The Dirty Manger and the Strong Ox - Proverbs 14:4

My favorite hobby is golf, and I must admit, the game is not the most sentimental pursuit. But recently, I read an article that almost made me cry.

I’ll play golf when I like. - golfers journal

The point? The comfort of having everything exactly as you like, is not worth the sweetness of childlike growth.

When some of you see my young children, you tell me that I am in the best days. I’m tempted to remind you the difficulty of these days. Diapers are stinky. Our living room is messy. Sleep is fleeting.

But I recognize that the inconvenience of stepping on a lego is a small price to pray for the warmth of a child’s hug and the sound of a happy, “dada” when I walk through the door at night.

Do you believe that Ironbridge’s best days are ahead of us, not behind? I believe the best is yet to come for us, but in order to get there, a Proverb will teach us to embrace the mess of growth.

Proverbs 14:4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,

but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.

The positives of an ox, come with the negatives of messiness. But the results of an ox, crops, far outweigh the results of no ox, starving. We can have a clean barn or a full pantry. But we can’t have both.

Let me ask you, would you rather have a strong messy ox or a tidy clean barn? The answer depends on your desire for abundant crops.

In my opinion, the inconvenience of a messy barn is a small price to pay for a full harvest.

I wish that students didn’t put holes in the walls of the student center. I wish that you didn’t find nerf bullets in the sanctuary. I wish my baby didn’t decide to loudly poo poo in the middle of Michaels message. But my wish for these little ones to experience Jesus is far greater.

What inconvenience are you willing to embrace for the result of abundant crops?

I’d like to propose two inconveniences for Ironbridge to embrace.

1. It’s time to plow. - new families, prayer, community partnerships, ICA, your ministry

If we do the labor of plowing new soil, we will get messy.

2. It’s time to embrace the mess. - candor, confession, rebuke, collaboration, calling wanderers to return

What will motivate us for this labor?

Possible crops - real unity, families become rooted in the love of Christ, sinners reconciled to God

A messy barn is a small price to pay for a full pantry.

Tonight’s text ends by giving credit to whom credit is due - the Ox get’s the glory. Perhaps the farmer could’ve kept the manger clean if he did all the plowing through his own strength. Maybe he could’ve produced a few crops. But this wise farmer recognized that the strength of the Ox produces crops in abundance.

Ironbridge, if we labor in our own strength and wisdom, perhaps numbers may increase. Maybe people will like our services. But for true change, for an abundant harvest, we must rely upon the strength and power of God. I want a harvest so abundant and true, that he alone receives the glory.

For the sake of the harvest, are you willing to accept inconvenience?

Parkway pastor - Virginia beach church plant illustration - dad have you prayed about going?

Prayer prompts

For the sake of the harvest, how do you need to embrace inconvenience?

Pray for laborers.

Pray for the harvest.