07 July 14, 2013, Luke 8;4-15, Preparing For The Harvest

Preparing For The Harvest
Luke 8:4-15
July 14, 2013
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA

July Memory Verse:
John 14:1-3 HCSB

“Your heart must not be
troubled. Believe in God;
believe also in Me. In My
Father’s house are many
dwelling places; if not, I
would have told you.
I am going away to

prepare a place for you.
If I go away and prepare a
place for you, I will come
back and receive you to
Myself, so that where I
am you may be also.”
John 14:1-3 HCSB

If your Sundays don’t
change your Mondays,
then what’s the point?

PREPARING FOR
THE HARVEST
LUKE 15:3-7
LUKE 8:4-15

As Matthew did, we also
are being asked to invite
friends and family into
our homes in November
to introduce them to Jesus
through the Billy Graham
video and your testimony.

Some of those whom you
will invite into your home
will decide to follow
Christ and you will then
have the opportunity to
become their mentor –
the one to disciple them.

*This lesson today is
concerning how to
prepare for the harvest.
*What can be done
between now and that
night in November when
your guests arrive?

Then we will look at how
to follow-up with those
who make decisions for
Christ:
how to take care of them
as new believers.

Let’s look at what goes on
“behind the scenes” when
your friend prays to
receive Christ by looking
at two of the parables that
Jesus used.

A parable is a story in
which something familiar
explains something
unfamiliar.

*The word parable means
"to cast alongside."
*A parable is a story that
teaches something new by
putting the truth
alongside something you
already know.

A parable starts off as a
picture that is familiar to
the listeners.

As you carefully consider
the picture, it becomes
a mirror in
which you see
yourself.

Many people do not like
to see themselves and
that is why some of our
Lord's listeners became
angry when they heard
His parables; some even
tried to kill Him over it.

But if we see ourselves as
needy sinners and ask for
help, then the mirror
becomes a window
through which we see
God and His grace.

There are two parables that
will help us to see what
is happening when a
person is born again:
1) The Lost Sheep
2) The Parable of the
Sower (Soils)

Through this parable, we
get a glimpse into what is
going on in Heaven when
a person asks Christ to be
their Savior and their
Lord.

Luke 15:3-7 KJV
3 “And he spake this
parable unto them,
saying,
4 What man of you,
having an hundred sheep,
if he lose one of them,

doth not leave the ninety
and nine in the
wilderness,
and go after
that which is
lost, until he
find it?

5 And when he hath
found it, he layeth it on
his
shoulders, rejoicing.

6 And when he cometh
home, he calleth together
his friends and
neighbours, saying unto
them, Rejoice with me; for
I have found my sheep
which was lost.

7 I say unto you, that
likewise joy shall be in
heaven over one sinner
that repenteth, more than
over ninety and nine just
persons, which need no
repentance.” (banquet)

That is what goes on in
Heaven, but now let’s look
through another window
and get a glimpse of what
Satan and the demons are
thinking when a person
prays to receive Christ.

Luke 8:4-8 KJV
4 “And when much
people were gathered
together, and were come
to him out of every city,
he spake by a parable:

5 A sower went out to sow
his seed: and as he sowed,
some fell by the way side;
and it was trodden down,
and the fowls
of the air
devoured it.

6 And some fell upon a
rock; and as soon as it was
sprung up, it withered
away, because it lacked
moisture.

7 And some fell among
thorns; and the thorns
sprang up with it, and
choked it.

8 And other fell on good
ground, and sprang up,
and bare fruit an
hundredfold. And when
he had said these things,
he cried, He that hath ears
to hear, let him hear.”

The sower represents any
of God's people who
share the Word of God
(John 4:35-38).

John 4:35-38 KJV
35 Say not ye, There are
yet four months, and then
cometh harvest? behold, I
say unto you, Lift up your
eyes, and look on the

fields; for they are white
already to harvest.

36 And he that reapeth
receiveth wages, and
gathereth fruit unto life
eternal: that both he that
soweth and he that
reapeth may rejoice
together.

37 And herein is that
saying true, One soweth,
and another reapeth.

38 I sent you to reap that
whereon ye bestowed no
labour: other men
laboured, and ye are
entered into their labours.
John 4:35-38 KJV

Meanwhile, back to the
parable:
Luke 8:9-15

Luke 8:9, 11-15 KJV
9 “And his disciples asked
him, saying, What might this
parable be?”
…
11 “Now the parable is this:
The seed is the word of God.

12 Those by the way side
are they that hear; then
cometh the devil, and
taketh away the word out
of their hearts, lest they
should believe and be
saved.

13 They on the rock are
they, which, when they
hear, receive the word
with joy; and these have
no root, which for a while
believe, and in time of
temptation fall away.

14 And that which fell
among thorns are they,
which, when they have
heard, go forth, and are
choked with cares and
riches and pleasures of
this life, and bring no fruit

to perfection.
15 But that on the good
ground are they, which in
an honest and good heart,
having heard the word,
keep it, and bring forth
fruit with patience.”

For, like seed, the Word of
God has life and power
(Hebrews 4:12) and can
produce spiritual fruit
(Galatians 5:22-23).

God’s Word has life and
power:
Hebrews 4:12 KJV
12 For the word of God is
quick, and powerful, and
sharper than any two-
edged sword, (Rom 1:16)

Romans 1:16 KJV
16 For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ: for it
is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that
believeth; to the Jew first,
and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16 KJV

God’s Word also produces
eternal, good fruit:
Galatians 5:22-23 KJV
22 But the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance:
against such there is no
law.
(seed
is the
Word
of God)

The seed can do nothing
until it is planted
(John 12:24).

John 12:24 KJV
24 Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Except a corn of
wheat fall into the ground
and die, it abideth alone:
but if it die, it bringeth
forth much fruit.

*When a person hears and
understands the Word,
then the seed is planted in
the heart.
*What happens after that
depends on the nature of
the soil.

The seed without the soil
is fruitless, and the soil
without the seed is almost
useless.

The human heart is like
soil:
if it is prepared properly,
it can receive the seed of
the Word of God and
produce a fruitful harvest.

Only the good soil is able
to produce eternal, good
fruit whereas the other
three soils either can’t or
won’t produce a harvest.

Satan and his forces know
that they have a 3 in 4
chance of preventing the
production of eternal,
good fruit in those who
hear and receive the Word
of God.

2 Corinthians 2:11 KJV
11 Lest Satan should get
an advantage of us: for we
are not ignorant of his
devices.

EXPOSING SATAN’S
DEVICES
1. He Blinds the Minds of
the Lost (II Cor. 4:3-4);
2. He Comes as an Angel
of Light (II Cor. 11:13-14);

SATAN’S DEVICES
3. He Deceives the World
with Lies (Rev. 12:9);
4. He Accuses the
Brethren (Rev. 12:10);
5. He Teaches Damnable
Heresies (I Tim. 4:1);

SATAN’S DEVICES
6. He Corrupts the Minds
of Believers (II Cor. 11:3);
7. He Steals the Word of
God from the Heart
(Luke 8:12).

Ephesians 6:10-11 KJV
(the wiles of the Devil)
10 Finally, my brethren,
be strong in the Lord, and
in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole
armour of God, that ye
may be able to stand
against the wiles of the
devil. (schemes of the
devil)
Ephesians 6:10-11 KJV

So through the Parable of
the Soils, we are able to
see what Satan’s strategy
will be on that night in
November that some will
pray to receive Christ in
our homes.

What kinds of soil (hearts)
will the people have
whom you invite into
your homes in
November?
*We don’t know!
*Broadcast the seed.

All of the soil was good
soil until the Fall.

Genesis 3:17-19 KJV
17 “And unto Adam he
said, Because thou hast
hearkened unto the voice
of thy wife, and hast eaten
of the tree, of which I

commanded thee, saying,
Thou shalt not eat of it:
cursed is the ground for
thy sake; in sorrow shalt
thou eat of it all the days
of thy life;

18 Thorns also and thistles
shall it bring forth to thee;
and thou shalt eat the
herb of the field;

19 In the sweat of thy face
shalt thou eat bread, till
thou return unto the
ground; for out of it wast
thou taken: for dust thou
art, and unto dust shalt
thou return.” Gen 3:17-19

7 “Be not deceived; God is
not mocked: for
whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also
reap.

8 For he that soweth to his
flesh shall of the flesh
reap corruption; but he
that soweth to the Spirit
shall of the Spirit reap life
everlasting.

9 And let us not be weary
in well doing (1 out of 4):
for in due season we shall
reap, if we faint not.

10 As we have therefore
opportunity, let us do
good unto all men,
especially unto them who
are of the household of
faith.”

Start asking God now
who He wants you to
invite into
your home
in
November.

Why do some unbelievers
not understand
the Gospel
as we communicate it?

All unbelievers are
spiritually blind and
cannot understand the
Gospel without God’s
intervention (2 Cor. 4:3-4).

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 KJV
3 “But if our Gospel be
hid, it is hid to them that
are lost:

4 In whom the god of this
world hath blinded the
minds of them which
believe not, lest the light
of the glorious Gospel of
Christ, Who is the image
of God, should shine unto

them.”
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 KJV

What can be done in the
hearts of those who will
attend the presentation of
the Gospel between now
and November?

In Matthew 16:19, Jesus
said: “whatsoever thou
shalt bind on earth shall
be bound in heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt
loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven.”

So, one way to pray for
your loved ones who are
not saved is to pray that
God will bind that work
of Satan that has blinded
their mind and is holding
them captive.

Pray that God will bind
Satan's work in their lives
that has prejudiced and
poisoned their minds
against the Gospel, in
order that they may be
able to consider the Truth

of God without this
ungodly pressure from
Satan.

So God, through prayer,
can set them free from
Satan's power, and once
set free from this blinding
influence of Satan upon
their minds, can accept
this gracious offer that

God has made to
everyone through Jesus
Christ.
Make that the direction of
your prayers.

God will take away
the blinders that has been
put over their mind, and
they'll be able to see
rationally and clearly the
offer that God has made
through Jesus Christ.

Loose the work of the
Holy Spirit and the
conviction of the Holy
Spirit upon their hearts
and the drawing of the
Holy Spirit of their hearts
to Jesus Christ.

You can't just say,
"O Lord, save him."
God will not save them
against their will.

There has to come the
change of will and that
desire in their heart and
that asking of God for
salvation.

*Jesus said, “him that
cometh to me I will in no
wise cast out” (John 6:37b).
*So, our prayers are to set
them free so that they can
see the Truth and respond
to it of their own free will.

The Holy Spirit must
work in the hearts and
minds of lost people to
make the Gospel clearly
understandable to them.

*That is why it is so very
important for you to be
praying about who you
invite into your home this
November.
*Remember the example
of harvesting peaches?

In addition to spiritual
blindness, when an
unbeliever’s worldview is
very different from the
essential Gospel truths of
the Bible, worldview
noise makes it even more

difficult for him/her to
understand the Gospel
message.
As we present the Gospel,
we must understand this
worldview noise problem.

We must then deliver
God’s message of
salvation in such a way
that the worldview noise
can be penetrated and the
unbeliever can clearly
understand the Gospel.

How do I learn what
another person’s
worldview is?

In one very important
sense, all humans are like
onions—we all have
layers.

Our worldview layers are
covered with an external
layer of human
commonalities: the needs,
wants, and interests that
we have just because we
are human.

As we initiate “entry
conversations” on topics
of common interests, we
look for entry points that
allow us to transition to
deeper worldview issues.

Appropriately sensitive
“investigative questions”
help us learn more about
their behavioral patterns,
personal choices, and
internalized values.

Ultimately, we want to
learn what their core
beliefs are in order to
know what worldview
noise we may encounter
as we engage in
“conversion discussions.”

How can we help an
unbeliever to clearly
understand the Gospel?

When presenting the
Gospel to an unbeliever
who knows little or
nothing about the Bible
and the Christian faith, it
is likely that his or her
worldview noise will be

very dense.
In order to penetrate that
worldview noise, we need
to explain the Biblical
facts that are essential to
understanding the
Gospel.

But for those facts to make
clear sense, we also need
to set them in the
historical context of the
overall redemptive story
that unfolds through the
Bible.

How can we help a new
believer to become not
only a disciple but a
disciple-maker?

Just as evangelism is a
combined divine-human
process, so it is with
discipleship.

True believers will
persevere in the faith as
disciples of Jesus Christ
because God secures
them.

But, it is also true that
God has chosen to use us
to “make disciples.”

FOLLOW-UP &
THE CARE OF
NEW CHRISTIANS
1 THESS. 2:7-12

1 Thessalonians 2:7-12
KJV
7 But we were gentle
among you, even as a
nurse (mother) cherisheth
her children:

8 So being affectionately
desirous of you, we were
willing to have imparted
unto you, not the gospel
of God only, but also our
own souls, because ye
were dear unto us.

9 For ye remember,
brethren, our labour and
travail: for labouring
night and day, because we
would not be chargeable
unto any of you, we
preached unto you the

gospel of God.
10 Ye are witnesses, and
God also, how holily and
justly and unblameably
we behaved ourselves
among you that believe:

11 As ye know how we
exhorted and comforted
and charged every one of
you, as a father doth his
children,

12 That ye would walk
worthy of God, who hath
called you unto his
kingdom and glory.
KJV

The MacArthur New
Testament Commentary,
Copyright © Moody Press
and John MacArthur, Jr.,
1983-2007.

To be an effective mentor,
you must be a spiritual
physician who can
capably apply Biblical
cures to those vices and
heresies that might afflict
new Christians.

You also must be a tender
shepherd who, while
feeding the flock of new
believers, also heals their
wounds, calms their fears,
protects them from
spiritual dangers, and

comforts them in
their distresses.

*You are to be a champion
for Biblical truth
(2 Timothy 4:2),
a provider of spiritual
resources (1 Peter 5:1-2),
a guardian and protector
(Acts 20:28-31),

and always a model of
spiritual virtue
(1 Timothy 4:12).

presented the exemplary
virtues of Paul's inner life:
tenacity, integrity,
authority, accountability,
and humility.

In this subsequent
passage, however, the
apostle views the outward
functions of an effective
mentor.

Paul could have presented
these functions by
discussing:
discipling,
protecting, and
overseeing.

But as the New Testament
writers often did for the
sake of vividness and
richness, the apostle used
a metaphor.

He could have chosen any
one of several metaphors:
a steward or household
manager (1 Cor 4:1-2);
a bond-slave or servant
(Col 4:12); a herald or
proclaimer of the message

(1 Tim 2:7 NIV); a teacher,
soldier, athlete, farmer
(2 Tim 2:2-6); or the
common image of a
shepherd (1 Peter 5:1-4;
Ps 23).

All those metaphors are
replete with significance
and paint helpful pictures.

However, Paul chose to
use the most intimate,
compelling metaphors of a
mother and father, which
illustrate the primary kinds
of spiritual care a mentor
must provide.

*Such metaphors are not
limited to this epistle.
*In Galatians 4:19 he
wrote, as if a mother
calling believers,
"My children, with whom
I am again in labor until

Christ is formed in you."
He pictured himself as a
mother who first labored
to give birth and then, as
it were, labored longer to
bring her children to
spiritual maturity.

In 1 Corinthians 4:15 he
pictured himself as a
spiritual father:
"For if you were to have
countless tutors in Christ,
yet you would not have
many fathers, for in Christ

Jesus I became your father
through the Gospel."
He was the human source
of their spiritual life as
well as their teacher and
protector.

Paul's use of these familial
metaphors emphasizes
the care and affection of
shared life that he had
with those he brought the
Gospel to.

THE SPIRITUAL
MENTOR AS MOTHER

NASB
7 “But we proved to be
gentle among you, as a
nursing mother tenderly
cares for her own
children.

8 Having so fond an
affection for you, we were
well-pleased to impart to
you not only the gospel of
God but also our own
lives, because you had
become very dear to us.”

As mothers are absolutely
and indisputably essential
to the well-being of
children, so spiritual
mentors who minister
with a mother's
gentleness, intimate

affection, sacrificial love,
and unselfish labor are
essential for the health of
the new believers and the
church.

GENTLENESS
But we proved to be
gentle among you, as a
nursing mother tenderly
cares for her own
children. (1 Thess. 2:7)

*The term gentle is at the
heart of this verse.
*It means to be kind to
someone and
encompasses a host of
other virtues: acceptance,
respect, compassion,

tolerance of imperfections,
patience, loyalty, and
tenderheartedness.

As the phrase her own
children indicates, Paul
was no paid surrogate
mother or modern-style,
hired day care worker.

As good parents are
concerned about their
children's hearts, so are
good mentors.
These metaphors make
that clear.

The verb rendered
tenderly cares literally
means to warm with body
heat.

The loving mother would
take the little one in her
arms and warm the child
with her own body heat.

Such a vivid metaphor
perfectly illustrates the
kind of personal care the
Thessalonians received
and those that we mentor
need to receive.

INTIMATE AFFECTION
1 Thessalonians 2:8a
“Having so fond an
affection for you,”

In extending the
metaphor of a nursing
mother, it was logical for
Paul to mention the
motive for such nurturing
gentleness — love.

He possessed fond
affection for the
Thessalonians as we
should for those we are
discipling.

A mother who carries an
infant son or daughter on
her breast has a naturally
fond affection that is
unequalled in other
human contexts.

The Greek word
translated fond affection
(himeiromai; used only
here in the NT) means to
long for someone
passionately and
earnestly, and, being

linked to a mother's love,
is intended here to
express an affection so
deep and compelling as to
be unsurpassed.

Ancient inscriptions on
the tombs of dead babies
sometimes contained this
term when parents
wanted to describe their
sad longing for a too-
soon-departed child.

Paul acknowledged that
God naturally designed
such intimate affection
into the hearts of mothers.

The hearts of all righteous
spiritual mentors have been
supernaturally given the
same type of affection for
their people, even as Paul
and his companions had for
those who were Christ's
followers.

SACRIFICIAL LOVE
“we were well-pleased to
impart to you not only
the Gospel of God but
also our own lives,
because you had become
very dear to us.” (2:8 b)

Such personal and
intimate supernatural
affection was not out of a
sense of obligation; they
were not merely carrying
out an assignment as
God's messengers.

It was, rather, the highest
joy of their hearts to so
love.
Paul said they were well-
pleased to so minister.

That desire defined an
eagerness and
zealousness generated
from love-filled hearts (cf.
3:12).

They came first of all to
impart . . . the Gospel of
God.
The verb translated impart
means to share, or give
someone something of
which one retains a part.

That is exactly what
happens when Christians
impart to other people
divine truth.

They give someone else
the Good News of
salvation, yet without
losing possession of it
themselves.

It is like sharing your
candle flame with
another person.

Paul and his fellow
workers taught the
transforming truths of the
Gospel of God and yet
retained those truths,
even strengthening them
by the giving (as all good

mentors know), thus
forming a loving,
enriching fellowship with
those who accepted the
message.

The term Gospel of God
appears three times in
chapter 2 (vv. 2, 8 & 9) as
well as in Mark 1:14; Rom
1:1; 15:16; 2 Cor 11:7; and
1 Peter 4:17.

It describes the Gospel
from the perspective of
God as the Source.

It is the Good News
designed by and revealed
from God about what He
has done to redeem
sinners through His grace
and by His Son Jesus
Christ.

Implicit in the expression
Gospel of God is a
doctrinal fullness that
encompasses:
justification,
sanctification, and
glorification.

The missionaries
understood and obeyed
the Great Commission's
injunction that said
Christians were to "make
disciples of all the nations .
. . teaching them to

observe all that I
commanded you"
(Matthew 28:19-20).

They exhorted the
Thessalonians to repent
and embrace Christ's
death and resurrection
(justification).

They also instructed them
on how to live holy lives
in obedience to Scripture
and in the power of the
Holy Spirit (sanctification)
and to wait for their
eternal glory at the

glorious coming of the
Lord for His beloved
church (glorification).
*In reality, all New
Testament teaching
relates to the complete
Gospel in some way.

As you mentor new
believers, you want to
help them understand
justification, sanctification
and glorification.

Besides imparting the
complete Gospel, Paul,
Silas, and Timothy shared
also their own lives.

Literally, they gave up
their souls — their real
inner beings — for the
sake of the Thessalonians.

There was nothing
superficial or partial
about their sacrificial
service.

Someone else has poured
their life into yours, now
it is your turn to do the
same.

A woman who fulfills the
Biblical role for motherhood
does the same thing when
she, at great cost to herself,
unselfishly and generously
sets aside her life for the
benefit of her beloved
children.

That is especially true of
the nursing mother as she
provides nourishing milk
for her little one and cares
for her newborn baby's
every need.

Paul ministered to his
people with that same
attitude of all-out
commitment because, as
babies to a mother, they
had become very dear to
him.

Very dear adds to the
images and descriptions
intended by Paul to
unmistakably
demonstrate the heart of a
godly mentor.

UNSELFISH LABOR
1 Thessalonians 2:9
“For you recall, brethren,
our labor and hardship,
how working night and
day so as not to be a
burden to any of you, we

proclaimed to you the
Gospel of God.”
1 Thessalonians 2:9

Paul pictured Silas,
Timothy, and himself as
spiritual mothers who
made the maximum effort
to provide gentleness,
intimate affection,
sacrificial love, and hard-

working provision as they
proclaimed to them the
Gospel of God.
*That maternal metaphor,
however, only partially
describes the effective
spiritual mentor.

Describing the spiritual
mentor as a father
completes Paul's picture
of leadership.

THE SPIRITUAL
MENTOR AS FATHER
1 Thessalonians 2:10
“You are witnesses, and
so is God, how devoutly
and uprightly and
blamelessly we behaved

toward you believers;
just as you know how we
were exhorting and
encouraging and
imploring each one of
you as a father would his
own children, so that you

would walk in a manner
worthy of the God Who
calls you into His own
kingdom and glory.”

THE FATHER AS MODEL
1 Thessalonians 2:10a
“You are witnesses, and so
is God, how devoutly and
uprightly and blamelessly
we behaved toward you
believers;”

Paul pointed both to the
Thessalonians' firsthand
knowledge and God's perfect
insight into how devoutly
and uprightly and
blamelessly he and his
friends behaved toward
them.

Devoutly means "in a holy
manner" and emphasizes
how Paul, Silas, and
Timothy lived before God.

The adverb uprightly
("righteously") refers to
how well the men dealt
righteously under divine
law toward both God and
man.

And finally, the word
blamelessly pertains to
their reputation before
people.

In every respect, they
were exemplary spiritual
fathers, setting the
standard for all who have
followed.

1 Timothy 4:12 NIV
12 Don’t let anyone look
down on you because you
are young, but set an
example for the believers
in speech, in conduct, in
love, in faith and in purity.

THE FATHER AS
TEACHER AND
MOTIVATOR
“just as you know how
we were exhorting and
encouraging and

imploring each one of
you as a father would his
own children,”

As a father would his own
children expresses the
natural, normal function
of a father concerned
about the well-being of
his own children.

*Fathers are not only
examples, but also
instructors.
*So the spiritual father is
not to be merely a model
but also a personal
teacher and motivator.

This fatherly instruction is
conveyed in three verbs
describing what fathers
do and what Paul had
done continually.

1) Exhorting
2) Encouraging
3) Imploring

Exhorting is from
parakaleo, literally "to call
alongside," and is related to
the noun parakletos,
"one who comes alongside,"
which is one of the titles for
the Holy Spirit.

The apostle referred to
coming alongside children
for the purpose of aiding,
directing, and instructing
wisely as a source of
character conduct.

Encouraging
(paramutheomai),
meaning to encourage in
the sense of comfort and
consolation, is so critical
in assisting toward
spiritual growth because

of the many obstacles and
failures Christians can
experience.

Used in John 11:19 and 31
for the consolation given
to the grieving family of
Lazarus, the word was
reserved for the tender,
restorative,
compassionate uplifting

needed by a struggling,
burdened, heartbroken
child.
*This beautiful expression
of natural fatherly
kindness also fits the
spiritual father.

Finally, Paul reminded
the believers that he had
been imploring each one
(singling them out
personally).

Imploring is the Greek
participle marturomenoi,
which is usually translated
"testifying," or "witnessing,"
is related to the word martyr
because so many faithful
witnesses died for their
boldness.

Paul warned the
Thessalonians that any
deviation from the
divinely prescribed course
of conduct had serious
consequences.

The warning was an
admonishment that if
they did not follow the
course laid out for them,
they, as disobedient
children would receive
from a father, could

expect to receive spiritual
discipline from the
apostle.

THE FATHER AS
PRODUCER
“so that you would walk
in a manner worthy of
the God Who calls you

into His own kingdom
and glory.”

Like a father whose goal
is the mature wisdom of
his children, the apostle
Paul concluded his
exhortation by affirming
that a spiritual father will
endeavor to continue his

efforts until he produces
sons and daughters who
walk in a manner worthy
— live mature lives.
Walk refers to daily
conduct.

In referring to the God
Who calls, the divine call,
as always in the epistles,
refers to the effectual
saving call.

By it God, through the
faith graciously and
sovereignly granted to
sinners, regenerates,
justifies, and sanctifies
them.

And Paul stated the
singular end of that call —
entrance into His own
kingdom and glory.

Though they, as all
believers, had not yet seen
either the millennial
kingdom or the eternal
kingdom, they were
already citizens of the
redeemed kingdom over

which God now rules
(Luke 17:21; Col 1:13; cf.
Rom 14:17).

Thus they had a present
share in the glory of God
as well as a promise of the
future glory in the
kingdom yet to come.

All believers look forward
to sharing in the full glory
of the heavenly kingdom
when God raises them to
be like Christ and with
Him for eternity.

The parental pictures of
spiritual mentorship in
clearly demonstrate that it is
not enough for mentors just
to be compassionate, tender,
and caring as spiritual
mothers.

We also need to live
uncompromising, pure,
and exemplary lives as
spiritual fathers — lives
that, in their motives and
actions, set the standard
for all to follow.

Furthermore, we need to
teach the truth faithfully,
building up the saints in
spiritual wisdom (Eph
4:11-16) and display the
courage of conviction

to come alongside and
exhort and call our
spiritual children to
obedience, through both
strong discipline and
tender consolation.

These efforts lead those
we mentor to live in a
way that honors God,
Who has called them to
His eternal kingdom and
glory.

07 July 14, 2013, Luke 8;4-15, Preparing For The Harvest

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07 July 14, 2013, Luke 8;4-15, Preparing For The Harvest