good morning my friends I'm pastor
Steven Brooks and welcome to day two
Morning Glory our midweek Bible study
and I'm so happy that you're here with
me today let's take our holy Bibles and
go to the Gospel of Luke and drop down
the chapter eight and we're going to
begin today in verse four we're going to
talk about the subject of it's working a
fantastic experience in your life the
reality of when it is working what that
what that does is really amazing we're
going to talk about it let's pray first
Heavenly Father as we go into your word
we ask that your Holy Spirit would bring
the word to a place of preeminence in
our lives we'll give you praise we thank
you Father God we trust you and thank
you for the work of your spirit in Jesus
name we all agree and say Amen Luke
chapter 8 verse 4 and when a great
multitude had gathered and they had come
to him from every city he spoke by a
parable so you have to envision a very
large crowd he's not just speaking to
100 or 200 people but this went into the
thousands now verse 5 a sower went out
to sow his seed and as he sowed some
fell by the wayside and it was trampled
down and the birds of the air devoured
it the parable that we're looking at a
parable being a teaching that has a
hidden meaning this parable is actually
mentioned in all four Gospels some
theologians call it the granddaddy of
all the parables I really believe it is
and Jesus even referring to this parable
which he you know he would teach at
different places and all four Gospel
writers picked it up and recorded it in
their particular gospel but Jesus even
said that how can you understand any of
the parables if you don't understand
this one so it is very important and it
has a great purpose for our lives verse
six some fell on rock and as soon as
spring up it withered away because it
lacked moisture and some fell among
thorns and the thorns spring up with it
and choked it
but others fell on good ground sprang up
and yielded a crop a hundredfold now
there are other times when the Lord
mentions 30 60 and 100 fold but here I
love what he said at this sermon where
he just gets right to the what we would
call the bread and butter he gets really
to the best part and he goes right just
to the hundredfold and I want that to be
your focus okay but others fell on good
ground sprang up and yielded a crop a
hundredfold that needs to be your aim
really focus on that praise God now when
he had said these things he cried he who
has ears to hear let him hear
what is the one hundredfold it is the
maximum return possible on that seed
that you have sown get ready for it
praise the Lord get ready for your
harvest verse 9 then his disciples asked
him saying what does this parable mean
and he said to you it has been given to
know the mysteries of the kingdom of God
but to the rest it is given in parables
that seeing they may not see and hearing
they may not understand you have some
that here it doesn't mean much to them
and even if they were a little more
curious really they don't care they're
just not really into what we would call
the things of God so God allows that on
purpose to stay hidden to them and it is
very important that you honor and
respect the things of God let me say
this you can never receive from someone
or something that you don't esteem or
that you just dishonor or that you don't
like well pastor Stephen I don't like
that person
well you can't receive from that person
and you know that works as far as trying
to you know teach and they can't receive
the teaching maybe they don't like your
style maybe you don't like
help hair color and there have been
people they you know they've got
different hair colors and you know you
know Jan Crouch you know the co-founder
of TV in she had that pink hair and some
people could they just couldn't get past
the pink hair now I you know you know to
me it looked like cotton candy you know
but hey if that's what makes her happy
you know let her enjoy your pink hair
but some people they couldn't receive
just because of something like hair
color and you know there's a lot of
things that are just these silly hurdles
that people allow themselves to stumble
over and trip over and thus they can't
receive because of something that the
here's the thing if you if you're
looking for a reason of why you can't
receive trust me there'll always be
something well he he says hallelujah too
much well he doesn't say hallelujah
enough and that person a little too
charismatic that person is a little too
boring there - monotone they need some
more oomph in their step and on and on
it goes but if you're looking for truth
and you're looking for light you don't
care who the messenger is because
messengers come in all different shapes
sizes personalities and whatever and you
know styles along with that but you're
just looking you're looking for the
voice of God and you're able to receive
even from unlikely sources praise God
so Jesus makes these teachings these
parables just as plain and easy to
understand for those who really want to
know whether it's a child whether it's
an adult
he's not talking quantum physics he's
bringing it down to the very basic most
basic levels of society that anybody
could understand even if you have no
education past to sixth grade praise the
Lord now let's continue on verse 11 now
the parable is this the seed is the word
of God and we need to stop right there
just for a moment because the Word of
God is sown into the hearts of people
okay and the word also can be seen as
financial sea
even yeah it's amazing yeah even Paul
even Paul talked about sowing seed and
he talked about how money can be seed
but the the various forms of the word
being sown as a seed of forgiveness as a
financial seed as a seed of love or a
seed of encouragement all and on it goes
the many dimensions of this one teaching
but you have to hold it to the primary
core and you see all the colors coming
out of it the seed is the word of God
praise the Lord and the Word of God
needs to be preeminent it has to be
number one and if it's not you're never
you're never going to see the one
hundredfold in your life
praise God there's no need to try to
reinvent the wheel or try to come up
with another method you have to put the
word first-place years back when my wife
and I were traveling we and we still
traveled today just you know years back
we used to travel a whole lot more
through every every month we were gone
three weeks out of every month on the
road traveling and I remember we went to
a certain young church it was a new
church that just been planted it was
just getting started the pastor was a
young guy he was real cool he was real
nice he said Pastor Steven please come
help me with this church and come to a
meeting and build my church up and you
know I I'm starting this church here and
you know he was all excited and he was
happy in the Lord and you know he and
his wife were engaged in this work and I
thought okay yeah I'll come and I'll be
happy to minister to you people and so
forth and so I came there and this
brother who you know we all start on the
same platform and if you're raised in
church that's good but but either way
you're gonna have to get into the word
eventually well he had gotten saved had
a wild background had gotten saved but
he just wasn't really too much into the
word and so when I got there he was all
consumed about making sure that the
praise and worship was
and he had he had taken the little funds
that the church had and he had hired
this bunch of groupies kind of reminded
me of a bunch of hippies that he pulled
together so that he could have an
official praise man well he's got him
there that they didn't have a lick of
anointing there it was all in the flesh
but he had a praise and worship team and
he had to pay them dearly just to have
him show up and you know and and do all
of that and and and so I came in
ministered and then after I administered
prayed for everybody and you know we had
a great meeting after it's all said and
done he had a little bitty peanut
offering that he gave me and he had
taken almost all the money that the
church had and he's giving it over to
this group of praise and worship team
that honestly the elevator didn't reach
the top floor on most of those guys they
just I don't know that they didn't know
anything about the Word of God or
anything like that but see the pastor
he's the one sitting all that up the
pastor did not see the word as
preeminent in other words he's not like
hey bring us the word of the Lord we
want to hear what God says now teach us
oh no he didn't care about that
he just he was all into the music get
the music going get the music going and
I tried to help him I now first of all
the dishonourable offering that he gave
to me I just I just knew in a sense he
doesn't know what he's doing so I can
overlook it forgive it and but I did
tried to help him because I'm concerned
about his future and I said I said
brother I said I noticed you put a lot
of focus and a lot of attention on the
praise and worship team but I said
really because you're the pastor you're
gonna have to put the emphasis on the
preaching the teaching of the word
because that's what changes people not
not the praise and worship that's good
and it is biblical that that we praise
and that we worshipped God but I said
you're gonna have to be able to minister
the word to people and when I said that
he looked at me like I was from from
Jupiter or Saturn like I was a total
weirdo that I didn't know what I was
doing
of course you can see I'm still in the
ministry still preaching my ministry is
still increasing he today has no church
and he has no ministry it just all fell
apart why the word was not preeminent he
did not know that he needed to sow the
word into the heart of the people as
seed
oh he's sewing stuff he saw on a bunch
of goofy stuff all done in the flesh
half-baked ideas and his his way of
doing it well his way crashed and burned
my friends if you want longevity in the
ministry for those of you that are that
are called to ministry and have a heart
for ministry you're gonna have to put
the word first if you don't you will
find out unfortunately down the road
that nothing else can take that place
mmm thank you Lord Jesus I administered
at another church one time a large
church packed out and it was riding high
it was riding high good pastor he could
really sing he could bring the people in
just on his voice alone and oh he
certainly knew that too he knew he could
sing and he did God gave him a beautiful
voice he was tall he was handsome now he
was married so that that that's good
because you real handsome like that you
know yeah it's good to have some balance
good to have a wife hell she couldn't
fighting off these single ladies all the
time and so uh he had a beautiful
singing voice and he could prophesy
really really good and really accurate
and he could he could go out there and
sing and everybody get all happy and he
could prophesy you know what he told me
though behind the scenes after the
service was over well not when I
preached and ministered and well we had
a good time when I was done ministry in
this church out of his own mouth
he said Stephen he said I hate that's
literally what he said he said I hate
preaching and teaching he's talking
about himself not not he don't mind if
somebody else does it but he himself II
said I hate to preach and teach and I uh
when I heard him say that I could see
his future cut short I said brother
I said do you know why you dislike I
didn't want to use the word he did I
didn't want to use the word hate I said
do you know why you just like preaching
and teaching I said because it requires
study and Paul said studied to show
yourself approved and I said you can't
just sing all the time okay and you
can't just like float and prophesy all
the time and sometimes that's all he did
for an entire service praise and worship
and really he was letting also the
praise and worship carry a big part of
that and then he would come in and he'd
do his singing and then he'd prophesy
and then before you know it they've done
that for an hour and a half and then he
would just call the service that's a
wrap everybody go home what now without
a single message now I understand there
can be times when the Holy Spirit will
move and you can have a service go that
way sometimes but not all the time why
because if you're not sowing the word as
seed into the hearts of people those
people are not going to produce anything
except empty heads full of mush am I too
honest for you today praise the Lord
I know that you like it praise God
because you want the truth hallelujah
you don't want to be serving a bunch of
baloney you want what works we're not in
this to play some kind of a game just
because this is just what we do no
that's not what we're after or after the
one hundredfold return and if we try
something it's not working obviously
it's not biblical just throw it out
we're not here to hold up sacred cows no
let's just smash the sacred cow and get
the goofy thing out of here
get it out of the house of God praise
God we don't have time for games
life's too short whoo thank you Lord
Jesus
Oh Pastor Steven what happened to him
he's out of the ministry today oh but
Pastor Steven he's saying so good oh
yeah he was like a songbird he could
sing he could sing the house down he's
not even in the ministry today lost his
marriage marriage fell apart gee I
wonder why lost to church
incredible you can't you can't survive
just on charisma or anointing or gifting
you need that anointing primarily to
minister the word praise God so if the
word is not preeminent in your life you
will never know the one hundredfold
return you'll be staring through a
window window shopping all of your life
looking out on the other side of the
glass thinking I wish I could get in
there and somehow obtain that blessing
of God thank you Jesus
so you're gonna have to put it first
you're going to have to thank you Lord
Jesus now let's continue on the parable
is this the seed is the word of God okay
now those by the wayside are the ones
who hear then the devil comes and takes
away the word out of their hearts lest
they should believe and be saved oh
he'll let it stay in your head the devil
doesn't care if it's in your head you
ever seen people that can quote
scripture I've seen atheist that can
quote scriptures that doesn't know that
doesn't make the devil upset at all he's
already got them why he's got their
hearts he does not want that word to get
down into your heart into the soil of
your heart and begin to grow that that's
his worst nightmare okay so he can
actually come that's what the birds of
prey represent just you see Abraham when
he made covenant with God and he split
the sacrifices in half and laid them out
suddenly here comes these birds of prey
he has to fight them off I would
encourage you I would suggest to you
that you do the same thing also and that
you fight off these evil forces that
would try to come and take the word out
of your heart
see it's just less they should believe
and be safe hey not just the devil
trying to steal it from unbelievers so
that they never receive eternal life
they just put it off for whatever and
just tinker around with it and the next
thing you know he's got it and they
don't even remember what they heard okay
but look he'll go after believers also
and he will take that
seed of the word right out of them and
the next thing you know the next the
very next day within maybe just eight
hours they can't even remember what the
preacher preached the day before it's
gone boom just that quick just that
quick so you have to really guard your
heart and guard that seed of the word
now I was kind of trying to tabulate the
number in my head I think it was about
26 years ago okay about 26 years ago I
was single and I was going to a church
the pastor said hey we're gonna take a
bus and we're gonna go to a large
Christian meeting with a great man of
God that's gonna be speaking very famous
minister and whoever wants to go you
know will go on the bus you know there's
an out-of-state overnight trip you know
everybody will just have their hotel
room and you know we'll go to the night
meeting then we'll come back to the next
day for the morning meeting and stuff
like that so uh yeah the bus got filled
up and so we had a bus of people going I
was on the bus and we got there and we
went to the meeting the first meeting
and the meeting was it was spectacular
the Spirit of God was moving the glory
of God was was was just all in that
place and so after the meeting was over
like 10:30 at night we come back each
person has their hotel and it was you
know like two people to a hotel and so
I'm I'm in a hotel room with a Christian
brother about the same age but we don't
really know each other we just you know
both love the Lord and we kind of got
roomed together got stuck together the
stay in the room together he's got one
bit I've got the other bed and you know
so that that's the way it was for
everybody on the bus you know two of you
take a hotel room and the church paid
for it and you know you contribute it to
it it was a wonderful time but would you
believe after having come out of that
meeting he was in the same meeting I was
in okay I think he was sitting closer to
the front than I was he had a better
seat than I did we came out of that
meeting drove back on the bus to our
hotel room got into our room and the
first thing he did
turn on that TV and start blasting the
news and that news and although all the
stupid commercials just I just said
brother I said we just came out of the
glory of God I said would you be ok
tonight if you didn't watch TV he goes
home he said brother Stephen I really
liked you know in my night night
watching watching the news and I said
well could you at least turn it down a
little bit and um he turned it down a
little bit but he could tell that you
know I it was upsetting me and he said
I'll just turn it off but oh oh he just
he wanted see he'd already forgotten
what happened it was alright the devil
had already stolen it within 30 minutes
mmm I have no doubt I have no doubt the
Lord had some ministry plans for that
young man just like you did for me but
he never realized it no you can't you
can't just treat these things of God
lightly told not that you can't refresh
yourself but you have to and maybe
you'll have some hobbies and things like
that but you you come out of something
like that
mmm-hmm the the enemy he's going to be
looking for the seed to eat it he's
going to try to eat it before it gets
into your heart well that guy had to see
that night praise the Lord
you know we planted all of that grass
seed only about two months ago on the
front property of the church area where
there's a lot of dirt and we just sold
all kinds of seed Kelly said Stephen do
you think the birds are gonna eat the
seed I said well they might get a little
let's just put so much out and just
cover it with straw and uh and hopefully
we'll be okay and we weren't that whole
area today is green ooh
pray used to Lord but you got to get the
birds out of there or they're steal it
and it they'll still it there's not
gonna be any kind of a harvest at all
praise God
and it's not the words fault it's not
God's fault it is up to the individual
see we have individual responsibility we
have individual choices did you know did
you know that God doesn't go to the gym
oh yes he does pastor Stephen it's
called God's gym no that's called gold
does it go to the gym but that doesn't
mean you shouldn't mmm hallelujah see
God has a part to play we have a part to
play
pastor Steve and my health is in God's
hands well you know God God's not gonna
drag you to the gym got the guts not
gonna drag you outside to go for a walk
those are things that you have to do
those are things that you make a
decision to do God does this part we
have our part to do and so when we
receive that word in seed form which is
what you're receiving right now you have
to take it value it and guard it and do
your part now verse 13 but the ones on
the rock are those who when they hear
receive the word with joy woo praise the
Lord
pastor Steven I received it the girl
joyful all happy that and that's good
and these have no root who believe for a
while and in time of temptation they
fall away praise the Lord
mmm yes you have to guard your heart and
you have to really let the seed begin to
germinate and put the roots down what
does that mean it means you you have to
really stay plugged in with the Lord you
need your daily bread well pastor Steve
and I read my Bible is just dry just you
dries dragging me you know what I've had
that happened to me too but it's amazing
sometimes when you're reading and you
think you're not really getting anything
out of it and maybe in a sense you
aren't where you hit the gusher or you
know it just it's just live and you
you're having your your glory moment so
maybe you're just reading it and it is
good I mean you enjoy reading it but
it's not like you're really hitting
Rhema word after explosive Rhema word
you're just reading it's kind of dry and
kind of enjoying it but it's not really
doing anything do you know how many
times I've done that
thanking in my mind but that was no big
deal I'm glad I read for 30 minutes that
didn't really do much snow for me you
know I IV I know I know it's good but
didn't really get any life out of that I
can't I can't even begin to how many
tell you how many times I've done that
and then the very next morning I think
get out real early like maybe three or
four in the morning to spend some time
with the Lord the Lord starts free
talking with me everything I read before
that I thought was so dry whoa he starts
bringing it up the Holy Spirit starts
unveiling it starts pouring life all
over it and and personal application for
how I can use it and I'm just like oh
wow whoa see you've got to put it in
there just keep putting it in there and
there are the times when you'll have
those days you'll have those moments
where you could literally turn anywhere
and it's just leaping off the page it is
so full of life you're just having one
of those moments one of those special
times with the Lord and that's great but
just because it's not always like that
doesn't mean that you still don't need
your daily bread so I want to encourage
you to put the roots down I mean learned
your Bible learn an inside-outside
forwards backwards get to know it get to
know the stores get to know the
characters and all of that begins to
form a much better visualization of
God's redemptive plan for Humanity from
the beginning all the way up until the
end and having a good understanding it
will really help you a panorama view of
God's plan for Humanity and for your
life as well you'll see it as you
familiarize yourself very very well with
the Word of God
so never fall away stay in it stay in it
don't ever fall away keep putting down
the roots mmm
thank you Jesus now verse 14 now the
ones that fell among thorns are those
who when they have heard go out and are
choked with cares
riches and pleasures of life and bring
no fruit to maturity hallelujah glory to
God we are blessed in America I do
believe that America has more blessings
in the sense of nice things that are
available at arm's reach for about
anybody above any other nation on the
face of the earth will not only have
grocery stores they're all clean and
they're loaded with varieties if you
want salad dressing
well good luck you heard I'll probably
stand in front of it the salad dressing
section for at least that's what guys do
for like 20 minutes trying to figure out
which one you want that's why I don't do
any shopping in the grocery store let my
wife do all of it something about us men
we go in there we have a little bit of a
brain freeze I don't know if it's the
overload of all the stuff but you just
you stand there and just look at all of
it you just don't even really know what
to do whoo praise the Lord so I let my
wife do that she's in and out in 20
minutes and she seems to buy things for
me even better than what I could choose
for my own self praise God but we are
blessed but my friends also be aware
that what all of these options for all
of the things that you could do I mean
here in North Carolina we have mountains
we have the foothills we have the
lowland area we have the beach well we
have nice weather we have all we have
biking trails we have we have waterfalls
I mean you can just go bonkers doing all
kinds of stuff well we have amusement
parks what do you want we've we have it
big city rural area anything in between
it's all it's all their restaurant
restaurants this that and the other
you know International Airport small
airport whatever you need you know from
the high end to the low end praise God
but I know what you know what I'm
talking about because you have it
available at your access to and of
course many of you watching from other
countries in the world
you also have beautiful privileges and
even in some ways things that we don't
have here but my friends be careful be
careful that you don't start doing so
much that you miss the focus of what
it's all about that this is extremely
important the word must stay preeminent
in your life or you're not going to
produce fruit not only would you not get
to the 100 fold you won't even see the
30 this is very very serious yes you
should consider streamlining your life
there is something about simplicity
that's nice
hallelujah I mean even Warren Buffett
with what 89 billion dollars is his net
worth
he lives tuna he lives in the same house
then he got married in back in the 1950s
2000 square-foot home while pastor
Stephen I'm not satisfied unless I've
got an 8000 square foot house well look
you'll get into the 8,000 square foot
house and you realize it's just still
just a house
whether it's 50,000 square feet or eight
or two it's still just two home and the
bigger and bigger it gets the busier and
busier its going to keep you and there's
something wrong with that if you want
that that's ok if you can balance that
that's fine
but just remember that as you expand out
those things compete for your attention
and you've only got so much time and
even with everything that would swirl
around your soul I'm not talking about
your spirit but your soul has a limited
capacity as for how much you can absorb
how much you can talk how much you can
text how much you know you can do all of
this and still have quality and depth in
your life so you really have to be
careful because if it starts to cut in
on the word preeminence remember you're
looking at the loss of fruit and so you
have to you have to really stay focused
and I do believe that broken focus if
properly examined broken focus is the
reason people do not realize the
potential that God has laid before them
is is the reason that their dreams don't
come to pass and it's the reason that
the word doesn't stay preeminent you get
that high level of fruit white broken
focus because of all this stuff that
they're chasing cares riches and
pleasures of life the
of life is big it's big and again I've
talked about this before I'm an ascetic
an ascetic would be one of the what they
would call like a monastic type person
or a saintly type person that would
inflict on purpose intentionally great
discomfort upon their body in order to
try to get the flesh under and you know
what I like a comfortable bed I like
good coffee but there is a place you can
just start getting so much what we would
call and what Jesus called the pleasures
of life yeah you get soft spiritually
and that's dangerous
that's dangerous mm-hmm be careful Luke
chapter 10 verse 41 jesus answered and
said to her Martha Martha you are
worried and troubled about many things
well I don't know about New Zealand I
don't live there I don't know about Hong
Kong and I don't live there but I know
about America and a lot of American
Christians the Lord would say to them
the same thing Martha Martha you are
worried and troubled about many things
but one thing is needed and Mary has
chosen that good part which will not be
taken away from her so you could either
serve the Lord and there's a part
there's a place for that don't get me
wrong
you could either serve the Lord or you
can sit at his feet and absorb deeply
his teaching and it's not like he's
teaching all the time okay you so you
could you can always serve okay but what
he's teaching and that anointing is
there let's pull back on that stop and
let's give him our utmost attention
let's get our notepads let's get our
pins and let's sit at the feet of Jesus
why we want to keep the word now he is
the word that's his name we want to keep
the word preeminent in our lives thank
you Lord Jesus
but one thing is needed what is that bet
that's his teaching that's his word
that's what he's saying and he said that
mary has chosen that part and it won't
be take it see it can't be stolen out of
her hearts already gone from the head
into the heart the routes are already
going down
well Pastor Steven but what about mark
that I mean who's gonna cook for Jesus
well that somebody should have told mark
that hey look Martha over there on your
refrigerator see that little bitty uh
that little things you know they had
these little magnet things right and
it's on your refrigerator it's got the
phone number to Domino's Pizza and soon
as the Lord begins to wrap up the
teaching just go ahead and order like 15
pizzas we got a lot of people here and
you know just order the pizzas and by
the time everything is done then it'll
be showing up will be right on time
but hey you know Martha please take a
break heesu god it's not gonna be here
forever
from the sense of like that type of you
know he's busy and Plus that earthly
ministry was very limited it's in time
mmm
so it would have been much better for
her to had just sat down join her sister
sit down and listen to the Lord teach
Wow
praise God well Pastor Steven they
didn't have Domino's well yes we've got
we've got that understanding but I mean
just called the falafel company say yeah
deliver deliver 50 of them with a large
coke you know in about one hour just
drop them off at the house praise the
Lord
mmm put it first place put it first
place in your life
thank you Jesus it's good it's good
now verse 15 but the ones that fail the
seeds that fell on the good ground are
those who having heard the word with a
noble and good heart keep it and bear
fruit with patience keep it and bear
fruit that would be the one hundredfold
return with patience
well pastor Steve and I'm receiving
scriptures meditating on scriptures get
out of debt and it hasn't happened yet
well you know it took years to get into
it it took years to accumulate that so
be patient stay in the word give God's
Word time to work now here's the good
news you're going to get out a whole lot
faster than what you got in and when you
get out you're never going to go back
into it again
praise God so hang and hold on to the
word it is working it is working and
also exercise patience now what will
happen when you really give yourself to
it and even as Joshua was instructed
meditate on it day and night okay when
you start moving into that whoo there
will come a day there will come a moment
when you realize this is working praise
the Lord my efforts to put the word
first place or to give it preeminence in
my life there will come a time you
realize it's actually starting to work
hmm what is one of the greatest
motivators well it would have to be that
would you start to see positive results
for whatever it is that you're doing and
when you see those results Wow it
motivates you to do what to keep on
going and oftentimes when you see those
results not only are you motivated to
continue but oftentimes you're motivated
to just like hate well if this is
working I'm gonna I'm gonna even push it
praise God and here's how you can know
when you're starting to get into that
place and I'll be the first to admit
it's not easy it takes oh it takes
tremendous discipline and I wouldn't
call it mental discipline although that
is involved I would call it more of a
spiritual discipline where it becomes a
lifestyle and when you go to sleep at
night you actually go to sleep with the
word on your mind
it's preeminent and you're thinking
about it because there's things you're
believing God for and you need
scriptures to substantiate that and to
support that and to back that so you
need the word and you have to
continually be feeding yourself with the
word and and the teaching of the word
and then you wake up and you go
throughout the day and before you know
it you you're really locked into this
and it starts to explode in you and
before you ever receive it there comes
an inner knowing bless the Lord I've got
this hallelujah
God's Word is beginning to produce and
you know you've got it before you ever
see it there is an inner confidence that
is rock-solid like you're on concrete
and you know what you are going to see
it if I can give some natural examples
let's just talk about the human body or
talk about sports there's a place in
running where you may first start off as
a jogger you're not even a runner yet
you're just like a junker and the
motions are unusual for your body and
your labor and you you struggle and you
think why in the world would anybody do
this and you think this is so
uncomfortable
I remember my high school teacher she
said she said Steven I don't think I
ever want to be a runner she said every
time I see you out there running you
look like you're in agony I said it's
because it's 170 degrees and you know
the humidity is off the charts I said
it's not it's not a bad thing I said
it's a good thing but I said it's just
this crazy South Texas weather that I'm
you know having to endure while I'm out
there running but outside of that you
know I when I first started running yeah
it was just like I had those thoughts
this is like crazy this is torture but
as I kept on doing it and I had a really
good coach and I kept on doing it
something something happened one day and
it didn't happen overnight but it didn't
take years it took months but I started
kind of like like hey I'm starting to
like this and then I started getting
good at it and then not only was I on
the track team but then I started
winning track I started winning track
meet so I started winning races and
stuff like that and then you somehow by
God's grace and goodness and a lot of
work and a lot of miles you know
underneath my legs having run I became
the MVP of the track team which I'd
never thought something like that could
have happened
and then you know you start winning you
know district and stuff like that and
you're like hey this is pretty good and
what happened from then on is just like
you you it's clicked and it's working
it's working it's the same thing with
the word you start working that word and
you just start putting it in put it in
put it in and suddenly you start to
realize that this this is producing what
you're seeing fruit you're seeing fruit
and you know they're like this is this
is awesome and so you're going for the
hundredfold you're going for the
hundredfold same thing with strength
training you can be a person that thinks
I can never gain muscle I'm too skinny
whatever the case might be but there
there's a point if you just keep
consuming the right amount of protein
which is a lot okay and you're and
you're eating but you're hitting the
weights you're hitting the weights there
will come a time and it may look like
nothing's really happening they don't
come up time a few months into it where
your body catches fire and all of those
anabolic receptors start clicking and
it's just like the next thing you know
you're people are starting to notice and
your shirts are getting too tight and
the muscles are popping out and there's
no mystery it's no mystery if you just
put that effort and that work into it
and keep sowing it keep sowing it it'll
produce it's the same thing with the
word keep sowing the word as seed into
your heart you're gonna have a harvest
glory to God this is not rocket science
this is just basic farming okay but it
will work and you can have the one
hundredfold return but a lot of it it
involves your effort your effort to hear
and to hear how does faith come it comes
by hearing but in the Greek that implies
you've got to keep hearing and hearing
and hearing wellfest you don't get
entire to hear it oh well then you're
getting tired of winning that's just
even getting tired of hearing or then
you're just backing off the one
hundredfold return mmm no my friends
stay with it stay with it praise the
Lord praise the Lord let me tell you
this right now the word has got to
become preeminent over the Dallas
Cowboys III had a Barbra one time he's a
Christian he wanted to be a preacher and
there was really a calling there was
calling for him he wanted to be a
preacher and but I don't know how much
he could quote the Bible and I tell you
one thing he could quote you every stat
about the Dallas Cowboys that's all he
talked about and he talked about it for
eight hours a day with anybody that came
in cutting hair he did he'd want to talk
with me about the Cowboys I wasn't
really into it that much but I could
study I'd entertain him a little bit so
that he cuts my hair good and doesn't
mess up because maybe he gets off on the
conversations I'm interested in maybe
he's not gonna give me a very good
haircut but long as I kind of like
talked with him about the Cowboys he'd
always give me a real haircut but he
could tell you everything stats
statistics you know yardage this that
the other injury report the whole team
you know not just the starters to back
up every everything yeah and he could he
can theorize about how the year was
going to be and they know don't get him
off the Carolina Panthers he start
talking about that - mmm but you got him
over on the Bible sometimes I tried to
get him over on the word and he could no
he couldn't go deep just a little bitty
surface stuff and the surface tough he
knew didn't have any life in it he could
he couldn't he couldn't navigate those
waters now can you imagine a person like
that and the seed of the word is sown to
a person like that and God God says now
produce a hundredfold well as soon as
the words been sold he's gonna leave
he's gone right home and he's gonna turn
on that TV what do they do it what are
the Cowboys doing today well they're not
playing today but I better find out
what's what's going on some people are
like that was stocks and some people are
like that was real estate and some
people like that but you know their
hobby or whatever it is and look you
need to know your stuff you need to know
your life you need to know your career
field you need to be aware of certain
things but all I'm saying if the word is
not preeminent all this other stuff will
choke it it'll choke it pastor Steve or
does not work that well something's
choking it something is not working
there okay and so there's only a couple
of areas we've only got four four
conditions of the heart really that
we're looking at here so somewhere in
here we can find we can find where
you're at somewhere in there we can find
where you're at
mmm but I believe that's why you're here
I believe you're the kind of person that
has a noble heart the very fact that
you're here tells me you have a noble
heart the very fact that you would show
up twice a week and listen to these
messages sometimes I get happy and I
preach I I'm not like the typical
preacher and why should I be I mean
Internet's free right so if I have free
air time and a spirits moving well just
keep on talking hallelujah I'll keep on
sharing glory to God thank you Jesus
yes so sometimes I'll go an hour and a
half I'll take last Sunday I preached an
hour and 40 minutes hour 43 minutes or
something like that but you know what
what am i doing
sowing seed into your heart the soil of
your heart I want you to be a success in
life hallelujah I want people to look at
you and I want them to say I want my
life to be like that person's I like
their life I like what their I like the
way their life is and it's it's the god
life John chapter 10 verse 10 I have
come that you may have life and have it
more abundantly praise the Lord the word
life there in the Greek is the words Oh
8z --oe and it means the god quality of
living is that the way you're living
right now well if not if not begin to
put a priority on the word thank you
Jesus thank you Lord Jesus in a church
service preeminence always goes to the
word always to the word because that's
what you live on that's what you live on
thank you Lord Jesus and in your life
you need to give it the highest respect
Lord we give you praise verse 18 he
wraps it up therefore take heed how you
hear this is extremely important take
heed how you hear
for whoever has to him more will be
given he just wrecked socialism right
there socialism is a total lie of the
devil now pastor Steven we need to take
it and we need to distribute to
everybody the ones that are lazy they
need to have the same amount as those
that worked hard and really exert it
themselves and use their brains and
their muscles and their sweat in their
toil we just need to spread it out to
everybody no no no that's not what Jesus
talked mm-hmm therefore take heed how
you hear for whoever has to him more
will be given well you would not you
would think you would think the way some
people think that whoever has all we
need to take from them and give the dim
over here they don't have anything
that's not what he says for whoever has
to him more will be given and whoever
does not have even what he seems to have
will be taken will be taken from him
look if you're not interested in wisdom
God can help you if a person wants to
say stupid and sadly to say yes you can
be a Christian and you can be stupid you
can be a Christian and live your life
making stupid decisions if you're not
interested in wisdom God can help you
hmm you have to love the word you have
to love the word and what I'm talking
about the word I'm talking about the
teachings of God's Word but I'm talking
about taking them and applying them to
your life well pastor Steve I love Jesus
well if you love Jesus you'll love his
word well I'm not really into the word
I'm not really into the word didn't
you're not into him you're not into him
because he said he has exalted his word
above his own name
by the way if your words no good your
names no good either all right well I
put a big emphasis on my name well then
you should keep your word hmm whoa IIIi
don't know how it is where you live I
know in this county there's some really
good line Christians yes they're safe I
don't doubt their salvation but man you
couldn't trust him for anything I've
seen some of them say
I'll do this you can count on me and
then not do it mm-hmm now we as a
ministry here have even hired certain
contractors to do work work that was
quoted for and they would do maybe 80%
of it and and they would leave and
that's why I also learned years back
don't ever pay the full amount until the
full amount of work is accomplished
praise the Lord
but some of them you know they'll think
well that's good enough and they just
didn't do what they said and they would
leave I'll come back I'm coming back
tomorrow Pastor Steven I'm gonna finish
that I've got a run over here and do a
job well three years went by they never
came back
five years ten years they never came
back and I'd call - hey brother you
gotta come back and do that work you
gave your word yeah I'm coming back
pastor Steve I'm coming back
they-they-they and they're totally lying
they know they're not coming back
totally lying pastor Steve and I love
Jesus well do you love his word well you
know I'm not really you know let's see
that that that's why it was so what's
going to happen to them no fruit no
fruit the blessings of God just out of
reach but certainly not a hundredfold
but look we're talking not even not even
thirty why there's no fruit there's no
fruit mmm so take it meditate on it stay
with it and stay in it and you'll see
it's working and it's working what
happens you just like then it's
happening and so you're excited in the
sense like wow I've got harvest I've got
harvest here here here here and this is
this is just fantastic and so you're in
it and so when that happens when you see
it and that's the that's the kind of
people I'm talking to I know that's your
heart you are one hundredfold
soil mmm
mm and so just keep working it keep
doing what you're doing and I'm not
surprised when you see it you actually
think well if this is working this good
I think I'll push push a little bit more
mm-hmm
yes by all means praise God but that's
why it works for some in the body of
Christ and not for others it's not Scott
it's not God's fault and it's certainly
nothing wrong with the see deceit is the
word okay but it's the condition of the
soil hallelujah and that soil is our
hearts
now let's lift our hands Heavenly Father
we thank you that we want to be that
100-fold soil thank you Oh God thank you
Oh God
thank you Oh God father let all past
seeds that have been sown that lay
dormant because of the word not being
exalted as preeminent in our lives Lord
as we make those right alignments with
that heart condition let those seeds
come alive let those seeds come alive
thank you thank you thank you thank you
Father in Jesus name in Jesus name Amen
you know I spend time with the Lord not
just to get messages although I have to
spend time with you to get the messages
but that's not why I spend the time with
him
I spent the time with him so that I can
also bear fruit praise the Lord
so that my heart is right and so that
there can be evidence praise the Lord
see Jesus said that wisdom is justified
by your children in other words you
should be able to look and see proofs of
wisdom mmm that's the fruit that's the
fruit being produced in your life
hallelujah and you're gonna have a whole
bunch of it my friends this is harvest
time I want you to be expecting the one
hundredfold return in your life
as you're sowing your seed for Pentecost
so your seed and just believe God for
the hundredfold
mm-hmm stay in the word stay in the word
hallelujah you need healing your body
get into the word get into the word day
and night day and night hallelujah
walking with God walking in obedience
and see the word is a mirror and as you
are in it it'll start talking to you
start reflecting back to you what needs
to be worked on
mmm and you have to be willing to make
those adjustments praise the Lord
I really tried to help a lady one time
one of my church members I tried to help
her and a good lady loved the Lord and
knew the word and she's in the word
often but I could tell it's not clicking
it's not working and I tried to tell I
tried to tell her I said sister I know
you're in the word but you know this is
not just like some kind of redundant
thing that we do you have to really as
you're in it you have to obey it and
walk it out and live it I said are you
harboring any unforgiveness towards
anybody
oh no Pastor Steven I love Jesus I
wouldn't do that I know that Jesus said
to forgive mmm and you know what people
they can we can all put guards up we can
all block access from others out I mean
we can even block it out from God not
not that he doesn't know what's in there
but we could say Lord you're not allowed
into this certain chamber there's
something I'm harboring here well she
never would give me access to work with
her one on one in the sense where she
yielded that area you know and you know
if you hide your sin from the Lord that
that thing can take you out her husband
came to me one time in private and he
said pastor Steven he said my wife is
sick I said yet she is she doesn't get
this worked out she's probably gonna die
he said I know
he said I made a great mistake in my
life and I did something against my wife
that greatly grieved her and now she
says that she's forgiven me but he says
I know she hasn't I can tell by the
attitude I can tell by that she keeps a
distance there because I hurt her and I
asked for forgiveness she says she's
forgiven me but he says he said I know
she has it and I said well that's
between her and the Lord I said you've
done your part you you did what you
could and you asked for forgiveness and
you straighten that area up and you've
been good you've been a good husband to
her so you know what's between her and
the Lord well you know she didn't deal
with it and she died she died well
Pastor Steven it didn't work well you
know you have to let it come in and when
that word comes in yes you embrace it
you embrace it and you have to forgive
people you have to love people just as
God forgave us this is for somebody okay
your your this is an area that's tough
for you okay I'm not saying it's easy
and I don't speak to you like hey this
easy just forgive I know there can be
things that that are really bad okay but
God forgave all of our bad junk so we
need to be willing to forgive others
just the way God forgave us praise the
Lord so please let it go and forgive
them so that the word can work in your
heart praise the Lord praise the Lord
see that unforgiveness will block it
will so fast block the word from working
mmm
you cannot let me say it like this when
you're faced with that temptation not to
forgive can I give you something that
will motivate you to forgive what can
motivate you to forgive is being aware
of all the blessing that God wants to
produce in your life that one
hundredfold and suddenly when you see
that you're like oh
yes Lord I forgive well I write focus
but you not now the word is becoming
preeminent okay yes Lord I forgive lord
bless them Lord I let it go in the name
of Jesus Lord I really believe you're
going to do this for me Lord I'm back on
the word yes
and now your joy is back and you're back
on track that's where God wants you to
be so father we thank you we give you
praise now father bless your people if
there's anybody dealing with
unforgiveness let them walk in your word
which means that they forgive this is
you having forgiven us thank you O God
if you're struggling with that just pray
this after me say Lord Jesus I forgive
them just as you've forgiven me thank
you Jesus and now I picked back up your
word and I go on with you now with my
heart being in a noble State thank you
Jesus I'm ready for the hundredfold
hallelujah amen
now stay with him close hallelujah and
don't ever drift from him where you get
back into those yucky areas praise God
hallelujah praise the Lord if you're
watching today and you don't know Jesus
as your Lord and Savior you know if your
life ended right now and you had to
stand before a holy God and receive
judgment you know what your sins would
separate you from God and you could not
go to heaven but Jesus has made a remedy
for the sin condition of humanity he
went to Calvary and he died in your
place and the punishment that you and I
deserve because of our sins he bore it
so that we could receive forgiveness and
that we can have access into heaven
through his shed blood so if you want to
go to heaven and you want to receive
forgiveness of your sins and you want to
be right with God pray this prayer right
now out loud after me say Lord Jesus
forgive me of my sins come into my heart
and wash all of my sins away Jesus give
me your new life I receive you now as my
Lord and Savior I give my heart to you I
give my life to you write my name in
your book of life
thank you Jesus and I forgive anybody
who's sinned against me hallelujah thank
you Jesus for saving me and your name I
pray amen and amen and the angels in
heaven are rejoicing right now because
you've made that decision now serve the
Lord follow him and serve him all the
days of your life hallelujah glory glory
glory I'm telling you the 100 fold
return is so close to you you could just
about reach out and touch it
whoo glory to God glory to God thank you
for sowing you're Pentecost see your
Pentecost seed is going to be used to
purchase airtime as we are stepping out
in faith to touch more people around the
world but the love of Jesus
and the message of faith and a close
walk with God thank you for sewing your
seat
hallelujah praise the Lord we're going
to now get ready to take Holy Communion
may I say also that the fence on the
church property is going up the final
stages are going up it looks beautiful
as I was just recently outside a person
walking by said while it looks
absolutely amazing that's what a local
person who lives right down the street
said and it is beautiful it's phenomenal
and they're almost on the final stage
which is the gate ooh hallelujah mmm mmm
thank you Jesus all of you that sowed
into that be expecting the one
hundredfold return I know that the fence
of God's divine protection is around
your life thank you Jesus and also as we
come into Pentecost so your sacrificial
your very best Pentecostal seed because
we are going to take the message of
salvation in Christ and the message of
faith in God's preeminent word we're
gonna take it all around the world glory
to God and we can all share in that
harvest together now father we thank you
for the bread and the juice we
consecrate this and set this apart as
holy now through this special
prayer this is now the flesh and the
blood of our great savior father as we
receive his body his flesh father we
just thank you that we put his word in a
preeminent place within our heart his
word is the final say-so in everything
that we do thank you O God thank you O
God and as we receive his flesh we
receive your grace
to hear and to obey thank you O God in
Jesus name Amen let's protect together
praise the Lord some of you may need to
make that move a little bit sometimes
you get into the merry zone but you've
been in the Martha zone too much well
pastor Steve Mary she's just an old lazy
person that she never made her bed she
was probably always looking for a
handout no no no Mary had it together
she was sharp as a tack
she just knew when to stop okay and when
the sit at the Masters feet so some of
you need to move a little bit out of
that marked the zone praise the Lord and
you need to be able to put the brakes on
when you need to and say all this stuff
is good but we've got to put the word
first place mmm
father thank you for the blood of Jesus
thank you for your patience with us
developing us and helping us to become
more like Jesus thank you Oh God let us
be in that merry bracket where we
stopped and we received the nourishment
that we need lord help us with our
hearing help us with our hearing
thank you help us to really take it to
heart
thank you O God thank you and we thank
you that because we do you're going to
give us greater things to hear greater
Revelation greater understanding in our
hearing praise you O God
thank you Father in Jesus name that has
now received the blood of our Savior
hallelujah hallelujah give God's Word
preeminence regardless of how it comes
from the written word or from the spoken
word of the Spirit of God taking that
word taking the voice of Jesus and
relaying it to you you know
RW schambach the wonderful evangelist
who's now in heaven he told the story of
a lady that came to him and said brother
schambach I was at my house baking a
cake and the cake is in the oven and it
has to bake for 50 minutes and I can't
move around the house or the cake might
fall so she said I was in my house the
cake is baking and the Holy Spirit spoke
to me and said go to the hospital right
now and pray for the person in room 2 0
2 and she said Holy Spirit I'll go as
soon as the cake is done because if I
walked through the house the cake might
fall and the Lord didn't say anything
didn't answer back
well she waits the cake gets done
she takes the cake out puts it on the
rack to cool and leaves and goes to the
hospital brings her Bible like a good
Christian lady gets to the hospital and
goes to the you know second floor and
says I want to go to room 202 and pray
for the person that's there they they
said well you can't they said the person
died 20 minutes ago and you know what
when the word of the Lord comes you must
make it pre a minute but pastor Stephen
that's a cake well you have to put the
word over the cake sometimes the word
will come and it will interrupt your
very favorite thing that you're doing
you must put the word first in areas of
obedience and the basics sometimes that
can be you know common we know this is
right this is wrong
we're going to put the word first we're
going to do what's right okay but in
other areas it can come too
do this well not right now I mean after
all Lord what do you expect me to do
turn off the TV yes that's exactly what
it expects you to do he wants to talk to
you right now well so does I get done
watching the show then he can say
whatever he like he won't be there when
you get done watching his show he wants
preeminence mm-hmm thank you Jesus
so father we thank you that you're just
working that that be settled in our
lives we thank you in Jesus name Amen my
friends thank you for watching today I
know that the soil of your heart is
Noble I see you as a noble hearted
person and I believe because of that the
word of the Lord will continue to lift
you higher and higher and higher and I
believe that even now you're going to
begin to see it working so strongly that
you will say it is working praise the
Lord and fruit will be everywhere let
you look praise God
thanks for watching I'll see you back
next time bye-bye