Sow

Title: Sow

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Matthew 13:1-9

1 उसी दिन यीशु घर से निकलकर झील के किनारे जा बैठा। 2 और उसके पास ऐसी बड़ी भीड़ इकट्ठी हुई कि वह नाव पर चढ़ गया, और सारी भीड़ किनारे पर खड़ी रही। 3 और उस ने उन से दृष्टान्तों में बहुत सी बातें कही, कि देखो, एक बोने वाला बीज बोने निकला। 4 बोते समय कुछ बीज मार्ग के किनारे गिरे और पक्षियों ने आकर उन्हें चुग लिया। 5 कुछ पत्थरीली भूमि पर गिरे, जहां उन्हें बहुत मिट्टी न मिली और गहरी मिट्टी न मिलने के कारण वे जल्द उग आए। 6 पर सूरज निकलने पर वे जल गए, और जड़ न पकड़ने से सूख गए। 7 कुछ झाड़ियों में गिरे, और झाड़ियों ने बढ़कर उन्हें दबा डाला। 8 पर कुछ अच्छी भूमि पर गिरे, और फल लाए, कोई सौ गुना, कोई साठ गुना, कोई तीस गुना। 9जिस के कान हों वह सुन ले॥

Matthew 13:18-23

18 सो तुम बोने वाले का दृष्टान्त सुनो। 19 जो कोई राज्य का वचन सुनकर नहीं समझता, उसके मन में जो कुछ बोया गया था, उसे वह दुष्ट आकर छीन ले जाता है; यह वही है, जो मार्ग के किनारे बोया गया था। 20 और जो पत्थरीली भूमि पर बोया गया, यह वह है, जो वचन सुनकर तुरन्त आनन्द के साथ मान लेता है। 21 पर अपने में जड़ न रखने के कारण वह थोड़े ही दिन का है, और जब वचन के कारण क्लेश या उपद्रव होता है, तो तुरन्त ठोकर खाता है। 22 जो झाड़ियों में बोया गया, यह वह है, जो वचन को सुनता है, पर इस संसार की चिन्ता और धन का धोखा वचन को दबाता है, और वह फल नहीं लाता। 23 जो अच्छी भूमि में बोया गया, यह वह है, जो वचन को सुनकर समझता है, और फल लाता है कोई सौ गुना, कोई साठ गुना, कोई तीस गुना।

 

Good morning, everyone.

I hope you all are well and joyful this morning.

My wife lost her cellphone last week and she soon got a new phone.

When she got a new phone, she was happy and could do certain things that she was not able to do.

I was imagining if I would have lost my phone, I would be very anxious and try to find the alternative cell as soon as possible.

But right now I don’t have enough value of my mobile, I keep it somewhere because I know I have it.

Sometimes we are not aware of the value of certain things as there are so common and we forget its importance.

Today we are going to see the word of God that we often forget what it is for and what is the purpose of the word of God.

Jesus taught in parables.

Parables are the stories that challenges the lister to think and meditate on the meaning of the stories.

 

Main Body

Jesus today is telling us the story of the farmer.

In the time of Jesus, farmer sow the seeds by throwing them (see the picture) and then it was plowed into the ground.

1.       The path side is where people walked, and nothing could grow because the ground was too hard.

This kind of soil represents the path because there is so much noise and traffic.
People come and go nothing stays at one place.

This soil represents the people who hear the word of God but do not understand that.

Word of God must be understood before it could bear the fruit.

In our church we have 3 Bible studies going on.

Please join one of them if you not into any Bible study group before we could understand what the words means and what is the significance of the word.

We will not be able to bring fruit or harvest.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4: परन्तु यदि हमारे सुसमाचार पर परदा पड़ा है, तो यह नष्‍ट होनेवालों ही के लिये पड़ा है। 4और उन अविश्‍वासियों के लिये, जिन की बुद्धि इस संसार के ईश्‍वर ने अंधी कर दी है, ताकि मसीह जो परमेश्‍वर का प्रतिरूप है, उसके तेजोमय सुसमाचार का प्रकाश उन पर न चमके।

Plan of the enemy is to not let the word of God sit with us, he wants to snatch the truth from us so that we may forget the seed.

 

2.       Rocky places were where the soil was thin, lying upon a rocky shelf.

On this ground the seed springs up quickly because of the warmth of the soil, but the seed is unable to take root because of the rocky shelf.

Now the rocky place is the place where the seed fell on the soil that is on the rock, so only thin layer of soil is there.

Just enough to get small weak root but not enough to sustain the sun.

This kind of soil is used for the people who respond to the word with enthusiasm yet soon wither away.

Jesus says: But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

Suddenness is not the problem here, but the problem lies when we lack the depth.

But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Verse 21

3.       Among thorns describes soil that is fertile – perhaps too fertile for thorns to grow not the seed.

Third is the one who listens to the not only to the word of God but also the noise of the world as well.

Some respond to the word and grow for a while, but are choked and stopped in their spiritual growth by competition from unspiritual things.

The noise and ambition of this world chokes the seed that the word of God.

4.       Good ground describes soil that is both fertile and weed-free. A good, productive crop grows in the good ground.

This soil represents those who receive the word, and it bears fruit in their soil.

This is the perfect example of good soil and how we believers need to respond, by producing fruit.

 

Conclusion:

My dear brothers and sisters, as we will be going for winter retreat in first week of Feb.

I want that we may prepare ourselves by todays word.

Sermon series has started from this Sunday.

This year goal is to spread the gospel.

I want to encourage you to understand why we are going to retreat? what is the purpose of the retreat?

How can we make this retreat a productive journey?

This year God is telling us to go and harvest the crop, however we need to understand few things before we go and start harvesting.

1.       We need to understand that we can harvest if we have sown.

How can we go and harvest, if we have not prepared our filed and planted the seeds?

We need to plant so that we could harvest.

There is lots of potential harvest around us.

We can see lots of people who are walking in the darkness, who have no hope or are just living their lives without purpose.

Some have purpose but that purpose very selfish and small.

We can see lots of helplessness and sickness around us.

We need to reach out to these people.

Surly when we reach out not all will hear or listen, only people who are spiritually sensitive could hear.

People who are lazy and do not want to change will not hear and even deny it.

That is fine.

Maybe Jesus wants us to teach even though you reach out to many people we will find these four kinds of soils.

He wants us to prepare for what should we expect and at the same time he wants us to look inside and make necessary changes to what changes we need.

We cannot sow unless we have seeds.

One seed is given to my heart if that seed is not multiplied, how can I sow.

I need to plant that seed in me and keep watch that bird might not take it, plant it in deep soil and stay away from the thrones of this world.

So that I may bring fruit 100 times, 60 times and 30 times.

Once I have the harvest, I can then start planting in the soils I have around me.

I will not discriminate between soil.

I will plant and wait for the Lord to work in them.

There are other things I need to take care after I plant but we will hear about them in our retreat.

My dear brothers and sisters, let us prepare our heart and sow the word of God in our hearts.

Let us keep wait for the Lord what he wants to teach us pray for his guidance.

Let me pray and finish.

 

                

Longing for the house of the Lord

Date of Sermon Delivery: 22. Jan. 2023

Place of sermon Delivery:  Delhi, India

Sunday Worship Service

Speaker: Jatin Bisht

Title: Longing for the house of the Lord

Bible - Luke 2:36-38

Key verse Luke 2:37

36. There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage,

37. and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 

38. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

 

Glorify the name of the lord!

Welcome you again to the beautiful house of the lord.

I hope you all are following your bible reading plan.

Last week when I was doing my quiet time, I felt many times, I just go into the bible and read it. There is no prayer, there is no discipline and many times there is no asking for wisdom from God before reading it.

Whenever we go into God’s word or hear God’s word, we need to give more respect to the word of God.

As much as we will give respect to the word of God, that much the word of God will give us respect.

As much as we will open this bible, that much close we will go to God.

So, before reading God’s word always pray then surely you will experience something, you have not before.

This morning how many of you came with your ear?

Do you have an ear?

Many people leave and come.

That’s why the bible has to say, again and again, he who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Everyone has this ear, but not everyone has ears to hear.

I believe, we all have ears to hear. Hallelujah.

In our country, everyone wants a boy child, and mom used to say when my sister was born in our house, my grandfather's level of happiness was not the same as it was at my birth. Even many times I hear people praying for the lady giving birth that she will give birth to a boy.

But God never does discrimination, He used the women as well as he used the men.

This morning I want to take your attention to a woman whose name is Anna.

These days people do not want to go to Churches, big church but members are only 50-60.

Today it is a big question that we are moving away from the house of God.

Today people’s interest is being lost from the house of the lord.

But this morning this woman will surprise our lives because this woman is standing with a great testimony for us.

If our love is reducing for the house of the lord, reducing for his words, reducing for prayer, or the fellowship of the church, then definitely meet this woman this morning.

She is so an old woman, maybe our brother Gabriel will call her great-grandmother, we will call her grandmother, and our parents will call her aunty because is double our parents’ age.

Let us open Luke 2:36-38

36. There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage,

37. and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 

38. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Let us pray.

Thank you, Lord, for such a wonderful morning, and for preparing the hearts of all of us to come into your home to worship your name and listen to your words.

Lord, whatever you want to tell us today from Anna's life, let us all listen to you with our hearing ears and receive it with a good heart.

We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Did you ever read the story of Old Testament Hannah? (Hannah or Anna means “Grace”)

In her story, there is full of pain, because he does not have any child, and this is the reason she is so much suffering in his life.

and New Testament, Anna’s life is also not easy, she has also so much pain in his life.

However, it is a whirlwind of troubles in the life of women.

But both do not leave the house of God

Both cling to the house of God

No matter how much pain comes in life, no matter how much you progress in life, never leave the house of GOD, and never give up the house of GOD.

Because you get blessings into the house of God, and the solution to every problem of life will be found in the house of God.

Hannah of the Old Testament had no child, but she never leaves the church, she never gives up the house of the lord. she prayed there day and night in the house of the lord with her tear.

King David says in Psalms 56:8 God keeps track of all my sorrows and have collected all my tears in his bottle.  

A day came when the Lord listened to his(Hannah) prayer and the Lord blessed her with a son named Samuel.

This morning, this is Anna, who has a lot of sorrow in her life, because she became a window at a young age, but she never left the Lord's house and the Lord blessed her with a great day.

Let us read again Luke 2:36-38

36. There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage,

37. and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 

38. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

 

For 84 years, she did not leave the house of the Lord, and for only 7 years she lived with her husband.

A Total of Eighty-four plus seven is ninety-one, and if she was married at the age of 19 then she would have been 110 years old.

She is a 110-year-old woman, and the bible testifies that she did not leave the house of the Lord.

She had a lot of reasons to leave the house of the Lord, and many suffering she faced.

But for 84 years she never missed a day, do you know why she did not leave the church?

Because a great day is coming and this woman is waiting for that great day.

This woman anna born in the tribe of Asher.

Do you know who was the Asher? Asher was the son of Jacob.

Asher was one of Jacob’s 12 sons whose name means to be happy.

Jacob had two wives, one was Leah and the other was Rachel.

Do you know to whom Jacob loved? Rachel.

Because his married to Leah was fraudulent.

So, Asher was born in the house of Leah (Zilpah), even though no one loved Leah.

But God gave birth to Anna into the tribe of Asher. Whose name means to be happy.

 

Dear brothers and sisters, maybe sometimes the world may not love you, your society may not love you, or your family not love you.

But always believe that we are born in the tribe of Asher, therefore always Joyful.

No power in the world can take away your Joy, that’s why Paul wrote Rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4).

Even though Anna has many troubles in his life, she knows to be happy, she had received the Joy of the Lord.

So we rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, Rejoice,

 

Anna had many reasons to leave the house of the lord and could go out into the world.

But the Bible says that for 84 long years, she did not leave God’s house.

Today we have many excuses not to come to church, and if there are no excuses, then we polish some nice excuses.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says a man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests, and when everything was ready, everybody began to make excuses.

One said I have bought a field and I must go and see it, another said I have brought five yokes of oxen, and I must go to check them and more one said, I just got married, so I can’t come, I do not have time.

People have so many excuses for not coming to church.

But today Anna is a blessing for us, Bible testifies that she has not left the house for 84 years, because she knew a great day is going to come.

Today we will know those four things(reasons), when Anna wanted, she could have left the Church, if she wanted, she could have gone by keeping aside the house of the lord.

1. Her Widowhood could have been the biggest reason to leave the house of the lord

If she got married at the age of 18-19 then she became a widow only at the age of 25.

At a young age, she became a widow, can you feel her pain and condition? No husband, and no child, and at the age of 25 she became a widow.

How many Questions will she have?

Who is this, Lord?

What kind of God is he? And if he is God, then why did he make me a widow at my young age?

If God is alive then why a joke is happening in my life?

A big question must have arisen in Anna’s life.

I will not go to church anymore, I will not pray to him anymore, I will not worship him, anyone, if he is alive then why was he made me widow in this young life?

She could have rebelled against the Lord; she could have rebelled against the house of the Lord.

Today many people stand against the Lord

Why my father died, why my brother had an accident, why my wife died, why my daughter died

That is why many people stand against God and say there is no God, I will not go to church anymore, there is no God.

If such accidents happen in our life, then God is not responsible for them.

If some of us die or our loved one, do not rebel against the lord because of them.

We are responsible for that incident, because God told Adam, that the day he eats the fruit, he will die.

God is not responsible for the death of our family, but for our sins. So do not sin then we will live forever.

If anna wanted she could have left God, because of being a widow, she could make distanced herself from God, and she could have turned away from God.

But anna did not stop coming to the house of the lord, and she made the house of the Lord her home.

She used to stay in the house of the lord day and night.

In the psalm, David says Blessed is the one, whose delight in the word of the lord and meditates it day and night. (Psalm 1:2)

Dear brothers and sisters Anna made the house of the lord, her home.

Although there was a big storm in Ana’s life, at the age of 25 she became a widow,

But no problem God’ even though I am a widow, I do not have child, I do not husband but now you will be my husband, I will live for God and I will die for God. Anna made God’s house her house and day and night she fasted and prayed in the house of the Lord.

Anna did not leave Church, in her troubled time.

There was one more woman, Naomi.

When she faced famine (Trouble) in the land of Bethlehem. Bethlehem means house of bread.

But when she faced trouble there, then she went to Moab. She left the place of God and went to Moab where she lost everything. Dear brothers and sisters never leave your church.

Never leave the church, although sometimes problems will come, sickness will come, but stay in the house of God and God will give you Blessing(Thofa).

As Hannah was blessed with a son Samuel and Anna was blessed with a great day (Christmas).

Naomi left the land of the Lord and went to Moab and lost everything here

and his life was filled with sorrow because she left the house of the Lord

Never leave the house of God no matter how big the trouble may be because the Lord is going to bless us with a great day.

2. Her old age could have been the biggest reason to leave the house of the lord.

Anna was more than 100 years old. but her passion for the church is alive. At the age of 110, her passion for the church is alive.

When age increases, people got many types of diseases like sugar, high blood pressure, thyroid, migraine pain, and bones becoming weak.

But Anna, 110 years old, has not diminished the church’s love in the slightest (Lekin 110 hone ke baad bi anna ka prem church ke liye thoda sa bhi kam nahi huva).

Do you know the temple of Jerusalem was on mount Moriah in Jerusalem?

He might have to take the stairs, maybe her back hurts, maybe she would not take out of breath.

But leaving behind all the diseases, she used to go to the house of the Lord.

Every day and every Sunday she used to come to church (House of the lord), maybe boldly she used to say, who will separate me from the love of God?

But nowadays believers have a stomach ache, so leave it, next time I will go.

Today I have a headache, today I have loose motion, today is so rainy, today is so cold, and my church is so far.

Even after having so many facilities and being so young, we have so many reasons why we do not want to go to church.

Anna could have said that I am old, so I am not enough to go to church anymore.

I cannot go to church that high up on the mount anymore, anna could have given up going to church if she wanted to.

Do not know how much pain she must have; don't know how much pain she must be feeling.

Anna used to leave everything and come to the Lord’s house, if something is left, then it will be left but the church will not be left.

I will not leave God’s house and every sabbath she made God’s house as her house.

she must be speaking like Paul who can separate me from the love of the Lord (Romans 8:31-39).

This was another reason; she could leave the church.

3. The priest, scribes, Pharisees, and teachers could have been the biggest reason for her leaving the house of the lord.

Because of these people, she could have left the church if she wanted, because at that time most of these people were corrupt. And as per Jewish law, if someone’s husband died then his widow’s wife’s property will go under the head of temples.

If she wanted to sell, her property then she needed to go, the priest and the widow, had to pay some money to the priest.

These priests used to torture the widow a lot, therefore a lot of widows leave the church.

Jesus says in Mark 12:40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

These priests used to torture the widow; they must have committed a crime against Anna as well.

Anna could have said I will not go to church because of that priest, I will not go to church because of that person.

But for 84 years Ana didn't stop going to church, never mind my property priest had devoured. Because I do not go to church for some profit, I do not go for any priests, but I go to church for my lord, I go to church to meet the Lord.

For 84 years Anna has not left the church, because a great day is coming soon.

 

4.       4.  Not having good teaching could have been the biggest reason for her leaving the house of the lord.

      She was the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher.

Penuel means the face of God, whenever Anna used to see her father, she could not see his father.

Do you know whom she used to see? She used to see God in his father’s face, she used to see the glory of God, she used to see the shine of God, she used to see God’s teaching.

People of God,

Today, what picture are we showing to the people?

When people are looking at us, then how are they looking at us as a liar, as drunken, as corrupted, as an abuser?

Dear brothers and sisters show people the picture of God from your life then the people around us will never go astray and even if someone astray, he/she will come back again because of God’s picture which is in you.

When the son left his father's house and when he was in the barn in a faraway country.

Do you know what he remembered?

In my father's house, even the servants eat their fill

The father who has mercy on the servants will have mercy on me too.

In the face of the father, the son saw the picture of the lord.

Forgiving father, merciful father, yearning father, and that picture of father filled him with a new energy that today I will go back to father's house.

When people see the light (Radiance) of the Lord in us, they will not stay in the shackles(captivity) of the devil for long, they will come back.

When people see us, they do not see us but they see God’s image in us.

Dear brothers and sisters

Anna has not left the church for 84 years because she is waiting for a great day, and after 84 years a long day has come.

When she was in God’s house, She saw that a family had come to the house of the Lord, whom she had been waiting for 84 years.

she saw that they had a child, who was being held in the arms of an old man (Simon), who was waiting for that great day, and when Simon took him in his arms, he said. (Mark 2:25-30)

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 

26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 

27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 

28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,

My eyes have seen your salvation, my eyes have seen this great day.

For this great day, Anna was waiting for 84 years, she faced much trouble, and she passed through many painful times, but she never left the house of the lord.

And after 84 years, when Jesus came to the house of the lord, and when she heard Simon’s song my eyes have seen the salvation, then Anna also ran away because she too had been waiting for this day for 84 years.

Dear brothers and sisters, old anna got joy on a great day.

People of the Lord come to the church and stay in the church never stop because another great day is coming

And if you are not in the church on that day, you will miss out on that great day. If you are not in the church, you will not be able to enjoy that great day.

Do not leave the house of the Lord till your last breath, because Jesus is coming soon.

Anna was waiting 84 years, more than 4000 sabbaths, and she never missed her one sabbath also.

Do not leave the house of God no matter how many storms come, no matter how old you are

No matter how high and the good path you reach, no matter how much success you will get but do not leave the house of GOD.

I pray that we will love the house of the lord more deeply and together we will pray and worship the lord.

May the Lord bless us.

Amen.