Bind Yourself

Today's Reading: Genesis 20-22, Luke 8

Luke 8:11-15
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

Luke 8:18
Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”



Personalize it method (Rick Warren's 40 Days in the Word):

Jeff, my parable here is speaking of four different hearers of My Word.  My family, my mothers and brothers, are those that hear...and then do.

Luke 8:21
But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

So take care to note that many will hear and have various responses...but it is the one who does that becomes part of My family.  Jeff, I do not intend that all will hear, or even hear at the same time, but my Word also serves to harden some...

Isaiah 6:9-10
And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. ’ 10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

2 Corinthians 2:15-16
For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

Jeff, take heed how you hear and what you do with it.  I will bring fruit to bear in the one who hears and holds fast to My Word as a doer, but to those that merely hear I will take away that which they think they have.  Hear my servant John Piper...

From a sermon by John Piper February 15, 1998 on this passage as it pertains to hearing the Word preached:

"It's about those who think they have heard, but have not heard."

"Don't be cavalier in the hearing of God's Word week after week. If it is not softening and saving and healing and bearing fruit, it is probably hardening and blinding and dulling"

"But this text is about another great calling - the calling to hear the Word of God. And it is no small thing. The stakes are very high. There is a hearing that barely gets started and the Word is gone before you get out the door. There is a hearing that lasts until there is a hard time in life, and then one turns from God to other messages. There is a hearing that flourishes until the riches and pleasures of this life choke it off. And there is a hearing that defeats the devil, endures trial, scorns riches and bears fruit unto eternal life."

So here Jeff are the four hearers-
1. Hears and immediately sets it aside
2. Hears and rather quickly loses heart due to having no root...merely an emotional experience perhaps
3. Hears and grows but is chocked out due to the cares of the world over a longer period of time
4. Hears and holds fast to the Word with an honest and good heart, patiently bearing fruit that persists

2 Peter 1:10
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

Jeff, you have security in My salvation as you were once and for all sealed for the day of redemption...

Ephesians 4:30
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

But you must diligently confirm this in your life.  Together, with your fellow believers with whom you fellowship you are to guard each other from the possibility that any are yet one of the first three hearers...

Hebrews 3:12-15
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

So take care Jeff.  Be in fellowship with other men that you may watch each others hearts...

Deuteronomy 29:18-19
Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, 19 one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike.

Jeff, you have been this hearer that says "I shall be safe, thought I walk in the stubbornness of my Heart".  You held to a knowledge of conversion but did not hold fast to My Word.  Hear John Piper warn against this...

From an August 18, 1996 Sermon by John Piper-

They say, "I got inoculated against hell when I was eight days old―or six years old." And so getting to heaven is not a matter of vigilance over their heart to keep it from becoming hard and unbelieving. It's simply a matter of making sure that the inoculation happened. These are the ones that are in tremendous danger.

Jeff, you were the third hearer.  You had valued the cares of the world over Me and it was coming time for Me to take away what you thought you had.  See what you may have heard, but were not doing...

Psalms 19:9-11
the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Proverbs 2:1-5
1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, 2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; 3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Hear again from Piper-

"All kinds of alternative passions are making war on your soul every day to steal your faith and replace Christ with other treasures. Take care! Be on the look out! Be earnest! Be watchful over your heart."

Jeff, you had many other treasures that were replacing me and I needed you to drop them in the dirt where you stood.  Yes, you converted at 16 years old but were still the third hearer until you understood the need to surrender the other treasures and concerns of this world...

Matthew 6:25-33
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat? ’ or ‘What shall we drink? ’ or ‘What shall we wear? ’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

So Jeff, be diligent to confirm your calling.  Bring men together to guard each others hearts and make sure none are left on the path or  slip off the rocks or get stuck in the thorns.  Band together on this journey and be proven as you arrive by the power of My Holy Spirit manifest in your hearts.  This takes work!  You haven't time to focus on this world and its concerns Jeff.

My mother and brothers are those that hear and DO!

Application:
Today I am to watch over my heart.
Today I am to look for others on the path and bind myself to them.
Today I am to rest in the truth that God will bear the fruit in me.
Today I am to be certain to do as He calls me to do.
Today I am to contact all the men God has put on my heart and overcome the enemy that might be trying to keep them from being bound to one another on this journey.

Prayer:
Thank you Lord for opening my eyes even just today.  Thank you for the following men that have, to varied degrees and with varied methods by Your Holy Spirit, purposefully bound themselves to me and have played a role in bringing me to surrender: Kent Sparks, Grant Godfrey, Brad Ayres and Mark Ortiz.  And thank you Lord for others that have been powerfully used in this service in very different ways as well: Scott Crosley, Brian Brinson, Adam Anastasi, Steve Woodson, Brian Darrow, Mark Moffett, Matt Arellano, Nicole Lopez, Asher & Anna Lopez.

Lord please empower me to do this that you ask of me because I am unable.

In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!

View blog from a computer or iPad for more content.
Follow @dailysurrender