3. Five Goals as a Christian

4. To be the kind of Christian that God can use for His purposes.

5. To be mature enough to weather the storms of life.

6. To be the type of Christian that
others can follow.

7. To be a true reflection of Christ to the world.

8. To be a Christian who is
a true servant of others.

10. The foundation of our Christian life is based on the principle of…
… hearing and doing

12. There are four different types of hearers

13. Matthew 13:1 - 23
On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow….

14. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away…

15. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" 10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" …

16. 11 He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him….

17. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: "Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; …

18. 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull
15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.‘…

19. 16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. 18 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:…

20. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;…

21. 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful…

22. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

23. The Wayside Hearer

24. Matthew 13:4
And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.

25. Matthew 13:19
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

26. The Stony Ground Hearer

27. Matthew 13:5-6
Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.

28. Matthew 13:20-21
But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

30. The Thorny Ground Hearer

31. Matthew 13:7
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.

32. Matthew 13:22
Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

33. The Good Ground Hearer

34. Matthew 13:8
But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

35. Matthew 13:23
But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

36. Luke 8:15
But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

38. We all control the ground of our hearts.
We must prepare it as Ezra did.
Ezra 7:10
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.

39. How we respond to the commands of Christ indicates…
… our relationship to Him

40. It should be a relationship of love
John 14:15
 If you love Me, keep My
commandments.

41. It should be a relationship of sheep to shepherd.

42. John 10:26-28
But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

44. It should be a relationship of lordship and obedience

45. Matthew 8:8-10
The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me….

46. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

47. Luke 6:46
But why do you call Me “Lord, Lord,” and not do the things which I say?

49. It should be a relationship of discipleship
Matthew 21:6
 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.

50. To neglect to lay this foundation is the height of folly and deception.

51. James 1:22-25
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was…

52. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

54. There are many benefits and privileges for those who are both hearers and doers of the word  

55. Hearers and doers live “blessed” lives.

56. Luke 11:27-28
And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You! But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

58. Hearers and doers receive special
instruction and insight from the Lord.

59. Luke 6:27
But I say to you who hear…
John 7:17
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

61. Hearers and doers are considered His closest friends.

62. John 15:13-15
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

64. Hearers and doers are placed in the same category as His mother and brothers.

65. Luke 8:19-21
Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.” But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

67. 5. Hearers and doers find a place of safety, security and protection in His fold.

68. John 10:26-28
But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

69. I John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For
all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

70. The hearing and obeying of the word of God is the sure foundation!