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The Humility Test


Sounds means nothing unless it conveys a thought.  A thought is a spiritual reality that comes from either a good source or a bad source.   


It's like a seed.  



We were made from the ground and function like the ground. 



Genesis 3:19  (ESV)

19 By the sweat of your face
    you shall eat bread,


till you return to the ground,    for out of it you were taken;


for you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return.” 




A thought that you receive and think about will get into you and begin to grow. 




It will eventually effect your words, thoughts, and actions. Thoughts matter because words matter.  Words are thought containers. 



Luke 8:4-8  (CEB)

4 When a great crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from one city after another, he spoke to them in a parable: 


5 “A farmer went out to scatter his seed. As he was scattering it, some fell on the path where it was crushed, and the birds in the sky came and ate it.



6 Other seed fell on rock. As it grew, it dried up because it had no moisture. 



7 Other seed fell among thorny plants. The thorns grew with the plants and choked them. 



8 Still other seed landed on good soil. When it grew, it produced one hundred times more grain than was scattered.”As he said this, he called out, “Everyone who has ears should pay attention.”






75% of the hearers got no results from the word of God.  Jesus doesn't say that it's God's fault, but the hearers fault.  




If you're not getting the results that you should be getting.  You should do a soil test. One of these types of ground got amazing results.

  


Luke 8:9-10  (CEB)

9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 



10 He (Jesus) said, “You have been given the mysteries of God’s kingdom, but these mysteries come to everyone else in parables so that when they see, they can’t see, and when they hear, they can’t understand



Proverbs 1:7 (ESV)

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; 



If you want to receive something from God, you've got to give Him respect.

  


Luke 8 (CEB)

11 “The parable means this: The seed is God’s word.

Each type of ground gets closer to producing fruit.


12 The seed on the path are those who hear, but then the devil comes and steals the word from their hearts so that they won’t believe and be saved.



Some people can hear the word, and still not get saved. 


13 The seed on the rock are those who receive the word joyfully when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while but fall away when they are tempted. 



Some people are pressured into giving up and do. 

  
14 As for the seed that fell among thorny plants, these are the ones who, as they go about their lives, are choked by the concerns, riches, and pleasures of life, and their fruit never matures.




Worry can prevent the word of God from working in your life. Cares will grow until they choke the word of God out of you.  Therefore, we must resist worry.   




15 The seed that fell on good soil are those who hear the word and commit themselves to it with a good and upright (honest) heart. Through their resolve (patient), they bear fruit.



What makes the good ground different?  It's our choice of what kind of ground we are.  Good ground is honest and patient. 


God is not controlling everything that happens in everybody's life.  He has given us a free will.  The enemy is at work stealing, killing, and destroying.  Satan is sowing desperation and doubt.  


We must not be dishonest and inpatient.  Pathway ground knows better, but ignores God's word.  It's self deception.  They knew to pay more attention, but didn't.  


2 Corinthians 4:4 (ESV)

4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.


Stony ground is people who should have listened more about it.  Their hearts yelled at them telling them to hear it again, but they didn't do it.  They were dishonest about it.  With God, He knows your heart and knows the truth.




Thorny ground is dishonest about how much their worrying.  When God brings it up.  Address it.  Unplug from the world, and plug into Him.  Make your relationship with God the priority and not the world.  
Honesty will allow you to seek help from God and others.  A big part of humility is honesty.  Humility will be honest, and humble people will address it.  If you address your issues with honesty and humility, God will provide His grace.  




Do you want God to help you?  Be honest and humble.  If you are proud, God will resist you.  That's not helping.  



We must hate a lie and love the truth.  We don't hate liars.  We must love the truth even when it makes us look bad.



We must love the truth more than hiding our mistakes and making ourselves look good.  We must love the truth, so we can break free from the things that have been hindering us. 


Keith Moore, Faith Life Church
https://flcmedia.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/productvideo/1214-GodsIncorruptibleWordSeed-11-GoodGround-HD.mp4
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