Fruits of the Root

The Soil

We’re continuing last week’s introduction of our “Roots” series. Last week we discussed the importance of God sowing his word and will into our lives and what type of soil we should not be. The 1st type of soil is one of hardened understanding, being in a place where we hear the word but we are unable to receive it and it goes away just as quickly as it got to us. The next was a hardened will, this soil contains those that hear the word, receive the word but are not convicted by the word to change because of this they sprout prematurely and are not “rooted” enough to withstand the trials of life. If you notice though, you have to places where the sower sowed, and the seed was cast, but what you do not see out of either place is fruit. You see in the 1st example the seed is trampled on by foot and eaten by birds and then in the 2nd soil there is proof of life (leaves) but no actual fruit.

Let’s be clear God intended every thing that is from seed to produce fruit. Yet here in Christ example so far that is the one thing that is not yet made itself present. So our goal today is to arrive at that place where we are a fruit bearing soil.

Matthew 13:7–8 NASB 2020

Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.

So here is Matthew’s account of the Parable. He also records the sower, seed and soil aspect, wherein he brings up the stony ground and the stony soil. Him Mark and Luke record all 3 phases and all 4 types of soil. So Matthew in lock step with the other Gospels here talks about the soil with thorns. He says that some seed fell among thorns, and that they sprung up and choked out the seed.

As the seeds had to produce something for the thorns to choke them out, we are getting closer to the ultimate goal of fruit production. Throughout Jesus' instruction about soil, we can observe two dynamics. There are different growth spaces, but we can also see how there is a progression here that can help us to become the right kind of soil conducive to growth as time goes on. We learned how to change the type of soil we are, so I say this.

By praising and worshiping, we can break up the hardened and stony soil because praise and worship are two essential tools when engaging the arena of God's authority or governing ideology. We cannot truly understand who he truly is if we don't honor him as he is, and we cannot truly serve him unless we honor him as he is. God does desire to have relationship with you, to hear from you, to fulfill his will in your life, and yes he does want to see you succeed. However, God is not interested in connecting with you at the expense of losing your respect for him. We’re reminded of this in Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: And the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Wisdom or a divinely insightful lifestyle cannot even begin to be birthed inside of you without fear or wisdom for HIM.

Back to the parable, the thorns choke out the plant that has now grown due to the seed planted by the sower. The thorns are what? They are weeds, and if you know anything about planting, you’ll know that the emergence of weeds threatens the life of the plant. Weeds which have their own roots, will intertwine with the growing plant and begin to feed off of it. It is not there to grown alongside the plant and coexist with it, it’s ultimate goal is to eventually suck it dry! Both the plant and the weed are in the soil and when you water the plant you water the weed except that after the weed has drawn all of it’s supply it will then begin to draw from the plant’s supply as well. In other words it contends with the plant for the source of the soil. So what is this?

Polluted Purpose

Jesus later in his explanation of the parable Says this

Matthew 13:22 NASB 2020

And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Anxiety of The World

Relationships (family, friends, coworkers)

Haters

Everyday Gossip

Celebrity Gossip

The Past

Work

What others are doing (Social Media)

Entertainment

Deceitfulness of Wealth

The Bag

Being Financially Abundant (not wise)

Capitalism over Kingdom

God has so much for us so much designed for us, so much planned for us, so much set aside for us and so much he wishes to impart and bestow upon his. He also has a way and a time and a season for us to come into certain blessings. He also has a desire for us to be a certain way when we receive what he has for us. God has sown seeds of wisdom concerning every single worry and every single need we may have the problem his we have chosen to address our worries and meet our needs our way instead of his. Make no mistake God does not desire for us to be without, nor does he have it in his plans for us to fail, in God failure is not an option, but there are times where must experience types of failures in the flesh, that we might learn more towards the spirit for direction.

God assures us of his thoughts

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

His desires for our success

Joshua 1:8 “or then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

His sustaining plan

Psalm 37:25 “I have been young, and now am old; Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his seed begging bread.”

It is on us to align with him for the execution. How do we do this?

Read his word -Ignore the world’s word

Rehearse his word - Refuse the world’s word

Recite his word - Smother the world’s word

Receive his word -Reject The world’s word

Doing these will now align us with being the Good soil!

The Good soil Matthew records

Matthew 13:8 KJV 1900

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

This is the soil that gets the word, receives, the word, aligns with the word, and by the word does what none of the other soils were able to do, produce fruit. It is only by God that we are able to produce good fruit. Good fruit starts with the sower (God) who sends the seed (Jesus) and into the soil (us) and causes it to take root (Holy Ghost) and when we all are working together good comes.

Galatians 5:22 KJV 1900

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Make no mistake Jesus is not pulling a parable from the unknown, if he is the word of God he is all that God has said, is saying and is yet to say, Jesus lands on us being able to be planted, yielding fruit, standing the tests of time and prospering, where else in the Bible could this have been mentioned?

Psalm 1:1–3 NASB 2020

Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, And on His Law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.