Mark (Quality: Good)

[0:00] Depending upon the help of God, I would direct you to the fourth chapter of Mark, verses 26 to 29.

[0:24] And he said,

[1:54] And it is to be remembered that the Lord has to do with men.

[2:05] And no other creature except his faithfulness in what they need.

[2:16] And the relationship to him, capable of being with him in heaven throughout eternity.

[2:55] Oh, the tremendousness of it. Look at the alternative. And the wicked.

[3:11] There were three heroes that were wrong. And only one that was right. Do you ever wonder which you are?

[3:27] The Lord knows. I often, when I'm looking down at you dear people, I think like this.

[3:40] The Lord is spoken of as walking among the people. If you should come and walk along these pews.

[3:55] And stop at those whose seed is bringing forth fruit. Good ground hearers.

[4:07] I wonder if there's any that he would not stop. It reminds us of that hymn.

[4:20] How can I bear the piercing thought? What if my name had been left out when thou for them shalt fall?

[4:36] There is a piercing in it. Well, he told them the parable.

[4:49] And now he gathers it up. And shows that this parable has in it the kingdom. And he said, So is the kingdom of God.

[5:08] The kingdom of God is in the hearts of his people. His people are his inheritance.

[5:22] And Christ is his people's inheritance. There's something very beautiful in the first chapter to the Ephesians.

[5:33] You see those two inheritances. And it will make you wonder when you look at yourself. Look at this parable.

[5:45] And consider what is said in the first chapter of the Ephesians.

[5:56] In whom. Oh, that whom. Three or four times through that chapter.

[6:07] There's only one such. In whom. Also we have obtained an inheritance. Inheritance.

[6:18] And then. In the 18th verse. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened. That ye may know.

[6:30] What is the hope of his calling. And what the riches. Of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. So you see.

[6:43] The saints have an inheritance. In Christ. And the church of God on earth. Is Christ's inheritance.

[6:57] And they're both the same. And not two different inheritances. The world was created.

[7:15] And that there might be a people. To behold his glory. God was under no necessity.

[7:28] To do anything outside of himself. He needed nothing. He needed to do nothing outside of himself.

[7:40] He's all sufficient. He's the creator. The maker. The former of all. But it was his will.

[7:54] That he should create man differently. From any other creature. Capable of beholding his glory. And capable of the relationship.

[8:13] Of the bride. He's the bridegroom. The church. The bride. Capable of an eternal union with him.

[8:25] A union. By which. They possess all that he is. All that Christ is.

[8:35] And all he possesses. Belongs to his people. By inheritance. His children. Then heirs. Heirs.

[8:45] Heirs of God. And joint heirs with Christ. Oh what a person. This is what the world was created for.

[8:56] Men think it's created to make money. Look at the state of it. What a state of mind. And killing one another.

[9:08] Oh. Oh the. A terrible condition. In some parts of the world.

[9:19] And in all the hearts of men. But there is a people. A peculiar people. Formed for himself.

[9:32] That they may behold his glory. As so is the kingdom of God.

[9:45] Kingdom. His people. His church is his kingdom. His people are his subjects. And he said.

[10:00] So is the kingdom of God. There is the kingdom of this world. The devil has a kingdom.

[10:13] Terrible kingdom. A terrible kingdom it is. Terrible end in eternity. So.

[10:32] Is the kingdom of God. As if a man. Should cast seed. Into the ground. Now this seed. Is incorruptible.

[10:46] Peter speaks of it. And joins it to the scriptures. It's an incorruptible seed. Nothing can corrupt it.

[11:01] Nothing in the gospel. Nothing that the Lord does. Nothing that he gives. Can be corrupted.

[11:11] Not even death itself. Although. We bury our friends. In corruption.

[11:22] They shall be raised. In incorruption. Oh what a kingdom this is. So. Is the kingdom.

[11:34] Of God. As if. A man. Should cast seed. Into the ground. Into the ground. And he that goeth forth. Bearing precious seed.

[11:47] Shall doubtless. Come again. With. With your. Bearing his sheaves. With him. And we do go forth.

[11:59] Weeping. I came forth. Weeping. This morning. What to do. I didn't know. My friends.

[12:15] There is labor. In the. Sowing seed. But this. Incorruptible seed. Is the gospel.

[12:27] It's the word of God. And it's to be sown. Whatever men. Try to do. They will.

[12:38] Never destroy. The word of God. I believe. There are thousands. Of men. Would like to see. The last volume.

[12:48] In the fire. They'll never do it. It's inspired. And ever. Settled in heaven.

[12:58] And the Lord Jesus. Speaks through it. It's his voice. And may he speak to us.

[13:11] That we may have. Some indubitable. Evidence. That this kingdom. Is begun. In our hearts.

[13:23] That the seed. Has dropped there. Which. Which. Nothing can corrupt. As if a man.

[13:36] Should cast seed. Into the ground. That's all a man. Can do. All a minister. Can do. The man.

[13:48] Did nothing else. He went home. And. Should sleep. And rise. Night and day. And the seed.

[13:58] Should spring up. And grow up. He knoweth not hell.

[14:10] Now this is something. Blessed in this kingdom. This kingdom. Is the work of grace. In the heart of a sinner. And.

[14:24] And. We preach the gospel. The lord. The lord knows. And where. That seed drops.

[14:36] he will not return unto him void a minister can do no more a farmer sows his seed and he doesn't go the next day and scratch it and see whether he's growing or not and so the first thing in this is that it is a secret work all vital religion of the Holy Ghost is secret and the seed is secret but it grows if there was no sun and no rain or dew and there would be no it wouldn't germinate and if this seed is sown in our hearts we shall need what we read of in Deuteronomy concerning my doctrine shall drop us the rain and my speech shall distill us the dew and so the Lord has granted unto his people ears to hear the ear of faith has to receive it in a good heart a good ground and then it begins and that inward beginning of the germination of this seed is the work of the Holy Ghost in the soul he's taking of the things of Christ and bringing them in revealing them to a sinner it is he that makes this seed germinate and so is the kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed into other ground the Holy Spirit takes of what Christ is he takes of what Christ has done and brings it into the heart and does the same thing there the salvation that the Lord Jesus has brought out in his own body condescended to take human nature that human nature might be made partaker of the divine nature and thus the kingdom of God in the soul is the gospel preached and received into the heart and the Holy Spirit there works upon that work of grace and it germinates and grows man knoweth not a hell the wind bloweth where it liftseth thou hearest the sound thereof thou canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth so it's the same so really so is the kingdom of God as if a man should take should cast seed into the ground is hidden a religion that begins with some pomp and show and talk is not the seed at all

[19:07] I do admire that expression in one of our hymns an hiding void the world can never fill it can never fill it now I wonder if this seed has dropped into our hearts in another place in the ecclesiastes there's another reference in different words how that it is not known how the bones grow in the woman that is with child and now it grows it grows it's a secret have you a secret religion are the times when you are moved by some secret impulse in your soul to lift up your eyes to heaven and pray as this seed germinates so you grow in grace cast the seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day he's finished with the seed so far as man is concerned as the seed grows and germinates by the holy spirit's inward power and the first effect is that it communicates divine life to the soul it's a living seed it's incorruptible corruptible and it is it is unknown until it comes above the ground first the blade then the ear then the full corn in the ear and this is a kingdom it's going on it's never stagnant nothing that is of a spiritual nature can become stagnant it should sleep and rise night and day and the seed should spring and grow up he knoweth not hell one who is possessed of grace and the workings of the

[22:20] Holy Spirit in his heart who really doesn't know the mystery and the blessed end it is to be born again as soon as this seed is cast into the heart that man is born again he is new man that seed is the new creature the inner man and it grows and it will outgrow the old kingdom for as a sin has rained until death and that as far as it will rain in his people sin won't get beyond there that that's the last enemy oh sin but with respect to the church of

[23:31] God sin is finished sin which puts an end to life will put an end to sin and then this seed grows and out of it there will spring the righteousness of the Lord Jesus all the graces of the Holy Spirit come from this seed but there is to be said that in the most important sense this seed is the Lord Jesus Christ he is the seed of seeds and you'll find that in the twelfth chapter of John except the seed should fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if he die he bringeth forth much fruit and that shows to us the death of

[24:49] Christ is the life of his people and the much fruit that it brings forth is the whole election of grace and not one left out this is the kingdom the working of this seed all to have this secret the secret is very blessedly set out in in the lamentations he putteth his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope the kingdom of God cometh without observation without any outside show and it is a work of grace but it comes from that one seed that was cast into the ground when he died and in that seed is the power of the death and the resurrection of the

[26:19] Lord Jesus Christ it is resurrection that maintains this seed until it springs forth and will blossom in heaven and should sleep and rise day and night and the seed should spring and grow up he knoweth not hell but he does for the earth this is an important part for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself what you might say then looks as if then that the creature that has this seed brings forth fruit of itself so it does but in this way there is a religion that is acquired or it is a mere formality it may be true but it's all external nothing is in the heart there's no seed in the heart no grace in the heart there's no oil in the vessel in the heart and yet they may know all about the truth preachers come to that

[28:20] Judas did but here for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself what is bringing forth fruit of herself is the effect of the seed germinating you feel it within something must be known and felt it's impossible to have the kingdom of God in your heart and not know it because as this seed germinates it gives if I might so speak a spiritual and divine sensation that's never known to a natural man and as it begins to develop so it orders the man all together he has spiritual desires he has before him a different end he has a different kind of happiness for the earth and bring forth fruit of herself if your religion is acquired all from books and take your books away and you've got no religion you don't bring forth fruit of yourself it might perhaps clear that point if we were to read for the earth bring forth fruit in herself you you you know you hunger and thirst after righteousness the first evidence of

[30:47] Paul was behold he prayed oh to have the secret of the Lord which is with them that fear him it is quite proper because it is so often referred to in the bible that this mysterious inward secret life is come and compared to a woman in travail it's a it's a beautiful description you can't understand it it goes on and the woman brings forth fruit of herself for the earth bring forth fruit of herself you know somebody else is religion

[31:57] Judas he was called to preach sent to preach and he preached the truth for this reason God sent him and he would preserve him from preaching error but he had no life he had no grace he was eaten unto God he did not bring forth fruit from his own experience as he falls as he he killed� And there is faith.

[32:45] That's one part of the germination of this seed. You have all the graces of the Spirit in that seed. And the seed of seeds, the source, the fountain is Christ.

[33:05] That seed that was cast into the ground. And all the power of his resurrection is in that seed.

[33:18] And it will be known. There are secrets. Well, there's a test.

[33:34] What, think ye of Christ, is the test? What? Can you do without him?

[33:47] Can you say with the apostles of the Philippians, that I may know him? That I may win him? That I may be found in him at last?

[34:02] And which has the most attention? Your body or your soul?

[34:15] Is Christ the one thing needful to you? Would it make much difference if the chapel was shut, closed, and the Bible closed, and there was no services?

[34:36] Have things entered in, like into the thorny ground? Interests of this life?

[34:47] That makes the things of God of none effect, without desire?

[34:59] Without desire? Or could you truly say, if I was offered all the money there is in Brighton, or to have an indubitable witness in my heart, that I have this incorruptible seed, and feel it germinating, and bringing forth fruit in ourselves?

[35:29] Would you prefer that manifestation to all the riches of Brighton? I believe that I would.

[35:47] Oh, to have Christ. You've got that seed deep for Moses. There he was in an earthly court, with honor and riches, the son of a monarch, had everything he would this world could give.

[36:13] And he treated it, as we would think, with insult. He despised the Pharaoh's court, and chose rather to dwell with the people of, God's afflicted people.

[36:39] That was the effect of this kingdom, the growing of this kingdom. You will have no substitute for Christ.

[36:56] Oh, to have him and then die. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the bull corn in the ear.

[37:17] So there's different degrees of the work of grace. Not different qualities, but different degrees, different degrees of faith.

[37:35] Some 30, some 60, some 100. But to him, the weakest is as dear as the strong.

[37:46] If we have a spark of life, nothing will put it out. Not all the storms of life, and not our sins.

[38:03] Oh, it's an incorruptible seed. And it is there by divine grace, which is irresistible.

[38:17] Well, you can't resist this seed. It's there. And you go to bed and sleep day and night.

[38:32] Nothing's going on. You know not how, but the earth, yourself, your heart, with the Holy Ghost in that seed, germinating.

[38:44] it brings forth fruit. But there's something to me very precious about this germination.

[38:57] It's life. And with respect to the kingdom of God, it is a spiritual life. And it'll grow.

[39:14] The apostle Peter exhorts, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[39:28] And so that, my friends, it's not wise nor right for you to seek greater things in religion than this seed has germinated.

[39:55] Some have got so far as it is in the Philippians. In the third chapter of the Philippians, but whereunto ye have attained walk by the same rule.

[40:17] Some have attained a very little. Although there can't be a little in this kingdom, but it appears so. you may wish that you could pray like your brethren can pray, but that's not spiritual, you know.

[40:40] That's not a right ambition to pray in the spirit. The woman did, Lord, help me.

[40:52] There's as much in that as in a prayer twenty minutes long. God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

[41:07] Thirtyfold, sixtyfold, a hundredfold. The Lord has a purpose for each individual of his people.

[41:17] for what is appointed to them. A minister should have a hundredfold of fruit.

[41:34] But oh, how we do feel, especially since their affliction and their mental powers are failing quickly, we don't expect to come any more times.

[41:48] So is the kingdom of God. Oh, the kingdom of God. I didn't finish. He justifies them.

[42:05] His power and nothing can withstand his omnipotence. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he put it in the sickle because the harvest is come and he gathers his wheat into his heavenly garner.

[42:38] And that is getting very near to some of us. Oh, my friends, I do pray that the Lord may make this a parable and the parable of the wise and foolish virgin to search our hearts.

[43:01] We may know all the doctrines. We may be able to argue about religion. And I would say this to my young friends.

[43:12] If you see people arguing about religion, keep as far from them as you can. There's nothing to argue about. God's Chill out.

[43:33] 20th verse will come to us when the fruit is brought forth or when the work is done. Thou shalt see my glory soon when the work of grace is done.

[43:50] Partner of my throne shall be. Save or sinner, love shall be. Oh, blessed sea.

[44:01] If it's in your heart, nothing can take it out. And that sweet word germinates.

[44:16] The person himself doesn't germinate it. Although the earth bringeth forth fruit of itself, it's its own germination.

[44:27] But it's the spirit's work. It's the spirit that develops it and completes it and unites you unto Christ.

[44:38] Well, it's a full sermon, but a blessed truth. And there you are.

[44:53] And here am I. And what will be our end? Wherefore, upon every page of verse of providence, there is this stamped upon it.

[45:14] Surely, there is an end. But to his people it continues. And thy expectation shall not be cut off.

[45:28] You'll have an expectation. And it all grows from this seed. And this seed is Christ in the heart, the hope of glory.

[45:41] He's the seed for everything comes from him. Grace, faith, hope, holiness, happiness, heaven.

[45:53] Amen. Amen. O見onimat어를 Amen.