SOW THAT - DEEPER ROOTS

Good morning Journey, I pray that you are well, I want you to turn your bibles to Acts 5, and then leave a bookmark in 1 Kings 17. But as you get there I want to ask you a question, do you have Hosea 10:12 memorized yet? Some of yall don’t remember what Hosea 10:12 is all about, if you are a guest to Journey I get that, this is the verse we are basing our Sow That initiative on as we try to raise 1.2 million in funds to secure our future home, we plan on doing so by getting 600k from all of us as we give for the first time, sacrafically give or choose to go without, however God is leading you and the other 600k from other outside organizations, churches and corporations. Everyone say SOW THAT. As a refresher for you, here is Hosea 10:12, Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

This initiative isn't just about rasing money, but about making disciples for Jesus as we strive to do three main objectives for this initiative, 1: Make Disciples - Disciples Hear, Learn, Live and Multiply like Jesus. Discipleship is not a Sunday exclusive club; it's every day and every part of your life. 2: Deepen roots in our community and in your faith. 3: Leave a Legacy. Today we are going to be speaking on the topic of Deepening Roots. As disciples of Jesus and a Jesus focused church we want to deepen our roots in our faith and community so others will know that we are followers of Jesus, and we are here to stay. This is the portion of the text in Hosea where it is said to “break up your fallow ground.”

Fallow ground is a term for hard ground that hasn't been plowed for over a year at least of ever.. It’s stubborn, its compacted, in fact it was ground that seems when you try to dig it up, when you try to till it or plow it, it doesn't seem to WANT to break up. Fallow ground is useless, if it is ever going to be useful soil it has been broken up. Spiritually speaking, many of us have fallow ground in our hearts, minds and souls when it comes to many different actions in trusting God or even crossing over to faith. God wants to sow something in you, but with your fallow ground the seed that is sown simply bounces off. You see it is impossible to have roots in fallow ground, you can't deepen roots if you never had them in the first place. We have to get out of your comfortability and move to being uncomfortable and here is the key, trusting God in what he is calling you to do.

In this series we are asking a big ask! We are asking all of us, staff, elders, coaches, small group leaders and anyone who calls Journey home to give time, talent and treasure to God and to this church. Which means we have to break up some fallow ground in our life and we have to deepen our roots. But how do we have deeper roots? We have to crucify consumer mentality when it comes to following Jesus and resurrect contributor mentality, we have to step out into faith believing that God can and that God will provide everything we need if we step out into faith.

So some of us have fallow ground, others of us, maybe we have shallow roots spiritually. This is what I mean, growing up right around the corner from here in our front yard we had a Palo Verde Tree. A great looking tree with a dark side, thorns everywhere, and that tree grew big and wide, a massive tree in fact if you ever want to learn different ways to cuss, help your dad trim the tree every few months. One summer during a crazy storm we woke up went outside and saw that the tree that looked like it was healthy, looked like it was massive, was tipped over roots ripped out of the ground, and it was soon thereafter chopped up by our neighbor who had a chainsaw and the devil's tree was no more. Here is the moral of that story, the tree grew too big for its roots to support it. Everything looked healthy and growing topside, but in the most important area, the unseen root system it was shallow. The funny thing is, we would never have known how shallow the roots were if it wasn't for the storm. A lot of Christians, pastors, staff, and churches are like that tree, they want to look good on the outside, while having shallow roots. I fear ever being a Church where we grow to the size where our roots cannot support us. I fear being a Jesus follower where I project an image of health while internally I'm shallow, and I fear the same for you. And it reminded me of the story in Acts 5, one that is not preached often. The Story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5.

To set the scene in Acts the Gospel is being spread, churches are being started, people are following the teachings of Jesus and Jesus followers are emptying their homes, pantries and pockets to give to the church so that anyone in need, anyone who needs help will get the help they need. This is what is says right before our story, 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

People were selling everything they had to give in generosity, they knew they had received salvation and were called by God to help others so they sacrificed. We have no indication that God called Joseph to sell his property, he just did it and gave the proceeds to the church. Why? Because as disciples we are called to be the most radically generous people on the planet. We understand that God is the captain crunch God, if you missed that see the first sermon on youtube. Barnabas had deep roots, ananias and sapphira…not so much. This is their story. Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. Seeing the response of the church and how Joseph was seen, we see that Ananias and Sapphiara also liked the idea of being generous, they wanted this outward showing, this projection of health and trusting God but we see almost immediately that they had shallow roots. It wasn't about trusting God in my opinion, it was about gaining respect by looking generous. Not only that, it wasn't a one man operation of deceit, both people knew about it. This text implies that they made it seem like they gave everything they got for the land.

Watch what happens, Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? (this is what we call a word of knowledge, God will give people insight to your life they wouldn't have known without the Holy Spirit telling them.) 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” That's the tragic part, we have no indication that God called them to sell the land, and there was no reason for them to project the idea that they were giving it all away. Peter even says, didn't this belong to you? Why did you lie about it? Many Christians do this, not just with money, but with character, integrity, faith, marriage, bible reading, prayer life,  we project the idea that we are healthy and then others are shocked when they fall. If they were just honest, they could have gotten better, you could have gotten healed, but they grew too big for their roots to support. Here is what I have realized in the last several years, God does not bless the you you pretend to be. He didnt with Anainias and he won't with you.

When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Some people like to say that Ananias had a heart attack, but Luke who wrote Acts was a Dr. and he would have said so. Ananias supernaturally died. This is the way God works sometimes, Paul even tells us God sometimes just calls people home. Then we see the first church interns ever. Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, carried him out and buried him. We find 3 hours later his wife comes in, lies, dies and is buried next to her husband, and a great fear and awe of the Lord spreads among the church.. Here is the moral of the story, so tell your kids amd students, “Don't lie…or you'll die”

No, Anninas and Sapphira grew outwardly to a point where their shallow roots cannot hold. Like I have said before they wanted it to seem as if they trusted God, but they really didn't. SAM STORY We like to say we trust God, we like to say that we have deep roots, but we only truly know if we trust God, we only truly know if we have deep roots in the time of testing, in the time of trial, when we are put under pressure. So that is a testing period in your life, in your family's life, in your faith, it will put your faith under pressure, your time under pressure, your finances under pressure, are you going to trust God? What would it look like if you did? Husbands, what would it look like if during the next two years you led your family in deepening roots? What would it look like for you parents if you didn't lead by words but by example, grandparents if you left legacies where your grandchildren can call this place home, if you singles and everyone else in this moment chose to trust God with what he is asking you to do?

And what would it look like if you looked back in two years and you didnt…you missed this chance to be involved with a move of God because fear held you back? We don’t know what Gods is going to do 2 years from now, I just know I have be obedient to God now.

That's why I love the story in 1 Kings 17,  a story in fact that Jesus makes reference too in Luke 4 while he is being tempted by satan in the desert. If you remember the story of Elijah he arrives on the scene in 1 Kings 17 and confronts the wicked queen jezebel and weak king Ahab and speak the word of the Lord that there will be no rain in the land until he says so. This drought would last 3.5 years. So Elijiah goes Kerith Ravine where God provides water and food for him by Ravens. But then it says this in verse 7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” When God tells you to move, do you move? God told Elijah to get up and go to Jezreel, The Jordan and now Zarephath and God had provided every step of the way. Zarephath means a place of refinement or a place of trails. Thats why I love the bible almost everything has meaning, now people get carried away with it and try to make something out of nothing, but here we will see that this widow God has commanded, is about to go through a trail, shes about to go through refinement, her faith is going to be tested.

So God tells Elijiah that he has directed, a more accurate translation of the word is Command. The Lord has commanded a widow to supply elijah with food. A widow who has no husband, noone to protect her, very poor, it made more sense for elijah for the ravens to feed him than for the widow to and yet, God spoke, elijah did. And upon entering into Zarapath, though the Holy Spirit he see the widow God commanded. So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?”She's collecting sticks to bake bread, and it isn't even the proper firewood for baking this is how little she has. He asks for water he must have forgotten he was the one who God used to shut up the skies! From an outsider looking in, she has nothing to give and nothing to offer. But God had commanded her, so God must have supplied her with something.

12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”” This is where this gets confusing for me, Elijiah asks for good, a reasonable request as God said he'd be fed. But it seems like God as if God has missed a very important conversation he needed to have. He didn't tell the widow, she makes it very clear she has nothing made and she lays out her schedule for the day. 6am - Wake up. 8-10am - Collect Sticks - 10-2 - Make Bread 3pm - Eat. 5pm Die. Nowhere in her planned events for the day does it say supply for the man of God. So what's the point?

Oftentimes God has commanded us to do something for him we just don't know yet, and it takes us stepping out in faith before God reveals he's prepared a way the entire time we just had to start deepening our roots. God is calling all of us to do something bigger than we can ask, think or imagine as we prepare to move into the next season of Journey church. God had commanded this widow, by preparing her to say yes to a question she didn't even know was coming yet.

Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’We don't deepen our roots in faith if we try to serve ourselves first instead of trusting in God first. Elijah calls her to first make him a loaf of bread, then make some for your son. Big reason why God says bring me the first fruits in tithe and offering is trusting in him to be your supply before anything else is paid. But we are given a promise without first seeing the results, if we need to see the results before we move in faith it isn't faith. God is asking her to do the impossible, make more food with the little you have. Friends, next time God is asking you to do the impossible, take notice, your roots are about to grow.

So she obeys She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah. I can only imagine the hope she felt when she made that first bread for Elijah and realized the flour and oil didn't empty. I love that it says that the flour was not used up or the oil did not run dry, because it doesn't say God miraculously filled it to the brim. Just what she had never emptied, every day it looked like the same amount and it never lowered. Often we will only trust God if we know with 100% assurance we have what we need. If the bank account is full, gas tank full, pantry full, health full, and yet, that isn't how God moves. Do you trust him with what you have, not what you wish you had?

Every day for a while I'm sure she's thinking “todays the day it empties' ' God still supplied. Every day her faith grew deeper in God's provision. The difference in these two stories is one couple had more than enough but had shallow roots, the widow had nearly nothing, and yet trusted in God and her faith grew deeper. Ananias and Saphirah tried to trick God's favor; the widow trusted in God and received his favor.​​ The difference is the roots. Listen to me, I am not saying that trusting in God and growing your roots deeper isn't going to be scary, i’m not saying it's going to be easy, there will be times when you will pray “God your gonna have to show up because I have no idea how this will be paid, or how we will get through the week” but God supplies, maybe just not in the way you expect him to.

In my life this has happened a few times where Karlee and I are apart of an initiative like this one and on one occasion we had been married for a little over a year, we were 2 months away from leaving the church we were apart of to take an internship at another church that we knew God was calling us to. And so we wanted to give something to the church that invested in us for over a decade and we decided on I think $2,000. A Newly married couple stepped out in faith, Karlee has been my sugar momma for some time, that was a good number for us. On the day to commit we both felt like God was telling us that was a number we were comfortable with, one that wasn't trusting in God, but one that was ok to give. So almost at the same time we said we needed to double it, which left us with very little and big life change about to happen. But we trusted that God would supply for us as we trusted in him.

Shortly after that Karlee tells me she's pregnant with Lilly, and now that money we gave could have come to good use. But we trusted God, and 3 months into a 12 month internship I was offered a full time position at the church with incredible medical benefits amongst other things. Look i’m not saying all of this to say “Look how good we are at trusting in God” for every time I say we trusted I have 3 others that say we didn't. But we knew God was asking us to give, and he prepared us beforehand to say yes to what he called us to.

I don't know what God is calling you to do, give or commit to sow that. But I know for all of us it’s something. Why? God never calls Jesus followers to do Nothing. He always calls us to grow deeper roots.  It may be scary, as you pray and God is placing on your heart something you think is impossible, take notice, your roots are about to grow. When God is calling you to give for the first time, take notice your fallow ground is about to be broken up. When God calls you to serve in an area you feel unqualified or you never thought you'd do, take notice he's about to use you in ways you never dreamed of.

Trust God, break up fallow Ground, grow deeper roots, when God calls us to do the impossible take notice, for we will see a miracle take place. If we have the faith to say YES.

Pray Out