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Why are we losing our own?  We must ask “What can I do about this?” (acts 2)(James 1)  Investigate why they leave  Investigate what they thought  Where are the new converts? 2

Primary Categories of Failure 1. Hypocrisy 2. Teaching 3. Soil Issues 3

Use your hypocrite detectors 4

5 “Be on your guard against hypocrisy” Luke 12

6 Take a good hard look  2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-- unless, of course, you fail the test?  James 1:23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

They are watching.  They see you for what you really are. Preachers kid is the most foul.  Our children feel less important when our focus is on religion  We assume they know the teachings we know (shallow planting)  We fail to see they will have a different foundation 7

Issue oriented?  We point to (care about) issues and rules and not Christ  Mirror points out the filth in your life.  To some we are the smell of death.  Light of the word shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot comprehend it. 8

Standards too high  They see standards as too high to achieve. (teaching as doctrine the commandments of Men)  I will never be as goody two.  Foundations must be fortified, not destroyed. 9

Broken Families  Our numbers fade from a broken family.  We are so anti Sunday School that we don’t do Titus 2.  Titus 2 says we had better have women teachers! 10

The Bible contains a formula for destroying a church:  Acts 8:3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.  Satan knows if he breaks our families the church will fail. 11

Bring me a fish. 12

13 “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Tim 4:12

They are calloused, jaded.  2 Timothy 2:14 Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.  A swordfight never ends with a hug 14

Souls will be damned. We don't really believe souls will be damned.  Those who don't know God AND obey not the gospel. (2 Thes 1:8)  Those that don't glorify God Romans 1  We love only our own, we don't love the lost 15

Jesus said Go.  We dismiss the great commission (Jesus said Go!)  Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all nations. Matt 28  Colossians 1:6 All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. 16

Milk, prosperity  Milk fed Christians, choke on the meat  The “christian” world is teaching peace and safety – when destruction pains are coming (1 Thes 5:3)  Suffering is the path to growth 17

Our Teaching Most of our teaching is about remarriage, but that is a symptom. We need hundreds of lessons:  How to be a Godly young man.  How to be a Lady of virtue.  How to choose a mate.  How to maintain a marriage! 18

Teaching  Your kids have to be thrown into the pool, pushed on the bicycle.  We miss what Jesus said about the subject because we don’t study the parables hard enough. There are volumes on growth and soil. 19

But soil is dirty! 20

21 “A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain” Mark 4:26-28

Soil Inspectors  We are selfish hoarders of salvation!  We're looking down for the soil and not up for the fruit  We need to see people for what they could be (fruit), not what they currently are (soil) 22

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Seed on the Path.  Matthew 13:19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path  When we willfully sin we trample God underfoot! 24

Path: What can we do?  Recognize Satan takes away God’s word!  The key is that they understand! Its not what you sow, its how.  The soil is too tight (margins), and there is no room for growth.  Proclaim it clearly as you should. (Col 4:4) 25

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Seed on the Rocks.  Matthew 13:21 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 27

Rocks: What can we do?  Recognize after conversion Satan will take you to trial in the desert!  Trouble and persecution will come. Don’t lie roses to them! 28

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Seed in the thorns.  Matthew 13:22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 30

Thorns: What can we do?  Recognize Satan will use the three dubyas. WWW  Worldliness, Worries, Wealth  Notice - Choked, not dead. No fruits.  This is the majority category. 31

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Seed in good soil.  Matthew 13:23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop. 33

Good Soil  Recognize Satan changes hearts and soils. He will move them to hardened, weeds, and path.  Still needs seed, still needs water  Deepen the foundation. 34

Good Soil  Even on the good soil enemy sows weeds, we must let good grow with weeds.  Dig around it and fertilize it. 35

What we consider Good Soil  Five wise and Five foolish were IN the kingdom  Those inside without garments will be cast out (Matt 22)  Mark (4:26) says man scatters seed everywhere night and day, not knowing how it will grow. 36

Your efforts will be rewarded  One in ten lepers?  One in 99 lost sheep?  Matthew 13:23 He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  Go get a sinner and practice on them! 37

Conclusion 1. Hypocrisy Use hypocrite detectors 2. Failure in teaching Gospel them to Christ. 3. Soil Issues Plant and water all creatures. 38

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