BY DR. JOHN SULLIVAN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-TREASURER
FLORIDA BAPTIST CONVENTION

Let's Go Fishing

This continues a series of articles written by my friend Sumner Wemp. I am reprinting them because I could not have said it better. I hope they bless you as much as they do me.

"But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it which also beareth fruit and bringeth forth some an hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty" Matt. 13:23.

They must "understand" the gospel.

The gospel is that "Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose again, and (I find this very effective) was seen by hundreds" 1 Cor. 15:1-4.

None of the so called "gods" were seen risen from the dead.

You hear some day, "Christ died on the cross." That is not the gospel. The two thieves died on a cross too.

Some say, "Christ died for us." Our military people are dying for us.

The gospel is "Christ died for our sins." This is what brings conviction and conversion. That alone is what we must believe in and trust to get to heaven. How terribly sad and eternally awful is it that the gospel is not always being preached clearly and no wonder tons of church members are not saved.

Consider John 3:16. Think! That lost man does not have a clue what, "gave his only begotten son" means! We must be wise as serpents and present the gospel clearly. Christ died for our sins, paid our debt in full, rose again and was seen by hundreds makes a world of difference.

The Scripture says they will bear fruit. "Which also bringeth forth fruit." There must be a change in birth, behavior and bearing fruit. Doesn't that make sense?

They will bear different amounts. "Some thirty fold." You would be terribly disappointed in a car that only ran on a 30 percent capacity. Some sixty fold—better, but far from what they could bear. Some a hundredfold. This would transform the world!

When I was a pastor I led a teenage girl to Christ. In the next four months we saw over 30 persons in her family get saved because she prayed and witnessed to them and got them to church. Oh, that every child of God was that eager to get their loved ones to Christ and bear fruit like that.

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You may contact Dr. John Sullivan at 1-800-226-8584, ext. 3015, or by e-mail.