The Indiana Jones series of films were very exciting because this adventurous and brave archeologist would spend time in search of valuable artifacts, many times going through great danger in order to find the treasure he was searching for.
Jesus spoke of a treasure He called “the mysteries of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:9). He also said this is such an unusual treasure that we should not allow anything to get in the way of our discovering it for ourselves. The word kingdom means “rule.” The biblical term used here refers to the doctrine of eschatology, which means “the last word” or “the last things,” a reference to the Bible’s teaching about the end times.
More specifically, in the passage found in Luke 8:4-10, Jesus’ reference to the kingdom points toward His millennial kingdom, His future reign as the King of kings and Lord of lords. The Bible talks quite a bit about when Jesus Christ will return and rule the entire earth from Jerusalem for this period of 1,000 years. In the meantime, Jesus set forth during His earthly life several kingdom principles that apply to us as His followers today.
Jesus set forth these principles as a mystery, which in the Bible is not a brainteaser or something hard to figure out. It is something that was not previously understood or revealed, which has now been revealed or explained. These principles needed to be understood by Jesus’ disciples in His day and by us today if we are going to understand the uniqueness of this treasure that He called the kingdom.
Jesus often taught truth by means of a parable, a story that uses something familiar to the hearers to explain something that is not familiar to them. One of Jesus’ most famous parables is that of the sower and the seed. It is riveting in its truth, and if you discover “the seed principle” it teaches, you will discover a secret that will transform your very existence.
That’s why we have chosen the message I taught, called “The Secret of the Seed,” to be included in the new compilation series The Spiritual Toolkit. Jesus wanted His disciples to know that success in the growth of the seed had nothing to do with the seed itself; the success of the seed had everything to do with where it landed. This is a crucial principle that can revolutionize your life entirely!
Many times people will think, even if they don’t say it out loud, God’s Word doesn’t work. The Word is taught, but nothing’s different in my life. Jesus wants us to know this parable so we understand that if nothing is different about us, it’s not the problem of the seed. The issue is where the seed falls, which is why we have to check the ground it lands upon. We have to check our internal thoughts and deeply held belief systems and patterns. We have to look at what we truly believe, because our beliefs affect the ground the seed lands on, and they have the potential to give that seed life or starve it and let it die.
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Testimony Time
“Dr. Evans, you changed my life and my view of who God is in a message on Houston's KSBJ Radio. In fact, I pulled my car over and wept out loud for ten minutes. When I heard your message, I became completely free. I understood His unconditional love, hearing my every prayer and word. Praise God for that day and for your messages. Yours in Christ!”
“Brother Evans: God has used you and TUA to speak into my family's life. We're very grateful. We pray blessings and grace come to you and the ministry that God has entrusted to you.”
“Dr. Evans: for the past two months, God has been using your sermons on my local radio station (WORD-FM) to humble me, make me more teachable, use me to share with others, lift me up, and give me hope in totally hopeless circumstances. He loves when we find Him!”
