Guard The Truth

Hi, and welcome to another podcast, Legacy of Freedom.

I'm your host, Eric McBride.

I'm glad that you joined me today.

Hope you're ready to open the Word of God together and to listen for what the Holy Spirit would say to us.

Today we're talking about treasure, what everybody desires.

Some people are just looking in the wrong place.

Grab your Bible and turn with me to Second Timothy chapter one.

Paul's speaking to Timothy, he says, Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

Notice what he said.

He says that good thing which was committed to you, keep by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Another translation says protect that good thing entrusted to you through the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

Yet another translation says guard the truth of the good news that you were trusted with.

Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

He says, Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you.

Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Did you catch that?

Protect, guard, guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit.

What is the apostle speaking of to his son Timothy?

It is that good thing entrusted to us.

It is the word of life, the word of God.

You know your Bible is more than just another book to place on the bookshelf.

It is God's blueprint, God's Word.

It reveals the God of the Bible.

It is full filled with promises for us.

It's filled with truth.

And Paul has shared with Timothy the truth that relates to us also.

God has entrusted us with the Word, and we must guard it.

Jesus reminded me of the parable of the sower.

And as the disciples said after Jesus had shared this parable, they didn't understand it.

And he asked them a question, he said, Well, how will you understand all the parables?

And he began to tell them the sower is the one who sows the word.

And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.

The word, the seed is the word of God.

He says when they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

These likewise are the ones sown strong stony ground, who when they hear the word immediately receive it with gladness, and they have no root in themselves, and so endure for only a time.

After when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.

eighteen Now these are the ones sown among thorns.

They are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, the desire for other things entering in and choke the word and it becomes unfruitful.

But these are the ones sown on good ground.

Those who hear the word accept it and bear fruit, some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundredfold.

There's a principle in this seed.

The principle of the seed is a lot of seed must be scattered to produce a crop, and not all soils produce.

We cannot reap if we don't sow.

If we continue sowing, one day we'll reap a harvest.

As I think about this parable, and I think about what Paul tells Timothy to guard what was entrusted to us.

We must prepare the soil of our heart to receive the Word of God.

And when the seed is planted, we must nurture it until the harvest comes.

It's been hot and dry here lately.

We planted a garden, we reaped some benefits, we got some of the fruit from the vegetable plants that we have planted, but the sun began to increase and intensify the heat, the temperature, and the rain ceased.

And they're not producing anymore.

The ground becomes dry, and the heat is destroying the plants.

So in order for us to continue reaping, then we have to begin to water and try to shade those plants and take care of them.

The same for our lives.

There are enemies that want to come in and steal the word from us.

There are cares that want to come in and choke the word out.

And any one of us at any time can have all of these soils in places of our heart.

And so it is up to us to cultivate the soil of our heart to receive the Word of God.

And then when we receive what's been entrusted to us to guard it and not allow anything to come in and destroy what God desires to do.

I would love for you to get in contact with us and tell us in six months from now what God had placed in your heart and you have been guarding and that the fruit has come because God is faithful to bring forth the harvest if we're faithful to remain and abide in Him and let His Word abide in us.

You know, God wants to work in your life, and the enemy wants to destroy the work of God.

But God says to us today, guard what's been entrusted to us, the Word of God by the help of the Holy Spirit.

Let's pray.

Father, I thank you for those that have tuned in.

I pray that the word of God that has been engrafted into their hearts, Lord, that they would recognize when the enemy comes against it.

I pray that we would recognize when the cares of this world try to choke it out.

I pray that we would recognize, Lord, when the elements are against us, Lord, the spiritual war is against us, but Lord, that we would draw near to you, and that we would stir up the gift of God that's within us, and that, Lord, we would reap a harvest of the things that God, you've already spoken over us.

So I pray that today, that Lord, your grace be upon us, and to help us to guard our hearts, and to guard the gospel that's been given to us.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, God bless you.

Thank you for joining.

May God's grace be upon you, and may you have a blessed day.

Until we see you again, keep living in such a way to leave a legacy of freedom for others to follow in your footsteps to Jesus.