Clean Transcript

How Deep Is Your Faith?

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• Mark chapter 4, we're going to read verses 5 and 6, and then verses 16 and 17. The title of the message is, How Deep Is Your Faith? How Deep Is Your Faith? So look at Mark chapter 4, beginning there with verse 5. Our Lord says, "And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth. And immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth."

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• "But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away."

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• Now if you'll skip down to verse 16, you'll see how our Lord interprets this parable. He says, "And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness, and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time. Afterward, when affliction or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they are offended." The parable of the sower, as I pointed out last week, is also sometimes known as the parable of the soils. And it's all about hearing the Word of God. I pointed out last week as well that there are four distinct types of hearers that are given to us in this parable. Each one of these hearers was not only present in our Lord's time, but they are also present in our time as well. I want you to notice how our Lord began this parable. Look in Mark 4 and verse 3. He says, "Hearken; behold, there went out a sower to sow." So it begins with the word "Hearken," and if you'll skip down to verse 23, He ends the parable basically and He says this, "And if any man have ears to hear, let him hear."

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• So you begin with "Hearken," and then "if any man have ears to hear, let him hear." Now let me remind you just of last week's message and the main points. Because the title of last week's message was, "Did You Lose Something?" And it was all about the wayside hearer. I told you that there was another name for the wayside hearer. Sometimes he is called the hard-hearted hearer. But the main points that I covered last week was this.

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• That first of all, whenever the Word of God is preached, there is a present activity of Satan to hinder and destroy and disturb. So mark it down, whenever the Word of God is preached, there is always Satan, according to this parable, attempting to steal the Word of God. The second point I made is this, unless our hearts are prepared, we will never benefit from the Word of God. And obviously the wayside hearer's heart was never prepared, because the seed fell upon the wayside, it was trod upon, he could care less about it, and obviously the ground was not tilled, there was nothing there concerning preparation. And the third point I made was this, that the wayside hearer was a negligent hearer. The seed was there in plain sight. He could have picked it up, he did not. So he cared absolutely nothing about it. I want you to understand it is our responsibility to make sure that we hear the word of God.

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• You remember the scripture said, and I gave it last week, "Take heed what you hear." Then in Luke 8 in verse 18 he said, "Take heed how you hear." So it's our responsibility not only to hear the word of God, to make sure also that it does not slip from our mind.

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• Now today I want to come and consider the second type of hearer. He's also known not only as the stony ground hearer, but also as a shallow-hearted hearer. Look in your Bibles to verse 5, Mark 4 verse 5, "And 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." Now I want you to connect the words "stony" and "shallow."

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• Now there are many gardens and fields with stones in them and their plants bear quite well. When we hear of stony ground we tend to think of ground that has an awful lot of rocks in it, or a lot of stones. Now, if you go up north, you're going to find plenty of fields with lots of stones in them. We do not have that problem down south. In fact, there are a few fields that we might find some rocks in, but there are those little red rocks and there are little pebbles, and sometimes you might find a quarter-size red rock or a 50-cent-size red rock. But that's about it. But when you go up north, there are simply rocks everywhere.

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• But you can have an excellent crop in a rocky field like that. Years ago, I was preaching in Pennsylvania, and I was preaching at a camp. And they had a creek running by the cabin in which I was staying. Now, of course, down here it's a creek, up there it's a creek. And I tried to explain to them, that a creek is what you have in your neck. And a creek is something in which water runs, but they didn't quite understand that. But I was staying in this cabin, and the creek ran right by the cabin. So one morning, I got up and I took a walk down by the creek. And as I walked, I don't know, several hundred yards from the cabin, I came upon a sight that just absolutely amazed me. I've never forgotten it. Right there in front of me was a rock.

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• The rock was at least as big around as half the size of this room. And it was probably 12 to 15 feet high. I mean, I looked up and it was double my height and then some. And guess what? Sitting right on top of that rock was a full-grown pine tree. The diameter of the tree was probably 15 to 20 inches. And the roots of that tree went down around that rock into the ground and into the creek. Unbelievable. And it was a healthy, live pine tree right on top of that rock. So a rock will not necessarily stop a plant from growing. If you've ever been to Yosemite and some of that part of the country, you look up and you see a solid sheet of rock, a mountain that is a solid sheet of rock. And right in a crevice somewhere, you see a big tree growing right out of that solid rock. And what it is, there's a little split in that rock. And the seed was able to penetrate into the ground in that split, and you have a tree growing up there.

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• It's unbelievable. So when you and I think of stony ground, we normally think of ground that just has a lot of rocks in them, but that's not true. When our Lord speaks of stony ground, He's talking about a ground or a field in which there's only a few inches of topsoil and under it is a solid layer of stone or solid layer of rock. In such a field, plants really cannot find much depth. They cannot really take root, and therefore they spring up very quickly.

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• Let me give you a comparison before I get started. If you had two gardens, one with what you and I would call good soil or good ground, where that soil has been tilled and plowed deeply, and over here you have a second garden, and the soil is very shallow, and under it is a solid layer of rock, till it as deep as you can till it because of the rock. If you plant gardens on both plots, in both types of soils, you're going to make a very important and clear and cogent observation just shortly. Here's what's going to happen. You're going to be admiring your stony ground garden because all of a sudden those plants are going to shoot up and spring up very quickly. They're going to look green and they're going to look great and you're going to wish that your good ground garden would do as well as this stony ground garden. In fact, you're going to be absolutely amazed at how good your stony ground garden really does. In fact, you become concerned that your good ground garden is not doing any good at all.

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• Because over on the stony ground, you already have plants up and they look green and they look great. And over here on the good ground, you don't even have any plants up. They're not even protruding from the soil. And you think, man, I wish this garden would do as well as this garden. What's the difference? Why is it the stony ground garden looks so great so quickly? The answer is this. The stony ground garden looks great simply because those seeds that you planted cannot produce a solid root structure. Yes, they have some roots, but they're very shallow, and consequently all the energy of that plant is gone to producing the stalk, shooting it up above ground. When you look at the good ground garden, and you say it's doing poorly, there's nothing up. That's because the seed is developing a root system first. And once it has a stable root system, then it begins to send energy to the plant to send the stalk up above ground.

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• So you've got these two gardens and you're looking then at this stony ground garden and it appears fine, it appears great and healthy, it promises great results until the heat comes or the wind comes or a rainstorm like we had recently with seven or eight inches of rain and all of a sudden all of those plants on the stony ground fall over and die. Because they cannot take the pressure. They cannot take the tribulation. Now, the stony ground hearer, according to our Lord, is much like this. The stony ground hearer, or the shallow ground hearer, is one who immediately rejoices at the Word of God.

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• He receives it quickly, joyfully, readily, and easily. He's exuberant, he's responsive, and he's joyful. He's excited about the Word of God. And he excites all of those who are around him. And those who are around him marvel at how easily and how quickly he was converted. There appears in his life a promise of real fruit. But appearances fade away very quickly. Because he fades away and he falls away very quickly.

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• Because the shallow ground hearer cannot take persecution. He cannot take prosecution. He cannot take tests and trials and tribulations. And in such problems, his attitude quickly becomes, well, if I have to go through this to be a Christian, I don't want any part of it. Or, I did not sign up for all of this. Or the cost is too high. And he jumps out as quickly as he jumped in. He does not want to suffer or face any difficulties for the truth's sake.

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• Each of us have seen and have known individuals like this. They respond so quickly and so readily and so easily to the word of God. They begin with a burst of energy, their motivation is great, and you look at that individual and you think that boy, this man is going to set the world on fire. And a year later, you can't find him. Sometimes it does not even take a year. Sometimes just months, weeks, or sometimes just a few days. Our Lord is talking about the man who hears with a shallow heart.

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• The seed fell on stony ground. Now what are the lessons that we're to learn from the stony ground hearer? Let me give them to you. First, and I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. Okay? First, we must learn that there is such a thing as a temporary believer. Now, I did not say that there was such a thing as a temporary Christian. I said we must learn that there is such a thing as a temporary believer. Now, if you define a Christian as someone who is Christ-like, then yes, I'm afraid there are temporary Christians as well because there are times in our lives that none of us act like Christ consistently and constantly. But I'm not using the word Christian like that. I'm using the word Christian to refer to true, genuine believers that have been regenerated and converted and have repented of their sins and believe savingly upon Jesus Christ. In that sense of the word, there is no such thing as a temporary Christian. A real, genuine Christian does not apostatize and he does not leave the faith.

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• But the Scripture is teaching us there is such a thing as a temporary believer. You say, how do you know that? Well, because the Bible tells us. I want you to look in your Bibles, first of all, to Matthew 13 and verse 21. I want you to see what the Scripture says. Matthew chapter 13 and verse 21. Matthew 13 verse 21. Look at what our Lord says. Now, He's talking about the stony ground hearer, or the shallow-hearted hearer, and He says this, Matthew 13, verse 21, "Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended."

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• Now look, if you would, at Mark 4, verse 17. Our Lord, once again, is interpreting this parable for us. Mark 4, verse 17, He says this, talking about the stony ground hearer, "And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended." Now if you look in the book of Luke chapter 8 and verse 13, again our Lord is talking about the shallow-hearted, or the stony ground hearer, and he says this.

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• This is his interpretation, not mine. In Luke 8 and verse 13 he says, "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."

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• Now, I've given you three phrases from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Matthew says he "dureth for a while." Mark says he "endures for a time." And in Luke he says, "which for a while believe." So the only conclusion that you can come to is there is such a thing as a temporary believer. They are not saved. They've never been saved. But they temporarily believe. They may have joined the church. They may have gotten baptized. They may sing in the choir. They may even teach a Sunday school class temporarily. But they're not saved.

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• And how do we know? And the answer is, because the Word of God specifically tells us. I want you to look at Mark chapter 4 again, and let's begin reading at verse 14, and I want you to see this in light of the context.

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• Now, I want you to remember the message that I preached last week, "Did You Lose Something?" on the wayside hearer. Watch this carefully. Mark chapter 4 and verse 14. "The sower soweth the word." Now watch. Our Lord says, "And these are they by the wayside, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts."

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• Now let me ask you a question. Is the wayside hearer saved? It couldn't possibly be. Because the word of God is stolen from him. Okay? Now, watch verse 16.

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• Now our Lord is talking about the stony ground hearer. And He says, "And these are they likewise." In other words, they're just like the wayside hearer. "These are they likewise, which are sown on stony ground, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness." In other words, obviously, clearly, these are they likewise. In other words, the stony ground hearer is in the same predicament as the wayside hearer. The wayside hearer had the word of God stolen from him. He was negligent. He had no concern for the Word of God. And now our Lord says these that fall on stony ground, they are likewise. In other words, just as the wayside hearer is lost, so our Lord says the stony ground hearer is lost as well.

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• Now, I don't know if you've ever asked yourself this question or not, but I'm going to ask it. Have you ever considered, and have you ever asked yourself, why do professing believers leave the church, leave the faith, and walk away from everything that has to do with Christianity? Have you ever asked that question? The truth of the matter is we're given the answer to that question. And the reason they leave the faith and leave the church and leave any and everything to do with Christianity is because they were never Christians to begin with.

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• I want you to look in your Bibles to 1 John 2 and verse 19. 1 John 2 and verse 19. I want you to look at what the Apostle John teaches us. 1 John 2 and verse 19. Here it is. 1 John 2 verse 19. John talking about these people. He says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." Now I want you to look at what John says. They went out, that is they left, and they forsook the true believers, they forsook the church, they forsook the work of God, that it might be made manifest that they were not genuinely converted to begin with. John clearly states, "for if they had been of us," that is, if they had really, genuinely been one of us, "no doubt," he said, "they would have continued with us." True believers always persevere in faith and repentance and obedience and they hold steadfast to the Word of God.

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• Those who are truly regenerate, those who are born of incorruptible seed and trust Christ and continue in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship of the church as true believers, they will not and they cannot ever apostatize. You say, but true believers have trials, true believers have tribulations, true believers have problems. Yes, they do. And yes, we do. And yes, I do. And yes, you do. But tests and trials and persecution will always drive a true believer closer to the Lord Jesus Christ, closer to His Word. It will drive him to claim His promises and it will drive him to seek divine help and mercy. Those who have real faith will never defect and never apostatize. Those who do not have real genuine faith will always defect and will always apostatize.

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• I want you to understand one simple truth. The Lord knows who belongs to Him. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 10. John chapter 10. I'm sure many of you can quote this passage. But I want you to turn there because I want to show you the opposite truth in just a moment. Look in John chapter 10. And notice if you would please verse 14 and what our Lord said. John chapter 10 and verse 14. Look at what our Lord says. John 10 verse 14. Our Lord said, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine." What does he say? "I know my sheep." Now let me just quote a verse, and then we're going to look at another verse here in John chapter 10. In 2 Timothy chapter 2 in verse 19, the Bible says this, "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his."

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• "And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." Now listen to that again. "The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his."

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• Now when our Lord says, "I know my sheep," and when the scripture tells us that He knows His own people, there's an opposite truth. He also knows who does not belong to Him. For instance, look in John 10 and verse 26, John 10 and verse 26, and look what he told those Pharisees. He said, "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." So our Lord knows not only who his sheep are, but he also knows who does not belong to him.

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• I got out of that one easily. So, I want to read to you what John Gill said about the stony ground hearer. I want you to listen carefully, just one little paragraph. John Gill wrote, "He is one," talking about the stony ground hearer, the shallow-hearted hearer, he says, "he is one that not only constantly attends upon it, but he receives it. He gives an assent to it.

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• He believes in it historically. Makes a profession of his faith in it. Holds it for a while. Being under some convictions of the truth of it. And having some speculative notions of it. And light in his understanding and judgment in it. He has some flashes of natural affection for it. And delivers some outward expressions of pleasure and delight in it. Like Herod and the hearers of John the Baptist, but has no heart work, and so is like the rock in stony ground. The natural hardness of his heart continues. It remains unbroken by the word, without any true sense of sin and repentance for it, and destitute of spiritual life, of true faith, love, joy, hence, and his profession is taken up in haste, immediately upon a flash of affection, and a little head knowledge, he does not last long, nor prove honorable."

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• So scripture is telling us there is such a thing as a temporary believer. So when you see people fall away from the faith, and you see people leave the church and leave other believers, and want nothing to do with Christianity, mark it down. They were a temporary believer and they went out from us that it might be made manifest. They were not of us, for had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us.

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• Now here's a second truth we've got to learn from the stony ground hearer. We must understand that not all joyful response to the Word of God is a saving response. Not all joyful response to the Word of God is a saving response. All true Christians are happy to see people respond positively to the Word of God. We're especially thrilled when we see someone readily and eagerly and quickly and joyfully respond to the Word of God. In fact, we see so little positive response at times, we're gratified just to see any response.

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• Well, we have an old saying, and everyone in this room has heard it. In fact, you've probably recited it from your youth. Here it is. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch." Okay? We could expand upon that. "Don't count your Christians until they prove true." Because you never know what a man is until he gets under persecution. Until he gets in tribulations and trials and affliction. Just because someone gives a joyful response to the word of God does not mean that he's a genuine Christian.

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• I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 8. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Acts chapter 8. And I want to show you someone who joyfully responded to this truth along with a whole lot of others. And yet this one was definitely lost. He was never converted, never saved, never regenerated. Let's begin reading in verse 5. Acts chapter 8 verse 5. I want you to watch carefully now.

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• "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city." Watch this joyful response. "And there was great joy in that city. But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries." Now watch. "But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."

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• "Then Simon himself believed also." Did you see that? Simon believed also. You've got to remember now, there is such a thing as a temporary believer. Now watch, "Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip." Wow, he continued with Philip. He not only was baptized, he stayed with Philip, "and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done."

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• "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee."

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• "For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." Now, I want you to note something. Here's a man who evidently, joyfully, happily, easily, quickly, and readily received the Word of God. He was not only receptive of the Word of God, he was baptized. He was not only baptized, he continued with Philip. Yet when Peter caught up with Simon, he had some strong words for him. Because when Simon offered the money to buy the gift of the Holy Ghost, look in verse 20. I want you to see this. Here's what Peter said to Simon. "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." Now, I want you to watch carefully. He said, "Thy money perish with thee." Can I tell you what Peter literally said? Here's what Peter said. "Your money go to hell with you." The Greek word "perish" is apoleia in the Greek. It's a very strong word and it literally means to go to hell or to go to the destruction which consists of eternal punishment.

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• So he told Simon very clearly, your money and you are on your way to hell. And then Peter said to Simon, "Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter." In other words, you have nothing to do with Christianity. You're not a Christian. You're not regenerated. You're not saved. That's what he told him. And then he says in verse 23, "I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity."

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• Here's a man that professed faith and was baptized and continued with Philip and yet was lost as he could be. So not all joyful response to the word of God is a saving response. Simon joyfully responded, but he had nothing to do with Christ or Christianity. In fact, we could say this, that the immediate reception of the word of God with joy tends to prove that the heart will not retain the seed, for it means therefore that the conscience was probably never ever really penetrated. When you really genuinely get convicted of your sins, it's a serious matter. And you consider the fact that you are in the presence of God and your sins are so great and plentiful and the punishment they deserve and that God is infinitely holy and infinitely righteous. I mean, conviction of sin makes you a serious person. And if the conscience has never been penetrated, then the seed can take no root. The word which was received for the joy it imparted, when tribulation comes and there is no joy, then the faith is given up.

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• Such a faith is nothing more than a flash in the pan. You know where we get the expression "flash in the pan"? From those old muzzleloaders, flintlocks, because that powder that was in the pan should set off the powder in the muzzle or in the barrel, but sometimes the pan just flashes and no spark goes into the barrel, so the weapon is never really fired. It's just a flash in the pan. It's worthless. It's useless.

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• And so that's what our Lord is saying about this individual. Such a temporary faith and such a joyful response with no root is just a flash in the pan. Why? Because immediate joy without conviction of sin is absolutely worthless. And something else you better remember. There is no grace that has not been counterfeited by the wicked one. For every real grace, there is always a counterfeit. And you need to understand that immediate joy, by itself, is no indication of a real, genuine conversion.

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• So two things we've learned so far. First of all, there is a temporary believer. And secondly, not all joyful response to the Word of God is a saving response.

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• Thirdly, time is the great test of faith. Time is the great test of faith. Enduring for a while, believing for a time, and professing and possessing a temporary faith will not suffice. Let me put it to you like this. The one that is ever savingly believed, evidences that faith by continuing to believe. The one who is ever savingly repented, evidences that repentance by continuance in repentance. I want you to look back to John chapter 8 at what our Lord said in verses 30 and 31. John 8 verses 30 and 31. Watch carefully what our Lord says. John 8 verse 30. "And as he spake these words, many believed on him."

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• "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." Or "then are ye my true disciples." What did our Lord say? "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed," or "my true disciples." Perseverance is always demonstrated by preservation. Now, I want to show you the truth of preservation. I want you to turn to the book of Jude and hold on, because we're coming right back to John 10. But I want you to look in the book of Jude, right before the book of Revelation. I want you to look at the book of Jude, and notice if you would, verse 1. Jude 1:1.

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• There's only one chapter there, so you can only have one chapter. Alright, here we go. Jude 1. Look at verse 1. "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James." You know, I've always thought that was interesting. You know who James was? He was the brother of Christ too. And so was Jude, but he says, "I'm the brother of James." He doesn't say "I'm the brother of Christ." "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called." So we are preserved. There's no two ways about that. We're not pickled, we're preserved, okay? You're preserved with sweet stuff, you're pickled with sour stuff.

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• Now I want you to turn back to John chapter 10, just showing you our preservation. I could multiply passages, but watch John chapter 10, beginning there in verse 27. John 10, verse 27. Our Lord says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

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• Now watch, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one." So Jude says that we're preserved in Jesus Christ. Our Lord said He gives us eternal life and we shall never perish.

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• Now I want to ask you some questions. How do I know that I have eternal life? How do I know that I am preserved in Jesus Christ? Here's the answer. Our preservation comes to light in our perseverance. Those who have been preserved are enabled to persevere by the grace of God. That's why our Lord said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." The proof that we've ever savingly believed is that we continue to believe. The proof that we've ever savingly repented is that we continue in repentance.

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• Now, I want you to turn to several other passages that you might not be aware of. First of all, I want you to look in the book of Colossians chapter 1 and verse 23. Then we will turn over to Hebrews. Colossians 1 verse 23. Colossians 1 verse 23. Look what the apostle says. "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister." What did he say? "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel."

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• So God then preserves us. But the preserving power and the preserving grace of God comes to light in the fact that He enables us to continue and we do not move away from the faith. We do not move away from repentance. We continue in those things. Look in Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 14. Hebrews 3 and notice verse 14. Here the author of Hebrews says it again very plainly. Hebrews 3 verse 14.

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• "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end." What? We are made partakers of Christ if we hold fast. How can any man in his own strength hold fast? We cannot even keep our minds clean and clear by ourselves for one second. And the answer is very clear in Scripture. It is God's preserving power that enables us to persevere.

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• So we've learned there is such a thing as a temporary believer. We've learned not all joyful response to the Word of God is a saving response. We've learned that time is a great tester of the faith. In other words, you tell me "I used to believe," well do you now? "I used to be a Christian," are you one now? Time is the great tester of the faith, and the fourth thing we're to learn today is this. Trials and temptations manifest real faith.

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• Fair-weather Christians abound everywhere, but the question must be asked, where are the Christians when the storms of life and the persecution and the trials and the tribulations abound? He who forsakes the faith due to trials and tribulations is just revealing the fact that he was never ever a Christian to begin with. The Apostle Paul in Acts 14 in verse 22 said this, listen carefully, "Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." What did Paul do? Encourage those believers to continue in the faith and let them understand there was only through much tribulation that we would enter into the Kingdom of God. You know, our Lord never promised an easy life. He never promised us that as a Christian, everything would be rosy. He never said that we would not have trials and tribulations and persecutions. I want to show you what he did say. I want you to look in John 15. I'm sure that you already know what I'm about to point out, but here's what our Lord did say and we can put this down for truth.

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• John chapter 15 look in verse 18. Look what our Lord said. "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me." So our Lord said, you're going to have trials. You're going to be hated. You're going to be despised. You're going to be persecuted.

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• So just mark it down. You remember that passage I read earlier? In 1 John chapter 2 and verse 19 where John said, "They went out from us." Why? "That it might be made manifest they were not of us." If you flee in a test, in a trial, in a tribulation, in persecution, our Lord says it's evident. It's evidence that you were never ever genuinely saved to begin with.

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• Now I want to tell you something. One of the reasons our Lord allows persecution and tests and trials is it's absolutely necessary for the church. And we should never ever be disturbed and upset or perturbed by what happens to us or what happens to other Christians. Or what happens to a lot of people in general. You remember in the Old Testament, when they were cleaning the wheat, they would usually go up on the top of a hill or a mountain where you had a good wind. They'd throw the wheat up in there on a sheet, and as the chaff hit in the air, the wind took the chaff and blew it away, and all you had basically was the real genuine grain left. You know what persecution, tribulation does? It separates the wheat from the chaff. I have known individuals who really seem to be gung-ho Christians and, boy, this and we'll do this and we'll do that.

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• And you let trouble come, you let persecution come, and they flee like rats from a sinking ship. They can't take the pressure. Persecutions and trials and afflictions are a great way to purge the flock. Because you're going to find that only real, genuine, committed Christians will remain and stay true. Four things that we're to learn. Let me make some applications. The first one is this. We must remember the old Puritan saying, I've quoted it often, but please remember it. The old Puritans used to say, "The sharp needle of the law must precede the scarlet thread of the gospel." Anyone that has not been thoroughly convicted of his sins, even if he gives a joyful response to the word of God, will not remain. He cannot remain.

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• It's impossible for the seed to penetrate a stony heart. So if that sharp needle of the law has not broken that stony heart and produced real genuine conviction and real genuine repentance, the response given will not stand. Many are much affected with the word for the immediate present, yet they receive no real benefit or abiding benefit from it. It's much like the crackling of thorns under a pot. You can get a bunch of thorns, dried grass, put it under your pot, it will ignite instantly, burn brightly and beautifully, but oh so shortly. And it's gone. Likewise, these stony ground hearers burn and shine temporarily, only because they're temporary believers.

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• You've got to remember, even King Herod, the Bible tells us, heard John and heard him gladly. But he still cut his head off. And was still unrepentant. And did you know this same King Herod was glad to see Jesus Christ? In fact, Luke 23 and verse 8 says he was exceedingly glad. Why? For he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. Not that he wanted to believe in Him or trust in Him.

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• So just because someone is affected immediately, does not mean that it's permanently. Because time is the great test of faith. You've got to remember there are those that rejoice at the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. But their rejoicing is shallow and superficial. It's much like in Ezekiel 33 and verse 32 where God told Ezekiel, He said, "Son of man, all you are to these people is a very lovely song." He said, "They come to you as my people, they sit before you as my people, but they don't listen. And they don't receive."

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• And all you are to them is entertainment. That's it. Just entertainment. So the question is, how deep is your faith? Does it produce fruit? Is it evident? And does it manifest itself in perseverance? The depth of your faith does matter. Because if it has not penetrated the heart, the conscience, the mind, then it's only a temporary faith. And persecution will reveal it. What we want is real, genuine conversions, real genuine conversions that are evidenced and manifested by our continuance in truth and in the Word of God. Without it, there are no real Christians. Real Christians are made by God, not by circumstances, not by situations, not by responses. They're made by the grace and the power of God.

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• The wayside hearer was lost. The stony ground hearer is lost. It does matter how deep our faith really is. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your love, for Your grace, for Your mercy, for Your truth, and we ask Heavenly Father that You would be pleased to make us understand these principles and to bring our lives into greater conformity to Your Word and give us grace, Lord, to persevere and continue in those graces and mercies in our lives. Give us grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray. Amen.

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T13:34:03Z