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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the Bibleignmenistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

The title of tonight’s sermon is, what kind of ground are you? Now if you listen to pretty cool, the night he kept referring to about us men being dirt. And I mean he really hammered that home how dirty we are and we’re just dirt. But the women were made out of I guess a pure, pearly white rib, you know. So much for the guys. But anyway I thought Freddie did a wonderful job and his wife did also and it was good to have him down and they’re good missionaries and I’m glad that we have taken them on for support and they really appreciate it also.

So keep them in your prayer. I want you to take your Bible and turn with me to the book of Mark chapter 4. Now these scriptures we’re going to read here, you can also read them in the book of Matthew in chapter 13. We’re talked about the parable of the sower. But I just want to relate a few things to you from these verses and share a couple of other thoughts with you. But number one, the pastor and the elders of Calvary Community Church are concerned about your spiritual welfare as it should be.

Don’t you believe that that’s important, that the leaders of the church are concerned about your spiritual growth in the Lord. So what we try to do is have the things that can help you spiritually. Do the things that will help you. And so we hope that you will understand and appreciate this, but look there in your notes where I have the scripture down Acts chapter 20 verses 28 through 30. This is what it says. He’d call the elders together there and Paul was talking to them and the elders of Ephesus and told them, says, take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God, which He had purchased with His own blood.

Now, this verse, take heed unto yourselves. Now this is like Paul telling Timothy that he can save himself and them that hear him. Save yourself from the false doctrine, because there’s a lot of false doctrine, false teaching, going around. And so you can’t help somebody else if you’re not solid and strong yourself. So this is why you’re always concerned about those in position of leadership knowing the truth, sound and doctrine, so they can teach doctrine. Now some places they harp on love.

We just got to love each other. One love is wonderful. Love is wonderful. But you have to love according to truth. Love is an all because doesn’t he say there are some things like in 1 John chapter 2, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. So you can love the wrong things. And just because it’s love doesn’t make it right. And a lot of people justify whatever they want to because, well, you know, love is all powerful and all ruling and it takes care of everything.

Well two people may love each other, but that doesn’t mean that it’s right. If one’s saved and one’s not saved, should they go ahead and get married anyway because they love each other or is there any verses in the Bible that establishes principles for us to go by? It’s still not wise, it’s unwise and love does not override truth so we should always keep that in mind. Look at the last part of this verse. For I know this that after my departing, shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Also of your own cells shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them. Now you wouldn’t think that some people like to exalt themselves by seeing how many people they can get to follow them. And it’s all about them. They’re not interested in the people. It’s just they make them look good. So they use people, they make merchandise out of people. That’s what false teachers do. There’s a lot of people who cannot win people to Christ, but they don’t mind being sheep stealers.

As long as they can steal somebody else’s sheep, I guess that’s okay, because they don’t give the gospel so they can’t win them. So they have to steal somebody who does trust Christ as Savior and somebody has led them to the Lord and then they wanna get them and teach them and go further. Well, I see if you can’t win them. Maybe you don’t need them. And you don’t put live chickens under a dead hen, just not the wisest thing to do.

Now look at number two, the flock or the congregation is charged with following the leadership of the pastor and the elders. The flock is to follow their faith, obey them and submit themselves. So he says in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse seven and also verse 17, just look at these verses, remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves for they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you.

In other words, somebody else is watching all that’s being said and done. And don’t you want to keep me happy? Don’t you want to make me happy? You don’t want to cause me to have a lot of grief, do you? Well, something about this verse that’s interesting says, for they watch for your soul. Now, we’re interested in you staying strong in the Lord, spiritually strong, learning the Word of God and having a ministry. I like to see everybody that knows the Lord comes to Calvary Community Church do something, have something, have something that you do that’s part of your responsibility.

And here’s one of the reasons that we do it because the next part says as they that must give account. Do you believe that me and the elders of the church here will have to give an account to the Lord for what we do in this church? We take our work seriously. We really do. We believe that we have an awesome responsibility. And so we are trying to find ways to feed the flock and to warn the flock. Now look at number three.

All believers are told that they are to grow. Most people, Christians, know that once you’re born, well it’s only natural for you to grow. natural thing that if a woman has a child, to feed the child and nurture that child and watch out to that child and help it to grow. And to put clothes on that child, now here spiritually we try to clothe you in the armor of the Lord. The Bible says, put off the old man, put on the new man.

So we try to teach people how to dress spiritually. The things that they should have in their life. Things that they shouldn’t have in their life. So we tell you these things will hurt your, they’ll hurt your testimony. And these things here are going to be good for your testimony. So there’s things that we don’t want you to do and there’s things that we do want you to do because this is what is right. And so therefore if we tell you to do something, we know that we have a responsibility.

We’re supposed to also practice what we preach. That’s the hard part. So therefore, people sometimes are looking for flaws or faults so they can justify them not either submitting or listening or obeying or whatever. So, well, you’re not perfect. And it It doesn’t matter what you do. There’s always somebody who wants to criticize or be ugly, whatever. But the thing is, God wants us to do certain things. And in God’s stead, we want God’s flock to do certain things, so we try to teach those things.

So look at that verse. 2 Peter chapter three, verse 18, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever, amen. So God wants you and I to grow in grace, learning how to bestow grace upon other people, not doing them according to what they deserve because God didn’t do that to us. So the grace that brought salvation is the same grace that teaches us to deny ungodliness and so on to realize as other people, well, they’re where we once were.

and they’re just babes in Christ and they lead to learn. And so we have to be patient and long-suffering and gentle and kind and so forth to others. Now, God wants us to do that because there’s people that are young in the Lord and they need help. Number four, all spiritual growth is directly related to the Word of God. When He talks about growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, It means that you can’t grow too much except through the Word of God.

Now you can watch other people and you can mimic what other people do, but what will help you as an individual to grow strong is your own personal study of the Word of God. So learn what God’s Word has to say. So that’s why we want you to study the Bible, learn the scriptures, and see what God has for you because we believe that the Bible is the authority. Now the next statement down there, 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 2, as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may what?

Grow thereby. So if you want people to grow strong, then they must drink the milk from the Word of God. And then one day when they get a little stronger, they can handle some meat. But the key thing is get them in the Word so that they can learn the Word and therefore they will grow and grow strong. We want every child of God that comes to Calvary, community church to learn the Word of God and to become a strong Christian.

That is our hope, our dream, our desire. That’s what we work for. The question is often asked, why do some grow and others do not? The Bible clearly tells us or lets us know that the difference is primarily based upon the believer’s response to the Word of God. The reason some will grow and others do not grow as well is because of the type of ground that the Word of God is falling into. So he tells the story about the sower who went forth to sower.

And so if you will look there in Mark chapter 4, and he makes a statement down here in verse 3, Harken, behold, there went out a sower to sow, and it came to pass. As he sowed, some fell by the wayside. Files of the year came and devoured it up. Some fell on stony ground where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered away.

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grow up and choked it and it yielded no fruit. And others fell on good ground. And did yield fruit that sprang up and increased, brought forth some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred? And he said unto them, I hate that hath ears to let him hear. Now they didn’t always understand every parable. So they came to Jesus a little bit later and says, who are you talking about? you mean? So he says here in verse 13, he said unto them, No, ye not this parable and how then will you know all parables?

The sower saweth the word. And these are they by the wayside where the word is sown, but when they have heard Satan come as immediately and take it the way the word that was sown in their heart. So sakes are sown even to lost people and sometimes the old devil is able to get in there and get those seeds before they can think about what’s been said. So the Satan’s always interjecting thoughts until a person’s mind. He can’t read your mind, but he can inject thoughts into your mind.

And therefore, the people are not thinking about what’s actually being said. If you ever witness to somebody and while you’re talking to them, they’re not listening to a word you’re saying, they’re thinking of a comeback. They’re thinking about a verse that’s going to set you straight and correct you. That contradicts what you just said. So there’s always that little battle that goes on. The battle of the minds. So then he says there in verse 16. Now 16 on the round, the rest of it, talking about those that know the Lord.

So he says in verse 16, and these are they, likewise, which are sewn on stony ground, who when they have heard the word immediately received it with gladness, and have no root in themselves and so endure but for a time afterwards when affliction or persecution arises for the word sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sewn among thorns, such as hear the word and the cares of the world, end of the deceitful of riches and the lust of other things,” and then choked the word and become unproof on them.

And these are they which are sawn on good ground such as, hear the word, receive it, and bring forth fruit. Some thirty-fold, some sixty, and some a hundred fold. Now look there at your notes. Down at the bottom of the page where we know the sower goes forth the sow. The good ground, the good ground, the last one we just read about, is a believer. He’s the believer who hears the word, receives the word, brings forth fruit. Some reproduce themselves a hundred times.

So some 30, some 60, and some a whole lot. So not everybody is same type or kind of a soul winner, but there’s some people that receive the word and grow strong and bear fruit. And there’s some people who bear a lot of fruit and there’s some people that don’t bear much fruit at all. Then you have another group of people but let her be there and these are they of which are sown on good ground such as hear the word receive it and bring forth fruit.

Now look at number two. Number two the thorny ground is a believer who who hears the word receives the word, but the care of this world, the cares of this world. And the Bible talks a little bit about that in the book of Timothy in chapter 2, when he talks about being a good soldier, that you know you can’t get entangled with the affairs of this life, that you won’t be able to please the one that’s called you to be a soldier.

So you can be so entangled with this life that you can’t get free, you’re trapped and you don’t have the freedom to do what you’d like to do for the Lord. And so that happens. And because of that, that means that some people are not going to bear fruit. But the purpose of all of these seeds being sown and people receiving the seed is so that they can grow up and bear fruit. It’s fruit that God is after, not just people to stand around and be nice, beautiful foliage, with nice leaves on their tree.

God wants fruit on the tree, but not everybody is going to do that because of how they think. Your mind is a type of soil. Some people’s minds are good soil, the seed goes in there, it’s planet, they understand it, they believe it, and it changes their life. And then there’s others who have serious problems. Now look at this one, number two, they heard the word, they received the word and let her be the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches.

Some people’s golden life is just to be rich. So if that’s your gold, you’re going to do whatever it takes to get rich. And so it consumes you and you may get rich, but at what price? It’s better to be a good soul winner as you go through life and it’ll keep laying up treasure in heaven because you don’t know down here if you’ll ever be really rich or really poor and that’s not the key. Do you bear fruit?

Will you bear fruit? So he says there’s the deceitfulness of riches. Look at letter D and the lust of other things and here’s three little words. Choke the word. It chokes it. These believers do not grow nor do they produce fruit. So there’s people who don’t bear fruit because they’ve been choked by the cares of this world. Other things has got their attention and so they get sidetracked. So a letter either and these are they which are sown among thorns such as hear the word and cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lust of other things entering and choked the word and it becomes a, here’s the word, unfruitful.

So there’s reasons why they don’t bear fruit. But God wants them to bear fruit. The purpose of sowing the seed in people believing on Christ is so that you can grow and be fruitful. God wants Christians to bear Christians. I have more Christians. So the seed. Don’t look at the next statement. Number three, the stony ground is a believer who hears the word, but endures the word. a short time, but you know, they start off sometimes like a rocket and they die just as fast.

You ever seen sparklers when they shoot them off for the July? Goes, shhh, up there, boom! That’s the way some Christians are. It’s better to have a nice, smooth, steady rise with the Lord and gets steady and stronger with the Lord and maintain that for the rest of your life. So number three the stony ground is a believer who hears the word but endures a short time with afflictions. No problems, persecution, because you decided to serve the Lord but didn’t go bad.

Not everybody loves you. You got really cool or something went wrong. Somebody mopped and if somebody hurt somebody’s feeling, they’re easy, offended. The roots didn’t go deep because the ground, well, it was stoning ground. But just enough that they believed, they heard the word, but they become unfruitful. And so they do not grow and they do not bear fruit. Because see, if you don’t sink your roots deep into the Word of God, and what you have to look at is we’re like tender plants.

And the Word of God is like rocks. And your roots have to go around these rocks in the Word of God. And you fasten under those things, and that’s what makes you solid. You know what you believe. when the wind blows, you stand firm and strong and you may bend but you snap back to your original position because you know what you believe. But if you’re not deep in the Word of God and all you are is just a surface Christian, you don’t really study deep into the scriptures and you’re just a shallow, shallow Christian that your roots do not go deep in the Word of God.

And so you know a little bit, but you know it’s in the Bible, but you never know where and your knowledge doesn’t work for you. And so therefore you’re only as strong as the last wind that came along and whichever way it’s going to push you. And so many of God’s children are not very strong. Now, what kind of ground are you? Now we know that we’re told to feed the flock. So look at the next statement. Calvary Community Church is a family-oriented church.

Isn’t it true that we want to have something in a ministry for the little kids? That true? Do we want to have something for the little older kids? Yes, we do. Do we want to have something for the teenagers? Do we want to have things for the adults? We got camps. We’re trying to figure out every way we can, but we want to have and be a family-oriented church. And we want to be a church with a heart. Well, we have a heart for everybody.

Now, if you look here on these notes, we want to do everything to encourage family worship and service. When it is possible, we like to see husband and wife teams serve in a different ministries or in the different ministries of the Church. The Bible studies that we have offered by the Church and your own personal study of the Scriptures will greatly help you grow in the Lord. Everything that you learn at Church is not to be a substitute for your own personal study, your own personal time that you have between you and God.

can make you strong. We can only teach the Word. It’s your being good ground that receives it and thinks about it, meditates upon it, and let it change your life. Remember, you do not know the Bible until the Bible controls your life. If the Bible does not control your life, you don’t know the Bible. You can study and quote every verse in the Bible, but until the Bible controls you. You don’t know it because it reveals itself to you and everything that it promises and the joy that it has and the warning that when you heed what it has to say.

If you don’t heed what it says, you’re here’s of the word but not doers of the word. And he says, this man shall be blessed in his work. And if you don’t heed it, then you’re not going to be blessed the way the Bible says. So it’s study the Scriptures so that you can prove to be an acceptable labor for the Lord. Fit for the Master’s use. And if you will, you’d be surprised what God will do for your life.

Look at the next statement. We do believe it is acceptable for ladies to teach ladies in the church under the supervision of the elders, we do not believe that women should usurp authority over the man by becoming pastors, elders, or deacons in the church. They’re not permitted to do that. That is wrong and there’s a lot of churches that don’t see anything wrong with that. But I’m not pastor of those churches. They can do whatever they want to do.

But here we believe that there’s a limitation. Now look at this verse, but now don’t stop reading it halfway, read the whole verse all the way. Verse says, please know 1 Timothy 2 verse 11 and 12. Let the women learn in silence with all subjection, but I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man, but be in silence. And we will not have or tolerate in the ministry women having or usurping authority over the man.

There’s women who can do things, but they’re not to usurp authority. That means to take from the man and usurp authority. It’s not good in the home either. I don’t like it in the government either, but I do believe that there is a place. Now look at the next statement. A scriptural prohibition against women teaching men are usurping authority over the man cannot be taken to prohibit women from teaching women. Why? Well look at the Bible. Look what the book says.

Titus chapter 2 verse 3, the aged women, I doesn’t say exactly how old that is, I have an idea, the age women likewise, that they be in behavior as becoming holiness. Not false accusers, not given the much wine, teachers of good things. So can women teach? Well the Bible says there to be teachers of good things, not get the next verse. That they, women, may teach the younger women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chase keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

So there’s a lot of things that the older women can teach to the other women. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the Gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy.

There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Man. The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634.

And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Leaving that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.