331-For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance (1)#
331-For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance (1)
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Matthew 13:11-16
11 Jesus answered, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given to you, but not to them. 12 For whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for giving us this time to share your word together. As we begin a new week, we are willing to come before you to receive your provision. Lead us during this time to understand what we have in Christ. You said: For everyone who has will be given more, so that we may have an abundance and be a blessing to others. Bless every brother and sister who seeks you, that they may all receive abundantly. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!
Let’s look at today’s main text: For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.
This is Jesus speaking about the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. Before and after this, He spoke of four types of soil in parables. Do you know that there are some believers who, despite their faith, are not very prosperous, and their families are always facing troubles, ultimately ending up with nothing? Some might ask: Why is God so cruel? They were already in a miserable state, yet bad things keep happening to them.
On the other hand, there are those who were already quite prosperous and continue to become more and more prosperous. This is also the state of the world: the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer, with the gap between the rich and the poor widening. People refer to this as the "Matthew Effect."
The Matthew Effect actually applies to the scripture we read today. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away. This is called the Matthew Effect.
In business, many industries utilize this principle. Jesus said: For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away. Is God trying to take our things away? Here, Jesus does not tell us what we possess. Do you know what you have? If you do not know what you have, it has actually already been taken away. Unless you know what you have and declare it to receive it, it will not be yours; otherwise, it truly will not be.
Long ago, someone told me a story about the kingdom of heaven, saying that in the kingdom of heaven, everyone has the qualification to receive beautiful things from above, like a warehouse where many things can be taken. Through prayer, you can receive them and enjoy them on earth. He said that many people cry after they go to heaven. Why? Because God gives so much, but they never asked for it, thinking that God gave them nothing and is very cruel, so they never asked God for anything, resulting in their blessings just sitting there. So many people cry. Brothers and sisters, do you know what you have? Jesus said, for everyone who has will be given more, so that he may have an abundance.
Let’s share the first point: For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.
Deuteronomy 11:13-15,
13 “So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul—14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine, and olive oil. 15 I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.
In Deuteronomy, Moses is actually giving a charge to the Israelites. Deuteronomy is a reiteration of God's charge. Within God's commandments are many blessings. The blessings God gives us today are not new inventions; they are precisely what those commandments were meant to provide us. In the past, we could not receive them under the commandments. Just as it says here, if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today, love your God, and serve Him with all your heart and soul.
This passage is under the Old Testament law. If you want to receive the following blessings, you must serve God wholeheartedly to obtain them. This is serving under the law. Today, many people serve in this way to obtain the following blessings.
But I want to say that this is the way of serving under the Old Testament law. Has there been a change under the New Testament? Yes, there has been a change because Jesus has accomplished all of this. Today, you can receive God's blessings not because you have kept the Ten Commandments, but because Jesus has fulfilled the law, and all these blessings can be freely given to you. Amen! After God gives you freely, you can choose to love our God and serve Him wholeheartedly.
Let’s take a look at what blessings God gives us. He will send rain in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine, and olive oil.
Grain, new wine, and olive oil encompass what we eat, use, and enjoy. The Bible refers to them as grain, new wine, and olive oil. This proves that everything we need—what we see with our eyes, what we wear, and everything we need in daily life—God provides for us. Amen! Is God biased? Will He bless one person and look down on another? God sees us all the same. Since God sends rain, He will not withhold it from someone just because they are very wicked. God sends rain to both the wicked and the righteous, so God's blessings are always present. But I want to tell everyone that you need to know that God has given you, and He not only wants to give you but also wants you to have an abundance.
So verse 15 says, He will also make you eat and be satisfied, and He will make the fields grow grass for your cattle. This refers to your portion of inheritance. The previous part tells you that your home can store many things, and the latter part tells you that your inheritance will continue to grow.
Brothers and sisters, do Jewish people believe this? Today's Jewish people believe this, and God allows them to see it this way. Regardless of whether you believe in the Lord Jesus, you should believe one thing: up to now, the Jewish people are called the smartest in the world. They are very wise in business and always come up with new ideas. We can imitate them, but we can never surpass them. There is a classic saying online: always imitated, never surpassed.
Jewish people are like this; they are not afraid of others imitating them because they always receive wisdom from God, knowing that all their blessings come from Him. In the past, when I was in business, I read a marketing book called "The Greatest Salesman in the World." It talks about how a Christian does things in the world, and the last chapter is a prayer. A few days ago, while I was jogging in the morning, I saw four beautiful women standing at the entrance of a beauty salon, and a supervisor was leading them in reciting a set of phrases. I listened and thought, isn’t this just what was in the back of that book?
She said: Success is just around the corner; don’t give up, you might see success just around the bend, and finally said: I thank heaven for what I have... They don’t realize that is a prayer to God. If you have the opportunity, you should check out that book; the last chapter is actually a prayer.
So what if you don’t believe in Jesus? Oh heaven! Please give me. It’s actually not like that. After believing in Jesus, you can be assured that God will surely send the spring and autumn rains upon your land. What if you are in the city? God will surely pour out His anointing on your career and business. Amen! He will allow you to gather grain, new wine, and olive oil. Since you believe in Jesus, you should believe in a grounded way; we need to live on this earth and need material provision, and God will surely provide for us. God first allows you to eat and be satisfied, and then gives you your inheritance.
Yesterday, I went to a place where a sister could hardly get out of bed, lying there almost dying. Later, after someone shared the gospel with her, she listened to the message of grace, and her health gradually improved, her memory recovered, and now her husband, because of her, also believes in Jesus and treats her very well, saying: I want to treat you like a treasure because of your God, and their family has changed. Her husband did not believe before, but after seeing the changes in the family, he said: I know all of this is not the result of our efforts. It is God who has given us this; it is your God who has helped us.
How can the world see God's work? By witnessing changes in you, changes in your family, after you prayed, God accomplished some things, and he saw it with his own eyes, so he reveres your God and believes in your God. Amen! Brothers and sisters, based on today’s context, we know that Jesus spoke of four types of soil in parables, representing four different hearts. Here it tells us that for everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.
Looking at the fourth type of soil, it is the one that yields more and more. Matthew 13:23, "But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown."
The seed that falls on good soil, when it enters the ground, means that this person not only hears but understands the word. After understanding, this word continually bears fruit in their heart, yielding a hundred, sixty, and thirty times the blessings. Amen! I hope everyone can understand the word. I only do one thing: make the word clear, and you just need to use it. Once you understand, you can bear fruit and know how to use it, and then the blessings will increase... God's word can be manifested in your life. In the past, when I did not know Jesus, I relied on myself, on my own wisdom, on my own means... But now that I believe in Jesus, God gives you a very simple way: live according to His way, and you will surely surpass all the wisdom of the world.
Proverbs 3:5-10,
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Would you like to live like this? Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. This is God's charge to us, also a wish; He hopes that after we believe in Him, we will not only know about Jesus in church but also in every aspect of our lives, letting Jesus take the lead, looking to Him. Some may ask: How do I look to Jesus? How do I rely on Jesus? It is to store His words in your heart and use them according to God's word when the time comes.
For example, God says, do not argue with your adversary, but bless him. The way of the world is that if he curses me, I will curse him back, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But Jesus says: Bless your enemies. You cannot do this on your own. When you are willing to do it, pray to God: Lord, I cannot do this; please give me strength and wisdom. God will surely help you. Amen! This is whether you are willing to live according to God's word.
Verse 6 says, in all your ways submit to him.
This is our life. The Christian life can be divided into two types: the first type is living in the land of Canaan; the second type is living in the wilderness. Both are saved, just like the Israelites who crossed the Red Sea; they are saved. However, after being saved, some people died in the wilderness. This part is equivalent to many Christians who, after believing for decades, live in great pain and ultimately die; this is living in the wilderness. The other part enters the land of Canaan, with an inheritance, and can rely on God to live there, enjoying the abundant vineyards, grain, new wine, and olive oil.
Are there two types of Christians? Can we say that God does not love the first type? God's intention has never changed. Before leading them out of Egypt, He told them, I will bring you into a land flowing with milk and honey; I will bless you. God's blessings for every believer are the same, but why do some people live like that? The reason is only one: their faith is problematic. Some believe that while living in this world, they can rely on themselves for small matters, and only when they cannot solve it will they rely on God. But what does God say? In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. What does it mean to submit in all your ways? It means in all matters, even the smallest matters; if you act according to God's word, He will surely guide you on how to proceed.
Verse 7 says, do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.
When we do this, we will find that many things begin to reverse and turn around. Hallelujah! Verses 9-10 are very clear; wanting to turn around financially is very simple. I always tell everyone to read one chapter of Proverbs every day; in a month, you will read it once. By reading it every month, wisdom will continually arise. Many times when things arise, you will know how to solve them without thinking. This is the wisdom God gives us.
Verses 9-10 say, Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
When I was in college, I met a few Jewish people and found that Jewish people have a characteristic: when they arrive in a city, if they start as one person, they will work hard to make a living in the city, but in their spare time, they will definitely seek out their own kind in that city, namely other Jews. If they find two, they will definitely establish a church, a family-style gathering. They work six days a week, and on the seventh day, they will put down all their work and worship God. If more people come in, they will find ways to accumulate wealth, buy a building for gatherings, and as more people come in, they will start forming a large church. This is why a nation can be exiled for nearly 2000 years and still be restored.
Historically, this is unprecedented; if a nation is destroyed for 500 years, it cannot exist again. But the Jewish people have surpassed this. Why? They have always followed God's teachings. The world can develop freely, even to the 22nd century, but my God has always been in my heart. This is why Jewish people can take root and flourish wherever they go. Why is their wisdom applicable in their country and in ours? Because God's wisdom has filled the earth.
Once they form a church in a place, they will definitely donate a tenth to that place to build that home together; this is a characteristic of Jewish people. I have seen this with my own eyes. However, there is one thing: Jewish people are very stingy. When I say stingy, I mean, for example, if I need some money, can you lend me ten dollars?
They say yes, but when will you pay me back?
I say, maybe in three days.
Three days later, they say, you need to pay me back.
If we borrow ten dollars, would we still want it back? Forget it. But they are very clear about it. They truly keep accounts clearly, even among brothers. This is the wisdom they receive from God; they are willing to help you, giving you ten thousand dollars without expecting repayment. But if you borrow, you must pay it back. This is their concept, completely based on the Bible. Are they foolish? They can be quite rigid, but their blessings are abundant. Because they say, God's word, we must act according to it, regardless of what you do; we must follow this way, so Jewish people are still so wise today, and they also teach their children to live this way.
So God says, Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
God's way is very simple. Now you need to know what you can possess. Look at a parable, the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, which is actually not just about the prodigal son but also about the loving father, the younger son and the elder son. Many people have talked about the younger son, who was wild and squandered his inheritance... What about the elder son? The elder son did not do these things, but in his heart, he also particularly liked to waste, just did not dare to.
In other words, the elder son is just a younger son bound by the law. Many people under the law also want to be like us and ask: Lord, please make everything in our family smooth and abundant. Lord, please bless my business and let my children go to the best schools. They do not dare to ask because they think if they do, others will say: That’s worldly! Pastors do not dare to dress too nicely or drive particularly good cars. If they say that, others will say they are secularized.
Is the younger son unconcerned about all this? He does whatever he thinks of, squandering his inheritance. In fact, both sons are the same; the elder son just does not dare to act. But did he not complain? Did he not think about it? He particularly wanted to. When he saw his brother squander all the family wealth and return, he was very angry. Because there was now another mouth to feed in the family, sharing the inheritance with him. As a result, the father treated his brother with the best things, and he hated this wayward brother. He thought, the family prepared a lot of good things to welcome him, how unfair! Everything exploded in an instant.
So when the father invited him in, he refused to go in and began to complain to his father, saying, I have served you for so many years, and what have I gained? Many people serving under the law are like this: Lord, I have served you diligently for so many years; why have you not listened to a single prayer? Why have you allowed such things to happen in my family? Why did you not protect me? Many people will have such doubts. Where is the problem? After the elder son complained, how did his father respond?
Luke 15:31, “My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.”
Did the elder son know this truth? Yes, he knew that everything his father had was his, but he never dared to claim it. He wanted to go out with his friends to eat and drink; could he take a lamb from the sheepfold? Yes, he knew that it would eventually be his, but because his father was not dead, it was still his father's. If the father is not dead, then the things are still the father's; although they are yours, they are not yours yet.
Brothers and sisters, let me ask you a question: Are all our blessings given to us by God? If you want to celebrate with your friends and want to receive blessings from God, will God give them to you? Yes, because everything in the kingdom of heaven is for whom? For those who are always with me. Let me ask you a question: Is the Holy Spirit always with you? Is everything He has yours? Yes. Then that’s good; everything He has is yours. What does this include? Everything we usually eat, drink, use, everything in heaven and on earth is included. Our God is not a religious God who only wants you to sing praises to Him every day. No, He is a very practical God who wants you to see His works in every area of your life. Amen!
The father said: “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.” I now hope you know that everything the Heavenly Father has is yours. Do you know what the Heavenly Father has? The Bible records in great detail what our God can do and what He possesses. If you believe this is for you, then it is for you. Why do I encourage everyone to read Proverbs? Because you need to know that wisdom is for you, then it is for you. If you believe that all the blessings in Christ are for you, then they are for you. You need to declare it: Lord, this is mine.
Children do this very well; a six or seven-year-old child introduces to his classmates, saying: This is my home. Why not say this is my father's home? Because he knows what belongs to his father is also his. But many Christians feel that what belongs to God is God's, and what belongs to me is mine; I must work hard to receive a little from God. This is a hired worker. Although the younger son wanted to return as a hired worker, did the father agree? No, he was still a son.
Do not live like a hired worker when you are clearly a son. God hopes you will use all His resources to know Him and help others know Him. If you have such a heart, saying: Lord, please use me; I am willing to use the resources you have given me to know you and let those around me know you. God will surely give it to you; otherwise, why prepare those things? You buy many different kinds of toys for your child and let him look at them without touching them. What’s the point of buying them? God has prepared these for you to give to you.
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
At the moment you accepted Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in you. You have heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Jesus. After you believe in Him, God says that the Holy Spirit is a seal in you. This Holy Spirit is the guarantee of your inheritance. Do you know what this means? It’s a blank check, already stamped, with the amount left for you to fill in. This is the Holy Spirit as a seal, the guarantee of your inheritance. What do you need?
If a child is sick, you have a blank check, and you say: I want medicine, and you can get the medicine. You say: I want healing, good! You can receive healing. What do you want? You can write it down. Below, Jesus has already signed His name. God has prepared all of this! When Moses asked God, “Who are you? How should I introduce you?” God said to Moses: I AM WHO I AM. This term is quite professional. What does I AM WHO I AM mean? Translated into something understandable today: I am...
What do you say God is? If you have a disease and need healing, God says: I am your healer; you say: I am feeling particularly distressed; I need comfort. God says: I am comfort. David recognized throughout his life that God is his fortress, his stronghold, his refuge... he said many things. That is David's understanding of God. Amen! Today, you need to know that the Holy Spirit lives in your heart, and you already have the guarantee of your inheritance. The more you receive, the more God rejoices. Amen! It is completely different from the world; if we take more from our parents, we feel our parents have less. But God is not like that; the more you receive from God, the more God rejoices. The more you receive, the happier God is. Amen!
It is like a fountain of living water; if no one draws water from the fountain, the fountain may have problems. If no one draws water, it becomes stagnant. But the more people draw water from the fountain, the better the fountain will be. Jesus is such a God; He hopes you will receive His living water continuously... He will give you more and more. You are the same; we must believe that the principles in Christ are different from those in the world. The world's principle is that if you take from him, he will have less. But in Christ, if others take from us, we will have more. Amen!
So what Jesus is pointing to now is to firmly believe in God's word, which gives you the courage to declare what you have. You must believe: What do I have in Christ? If you say: God's righteousness is upon me, then declare: In Christ, I have God's righteousness. In Christ, I have Christ's health; in Christ, I have Christ's wisdom. Declare it; this is what you possess. Amen! Acknowledge that you have it, and it is in God's promise. God says you have it. Moreover, God also says: I will give you more; your basis for believing is God's promise. Hallelujah! Believe that you have already received it. God says that if you believe, then you will receive it.
Have you noticed something? In spiritual gifts, the more you use the gifts, the more you have. Preaching is the same; the more you preach, the more you have to say. Initially, many seminary students are terrified to preach a sermon; if you let them preach five days a week for a year, they will have more and more to say. Because God is such a God, the more you supply others, the more God supplies you. We are like a pipeline of living water that flows continuously... Amen! It is the same in life; we develop the habit of prayer. When we encounter things, we pray to God, and you will find that your prayers increase, and you will enjoy praying more.
In Jewish thought, money is a flowing thing, not a dead thing, while we think money should be kept in the bank, in a fixed place, resulting in much money flying away. With the depreciation of currency, the original ten thousand dollars now has the value of one thousand dollars. But Jewish people believe it is flowing. Is there a biblical basis for this? Yes, money has wings; today it flies into your pocket, and tomorrow it flies into someone else's pocket. It may seem like it is still in your pocket, but it has actually flown away. So they believe that unless you have God's wisdom, these things are unreliable. I want to tell you that in any field, if you are willing to receive more from God, He will let you see more. Amen!
In a very professional field, like the software industry in computers, continually seek God for wisdom in this area, and God will give you more wisdom, allowing you to become a top player in this industry. In doing a particular business, seek wisdom from God every day, and He will allow you to remain at the top in that industry. I have always sought one thing from God: to use His wisdom to interpret the scriptures simply enough for even children to understand, yet it must be effective. I do not want it to be so simple that in the end, everyone feels it is meaningless and gains nothing from it. It must be both simple and beneficial; this is not our wisdom but God's wisdom.
Those who have listened to my sermons for a long time will find them particularly simple, even those who just come in can understand. Many people say they understand, and I say thank the Lord. You must first understand before you can know how to use it. First, understand, and then you can increasingly receive and continuously possess in your life. Therefore, Jesus means that you have already understood, and He will add more to you, allowing you to possess more and more.
Ephesians 1:17-18
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.
Here, there is a "what" meaning: God especially hopes to give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. You must ask God for the Spirit of revelation. This Spirit of revelation is like opening something, finding a thought process that will increasingly help you understand more; this is called the Spirit of revelation. It allows you to increasingly know our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
The latter part says: “And I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.” If you have lost hope, continually come before God to know Him, and your hope will grow larger... The latter part says: “The riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.” If you say you have already been very successful in the world, how does that compare to God's inheritance? God's inheritance is greater. Amen! But if you have not realized this at all, how can you ask for something greater? So God says: I will first let you experience a little, and then you will increasingly experience Him. Hallelujah!
2 Corinthians 1:20-21
20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21 Now it is God who strengthens us with you in Christ and has anointed us, is God.
In Christ, no matter how many promises we have, they are “Amen” in God's eyes. Amen means it is given to you, and it is truly given to you. Why do I encourage everyone to read the Bible? Because you need to know that God is a God who blesses; you must know how many blessings there are, right? Since Jesus has died and left this will for us, do you know that when dividing the inheritance, the will is written very clearly in the contract? What inheritance can you receive? It is all clearly written in the contract. If you say you already know but do not look at it, how can you know what you can receive?
The Bible you hold is what God tells you that you can receive and possess. When you see this, step into the world, and it is another Bible—the physical Bible—begin to declare your inheritance in the name of the Lord Jesus. This land now belongs to you; God has given it to you. You drive ten kilometers away, holding the contract, and start declaring that this place is mine, and it has legal effect. Then you will possess it. Simple, right? This is how you receive all spiritual blessings from God. No matter what you want to possess, know that God has already given it to you.
For example, if a child is sick, you lay hands on the child and command the sickness to leave in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Is this not God's promise? Can you receive it now? I possess his health. Hallelujah! This is what we need to use in life. God says, if you use it this way, I will let you see greater things. Do not think that a cold is a problem; in the future, let you experience more; this is nothing. Hallelujah! Why do I want everyone to practice this? The more you practice in small matters, the less you will feel it is a big deal in larger matters!
1 Corinthians 1:30, "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption."
Do you know you have God's healing? Do you know you have God's authority? Do you know you have God's righteousness? All promises in Christ are “Amen,” meaning they are for you. God strengthens us and anoints us in Christ. Who is the ultimate achiever? Our Heavenly Father. Amen! When you pray, do not worry about anything. In the past, we did not dare to pray for others, but now if someone is sick, we can pray for him, commanding that sickness to leave in the name of the Lord Jesus.
I have told everyone this before: many Christians, including some pastors, are afraid. They fear what if it does not work? What if this person does not get healed? Let me ask you a question: when you pray, who is doing the work? You are using God's authority. The one who strengthens you and anoints you is not yourself or a certain pastor, but God. Just do your part and do not worry about the rest. Amen! This is how you can truly possess your inheritance and experience His presence in your life. Can we do what others do not dare to do? Yes, as long as God has a promise, just do it, and then watch God’s work. This is the first point of sharing.
The second point: For whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
Many Christians are confused as to why God does not bless me? I have worked hard; why has my situation not changed? What is the problem? Sometimes the situation even gets worse. Is God biased? No. Let’s look at a passage of scripture.
Matthew 13:18-22,
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 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. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
Have you found the reason? Are the first three types not blessed by God? If you want to break through in your family, career, finances, or even elsewhere, check if there is a problem here. Do not say why you are not blessed; God is very willing to bless you. You need to see what is blocking the channel of blessings. If you find the reason, then just let it go.
Look at the first one: they hear the message about the kingdom but do not understand it.
Yesterday during the meeting, a sister's husband came to hear the word for the first time. He said, I have believed for ten years, but I do not know what I heard in church; I did not understand a single word. I did not expect it to be so simple; now I understand. Brothers and sisters, when we preach, do we not want people to understand? In fact, it is not just him; I was like this in the past. I lived under the law for ten years, and I did not know what I was hearing. I went to meetings every time but did not know what I heard. When I got home, I did not know how God was using me. I did not understand the Old Testament, the New Testament, grace, or the law. When I encountered problems in life, I still relied on my own strength to do things. I do not know if you are like this; I was like this in the past. Until I encountered grace, I realized that the New Testament and the Old Testament are different; there is indeed a distinction between grace and law, and I can truly rely on God to live.
In the past, I really did not know these things. I did not know what I believed in. The reason is that I did not understand. We heard, but we did not understand. We did not know why we went to meetings every week, just because we are Christians. Because we do not understand, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in the heart. Now you know, for whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away. Who takes it away? The evil one, not God. God can never take your things away; God is a God who blesses. The problem now is that the evil one comes; why does the evil one take away? Because you do not understand. In the midst of doubt, he takes it away. After it is taken away, he truly does not understand.
The second type is the seed sown on rocky ground. This person hears the word and receives it with joy at once, but there is no root in their heart.
This means that the word has not truly entered their heart; they just feel it is good, and the person speaking on stage is really passionate and eloquent. I do not want others to say I am eloquent; I just want others to say: Today I got to know Jesus again; that is good. That person hears the word and receives it with joy at once, but there is no root; it is only temporary. When trouble comes, that is the time to truly use God's word. But when trouble comes, what do they do? They do not believe and fall away. When persecution comes, it is precisely when you should use Jesus to overcome persecution, but they fall away. That is because there is no root in their hearts.
Brothers and sisters, Christians are not afraid of trouble or persecution because when these come, it is precisely when Christ within us overcomes. Hallelujah! Just like I am not afraid when people with problems or diseases come to our church. Why? Because Jesus can overcome. That is when you can stretch out your hand to use His name. Life is like this; do not be afraid of difficulties in life. Every time difficulties come, know that God's grace is greater. What is feared is that we have no root and immediately fall away, saying we do not believe in the Lord anymore. They think that if they do not believe in the Lord, there will be no trouble or persecution, but in reality, they exist regardless of whether you believe or not. This is the second type; the first two actually do not have faith.
The third type is the seed sown among thorns.
This person indeed believes, but he is a rather unfortunate Christian. The seed sown among thorns hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. The things of this world choke God's word, which proves that in their mind, the things of this world and the things of God are balanced. It should not be like this; Jesus should be in the first place, and the things of this world should be below. This order is correct.
So the one sown among thorns is overly worried. Think about it; have we worried a lot from childhood to adulthood? Always worrying that something will go wrong. Before starting a business, we think about what to do if the worst happens. When doing business, we think about what to do if there are no customers tomorrow. When customers come, we worry about what if we do not serve well. When signing contracts, we think about what if this person goes back on their word. A lot of worries are here, resulting in sleepless nights and insomnia. Have you noticed that with the development of this era and the economy, as people's mobility increases, the pressure also increases because there are too many worries.
They think: If I do not work overtime for ten hours, I will lose my car, house, and children... They are always worried about what to do. What if they lose it? The worries of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth.
Some time ago, someone told me: Teacher Ren, I really regret not listening to your advice; I entered that funding scheme again and ended up trapped. What should I do?
I said: I have told you repeatedly not to enter.
He said: At that time, I thought it was good, so I entered. After entering, I felt uneasy.
I said: If you felt uneasy, why did you not stop?
He said: What if it is peaceful?
Do not be deceived by wealth. Why add the word “deceit”? Because it seems like it can be obtained easily, but in reality, it is a trap. If it looks bad, who can trap you? Have you seen a trap? The master of setting traps makes the path look more reliable than usual. The deceitfulness of wealth is just like this; it seems particularly easy to obtain, but it ends up trapping you. Once you enter, you are trapped. These things choke God's word, making it impossible for it to bear fruit. When compared to these, God's word seems ineffective. Christians should think... Isn’t that too rigid? Earning money is so difficult; this is so fast! It is indeed fast; it can quickly trap you. It is because these things choke the word that it cannot bear fruit.
Now do you understand why some people live worse and worse? Clearly, we tell them not to gamble, not to participate in illegal fundraising. Some say it is a quick way to make money! Well, then go ahead. What else can we say? Brothers and sisters, these things cannot allow us to bear fruit; they will only bind us tightly, making our lives increasingly difficult. What should we do when we encounter these things? When others ask me what to do, I say: From now on, let it go; whatever you lost before is lost. From now on, rely on God, and God will repay you. Although it was your fault, from now on, believe that God is a God who blesses, and live according to God's word, and God will give you again. Just believe, but do not hold onto the past with a sense of luck; that is useless.
Matthew 13:15-16
15 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
Your eyes are blessed because you see. What did the disciples see? What the disciples saw was related to Jesus because they saw what Jesus was doing every day. Those who did not follow Jesus saw what people in the world were doing. You need to turn your eyes to Jesus and see what Jesus is doing, and then you will be blessed, and your eyes will be able to see. Amen! Know that you are in Christ and already possess Christ's blessings, while you say you do not have it; in reality, this leaves a space for the devil to take everything from you. Of course, the devil does not want you to walk in God's blessings. When some Christians encounter problems, they particularly hope to be in this state. It is self-comforting.
Job 1:21 says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
Is there anything wrong with this statement? No, there is not. In times of suffering, Christians particularly believe this statement is true. Why? I came with nothing, so it is normal for me to leave with nothing, right? The Lord gave, and the Lord took away; it is also very normal. The name of the Lord should be praised. Is this normal to you? Let me ask you a question: When you came naked from your mother's womb, who told you to return naked? We are to return to heaven with abundant blessings. Who told you to return naked? Will we not return with the robe of righteousness and crown of reward? Yes, then why say we return naked? So this statement is incorrect.
The Lord gave is correct. The Lord took away; if God initially gave you and then took it back, what does He want your things for? Why give them to you in the first place? So these words are incorrect; they are just Job's limited understanding of God at that time, thinking that this is the kind of God He is. I tell everyone not to declare this; this is Job's erroneous belief.
In the end, Job realized that his faith was problematic. He discovered that the disasters he faced were not caused by God and were not taken away by God; they were attacks from the devil, right? I tell you, the difficulties, challenges, and serious problems you face in life are not what God takes away or sets before you; they are attacks from the devil, and he is the one who takes away.
Job 42:5 says, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”
When Job said this, what happened afterward? Double blessings. This is what happened after Job saw God with his own eyes. If God is a God who takes away, he should have remained the same. When he saw God with his own eyes, he saw God's double blessings. I hope you can view God this way today. Amen! Just be afraid that you see it wrong, thinking God wants to take away, thinking God brings diseases and disasters, then you will surely be stolen by the devil. You must abandon this concept and not use it to declare anymore. God has already prepared all blessings, and if you think you have none, you will give up your authority. This way, the devil can steal your blessings because he has already obtained your permission; you think you have none.
John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”
Please remember this verse; God does not come to take anything from you; He comes to give you. Amen! To give you life and have it to the full. If you have a need, you can ask God; open your mouth and ask without doubting. God is willing to bless you. If you ask and do not see it immediately, continue to pray until you see it. Amen! In the process of declaring, you must also believe that one day you will surely see this result; you have already seen this result in your heart.
Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
God's word is very firm; there is no room for thinking or doubt. You must believe this way. Amen! God says, whatever you ask for, as long as you believe you have received it, it will be yours. God will accomplish it in the best way for you. Amen! God will surely accomplish it; you must believe this way. Pastor Gan Jianxin was healed relying on this verse. The unknown blood symptoms in his body and heart disease were healed in an instant.
2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we live by faith, not by sight.”
The people of the world rely on sight, but we must rely on faith. What is faith? Let’s look at the definition in the Bible.
Hebrews 11:1-3
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
What does this mean? Faith is the confidence in what you hope for; you now see the substance of what you hope for. Assurance about what we do not see means that this matter has not yet arrived, but you believe you have received it. This is faith; is it simple? The Bible has left many beautiful testimonies of faith. If you read Hebrews 11, you will find many testimonies, right? Some of those people were in trouble, some were in persecution, but they always believed that God is a God who blesses and that He will surely save me from all problems. Amen!
By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
What does this mean? This sentence is very simple; everything you can see with your eyes is made from the spiritual realm. In the beginning, when the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, God said, “Let there be light.” Think about this: when God said, “Let there be light,” before He said it, did He already have the image of light in Him? Yes, He already had the image of light, and then He spoke it out, and light came into being. When God said, “Let the earth sprout grass and trees bearing fruit,” did God have the picture of all kinds of trees in Him before He said it? Yes, He already had all kinds of pictures, and then when God spoke it, it began to be accomplished according to what He had previously thought. Amen! This is how God uses His words, and He hopes you will use His words this way.
For example, if there is a tumor on your body, when you touch it, in the spiritual realm, you must first see that the thing you are touching has already disappeared. Then, in the name of the Lord Jesus, command the tumor to disappear, and it will disappear. This is how God works; what is seen is not made out of what is visible, meaning everything we see comes from the spiritual realm. So, do you need to understand what is happening in the spiritual realm? What you see in the Bible are the experiences of spiritual figures, and today you should experience them too. Amen! Declare by faith.
If God says: Pretend you have received it; as long as you pretend long enough, you will receive it. Brothers and sisters, this is not a game; we do not live by mental support; we live by God's words. If mental support could work, we could just go to the hospital and find a psychologist. What they give you is just some chicken soup; as long as your belief is strong enough, your illness will surely get better... that is useless. Otherwise, there would be no need for doctors to perform surgeries. When substantial diseases come to the church, we tell them God's word. It sounds similar to what a psychologist would say, but in reality, it brings change; one has life, and the other does not; one has power, and the other does not.
This is God's promise. God does not ask you to pretend these things do not exist. Many people say: I have prayed, but this place still hurts; how can I say I have been healed? It hurts, but you must believe that God has healed you. This is seeing from faith first and then declaring it. Some say, I declared it, but it still hurts; what should I do? Then continue to declare until it stops hurting. There is no limit to the number of times.
Romans 4:17-18
17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not. 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him: “So shall your offspring be.”
Why could Abraham become this blessing? Because he believed in God; it is that simple. It is not that Abraham's behavior was good enough; it is that after God spoke this word to Abraham, he believed and received it. Do not think that Abraham was so lucky; you are the same; do not envy him. Do not think that God's word seems a bit incorrect, and I surely cannot receive it. Then you will not receive it. You must believe you can receive it; you already possess it. Then you will see it.
What kind of God did Abraham believe in? When he offered his son Isaac to God, he believed that God could raise the dead and bring things into existence from nothing. Do you have this faith? This question is a test question that pastors under the law often ask you.
It is not whether you have faith; it is whether you believe Jesus is such a God. This is simple. Do you have faith? Do you believe Jesus can raise the dead? Do you believe Jesus can bring things into existence from nothing? The question under grace is whether you believe Jesus has this ability. If you have this faith, it is enough. Hallelujah!
At that time, Abraham believed that God could indeed raise the dead and bring things into existence from nothing. God said, if you believe me this way, I will let you see it this way. Amen! He believed in hope against all hope. Do you know what it means to have no hope? It means that all your efforts are ineffective. This is called having no hope. Everyone's answer is the same: you have no hope. The most frightening thing for people is to hear the doctor say, we have done our best. Just stop trying; come before God and say: Lord, they have all experienced it; now it is your turn to act. Then you will see miracles. Abraham, when he had no hope, still believed in hope. Christians will never lose hope.
God says your offspring will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. When he had no hope, he still believed in God; this is what God values. When you encounter crises and difficulties in life and feel there is no way out, God says, I have a way. I love what Jesus said at the end on the cross: “It is finished.” In English, it can also be translated as “It is done.” I want to tell everyone that when the world says it is finished, you should say it is done; when the world says it is dead, you should say it is alive. Amen!
Because in Christ, it is just like this; in Him, we always have hope. Hallelujah! Now I want to tell everyone to know what you have in heaven. The more you know what you possess, the more you will draw from it. God says, I want you to have an abundance, to be increasingly rich, and to be a blessing to others. I hope every brother and sister understands everything we possess in the kingdom of heaven, and that God is willing to send various people and resources to serve you. He wants you to know this God and also wants you to help others know our God through various resources.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for telling us through these words that for everyone who has will be given more. Because you are willing to bless us, may we experience your grace more in our lives, and in everything, see your great power. We no longer want to rely on ourselves to live but are willing to live according to your word because you have already won and have overcome the world. You said: what we have will be given more, so we can give to those in need.
Please help the brothers and sisters to receive provision in your word and experience your great power in life. You help us to be abundant, and we are willing to flow this blessing to those around us, making us their beautiful testimony, so they can see the wonders of Jesus Christ through us. All glory belongs to you. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!