
  • 00:10:34.356 --> 00:10:35.691
  • By the jews temporary rejection of jesus as messiah, you and i
  • 00:10:35.691 --> 00:10:39.562
  • Have been saved.
  • 00:10:39.562 --> 00:10:40.896
  • That's what peter said in his sermon at pentecost in acts 2:23
  • 00:10:40.896 --> 00:10:44.100
  • And 24.
  • 00:10:44.100 --> 00:10:45.468
  • He said to these jews, "this man, jesus, was delivered up to
  • 00:10:45.468 --> 00:10:49.338
  • Be crucified by the predetermined plan of god, but
  • 00:10:49.338 --> 00:10:54.143
  • You nailed him to the cross."
  • 00:10:54.143 --> 00:10:56.412
  • In other words, you're responsible for rejecting
  • 00:10:56.412 --> 00:10:59.014
  • Christ, but your rejection was still all a part of god's plan.
  • 00:10:59.014 --> 00:11:03.719
  • So when the kingdom of god was offered the first time, the
  • 00:11:03.719 --> 00:11:06.322
  • People said no.
  • 00:11:06.322 --> 00:11:07.690
  • Now, does that mean the kingdom of god has been canceled?
  • 00:11:07.690 --> 00:11:10.826
  • No, it hasn't been canceled, it's just been postponed.
  • 00:11:10.826 --> 00:11:14.530
  • One day christ is coming back to establish his kingdom, there's
  • 00:11:14.530 --> 00:11:17.700
  • Gonna be a visible kingdom when everybody in the world will
  • 00:11:17.700 --> 00:11:21.370
  • Submit to god.
  • 00:11:21.370 --> 00:11:22.738
  • But until that time, the kingdom of god is still operating, it is
  • 00:11:22.738 --> 00:11:27.443
  • Still growing.
  • 00:11:27.443 --> 00:11:28.778
  • The kingdom of god consists of men and women, boys and girls
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  • Around the world who individually submit their lives
  • 00:11:31.914 --> 00:11:35.584
  • To the rule of god.
  • 00:11:35.584 --> 00:11:37.386
  • You don't have to wait till jesus comes back to submit
  • 00:11:37.386 --> 00:11:40.356
  • Yourself to god, right now you individually can say, "what the
  • 00:11:40.356 --> 00:11:44.360
  • King wants done is going to be done in my life, and i'm going
  • 00:11:44.360 --> 00:11:48.931
  • To experience the benefits of living in god's kingdom, under
  • 00:11:48.931 --> 00:11:52.134
  • His lordship, right now," and that is what the mystery of the
  • 00:11:52.134 --> 00:11:56.372
  • Kingdom of god is.
  • 00:11:56.372 --> 00:11:57.940
  • The kingdom of god hasn't been canceled, it's just been
  • 00:11:57.940 --> 00:12:00.309
  • Postponed, but right now god's kingdom is secretly but
  • 00:12:00.309 --> 00:12:05.014
  • Powerfully working in the hearts of individual men and women.
  • 00:12:05.014 --> 00:12:09.285
  • And jesus was about to send his apostles out in luke 9 to preach
  • 00:12:09.285 --> 00:12:14.023
  • The kingdom of god, but jesus said, "now, when you go out to
  • 00:12:14.023 --> 00:12:17.359
  • Preach the kingdom, don't be discouraged when everybody
  • 00:12:17.359 --> 00:12:20.296
  • Doesn't respond.
  • 00:12:20.296 --> 00:12:21.664
  • The majority of people will not respond to this offer of the
  • 00:12:21.664 --> 00:12:25.067
  • Kingdom, but some will."
  • 00:12:25.067 --> 00:12:27.436
  • That brings up the question, why do some people respond to god's
  • 00:12:27.436 --> 00:12:30.773
  • Word and other people reject it?
  • 00:12:30.773 --> 00:12:33.309
  • That's the story that jesus was going to tell about the kingdom
  • 00:12:33.309 --> 00:12:38.280
  • Of god.
  • 00:12:38.280 --> 00:12:39.615
  • By the way, don't you wonder that same question, why doesn't
  • 00:12:39.615 --> 00:12:42.918
  • Everybody respond to god's word in the same way?
  • 00:12:42.918 --> 00:12:45.588
  • Or you have two christian women sitting in a bible study
  • 00:12:45.588 --> 00:12:48.724
  • Together, they hear the very same message from god's word.
  • 00:12:48.724 --> 00:12:52.294
  • One woman is convicted to submit every part of her life to the
  • 00:12:52.294 --> 00:12:56.365
  • Lordship of jesus christ, the other woman yawns her way
  • 00:12:56.365 --> 00:13:00.069
  • Through the study.
  • 00:13:00.069 --> 00:13:01.403
  • How do you explain that different response?
  • 00:13:01.403 --> 00:13:03.672
  • Or you've seen this many times, here are two children being
  • 00:13:03.672 --> 00:13:06.842
  • Reared in a christian home, same parents, same christian parents,
  • 00:13:06.842 --> 00:13:11.680
  • They're brought to the same bible-believing church, one
  • 00:13:11.680 --> 00:13:14.950
  • Child becomes a dedicated follower of christ, the other
  • 00:13:14.950 --> 00:13:18.921
  • Child, an agnostic or an atheist.
  • 00:13:18.921 --> 00:13:21.590
  • How do you explain those differing responses to the word
  • 00:13:21.590 --> 00:13:25.628
  • Of god?
  • 00:13:25.628 --> 00:13:26.996
  • Well, jesus answers that story in this parable we call the
  • 00:13:26.996 --> 00:13:30.766
  • Parable of the soils, look at verse 5: "the sower went out to
  • 00:13:30.766 --> 00:13:37.172
  • Sow his seed."
  • 00:13:37.172 --> 00:13:38.774
  • Now again, that seems strange to us, we're not used to this, but
  • 00:13:38.774 --> 00:13:42.611
  • Remember, this was an agricultural culture in which
  • 00:13:42.611 --> 00:13:45.948
  • Jesus spoke this story, and in jesus's day, if you wanted to
  • 00:13:45.948 --> 00:13:50.085
  • Plant machines, you didn't--or plant seed, you didn't buy a
  • 00:13:50.085 --> 00:13:53.455
  • Machine from john deere tractor to do the seed spreading,
  • 00:13:53.455 --> 00:13:56.859
  • Individuals would do it.
  • 00:13:56.859 --> 00:13:58.260
  • They would place a knapsack around their shoulder filled
  • 00:13:58.260 --> 00:14:00.829
  • With seed, and the sower would walk up and down the rows of
  • 00:14:00.829 --> 00:14:05.968
  • Soil and just casting the seed, spreading as much of it as he
  • 00:14:05.968 --> 00:14:10.072
  • Can as widely as possible.
  • 00:14:10.072 --> 00:14:13.075
  • That is what the sower did.
  • 00:14:13.075 --> 00:14:15.644
  • And the sower, as much seed as he scattered, the seed fell on
  • 00:14:15.644 --> 00:14:20.149
  • Four different types of soil, jesus said.
  • 00:14:20.149 --> 00:14:23.352
  • Notice what he says in verse 5, first of all, some of the seed
  • 00:14:23.352 --> 00:14:26.722
  • That the sower spread fell on the hard soil.
  • 00:14:26.722 --> 00:14:31.260
  • This was the soil closest
  • 00:14:31.260 --> 00:14:32.594
  • To the sower's feet.
  • 00:14:32.594 --> 00:14:34.630
  • This was the soil that had
  • 00:14:34.630 --> 00:14:36.098
  • Become very hardened and compacted,
  • 00:14:36.098 --> 00:14:38.634
  • Almost like asphalt, by the constant pounding of
  • 00:14:38.634 --> 00:14:42.371
  • Human foot traffic.
  • 00:14:42.371 --> 00:14:44.006
  • And so when the sower's seed fell on this hard soil, the seed
  • 00:14:44.006 --> 00:14:48.377
  • Couldn't penetrate the soil, it would just lie on top of it and
  • 00:14:48.377 --> 00:14:51.981
  • The birds would soon come and they would eat that seed, it was
  • 00:14:51.981 --> 00:14:55.851
  • A nice breakfast or brunch for them.
  • 00:14:55.851 --> 00:14:58.320
  • They were happy to see it, because it had not yet
  • 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:00.689
  • Penetrated the soil.
  • 00:15:00.689 --> 00:15:02.758
  • This was the seed that never took root.
  • 00:15:02.758 --> 00:15:06.028
  • And then some of the seed that the sower spread spread on a
  • 00:15:06.028 --> 00:15:09.598
  • Second kind of soil, the thin soil, look at verse 6: "and
  • 00:15:09.598 --> 00:15:13.635
  • Other seed fell on rocky soil."
  • 00:15:13.635 --> 00:15:17.406
  • Now, underneath the topsoil in israel, there is a layer of
  • 00:15:17.406 --> 00:15:21.877
  • Hard limestone.
  • 00:15:21.877 --> 00:15:23.946
  • And in many cases, that limestone is several inches,
  • 00:15:23.946 --> 00:15:27.182
  • Just several inches, beneath the topsoil.
  • 00:15:27.182 --> 00:15:29.651
  • So in this instance, the seed would fall on the soil.
  • 00:15:29.651 --> 00:15:33.489
  • The soil was loose, it would take root in the soil, but when
  • 00:15:33.489 --> 00:15:37.726
  • The soil--the seed began to grow roots, the roots would press
  • 00:15:37.726 --> 00:15:41.930
  • Against that limestone and they couldn't go deep.
  • 00:15:41.930 --> 00:15:45.300
  • And because the plant had nowhere else to go, it would go
  • 00:15:45.300 --> 00:15:48.303
  • Upward above the soil, and many times this plant would be the
  • 00:15:48.303 --> 00:15:53.308
  • First to bloom and it would produce foliage that was more
  • 00:15:53.308 --> 00:15:56.912
  • Brilliant and larger than the rest of the plants.
  • 00:15:56.912 --> 00:16:00.182
  • That sounds good, right?
  • 00:16:00.182 --> 00:16:02.651
  • But when the hot sun came out, this plant was the first to
  • 00:16:02.651 --> 00:16:06.822
  • Wither away, why?
  • 00:16:06.822 --> 00:16:08.657
  • Because it had not developed a deep root system that could
  • 00:16:08.657 --> 00:16:12.394
  • Derive the nutrients and moisture it needed from
  • 00:16:12.394 --> 00:16:14.897
  • The soil.
  • 00:16:14.897 --> 00:16:16.265
  • That's what happened: "as soon as this grew up, it withered
  • 00:16:16.265 --> 00:16:19.601
  • Away, because it had no moisture."
  • 00:16:19.601 --> 00:16:23.639
  • The third kind of soil jesus mentioned was the weed-infested
  • 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:27.709
  • Soil: "and other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew
  • 00:16:27.709 --> 00:16:32.381
  • Up with it and choked it out."
  • 00:16:32.381 --> 00:16:34.616
  • Here is seed that falls on soil that is loose, it is deep, it
  • 00:16:34.616 --> 00:16:40.222
  • Starts to take root and grow a root system, but as soon as it
  • 00:16:40.222 --> 00:16:44.960
  • Begins to grow that root system, it is strangled out by a vast
  • 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:50.566
  • Network of weeds underneath the soil, that have been there long
  • 00:16:50.566 --> 00:16:54.937
  • Before the plant ever took root, and these weeds overpower the
  • 00:16:54.937 --> 00:16:59.374
  • Roots and they strangle the life out of the plant.
  • 00:16:59.374 --> 00:17:03.112
  • Finally, there is the good soil, verse 8: "and the other seed
  • 00:17:03.112 --> 00:17:08.016
  • Fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a
  • 00:17:08.016 --> 00:17:12.454
  • Hundred times as great."
  • 00:17:12.454 --> 00:17:16.125
  • Here is seed that falls on what jesus called the good soil.
  • 00:17:16.125 --> 00:17:20.195
  • It is loose, not hard.
  • 00:17:20.195 --> 00:17:21.830
  • It is deep, not thin.
  • 00:17:21.830 --> 00:17:23.165
  • It is free from the infestation of weeds.
  • 00:17:23.165 --> 00:17:27.669
  • It grows deep roots and as a result, it produces fruit 100
  • 00:17:27.669 --> 00:17:33.509
  • Times as great as what was planted.
  • 00:17:33.509 --> 00:17:36.678
  • Now, what's the meaning of this parable?
  • 00:17:36.678 --> 00:17:39.281
  • Jesus says in verses 9 and 10: "let him who has ears hear."
  • 00:17:39.281 --> 00:17:43.318
  • That is, the one who's really interested in what jesus has to
  • 00:17:43.318 --> 00:17:46.455
  • Say, listen to his explanation.
  • 00:17:46.455 --> 00:17:50.259
  • What does this mean?
  • 00:17:50.259 --> 00:17:51.593
  • Obviously this isn't a story about soil conservation.
  • 00:17:51.593 --> 00:17:55.297
  • Jesus tells us, beginning verse 11, what this parable means.
  • 00:17:55.297 --> 00:17:59.668
  • He said, "the parable is this: first of all, the seed is the
  • 00:17:59.668 --> 00:18:05.274
  • Word of god."
  • 00:18:05.274 --> 00:18:07.643
  • Now, that's key to understanding this, the seed is not salvation
  • 00:18:07.643 --> 00:18:11.914
  • Or eternal life.
  • 00:18:11.914 --> 00:18:13.448
  • If the seed is salvation or eternal life, then you run into
  • 00:18:13.448 --> 00:18:16.151
  • A big problem of people losing their salvation in this passage.
  • 00:18:16.151 --> 00:18:20.355
  • But jesus said very clearly, "the seed is the word of god,"
  • 00:18:20.355 --> 00:18:25.327
  • And the sower is just anyone who spreads the word of god.
  • 00:18:25.327 --> 00:18:29.998
  • You know, the sower did not have to manufacture the seed, the
  • 00:18:29.998 --> 00:18:33.602
  • Seed was already given, his job was just to spread it.
  • 00:18:33.602 --> 00:18:38.106
  • And it's the same way with us, our job is to not make up the
  • 00:18:38.106 --> 00:18:42.110
  • Message, not to manufacture the message, it is to spread
  • 00:18:42.110 --> 00:18:46.248
  • The message.
  • 00:18:46.248 --> 00:18:47.649
  • The seed is the word of god.
  • 00:18:47.649 --> 00:18:49.484
  • Now, the method the sower would use to spread the seed was a
  • 00:18:49.484 --> 00:18:55.023
  • Method that used to be called broadcasting.
  • 00:18:55.023 --> 00:19:00.929
  • That's what the sower did, he broadcasted the seed.
  • 00:19:00.929 --> 00:19:05.667
  • He would spread it as wide and as plentiful as he could, why?
  • 00:19:05.667 --> 00:19:11.273
  • Because the more seed he spread, the more fruit he would produce.
  • 00:19:11.273 --> 00:19:15.310
  • Only 25% of the soil was any good, but he played the law of
  • 00:19:15.310 --> 00:19:19.314
  • Averages, the more seed he spread, the more fruit he
  • 00:19:19.314 --> 00:19:23.452
  • Would produce.
  • 00:19:23.452 --> 00:19:24.786
  • Now, in our culture, we have co-opted that agricultural term
  • 00:19:24.786 --> 00:19:29.157
  • "broadcasting," and we use it today to refer to the electronic
  • 00:19:29.157 --> 00:19:34.429
  • Transmission of a message or a program.
  • 00:19:34.429 --> 00:19:37.366
  • Radio broadcasting, television broadcasting, internet media,
  • 00:19:37.366 --> 00:19:42.337
  • What it's talking about is spreading a message as widely as
  • 00:19:42.337 --> 00:19:47.843
  • You possibly can, knowing that the more you spread it, the more
  • 00:19:47.843 --> 00:19:52.180
  • Likely more people are to hear it and respond to it.
  • 00:19:52.180 --> 00:19:56.952
  • You know, i have people who ask me sometimes, "pastor, why does
  • 00:19:56.952 --> 00:20:01.356
  • Our church spend so much money on media and broadcasting?
  • 00:20:01.356 --> 00:20:08.397
  • Why do we spend all that money on that?"
  • 00:20:08.397 --> 00:20:11.967
  • Here's the question they're really asking, "why do we spend
  • 00:20:11.967 --> 00:20:15.337
  • So much money spreading the word of god throughout the world?"
  • 00:20:15.337 --> 00:20:20.609
  • Well, there's a simple answer to that, duh.
  • 00:20:20.609 --> 00:20:24.079
  • I mean, that's a ridiculous question when you think about
  • 00:20:27.182 --> 00:20:29.918
  • It, why wouldn't you spread the word of god as broadly and as
  • 00:20:29.918 --> 00:20:34.723
  • Widely as you can?
  • 00:20:34.723 --> 00:20:36.658
  • The fact is, not everybody's gonna respond, most people won't
  • 00:20:36.658 --> 00:20:39.728
  • Respond, but some will, and the more you spread it, the more
  • 00:20:39.728 --> 00:20:44.299
  • Response you are going to have.
  • 00:20:44.299 --> 00:20:46.001
  • The amount of fruit that grew had nothing to do with
  • 00:20:46.001 --> 00:20:50.772
  • The sower.
  • 00:20:50.772 --> 00:20:52.140
  • There's no indication in this passage that this sower had any
  • 00:20:52.140 --> 00:20:55.577
  • Special skill, he just threw the stuff out there.
  • 00:20:55.577 --> 00:20:58.914
  • It didn't depend upon the sower, it really didn't depend upon the
  • 00:20:58.914 --> 00:21:01.983
  • Seed, the seed was the same in all four instances.
  • 00:21:01.983 --> 00:21:06.054
  • What determined whether the seed produced fruit was the condition
  • 00:21:06.054 --> 00:21:11.693
  • Of the soil on which it fell.
  • 00:21:11.693 --> 00:21:15.263
  • Now remember, jesus is answering the question, why is it that
  • 00:21:15.263 --> 00:21:19.601
  • People respond differently to the word of god?
  • 00:21:19.601 --> 00:21:23.572
  • Some accept it, some reject it, why is that?
  • 00:21:23.572 --> 00:21:26.575
  • It all has to do with the condition of the human heart
  • 00:21:26.575 --> 00:21:30.946
  • That receives that truth, and jesus points out that these four
  • 00:21:30.946 --> 00:21:35.450
  • Kinds of soils present four conditions of the human heart.
  • 00:21:35.450 --> 00:21:40.422
  • First of all, verse 12, the hard soil represents the
  • 00:21:40.422 --> 00:21:44.092
  • Impenetrable heart.
  • 00:21:44.092 --> 00:21:45.494
  • Look at verse 12: "and those beside the road are those who
  • 00:21:45.494 --> 00:21:49.331
  • Have heard; and then the devil comes and takes away the word
  • 00:21:49.331 --> 00:21:53.535
  • From their heart, so that they might not believe and be saved."
  • 00:21:53.535 --> 00:21:59.074
  • Remember, this is a soil that the seed just would lay upon,
  • 00:21:59.074 --> 00:22:03.211
  • The birds would come and snatch it away.
  • 00:22:03.211 --> 00:22:05.847
  • Jesus said this represents the hard heart, the heart that hears
  • 00:22:05.847 --> 00:22:10.685
  • The word of god, but the word of god never even is able to
  • 00:22:10.685 --> 00:22:13.955
  • Penetrate the heart, why?
  • 00:22:13.955 --> 00:22:15.857
  • Because the heart has become so hardened.
  • 00:22:15.857 --> 00:22:19.594
  • How do people develop a hard heart?
  • 00:22:19.594 --> 00:22:22.431
  • Listen to this, it is by a constant rejection of the word
  • 00:22:22.431 --> 00:22:26.735
  • Of god.
  • 00:22:26.735 --> 00:22:28.270
  • Did you know it is possible to say no to god so often that you
  • 00:22:28.270 --> 00:22:33.141
  • Harden your own heart to a point that you are unable to believe
  • 00:22:33.141 --> 00:22:37.212
  • The truth, remember pharaoh?
  • 00:22:37.212 --> 00:22:40.315
  • The bible says god worked with pharaoh to let the israelites
  • 00:22:40.315 --> 00:22:45.020
  • Out of bondage, but pharaoh said no.
  • 00:22:45.020 --> 00:22:48.390
  • And yet the bible says god is the one who hardened pharaoh's
  • 00:22:48.390 --> 00:22:52.594
  • Heart so that he wouldn't respond to god's invitation.
  • 00:22:52.594 --> 00:22:55.831
  • People say, "well, that's unfair, that is so unfair, that
  • 00:22:55.831 --> 00:22:59.334
  • God would harden pharaoh's heart and then hold him accountable
  • 00:22:59.334 --> 00:23:02.437
  • For hardening his heart."
  • 00:23:02.437 --> 00:23:03.905
  • It's true, god hardened pharaoh's heart, but did you
  • 00:23:03.905 --> 00:23:07.642
  • Know, ten times before god hardened pharaoh's heart, the
  • 00:23:07.642 --> 00:23:12.113
  • Bible says pharaoh hardened his own heart?
  • 00:23:12.113 --> 00:23:16.551
  • Jeffress: the condition of our heart truly determines how we'll
  • 00:23:20.755 --> 00:23:24.259
  • Respond to god's word, and i hope today's message has
  • 00:23:24.259 --> 00:23:27.596
  • Encouraged you to cultivate a heart that's receptive to
  • 00:23:27.596 --> 00:23:31.399
  • His word.
  • 00:23:31.399 --> 00:23:32.734
  • In closing, let me remind you about a tremendous opportunity
  • 00:23:32.734 --> 00:23:35.937
  • To double your impact through
  • 00:23:35.937 --> 00:23:38.106
  • The "pathway to victory"
  • 00:23:38.106 --> 00:23:39.441
  • Salt & light matching challenge.
  • 00:23:39.441 --> 00:23:41.643
  • Every dollar you give between now
  • 00:23:41.643 --> 00:23:43.578
  • And december 6 will have twice the ministry
  • 00:23:43.578 --> 00:23:46.648
  • Impact until we reach the goal.
  • 00:23:46.648 --> 00:23:49.518
  • As faithful believers living in america, you and i are called to
  • 00:23:49.518 --> 00:23:53.121
  • Be the salt of the earth and the light of the world in a culture
  • 00:23:53.121 --> 00:23:57.692
  • That grows morally darker by the moment.
  • 00:23:57.692 --> 00:24:00.962
  • Now is the time to step forward to advance the kingdom of god.
  • 00:24:00.962 --> 00:24:05.467
  • Today i'm asking you to join me as together we seize the window
  • 00:24:05.467 --> 00:24:09.437
  • Of opportunity before us.
  • 00:24:09.437 --> 00:24:11.673
  • Your generosity now, doubled in ministry impact, will help us
  • 00:24:11.673 --> 00:24:16.278
  • Boldly proclaim the gospel and stand for biblical truth in
  • 00:24:16.278 --> 00:24:20.982
  • Our generation.
  • 00:24:20.982 --> 00:24:22.684
  • Thank you so much for your support.
  • 00:24:22.684 --> 00:24:25.053
  • Now stay right there, i'll be back with more "pathway to
  • 00:24:25.053 --> 00:24:28.089
  • Victory" in just a moment.
  • 00:24:28.089 --> 00:24:30.692
  • Announcer: the moral decline in today's world can feel
  • 00:24:30.759 --> 00:24:33.361
  • Overwhelming, but god calls us to shine his light and make a
  • 00:24:33.361 --> 00:24:37.332
  • Difference for him in a world that has lost its way.
  • 00:24:37.332 --> 00:24:40.468
  • In his brand new book, "shine the light!"
  • 00:24:40.468 --> 00:24:42.771
  • Dr. robert jeffress shows you how small
  • 00:24:42.771 --> 00:24:44.973
  • Faithful acts like teaching, serving,
  • 00:24:44.973 --> 00:24:47.175
  • And encouraging can restore
  • 00:24:47.175 --> 00:24:49.311
  • And renew christian values in your family,
  • 00:24:49.311 --> 00:24:51.446
  • Your church, and community.
  • 00:24:51.446 --> 00:24:53.381
  • Jeffress: the bible teaches that our primary purpose in life is
  • 00:24:53.448 --> 00:24:56.718
  • To influence the world with the gospel, and in my new book,
  • 00:24:56.718 --> 00:25:01.122
  • I'll show you how to live purposefully and leave behind a
  • 00:25:01.122 --> 00:25:04.292
  • Legacy of faith, wisdom,
  • 00:25:04.292 --> 00:25:06.561
  • And compassion.
  • 00:25:06.561 --> 00:25:07.896
  • Announcer: the world may seem lost, but god's light has not
  • 00:25:07.896 --> 00:25:10.832
  • Dimmed, and neither has yours.
  • 00:25:10.832 --> 00:25:13.034
  • Request your copy of "shine the light!"
  • 00:25:13.034 --> 00:25:15.136
  • When you give a generous gift
  • 00:25:15.136 --> 00:25:16.571
  • To the "pathway to victory"
  • 00:25:16.571 --> 00:25:17.939
  • Salt & light matching challenge.
  • 00:25:17.939 --> 00:25:20.041
  • And when your ministry gift is $100 or more, we'll also send
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  • You the complete "shine the light!"
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  • Teaching series on dvd and audio disc.
  • 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:28.550
  • Jeffress: light is of little value in the light.
  • 00:25:28.550 --> 00:25:31.553
  • If we're gonna be effective, we're effective for christ not
  • 00:25:31.553 --> 00:25:34.789
  • When we're around other light sources, other christians, it is
  • 00:25:34.789 --> 00:25:38.827
  • When we're in the darkness.
  • 00:25:38.827 --> 00:25:41.262
  • Light has to confront the darkness.
  • 00:25:41.262 --> 00:25:44.132
  • Announcer: remember, your gift today
  • 00:25:44.132 --> 00:25:45.734
  • Will have twice the impact
  • 00:25:45.734 --> 00:25:47.168
  • Thanks to the "pathway to victory"
  • 00:25:47.168 --> 00:25:48.770
  • Salt & light matching challenge.
  • 00:25:48.770 --> 00:25:50.805
  • Thank you for partnering with "pathway to victory" as we
  • 00:25:50.805 --> 00:25:53.875
  • Boldly proclaim the gospel and equip believers to shine god's
  • 00:25:53.875 --> 00:25:57.779
  • Light in a world that has lost its way.
  • 00:25:57.779 --> 00:26:00.348
  • Jeffress: the health of our spiritual heart determines how
  • 00:26:02.217 --> 00:26:05.487
  • We receive god's word.
  • 00:26:05.487 --> 00:26:07.756
  • Some hearts become hard through repeatedly rejecting
  • 00:26:07.756 --> 00:26:10.992
  • God's truth.
  • 00:26:10.992 --> 00:26:12.327
  • Others respond with excitement at first, but have no depth.
  • 00:26:12.327 --> 00:26:16.564
  • Still others let worldly concerns choke out their
  • 00:26:16.564 --> 00:26:20.101
  • Spiritual growth.
  • 00:26:20.101 --> 00:26:21.536
  • Only the receptive heart produces lasting fruit.
  • 00:26:21.536 --> 00:26:25.940
  • So what does the spiritual fruit look like in a believer's life,
  • 00:26:25.940 --> 00:26:30.278
  • And how can we ensure our hearts remain good soil?
  • 00:26:30.278 --> 00:26:34.816
  • Well, next time we're going to discover how to cultivate a
  • 00:26:34.816 --> 00:26:37.652
  • Heart that consistently bears spiritual fruit.
  • 00:26:37.652 --> 00:26:41.756
  • Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next on
  • 00:26:41.756 --> 00:26:44.826
  • "pathway to victory."
  • 00:26:44.826 --> 00:26:46.628
  • Jeffress: it may be your work, it may be school, maybe a
  • 00:26:47.829 --> 00:26:52.567
  • Relationship, it may be a hobby, but there is something that is
  • 00:26:52.567 --> 00:26:56.304
  • Blocking the free flow of the holy spirit in your life.
  • 00:26:56.304 --> 00:27:00.975
  • It may be your possessions.
  • 00:27:00.975 --> 00:27:03.645
  • For you, what you need to do is remove that spiritual plaque,
  • 00:27:03.645 --> 00:27:06.514
  • You know what it is in your life that needs to be removed so that
  • 00:27:06.514 --> 00:27:10.952
  • The spirit can freely flow in your life.
  • 00:27:10.952 --> 00:27:15.056
  • Announcer: set your dvr and join us next time for part two of the
  • 00:27:15.123 --> 00:27:18.426
  • Message, "prescription for a healthy heart," here on "pathway
  • 00:27:18.426 --> 00:27:22.230
  • To victory."
  • 00:27:22.230 --> 00:27:22.230