Key verse: Luke 8:11. “Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God.”
Body of Sermon:
Our Lord now goes on to explain to His disciples what the meaning of the parable is about and of course it is about the Word of God seen as a seed planted into the hearts, minds and souls of the whosoever that will receive the Gospel – The Good News of salvation through the Promised Messiah. It is therefore all about what The Bible will do for our ‘spiritual life’. So let us now see 9 points about the glorious supernatural Word of God that will not return to Him void, for it will always accomplish and achieve the purpose for which it was given. The number 9 biblically is the number of FINALITY or COMPLETION. It is interesting to note when we count up to nine, we have used all of our digits! 0 + 0 equals nothing, so we need to use a 1 then a 0 to get to ten and so on!
So right from the start when we read ‘In the beginning God …’ those 4 words have a numerical value of 999 signifying that God fills and completes everything. Another instance of the gematria from Hebrews chapter 3 verse 11 are the words ‘My wrath’. In Greek this has a numerical value of 999 and then our Lord uses the word ‘amen’ translated as verily 99 times according to the Revised Version. We can see that numbers and their arithmetical meaning are there within the Scriptures to make a point and to teach us that numbers have a distinct relevance within Holy Writ.
The we can then note that at the Crucifixion our Lord’s work was accomplished at the 9th hour. There are 9 fruits of the Spirit and then there are 9 gifts of the Spirit. Abraham was 99 years old when circumcised. The word ‘Ouranos’ – Heaven has a numerical value of 891 or 99×9. The words Houtos ho Jesous (‘This same Jesus’ – has a numerical value of 1998 or 999 x 2.)
The Septenary design of the Holy Scriptures, in the Hebrew and the Greek give us hundreds of number meanings and shows that an arithmetical mind is behind it all. The Lord God Almighty is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, end of debate, discussion and dialogue!
So let us now see what the Holy Bible does for our spiritual life: –
Salvation is a gift of God – it is a calling; it is a birth and it is a redemption.
We are chosen, called, consecrated, to show our commitment, we have been bought at a great price through The Royal and Holy pure Blood of Yeshua.
Peter as an apostle was chosen to be the first to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.
(Recorded in Acts chapters 10 and 15). But his ministry was primarily to his fellow Jews as Galatians chapter 2 verses 1 to 10 teaches us.
So, Peter within Jerusalem, then Israel and then in the diaspora fulfilled the commission given to him by our Lord in Luke 22:32 and John 21:15-17.
Each of us were given the wonderful Word of God and we became ‘born again’ just as with Nicodemus who was taught this. It’s all about relationship and not religion!
Next as new born babes we are to desire, get into and remember the Word of God putting His Word into our hearts and into the hearts of others. We are ‘born’ then we ‘grow’ it’s as simple as that BUT we can hinder our growth through the sinful nature. See verse 1. We are therefore to show grace and not the old man!
The believer’s hope is first of all fresh, we have been cleansed and then we show our fruitfulness. Look at verses 2, 4 and 6. A branch is good for only one thing, bearing fruit, the life is in the seed, to produce more seeds. It is about life, love and liberty within the rule book, The Book of books.
In this wonderful chapter we firstly have our Lord’s high priestly prayer as Jesus prayed for Himself, then His disciples and then His Church. We are a sanctified holy people through our Lord because He and His word are the Truth.
Ephesians chapter 6 is an interesting chapter. We see 3 parts of our life – in the home, in everyday life and on the battlefield. Our verse relates to the battle, The Word of God is there for our spiritual warfare. The world is a minefield and we need to train the mind and that is why this verse speaks of the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, the two always work together. We are to take captive every thought, every fiery dart and to then use our Sword in prayer and when witnessing, The Word of God is living and active. It is sharp and spiritual 24 hours a day, every week, every month and every year. It is for every season and occasion.
There is a small poem by George Duffield that makes the point and hits the mark:
Stand up, stand up for Jesus.
Stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you,
You dare not trust your own.
Put on the Gospel armour,
Each piece put on with prayer;
Where duty calls or danger,
Be never wanting there.
Our God’s glorious grace, it is all of grace and His unmerited favour. We stand in awe, the answers, the word in and out of season is in His Word. It is anointed, appointed and approved. His laws, wisdom, history, plans and promises. A glorious future, no eye has seen etc, ‘beam us up Lord’, show Your power as You have done before. The TV programme and the film Star Trek needed special effects! The reality, the way, the truth and the life, our eternal life is in Yeshua.
When we seek answers, they are in The Book of books. The Bible has all the answers, wisdom, advice, explanations, the truth, the promises etc. Hallelujah!
Without contradiction, the goal of any study is a growing knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Yeshua. He is the embodiment of the glorious Word of God.
When we come to know Yeshua/Jesus through repentance we enter into a life of salvation, sanctification, satisfaction, sainthood, separation, servanthood, solace, submission, steadfastness, sufficiency as our God is Yehovah Yireh our all in all.
God’s Word is the basic Book of books. It is the best Book ever written, it is Holy Writ, it is supernatural, it is anointed, it is appointed and approved.
The more you read it the more you understand His Lordship, His great plan, the more you then understand yourself and others around you. In Him we live and move and have our being. Omein and Amen.
The word satisfied means – to be pleased or content with what you have experienced or received. To fulfil the desires, expectations, needs, of a person, in the mind, the heart, soul, spirit and the body. It is there to give us full contentment and joy to the inward and then the outward part of our life and this we can only achieve in being a child of God. Hallelujah!
How many times have I said over the years, the answer is in the Book, this Book of books. The Holy Bible was given by a Holy God to mankind. It is the most read, most loved, most treasured, most given and most obeyed book of all time.
In a dark and darkening world God’s Word is our light to stop us being detoured from the straight and narrow path.
Father knows best, our Lord Jesus is the Light of the World. We are to be sons and daughters of light, for the Holy Spirit gives us light as we learn in and from the Spirit of God one step at a time.
We are to be marathon runners not sprinters, we are to work as a team, being truly dedicated disciples. We have been bought at a price.
We are to illuminate the hearts and minds of others through His Word as it is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Psalm 119 verse 105.
We pass on the Good News, we pass on the baton, it is a spiritual race as well as a physical one! ‘And so, all God’s people said amen.’
Go Forward ever Forward, Onwards and Upwards.