Creating Space for Growth

Cleaning out the pantry. We had lots of old food, expired food, clutter, so much that we were running out of space to put some fresh new things into the pantry. We needed to make room for growth.

Sometimes the clutter in our life can overwhelm and distract us from the things that God wants us to focus on.

It could be our thoughts, our busyness, our expectations all can clutter up our life so we have no room for God.

When we create margin for God’s kingdom to work through us instead of having our life full of clutter, we will see beautiful growth and a fruitful harvest.

So… what do we need to evaluate and eliminate so that we can truly delight in Jesus no matter how busy the season might be?

In Matthew 13, Jesus gives us a parable called the parable of the sower.

Matthew 13:1–9 ESV

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

PRAY

It’s easy to squeeze out the things of God from our life because our life is full of clutter and wasteful things.

In this parable, the sower scattered the seed but not every seed took root, grew, and became fruitful because not every ground is ideal for growth. It takes good soil to produce a healthy and fruitful tree.

The only thing we need is a seed planted in good healthy soil. Yeah, it needs water and sunshine and protection from frost but if the seed is not planted in the right soil the seed will not take root.

Jesus mentions 3 different soils that did not produce fruit.

The hard soil, the rocky soil, and the thorny soil.

The Hard Soil Represents Confusion and Doubt

Not understanding God’s Kingdom Purpose so the seed gets snatched right away.

Here Jesus is the sower and HE extends this to those who would teach and preach the word. The Word representing the seed. Jesus was revealing HIS mission while teaching the disciples about theirs. The parable revealed that different people have different responses to the gospel message. Their response reflects the attitude or condition of their hearts.

Jesus explains this parable starting in vs 19.

Matthew 13:19 ESV

19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.

When the seed is planted on the path the word makes no impression on these people. For those who hear and do not understand, the seed lands on a heart that is hard. Then Satan, like the birds, snatches it away.

Maybe that person feels no need, no desire for anything other than this life… That person feels no guilt of sin or need of forgiveness. Satan has no trouble with these people. He just snatches the seed before it has an opportunity to take root.

Today people might say, “It’s not my fault if I don’t understand Jesus’ message!”

That’s fair but if we don’t understand Jesus’ message then we need to be willing to ask questions, seek answers because eternity is in the balance.

Maybe they find that it’s too difficult to grasp these abstract concepts.

Our responsibility is not to become theologians, just willing listeners.

As we face these questions, make this an opportunity to sharpen our understanding of God’s Word. Let this challenge us to deepen our roots.

Maybe they are under the assumption that “I’m not old enough to make life-changing decisions.” Or, “I’m too old and too set in my ways…”

But even children understand love, doing right, and spiritual authority.

People often make excuses because they think that “too many ‘Christians are phonies, jerks, and corrupt.”

I get it… The name “Christian” is used very loosely in our world today.

“Christian” has been attached to groups that promote racist hate, political revolutionaries, and greedy manipulators.

The name “Christian” is so far detached from the real Jesus… the Jesus who laid down HIS life for ALL humanity. Our divine creator who put on flesh and loved, served, and healed humanity. The real Jesus who as “Christians”, we need to follow.

The seed never changes but it’s the soil that makes the difference.

Even with all the reasons why we want to give up on God… Don’t let doubt and confusion take away that seed.

Don’t be afraid to ask God those tough questions… confess any doubts or sources of confusion so God can break up that hard ground so God’s Word can begin to take root.

The Rocky Soil Represents a Lack of Depth

Not having a long faith experience causes our roots to become shallow.

When we first get saved, it’s an emotional experience. We are excited and happy however, when real life hits we deal with real pain, and real conflict.

That’s when the seed has an opportunity to take root. God uses the struggle to expose the rocky soil. It’s God who can eliminate the rocks so HE can deepen our roots.

Matthew 13:20–21 ESV

20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

The seed sown on rocky ground had some soil but not much. These people joyfully receive the Good News of the gospel… they grow quickly but then wither because they struggle to understand some of the basics and do not allow God’s truth to work deep in their lives.

They have no root so when trouble or persecution comes, they reject the gospel and God’s promises and fall away.

Satan can always use sorrow, trouble, and persecution to draw people away from God. Ironically, those who let the message take root in good soil find that sorrow, trouble, and persecution bring them closer to God.

Developing our faith takes time. Seeing God work takes the experience of trusting in God’s Word so we can see God’s Word as faithful, true and relevant. When we don’t have any depth to our faith it’s hard to stay anchored and that’s when so many people give up.

Galatians 6:9 NLT

9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Rest in the Lord, trust in God’s Word, establish a close relationship with Jesus and let God pull out those rocks that cause our faith to be shallow. Don’t give up because God hasn’t given up on you! Let those roots grow deep.

The Thorny Soil Represents a Life Full of Distractions

Lack of spiritual focus because of distractions and by the cares of this world.

Matthew 13:22 ESV

22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Worldly distractions are Satan’s most effective yet sneaky tactics of all. These people hear the word, accept the word and allow it to take root in their hearts, giving hope of a harvest. But as the thorns grow up they begin to choke out the growing seed. Thorns rob nutrition, water, light, and space.

Worldly distractions will constantly rob believers. They will be robbed of time and energy to consume God’s Word to grow from it.

Worldly distractions will rob believers of guidance and support from interacting with other Christians.

Jesus described the “thorns” as cares of the world and lure of wealth.

Many times those who are curious about Jesus or new to the faith ask WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

As if Jesus is a product to “buy into it” that will make our life happier and once we accept Jesus, we wonder what went wrong. Why am I still going through the same junk?

Jesus promises to help us through life’s troubles but not to remove us from them all.

Stick with HIS message because HIS message is true, not because it makes you feel good.

Sometime we feel discouraged, sometimes we feel alone, sometime we struggle with relationships.

Stick with Jesus’ message, walk out God’s truth together with other friends so the thorns don’t choke you out.

Talk with one another, pray with one another, laugh and cry with one another.

When we allow worry to dominate our thoughts there is no room for faith.

Daily routines overcrowd and materialistic pursuits distract believers, choking out God’s Word so that it yields nothing.

When busyness rules our calendar we cannot give God our best.

When we seek after love for this world we cannot love the Kingdom of God.

When we eliminate those things that clutter our thoughts, our calendar, and our budget, we will create more room for growth. Eliminate the waste because when the clutter is cleared we will have more room for Jesus.

The Good Soil - Contentment by Fully Delighting in Jesus

We have to be intentional about creating space for Jesus because so many other things are quick to choke out that seed.

Life happens but if we are going to grow, we need to learn contentment by fully delighting in Jesus.

We must tend to the soil by adding the spiritual nutrients that will sustain growth.

Matthew 13:23 ESV

23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

The seed planted on the good soil means that they hear the Word and accept it. These are the true disciples who have accepted Jesus, believed HIS words, and allowed HIM to make a difference in their lives.

A healthy plant will eventually produce fruit.

Notice that the seed bears fruit. Those who preach the Word yield others who preach the Word to others who preach the Word and so on. The call to evangelize the world should naturally follow from a life rebuilt around God’s Word.

This parable answered the question of why there were so many opinions about Jesus. Belief ranged from love to hatred and all shades in between.

The same is true today. Jesus said that the answer lies not in the message because the message is always the same. The answer is that the message falls on hearts that are in varied degrees of readiness. The message will not be accepted in the same way by all who hear it.

As we prepare our heart for Thanksgiving and then Christmas and then the New Year let’s make room for growth in the blank spaces of our life. Let us delight in Jesus and be content with HIM by being aware of those things that tend to dominate our life especially during the holidays.

This is something that we all need all year long, not just in those busy seasons.

It’s like an old oak tree. The roots grow deep and they spread into the ground.

Isaiah prophecies what Jesus came to do 700 years before Christ came.

Isaiah 61:1–3 (ESV)

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

When we make room for Jesus, Jesus gives us so much more then what we give up. Make room by surrendering our doubts, our confusion, our brokenness, our sadness, our heaviness, our questions, our plans, our wealth, our family, our busyness, our worries, our fears so Jesus can give us real freedom and abundant life.

Our surrender is what eliminates the thorns, the rocks, and the hard ground. Our surrender is what adds the nutrients to the soil because God uses dead things to bring new life and produce lasting fruit.

Compost is just dead organic material that provide nutrients to the soil.

As we surrender, as we make room for Jesus, as we become content and delight in Jesus every day, our roots will grow deep. When we are planted in the good soil and we will produce good fruit.

We will also produce a lasting legacy of faith that we may be called oaks of righteousness. It takes us saying yes to the years because this takes time.

It begins with the seed planted on good soil and giving God our blank space so HE can produce good fruit through us.

Take Away:

Have you done a personal soil check?

Hard Soil, Rocky Soil, Thorny Soil

What do you need to eliminate from your life so Jesus has more space to grow?

It’s the dead things that produce the nutrients

Are we saying yes to the years so that HIS fruit can produce a lasting legacy?

So we can be called oaks of righteousness