The Seed and the Soil

October 9, 2016

Scripture referenced 5 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 Read aloud by Nancy during announcements about the Christmas play, on the diversity of gifts, ministries, and activities given by the same Spirit

4 Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord.
6 There are various kinds of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all.
7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all.

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Luke 4

Quoted during the pastoral prayer: the Spirit of the Lord anointing Jesus to bring good news to the poor, release captives, give sight to the blind, and free the oppressed

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness

2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. He ate nothing in those days. Afterward, when they were completed, he was hungry.

3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”

5 The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6 The devil said to him, “I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want.

7 If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours.”

8 Jesus answered him, “Get behind me Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”

9 He led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here,

10 for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;’

11 and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.’”

12 Jesus answering, said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

13 When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until another time.

14 Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area.

15 He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

16 He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

17 The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed,

19 and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

20 He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21 He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

22 All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will tell me this parable, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.’”

24 He said, “Most certainly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.

25 But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land.

26 Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

27 There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian.”

28 They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things.

29 They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff.

30 But he, passing through the middle of them, went his way.

31 He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. He was teaching them on the Sabbath day,

32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority.

33 In the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,

34 saying, “Ah! what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!”

35 Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” When the demon had thrown him down in the middle of them, he came out of him, having done him no harm.

36 Amazement came on all, and they spoke together, one with another, saying, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”

37 News about him went out into every place of the surrounding region.

38 He rose up from the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever, and they begged him for her.

39 He stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her. Immediately she rose up and served them.

40 When the sun was setting, all those who had any sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

41 Demons also came out of many, crying out, and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” Rebuking them, he didn’t allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

42 When it was day, he departed and went into an uninhabited place, and the multitudes looked for him, and came to him, and held on to him, so that he wouldn’t go away from them.

43 But he said to them, “I must preach the good news of God’s Kingdom to the other cities also. For this reason I have been sent.”

44 He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.

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Mark 4

The parable of the sower, read aloud from the screens before Peter Lukaccio preached on it

1 Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.

2 He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,

3 “Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow,

4 and as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.

5 Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.

6 When the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 Others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some produced thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.”

9 He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10 When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.

11 He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,

12 that ‘seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’”

13 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?

14 The farmer sows the word.

15 The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

16 These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.

17 They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.

18 Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word,

19 and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

20 Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”

21 He said to them, “Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand?

22 For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light.

23 If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.”

24 He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you who hear.

25 For whoever has, to him will more be given, and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”

26 He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,

27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he doesn’t know how.

28 For the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

29 But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

30 He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it?

31 It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,

32 yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.”

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.

34 Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.”

36 Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him.

37 A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.

38 He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?”

39 He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”

41 They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

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John 15

Referenced by Lukaccio when describing the vine and branches in his father-in-law's courtyard: 'I am the vine and you are the branches'

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer.

2 Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

3 You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

4 Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.

5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

6 If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.

8 “In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples.

9 Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love.

10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love.

11 I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you.

15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you.

16 You didn’t choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

17 “I command these things to you, that you may love one another.

18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.

19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

21 But all these things will they do to you for my name’s sake, because they don’t know him who sent me.

22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

23 He who hates me, hates my Father also.

24 If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now have they seen and also hated both me and my Father.

25 But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’

26 “When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.

27 You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

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Luke 10:2

Referenced by Lukaccio: the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, pray for the Lord of the harvest to send workers

2 Then he said to them, “The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Peter Lucaccio, a missionary serving in Romania, brought the message this Sunday. Preaching from Mark 4, he walked through the parable of the sower and let decades of firsthand experience with Communist-era persecution fill in what the different kinds of soil actually look like. The thread running through everything was that no power has ever managed to stop the word of God from reaching good soil.

What was said

Peter opened by describing what it was like to begin preaching the gospel in Romania in 1979, when the Communist government was actively working to eliminate Christianity. The Bible was called poison and opium for the people, seminary enrollment was choked off or banned outright, and Bibles confiscated at the border were destroyed or turned into toilet paper. The goal was simple: no pastors, no Bibles, no Christianity within a generation.

He told the story of preaching in a village early in his ministry and walking away thinking he had done a poor job. Later, a public school teacher approached him, the kind of teacher who was supposed to be teaching students that the Bible kept people in darkness, and told him she had accepted Christ. That, Peter said, is what it looks like when seed lands on soil you were certain was rocky.

He traced the same pattern through Jesus's own ministry. Jesus was rejected in his hometown, then crossed into Samaria and reached a woman with a poor reputation, and from her testimony many Samaritans came to believe. Jesus wept over Jerusalem, and not long after, at Pentecost, people from Rome, Athens, Syria, Egypt, and what is now Iran came to faith in the very city where he had wept.

The same logic played out in Romania. The Communists sealed churches, banned printing, and treated smuggled Bibles as contraband worth imprisoning and killing people over. And yet those Bibles moved through courtyards, through trusted hands, through fear. Peter described the courtyard of his father-in-law's home, where Bibles had been hidden decades ago, as the same place where American mission teams gathered last summer and girls from their orphanage, Casa Joseph, gave their testimonies and accepted Christ.

One of those testimonies, a girl singing about God making beautiful things out of dust, was recorded and shared. Peter said he watched it reach over 70 countries in 21 days. Messages came back from businessmen in Siberia, from people in Egypt, Syria, Indonesia, India, and China. From a small orphanage in Romania, the seed had gone to every continent.

He closed by pointing to Paul, the man who went house to house dragging Christians to prison, as the clearest example of seed falling on ground that looks completely impossible. No one watching that man would have predicted he would become the one who carried the gospel across the known world. Peter asked the congregation to keep praying for Romania, for the orphanage, and for the workers, because Jesus himself said the harvest is plentiful and the need is for more people willing to go into it.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

Peter described teachers in communist Romania being required to tell students that only uneducated or illiterate people believe in God, yet one of those teachers came to faith through his preaching. What does that tell you about the way God's word works even in ground that looks completely closed off?
Peter talked about Bibles being confiscated and turned into toilet paper, and people being jailed or killed for smuggling them in. How does hearing that change the way you think about having a Bible sitting on your shelf?

and 3 more questions in the guide

Open the study guide

Read the full transcript 5,992 words

Find in this transcript

0:00 Hey, what do you say we stand up together? We praise God. Alright. Holy holy holy is he. Holy holy Lord God almighty.

0:24 Early in the morning holy holy God almighty. All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea.

2:47 So, welcome this morning. Glad that you're here. I know it's a four day weekend. We're kinda in the middle of it. Last one before Christmas from what I've been told by lots of school kids but anyway, it's good to have you here with us.

2:59 Announcements this morning. We've got a few. There is no Awana tomorrow night. It it there is a conflict on the church schedule, on the computer, and the one that you have in paper, the one that says there's no one on tomorrow night is the one that's right. Okay?

3:15 So, no one on tomorrow night, but there we are still having Monday nights at first b. That'll happen at 06:00 down the hall. Yep. Yep. Meal music and message and tomorrow night, Jesus authority to forgive sins.

3:28 Good good stuff. Good passage. Amen. Cool. So, middle school youth group is meeting Thursdays at 06:30.

3:34 Anything special about that this week, Renzy? Alright. Good. High school breakfast is 07:45 on Friday morning. It's a good blessing before the weekend.

3:45 There's a girl study today. Girl study is what grades? Frenzy? High school girl study from ten to eleven. So during our connect hour, ten to eleven and then there's a guy study that is happening at 09:30.

4:00 So, just after the song service today, the guy study is downstairs in Rinsey's office from 09:30 to about 10:30 and that's eight through twelfth grade guys. There is Peak Children's Church today. So, after the song service, you'll see a little cavalcade of kiddos heading out. That's happening and I want to invite actually Tanya this morning up to talk about the ladies retreat happening next weekend.

4:25 Okay. We're switching off. There are few people capable of making this announcement because quite a few of us have been and it's pretty exciting but I told Anne I'd be happy to. So, the ladies retreat happens up at Heart six. It's next weekend.

4:38 It's it's a lot of fun. You you get up there.

4:42 You're thinking, I'm gonna drive up there. You get up there,

4:44 and you think, oh, it's pretty. Oh, they're friends. Oh, it's cozy. Oh, the food is good. So I know it takes an effort to decide that you're gonna get all that together and go, but we're telling you we have space.

4:58 We would love to have you. Nancy Baxter, if you if you do not know her or have not been under her teaching, she teaches beautifully. It is a biblically based talk on something that is very difficult to talk about and certainly difficult to understand if you haven't studied it and prayed over that study, and she has. So we're very, very excited for that. So if you're interested, speak to Anne or Diane that's not waving her hand in the back maybe.

5:31 And if you need it, then we've got scholarships available. So, we would love to have you. Thank you.

5:38 Thank you. Nancy, would you like to come up and make your announcement too? There is in your bulletin, you can check your the rest of the announcements in the bulletin. You can come on up and borrow this mic. But Nancy has one that's written down on paper in your bulletin.

5:55 Perfect. Good morning. Well, what I would like to share with you is out of first Corinthians twelve four through seven. There are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.

6:14 And there are diversities of activities, but it's the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. Given by the spirit of God, the Christmas play of reflection, which is the insert in your bulletin, will be presented on December 11 in three parts. Part one will be a tableau, which is a silent enactment. Part two will be a modern skit, and part three will be a musical presentation.

6:49 John Piper says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. That is our aim with drama and music. Not a performance but expressing with God the God given gifts, ministries, and activities to glorify our Lord Jesus. So, the bulletin lists the schedule of rehearsals in this Thursday, October 13 from 03:30 to 04:30 here will be the sign up, rehearsal handouts, impossible auditions. Ages five through high school plus a couple adult parts are welcome.

7:29 If you have the gift of drama or music, please participate in this glorious celebration of our Lord's birth. So my phone number is listed at the bottom of the insert. If you have any questions, please contact me. Thank you.

7:43 Thank you. Alright. For a counselor, the gift of drama is a little different, but that didn't fall. Thank you, Nancy. I appreciate that.

7:54 And this this is coming up and it's written in the bulletin. If you didn't grab one on the way in, grab it, on your way out. But would you stand up and greet one another and we'll bring you back together with a song.

8:33 To hunger, to see, to thirst. Awaken first love, come away. And do as you did at first. Spirit of the living God. Spirit of the living God.

9:12 Come fall fresh on me. Come wake me from my sleep. Blow through the caverns of my soul. Pour me to overflow, to overflow. Awaken my soul.

9:36 Let's sing. Awaken my soul, come away. Worship with all your strength. To worship with all your strength. Spirit of the living, spirit of the living God, come fall afresh on me.

10:08 Come wake me from my state. Go through the caverns of my soul. Put me to overflow, to overflow. Let your glory now be. Let your glory now be.

10:51 Spirit, we invite you here. Let's sing it together. Let your glory now in there. Spirit of spirit of the living God. Come, fall fresh on me.

11:25 Come wake me from my sleep. Low through the caverns of my soul, pour me to overflow. Spirit of living, spirit of the living God. Come, fall fresh on me. Come wake me from my sleep.

11:52 Well, the calves. Lord, through the caverns of my soul, pour me to overflow to overflow. Caverns and sing there's nothing worth more. And there's nothing worth more that will ever come close. No thing can compare.

12:59 We welcome you here, Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, I welcome There's nothing worth more. Let's sing. And there's nothing worth more that will ever come close. No thing can compare.

13:57 You're living hope, your presence for I've tasted and seen of the sweetest of those. When my heart becomes free and my shame is undone. And by your presence, Lord. Holy Spirit, you are one. Your presence, Lord.

15:11 Let's sing, let us become more aware of your presence. Let us become more aware of your presence. Us experience the glory of your goodness. Let us become more aware of your presence. Let us experience glory of your goodness.

15:40 And let us become more aware of your presence. And let us by your presence God, we do thank you for your presence. You really and truly can fill us to overflowing like no one and no one else can. I'm praying that you do your good work today through the preaching of the word that your word would truly convict and convince, that it would change the way that we think, it would change the way that we act. We come to you confessing, God, that we are sinners in need of a savior.

17:00 We're just one beggar telling another where bread could be found. Got a verse here I wanna share with you. It's from Luke four and speaking of of Jesus, speaking of the work of Jesus when he said, the spirit of the Lord is upon me for he's anointed me to bring good news to the poor, and he sent me to proclaim the captives be released. The blind will see. The oppressed will be set free.

17:37 And I want you to know that God is for our freedom, really, not for us to live as prisoners in shame and chains, but really to so that we would truly be free in him. And that's what this song is about. There's power in the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus. There is power in in the Jesus.

18:18 There is power in the name Jesus. To break every chain, break every chain, break every There power in the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus. To break every chain, break an rising up. There's an army rising up.

19:45 There's up to break every chain, break every chain, break every chain. There is power, and there is power in the name of Jesus. There is power power in the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus. To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain.

20:22 To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain. Break every chain, break chain, break every chain.

21:00 I'm gonna say a prayer in just a minute but this is the third week in a row. Most of y'all know that. Third week in a row that we've had missionaries visiting with us. Peter Lucaccio is here today. You can just stand and wave.

21:12 I'll call you back up in a minute. He's gonna come and bring the message today from Mark four but I'm going to give you a chance to we're going to pass the plates as we normally do at this time in the service but we're also going to pass the plate at the end of the service. I've made this joke three weeks. It's landed better than that last one several times. God wants for us to be involved in mission and we are.

21:35 Now, this is the third week in a row that we've done this twice but the second offering will be for Peter and Anna Lukaccio and their work in Romania. This first one will be for our general fund, just a normal church offering. Would you pray with me? God, I pray for every soul in this building, lord, and every family that's represented by each of those souls and I pray that you would start the work in us that we would have fertile soil, lord. That your word would take root and that it would grow and that there would be a great harvest lord.

22:12 I pray that we would be planting seed. I I pray that your word would go out. It never returns void but accomplishes what you set out for it to accomplish. So, lord, I pray that you would take these tithes and offerings that people are offering right now and that you would take these and multiply em to do your kingdom's work that the seed would be planted deep in hearts and lives and that you would water and that you would grow em up lord for greater advance, for your greater glory, for our good, and your greater glory but God, would you take these tithes and offerings, multiply em, extend them to do your kingdom's work. In Jesus name, amen.

25:11 The kids can head to children's church and doctor Luca Chu, Peter, would you come on up? You can come on up now. He said, this morning, I asked him which version of the Bible he was going to be using and he said that he would be using his Bible which is in Romanian. So, I'm going to read the passage today from the screens as we usually do. He's gonna preach on the parable of the sower but if you would, read with me and you know what?

25:43 Why don't we stand up? Kinda, we don't ever do this. Y'all are as quiet as I've ever heard you this morning. Would you stand up and just read along? You don't have to read out loud but read along with me.

25:54 Again, Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. He taught them many things by parables and in his teaching said, listen, a farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places where it did not have much soil.

26:25 It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns which grew up and choked the plants so that they did not bear grain. Still, other seed fell on good soil and it came up. It grew and produced a crop, some multiplying 30, some 60, some 100 times.

26:51 Then Jesus said, whoever has ears to hear, let them hear. Lord, would you bless the reading and the study of your word? And Doctor Lukaccio for bringing this to us this morning. In Jesus name. Amen.

27:09 Good morning. It is wonderful to be back. I bring you greetings from Romania. As I told you many times, I was born in Transylvania. You heard about Transylvania, about vampire, Dracula, horrible things.

27:26 We just came from there about three weeks ago. I bring you greetings from our orphanage, from our people, from our churches where we work. And today we share a little bit from this passage from Mark, how the sower came with a seed. In 1979, it was first time when I started preaching the gospel in Romanian churches. I was a young medical doctor, just I graduate medical school.

28:11 And for all the years in university, in college, in high schools, in elementary school, we learn and the teacher try hard to teach us that this book is poison for the people. That this book is opium for the people. This book keeps people in slavery, keeps people in darkness, keep people in chains. So one of the goals of the communists was to liberate people. And they saw that this book will be just a piece of museum.

28:58 In the seventies, foreigners who came in Romania, some of them, they had been asked at the border, do you have with you drugs? Do you have with you guns? Or do you have with you bibles? In one day, some friends showed me several pieces of the Bible. That somebody from customs service gave me these pieces from the Bible.

29:32 They saved it because the other has been destroyed. And sometimes, security police confiscate all the Bibles and turn them even on toilet paper. But we read the passage how Jesus, how the sower took the seed and started the plant. And part of the seed falls near a path. Other seed falls on the rocky places.

30:07 Other seed falls on the place with thorn. And other seed fall on the good soil, fertile soil. When we decide it was a good or a place or a rocky place, when we think about that? When I started to preach the gospel in 1979, it was first time in the church I thought that I didn't good done a good job. After a while, keep in mind, at that time was exception that a doctor can go and preach the gospel.

30:54 The doctor became a target of communists who said we need to get rid of this Bible. They teaching in the school that only illiterate people believe in God. Only uneducated people believe in God. So I preached the gospel. After a while, I was traveling.

31:21 A teacher was close to me. And the teacher said, you came in that village said, that church. Yes. I thought that was not very good job what I have done at that time. So do you know that I accepted Christ for a teacher?

31:44 From a public school that's supposed to teach students that Bible is darkness for the people? Do you know they accept Jesus Christ, and now I'm teacher in different schools? Now a teacher to go further, to go to the students to say, I am saved by grace of God. I'm glad you read the passage, singing song here, and how Jesus came in his own village, his own town, and he started with his vision and presenting in front of his people, Maybe to people who played when he was a child. And he said, Spirit of the Lord is upon me.

32:28 You just read that passage from Luke. Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. And talk that he came to liberate the captives and to proclaim the good the Lord's ear, the favor of Lord's ear. Isn't that when you're talking about the seed, about the word when Jesus explained, this is a seed. The word of God.

33:04 And word of God, through word of God, look what supposed to be. Preaching the gospel. Luke was supposed to be to liberate people. Luke was supposed to be to bring the sight to the blind people. Luke was supposed to be to bring liberation for oppressed people.

33:27 That is all about. Now when Jesus finished this sermon, his vision, people rejected him. What kind of soil? What kind of ground? What was there?

33:45 Then he went further. And he saw some people. He saw some people with boats. Actually, the passage started, Jesus was in a boat teaching people from the boat. And the gospel presented us that how Jesus went to a man called Peter.

34:08 Peter, I want your boat. I want to teach people from your boat. Maybe this was same boat that was when there was clear sky, or maybe it was same boat what was in such a strong storm, strong winds, strong waves that almost disciples saw that they will die. Master, Lords, where are you? We are perished.

34:41 We we are dying. You don't care. Where are you? He was right there in the boat. Same boat when maybe Jesus taught this crowd of people on the edge of the lake.

34:57 And he taught about the seed. He taught about the sower. And he thought what? Look what's happened. I grew up in a village where we had a very fertile, very good soil.

35:12 And as a child, I remember when my father and others, we want to plant the seed. The soil very good for wheat. Soil is very good for corn. And Romania was called breadbasket of Europe. And our area was very rich.

35:35 And we saw all the time how the seed is falling. And you saw the bird. And you saw that all the time you have the seed on the road, or rocky places, on places with thorn, or on the good soil. What's happened with the author? We just read a passage from Mark.

36:06 If you look at this man, John Mark. John Mark, for a while, was going with apostle Paul and with his relative Barnabas preaching the gospel. At some point, we don't know exactly what's happened. But Mark said I cannot go further. On this mission, on this ministry.

36:35 So he left. After a while, he changed his mind. He came back. And he wants to join the team again. Now it was a split between Paul Apostle and Barnabas who was our was our relative.

36:52 Keep in mind that Barnabas for a while when Paul tried to come closer to disciples, all disciples that this is impossible. This man cannot be Christian. So, Barnabas tried to convince apostles and other. No, no, no. Paul is a Christian.

37:16 He is one who will preach the gospel. So it was a time till he convinced others. Now, the two split because of Mark. After a while, this the word tell us that Barnabas took Mark with him and they preaching the gospel. After a while, Paul apostles writing in his epistle that, look, Mark, who is very useful.

37:51 And so useful that this morning we read this passage and Mark said, look, when the sower is going and it this teaching from Jesus is going and throwing the seed in good soil and all kind of grounds. When we decided that is rocky place, after, if you remember, many cities rejected Jesus and many accept this. We remember when Jesus went to the border of one place that said there's a line of separation between Jewish people, people from Judea and Samaria. There is nothing. No connection.

38:42 They don't want to talk to each other. And Jesus crossed that line, went to Samaria, and the text tell us Samaritan woman with not the best reputation. And the passage says, many from Samaria came to Jesus and believe in Jesus because of woman testimonies. How rocky place was that in the beginning? Jesus came to his own people, the Bible said.

39:15 His own people rejected him and he went to Samaria. Now when he came close to the city, to Jerusalem, he loved Jerusalem. He wept for the city. Is this the one of the shortest verses in the Bible? Jesus wept for Lazarus, for his close friend, and she wept for Jerusalem.

39:45 Keep in mind what's happened after that. Jesus was crucified. He was risen after that. And remember, at Pentecost day, people from places like Rome, like Athens, people from places like Syria, like Egypt, like places like Iran today. People, they came all from all parts of the world to worship in Jerusalem, not far from the place where Jesus wept.

40:19 With tears, he put his seed. There, people from entire world, they accepted Jesus Christ. If you remember, the church was born right there. Rocky places, places with thorns. In Romania, after communists came on power, they saw that this will be a piece of museum.

40:51 I like to go with the Bible in Romanian language. Of the Bibles you can see printed on The United States. Now how are the Bible from here in 1970s when the communist said, we will have very strong, plan to destroy the world, the seed? He has come. We're not allowed be Bible to be printed in Romania.

41:22 So we're not allowed people to go to seminary. Maybe 20 or 30. In some years, nobody was allowed. So in this way, they will not have pastor. They will not have the Bible.

41:36 Then all the children will be taught atheism. So then will be no more Christianity. So the Bible was printed here. Somebody paid for that. Somebody paid for shipment.

41:51 Somebody risked to bring the Bible in Europe. And somebody risked the cross to bring the Bible at the border. Some people had been caught. Some people had been in jail. Some people had been killed because they smuggled bibles.

42:06 And yet, the came in my hands. And yet, the day of last summer, on the on the courtyard with in the shade of vines, leaves, and branches. Jesus said, I am the vine and you are the branches. And the purpose is for you to bear more fruit. And in that courtyard, with all these branches, and gave us shade, team, a US team, American team.

42:54 Several teams, whole summer. They pray. They said, now in that courtyard, in 1979 and 1980, some bib Bibles had been smuggled in that courtyard. Didn't know how much fear. How much worries now what will happen if they will come and they discover that the Bible had been smuggled here.

43:25 They discover through that time when some people had been killed for that. So the seed came on that courtyard. My father-in-law all the time was trying to take care of the vine and to have to bear more fruit. So every year we have that shade there and America's team coming there. And but that it's a witness for many years that how God bless that courtyard.

44:00 And last summer, we brought the girls from our orphanage. And Americans, they have people, they said they presented their testimony. Then the girls from Casa Joseph, this is the last group, third group. They have testimony. How the seed fall there or came on their heart.

44:32 Last summer, it was a great news not only for our church there in our town, but for nearby how they accepted Christ. If you look at the seed today, how the seed is spread all over the world. In the last few years, or to say since the last time when I came here and since that time until now, look what's happened. How many Christian left Iraq? How many Christian left Syria?

45:09 How would they have been treated? How many Christians, evangelicals, they are treated right now this Sunday in Russia? A few weeks ago, they passed a new law that you can do the service only in your church. You cannot do propaganda outside to go in even your house, only in the church. Then you look in Europe, and it's more difficult now.

45:37 People, they are in the Bible, religion. And you look at all of this. And yet, after the girls from Casa Joseph, they said they accepted Jesus Christ, then they have a testimony, and they told us how they accepted Jesus Christ. It was sent a message to many teams who visited us, to many friends. And I look for twenty one days in how many countries the message, the girls had a song, you make me you make beautiful things out of dust.

46:15 You will know probably the song. Sing they sang in front of people from many churches, people who are Christian or not Christian to in front of their teachers, a great testimony. Then the message was sent to others, And I look at how many countries the message I want to follow Jesus. A girl from an orphanage in Romania, and to have that message and these songs, and I look in twenty one days, that was sent into over 70 countries. The seed, the world, in over 70 countries and all continents from a small orphanage.

47:02 And what I saw, and I never saw this picture, what I saw, I saw several in Russia, and I got messages. I'm in Russia. I'm a US businessman. I am in Siberia, But I am so great to hear from you this message. You have some doctors, American doctors.

47:24 And here I'm in Egypt. I'm in Syria. And you see Syria, Iraq, Indonesia, India, China, Russia. You see all over the world that seed, even from this small organization, was brought undifferent. And I thought, well, if I look at how that word of God is treated today is all kind of now shrinking.

47:58 In fact, when you look how God is working, he found other ways. I have opened a door for you that nobody can shut it. Oh, apostle said that, but in fact, he said, and I have many who opposed to that open door. This morning, in your church, some people tell me how you pray often for our people, for our ministry there in Romania. Thank you.

48:34 We are very grateful. We want to thank from bottom of our heart for what we have done. Talk about seed again. Jesus taught people from a boat. Maybe it was Peter boat.

48:52 One of the things after revolution said, how Jesus can teach from our boat, from Romania. How Jesus can teach from a boat, from orphanage. After revolution, American teams help us to build, to build an orphanage, to build a medical clinic. To build a coffee house. And there was another organization before us immediately after revolution that we invited them to come to the Yush.

49:30 And this organization called Christian Aid Ministries from Ohio, they came to Romania to help needy people in Romania. Everything was collapsed after revolution. So they, for a while, they for years, they worked in Bayush, in our town. They have a building almost across a courthouse. And that building was used.

49:58 They first came with food and clothes, and then they came with trucks with Bibles. From that building, they went with trucks in Ukraine, Albania, and Former Yugoslavia, and The Republic Of Moldova, and bringing the seed, word of God all over. It was that place, the court in Bayush, in our town, decided that no more church and they put a seal on our church. When I saw this miracle, how God was working an incredible way. We planted now in the garden of this warehouse, we planted walnuts.

50:46 And said, walnuts? Romania has been called breadbasket of Europe. And many people, they ask me after evolution, why we are empty basket of Europe? We have one thing this year was Jesus said, look at the fields. The harvest, the harvest is plentiful.

51:11 But the worker of you asked the Lord of the harvest to send his workers. And I remember during the harvest time that my father, my grandfather, also, they hired lots of people because during the harvest you cannot do that work. So people from the top of the mountains, they don't have wheat and corn. So they came and help us to do the harvest. It's very difficult for you to imagine how was the harvest.

51:47 But my father gave them a room, and they slept like sardines. They came late in the night from the harvest, and they woke up so early, and they went again, the harvest was so big, and never you had enough workers for the harvest. And now, Jesus asked us to pray for the workers. It's amazing how churches survived during communism. I have one of my brothers that's going and preaching the gospel.

52:28 I preach the gospel in many villages. And many times we go in the churches that survived during pro Nazi regime when all the churches had been closed. When they survived during communism, strong church. But after revolution, many young people didn't find a job in Romania. So that was a big challenge for Romania.

52:56 They left Romania and they went to work in Germany, Italy, Spain, Hungary, France, all over Europe. The great thing about this, despite of all hardship, is that these young people from Romanian churches grew up there. They planted churches in Spain. They planted churches in France. They planted churches in Germany, in Italy, in Serbia, in all these countries.

53:32 Very happy. I got so many invitation to go and to share word of God, and I saw the seed during communism during communism where my pastor was killed by communist, by militiamen, during communism where my grandfather was thrown in prison, where the communism was all this persecution to see the seed today, To see how it's planted. My grandfather came The most of Baptist churches had been planted after First World War. So much sufferings. Incredible sufferings.

54:15 And yet God opened the door. Many churches in Romania had been planted. Baptist churches had been planted because prisoner of war. Jesus liberated them. Prisoner of war came back in their country.

54:33 They in prisoner camp, like my grandfather, they accepted Christ, and now they are planting churches all over Romania. Second wave, when the word of God, the seed was so well and fertilized all, was after Second World War. And third wave, when many churches had been planted, was after collapse of communism. Because Jesus said, this gospel will be preached in whole world. Nobody can stop it.

55:14 No communism. No Berlin Wall. No iron curtain. I want to close with this. Many and many you can see this probably in many villages.

55:28 You can see only a few people because young people left. And who is fighting for us? Who is fighting for orphanage? Who is fighting for this? Very rare you can hear in Romania or other countries.

55:45 We had four girls from our orphanage. They had been Baptist last summer in front of many people from different churches or nonbelievers. And the other four said, we want to be baptized too. There was too much short time that while we not able to do this this past summer, that they are waiting for us to go back and to baptize them. Isn't that how God is working and the seed?

56:18 I want to close with this. Apostle of Gentiles. Paul. Paul apostle. When first church was started and then persecution started, when Stephen was killed, Then a young man, after that, started such a great persecution against Christian that he went from house to house to bring people and to throw them in jail.

56:49 Who believe that that kind of seed fall on that ground that they said never will this man will have something to do with Christianity. And this was the one of the greatest preacher, the greatest who bring and brought the seed in different parts of the globe. Please pray for us that the seed will be sent further and further through our organizations, through you. Thank you so much for open arms, for your great health, for your great love. God bless you.

57:37 Thank you very much. Thank you, doctor. So, I'm gonna invite the frontline team again. The frontline team, if you could come forward and I think last week worked better than any other. The way that we did this.

57:56 When the plates passed by you and this is the offering that is specifically for Peter and Anna, Casa, Joseph, and all of the other ministries that they're involved in in Romania. But as the plates pass, would you stand and join us as we as we sing the closing song? Would you pray with me too? Lord, hearing about communism and how it attempts to keep down attempted to keep down the gospel and was not able. Lord, I pray for everyone that is coming out of communism as they adjust to other systems and God, I'm thinking of the thorns that sometimes sneak in in any system and so lord, would you protect us?

58:38 Would you not let our cultural system keep the gospel down here in our hearts or in our minds? Would you allow to grow up and for us to go to seed, lord and start spreading your word about. So, God, would you bless Peter and Anna in their ministry in Romania and as they go about in these other countries where they have been invited in and would you do exactly what you said you would do, lord, to liberate the captives, setting people free by the good word of your gospel. Lord, would you multiply these offerings to do your kingdom's work in Jesus name. Amen.

59:15 As the plates pass, would you just stand?

1:00:24 Follow you into the world. Meet the needs for the poor and the needy guide. Follow you into the world. And I will follow you into the homes of the broken, follow you into the world, beat the needs for the poor and the needy guy. Follow you into the world, and I give all my Follow you into the world.

1:02:43 Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God. Follow you

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Missions Orphanage Parable Of The Sower Persecution Romania Spreading The Gospel

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