In the New Testament, there are only two miracles recorded in all four gospels. The resurrection and feeding of the 5,000. Today’s message is based on the latter. Although the four gospels describe the miracle in slightly different ways, all of them describe the outcome in a similar fashion – “And they did all eat, and were filled.” Productivity is a notable fact in Jesus’ ministry and the ministry of the twelve.
In Sri Lanka where I was born and raised the people living in the Northern, Eastern, and Southern provinces grow Rice for a livelihood. Rice is in great demand in the local market because it is our main diet. To grow Rice you must sow the seeds called Paddy. The sowing is carried out by professional Sowers. Hence the Sower is a common sight in my country. This reminds me of the Parable of the Sower.
There are 46 Parables in the New Testament. The Parable of the Sower is one of the few parables that appear in all three Synoptic Gospels. Let’s consider the narration in the Gospel of Luke Chapter 8. We will read from verses 1 to 15.
I concluded my previous sermon by saying it doesn’t matter how fast we run from the truth because the truth will catch up to us one day. It caught up with David also when the Amalekites attacked Ziklag, burned it to the ground, and took the women and children captive. David from a place of having it all had fallen into a place where everything was lost. To the natural eye, things couldn’t get any worse. But from God’s point of view, this was a good place to be in, not a bad place. Here’s why?
While Psalm 23 (which I covered here) is definitely the most popular Psalm of all, surveys prove Psalm 91 is among the 50 favorite passages of many Christians. Hilariously, some call it the Psalm that the devil can quote because the devil actually quoted it when he tempted Jesus.
Pentecost is the second greatest festival in the Jewish calendar. It was the in-gathering of the harvest and was a great event in the life of Israel. In the New Testament too, Pentecost is a great event for it was the in-gathering of souls which began the first-century church. Coming fifty days after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, Pentecost was the fulfillment of the greatest promise that Jesus gave to His disciples before He ascended to heaven. So He told them to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with the power from on high. He said “… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) [Original Article by Dr. Colton Wickramaratne]
There are two cities in the Bible, known even to people who know almost nothing of them. These are the twin cities Sodom and Gomorrah. We can find many sermons based on the destruction of these cities as well as Abraham’s intercessory prayer for their deliverance. This sermon is based on the same, but I want to share some different insights.
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