There are many times in the book of Revelation, where we are instructed to endure to the end. Today we are going to discuss endurance out of the account of Mark four. For those who are not familiar with this text: Jesus is the sewer and the Word of God is the seed. We are the soil.
Whether we are the good ground or the stony:
is up to us.
Mark 4: 16,17 —- And these are they likewise which are sown
on stony ground; who, when they have heard the Word, immediately receive it
with gladness;
And have not root in themselves, and so
endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction (or hardship, trouble) or
persecution ( or torture or oppression) ariseth
for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
Many of us have gotten a
glimpse of heaven in a mighty service or a revelation from God in our private
time with Him. The word we received was
alive to us and in us. We knew it was
just what we needed. Everything was so
clear: God had it all under control, and we were in His hands. Nothing could shake that. It was settled. But then, afterward, when
affliction or sorrow or persecution arose, because of the Word, we immediately
become offended, displeased, indignant, and resentful. Our affections are divided. We had more of the rocky than the good soil
in our hearts. No wonder we could not
endure. The Word of God could not strike
a deep root in our souls.
This is when we were not
constant in the faith; and in our hour of temptation, we faltered.
I see this so much among
believers. They are rooted in the
Word. They didn’t take what Word they
got, and meditate on it until it could get down in their spirit man. It seemed to only help the hour or the day
they heard it. Then, BOOM! It was gone.
Brothers and sisters, we
have all been there.
Getting rooted and grounded
takes time.
The Word has to become alive
in our spirits to produce faith to endure.
We have to speak it everyday; eat and digest it, so to speak.
You could say, “I spoke the
Word over Aunt Lucy, but she died. The Word don’t work”.
Our Lord warns, we will
encounter such cases, which first excite hope, and expectation, and then clouds
the soul of the Christian laborer with disappointment and grief.
The Word in us is supposed
to produce fruit. But to endure, we have
to prepare the soil.
How do we prepare the soil?
Look at Matthew 13:19-21
—- When anyone heareth the word of the
kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one (Satan) and catcheth away that which was sown in his
heart. This is he which received seed by
the wayside.
But he that received the seed into stony
places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon (or in a while) with joy
reveiveth it.
Yet hath he not root in himself, but
dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the
word. By and by he is offended.
From this
account in Matthew we see this same story which we know as the Parable Of The
Sower. We know Satan is the one who
steals the Word, and we know He is the one who causes trials and persecution.
WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH SATAN’S
ATTACKS
So, to prepare the soil, we
have to deal with Satan’s attacks. He
comes immediately to rob from us, the Word we received with joy.
It’s no wonder he hates the
Word of God, and does all in his power to steal it from us.
Look at what Psalm 119:105
has to say about the Word:
Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
It shines like a light on my feet and directs
them where to go. It keeps us from
stumbling.
Verse 11 —– Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might
not sin against Thee.
Acts 17:11 —- These were more noble than those in
Thessalonica, in that they (talking about the Jews in the synagogue at
Berea) received the word with all
readiness of mind (or we could say with a ready-mind), and searched the scriptures daily , whether those things were so (or
true).
The word shows us what is
true and what is error.
We could go on to John 17:17
were we are told we are sanctified through God’s truth, because His word is
truth: That God will , through His word,
set us apart to Himself.
In II Timothy 3:15,16, we
find the word is …able to make us wise
unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
And that it is
God-breathed …and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
God reveals Himself through
His word; and in it, He shows us how we
are to live after we become a Christian.
His word has an authority
which far reverses the ambition for greatness seen in secular philosophers.
And I Peter 2:2,3 tells us,
His word causes us to grow up in Him.
And Joshua 1:8 —- This book of the law shall not depart out of
thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate
therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all
that is written therein: for then thou
shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
In this verse alone, we are
told we can be prosperous and successful if
We speak the Word
We meditate the Word day and night
We do what it says
It’s no wonder the devil wants to steal it!
Jesus used the Word against
Satan. During His temptation in the
wilderness, Jesus said, “It is written, It is written, It is written,” after
which, Satan left Him for a season.
We are instructed also, in
Mark 16, to use the name of Jesus. He
has given us that authority. Look at
verse 17a —- And these signs shall
follow them that believe: In My name they shall cast out devils;…
This is one of the last
instructions given by Jesus before He ascended into heaven, —– and verse 20
reads like this —-And they went forth,
and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word
with signs following. Amen.
They were not alone in their
commission, this verse says the Lord was working with them. Also we see here, that
signs follow the word.
DON’T GET DISTRACTED, STUDY THE
WORD
Another way to prepare the
soil, for the Word is not to let distractions, around us, keep us from studying
the Word of God.
II Timothy 2:15 —- Study to show thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
It is not enough to read and
study the Word, we have to be able to know how to use it.
USE THE WORD AGAINST SATAN
Jesus knew which part of the
Word to use against Satan during His temptation. He quoted the Scripture that fir the
situation.
Look at Matthew 4 starting
with verse 1
Then
was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
And when He had fasted forty days and
forty and forty nights, He was afterward
ahungered.
And when the tempter came to Him, He
said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
But He answered and said, It is written,
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God.
THEN Satan did a strange
thing: He quoted a Scripture to Jesus: verse 6 —- And saith unto Him, If thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for
it is written,
He
shall give His angels charge concerning thee;
and in their hands they shall bear the
up,
lest at any time thou dash thy foot
against a stone.
Now, let’s read that verse
from the Old Testament, from which He is Quoting, Psalm 91:11 —- For He shall give His angels charge over
thee, to keep thee in all thy ways …
He left out that last
part. Why? Look at it again …. to keep thee in all thy ways…—-
Because the omission of this sentence alters the whole character of the
quotation, taking into account that the word, ways, implies ways
appointed by God.
Then once again, the devil
tempted Jesus; and once again Jesus used the Word of God against him.
In the next part to this
temptation of Christ, Satan said in verse8 and 9
—-Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and
showeth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
And
saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and
worship me.
Verse 10 —- Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hense (or
be gone!), Satan: For it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord
thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.
Ten, in verse 11, the devil
left Him, and angels came and ministered unto Him.
Jesus was tempted on three
levels:
1-
Physically
2-
Spiritually
3-
Intellectually
Each of which, He won, using the Word of God.
He quoted the right Scripture for each attack.
He knew how to combat every blow.
If we know the Word, we should know who we are in Christ. This will give us an advantage over the enemy
of our soul.
If we know the Word, we know our future.
If we know the Word, we know God will always fight our battles, and
bring us the victory.
If we know the Word, we know Satan’s future. Aso it would be good to remind him and
ourselves, of this fact.
Say it with me,
“Satan, your kingdom is
coming down”
“The blood of Jesus is
against you!”
“I can do all things
through Christ which strengthenth me.”
“No weapon formed against
me shall prosper”
and on and on, we can go.
All of God’s children go through attacks of Satan, trying to steal the life
out of us: which is God’s Word; but isn’t it wonderful, that when we are rooted
and grounded in the Word, we can endure until the end.
At that point, he will never again cause us to doubt God and His word,
nor can he steal from us.
I will leave you with these last two verses:
1-
Romans 8:31b —- …If God be for us, who can be against us?
2-
Isaiah 40:8 —- The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but
the Word of our God shall stand forever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Bless the name of the Lord!!!!
