February 20, 2023

Sarasota, Florida

Partnered with Apollos and God

 
 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.”

1 Corinthians 3:6 (NASB)

Shalom,

Shalom such a wonderful word. It may seem unusual for a fellow raised in Kansas to use a word from ancient times, but when I learned the meaning, it really spoke to me. It seemed to resonate with my soul. I mostly use it when writing but occasionally when speaking. Check out this definition:

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you;“ (John 14:27)

The word “Shalom” means much more than peace. It means complete peace and wellness—body, mind, soul, and spirit. According to Wikipedia, “Shalom is a Hebrew word meaning peace, completeness, and welfare [i.e., complete peace and wholeness] and can be used idiomatically to mean both hello and goodbye.”

This morning an all-encompassing peace fills my soul. And I suspect I know why. 

After a couple of years of procrastinating, I finally fulfilled what I believe is a directive from the  Holy Spirit. I preached on the scriptures of the Parable of the Sower found in Matthew 13. Lots self contrived reasons for the delay. I hope the Believer who reads SharpRemarks will understand and grant me the same Grace I have received at the Throne of Grace.

As a young Christian, I had difficulty interpreting God’s Call, and I finally resolved that issue by concluding that my call was to be obedient. 

Over the decades, I have served the Kingdom almost exclusively in the local church. First as a youth worker, then on to other areas of church ministry. Sometimes in my private moments, I wondered if God was using me in a role similar to Baseball’s utility player. 

I questioned and even struggled against the apparent call to NHBC. But I surrendered in February of 2008. During that interim, my foremost goal has been to preach and teach the truth of scripture and to maintain the integrity and truth of God’s Word.

I failed that responsibility and goal miserably in one specific Doctrine. That was teaching the Believer’s role in sharing/spreading the Gospel. Truth be known probably my number one task as a Baptist.

Over the years, I have touched on Evangelism and offered published training courses more or less out of a sense of duty, never giving the Believer’s role the priority or emphasis that was called for.

When I began to move in that direction with the occasional message, I was dumbfounded at those who took offense to my presentation. This more or less reinforced some of my apparent reluctance to preach on this area of believer responsibility. 

Considering a sermon series, the Parables of Jesus, I started by studying “The Parable of the Sower.” While reading scripture and modern commentators, the Holy Spirit pointed out specific failures and shortcomings of my teaching of the truth in this parable.

I was told to look at this, reread that, and painfully on and on.😊 As I continued on, I saw the traditional thought shared regarding the parable. Then I realized God was giving me a heart exam in this beautiful picture of a Sower, Seed, and  Soil. 

So, folks, I shared my understanding of the parable in two parts as I believe it applies to you and me. I lived up to my role and pray that as you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you, you will take the Heart exam contained in the Parable of the Sower.

The entire process, and yes, it has been a process that has freed me from ways that I failed to realize I was in bondage to. Probably the most incredible growth event in my 15 years of ministry at NHBC.

The Sower sows the seed, fertile soil yields the growth, and the yield is the Believer.   The Believer continues to grow and yields the fruit I have included below:

• A CHANGED LIFE – 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)  Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Rom. 6:7, 13

• RIGHTEOUSNESS – Hebrews 12:11 (NASB)  All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. James 3:18

• THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT – Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB)²²  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
  • PRAISE UNTO THE LORD – Hebrews 13:15 (NASB)  Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. Rom. 8:15

• REPRODUCTION –   The law “after his own kind” introduced in   Genesis 1:11 (NASB)  Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so.

With much prayer and commitment, I urge you to conduct your own inductive Bible Study of the Parable of the Sower. Do not get rushed or distracted.  You have ears to hear and eyes to see. Read the Scripture and Listen to the Holy Spirit.    Connect to the vine and produce fruit.

Even this blog has been freeing.

Many thanks to all the help along the way with this journey. Harold Epperson who truly watered, along with; J. Vernon McGee. Ernest Easly, William Barclay, Alan Carr, Warren Wieirsbe, Broadman Commentaries!

If you would like to have a one-on-one follow up send me an email at: bob.srq@outlook.com

This blog is mine. And does not speak for or represent NHBC.