Changing Soils
Before I started in on my message for this week, I thought I would go ahead and record last week's message that way any of that use, it messed. It would have it to listen to so that you can hear the complete series. Not just some parts of it up. Before I start that message that I want to give some updates from the annual meeting both the Proposed budget from the 2026 meeting. Was approved and the use of the memorial funds in revamping, the ceiling and Lighting in the foyer area. Those things passed. So, we will take a look at that. Of course, we will also take a look at Speaking with the families, make sure they are okay with those funds being used. Also, all of the elders were affirmed and also some things that I forgot that I wanted to add was that when I talked about the funds, we got from the shirt trust that we had to use part of those. Get the preschool back in the black financially. I also meant to mention that the preschool will be ending at the end of this year but Cheryl and Amy feel that it is time for them to retire. So far, we have not been able to find someone to commit to replacing them. So the elders have went ahead and made the decision to just say that it's ending to give families that are used to get a full-time to find other alternatives for next year. So, I wanted to be sure to do that. And also that we will be trying to include budget updates and bulletins to help everyone know where we are at. I also forgot when I was discussing the disciple making collab and the need for us to use this tool to develop a better. Discipleship plan for our church going forward. I wanted to take ownership my own failure to accomplish a lot of the goals that I have presented the last two years. I've tried to balance multiple jobs in leading the church but it has proven to be much harder than I anticipated. So we need a new plan, maybe we will figure out the church. Needs to go in a New Direction. I don't know exactly what it with me, but I just want what is best for the future of this church in this community. So that is why we will be going through this process and using this tool to try to make us more effective. Make our impact greater
so, the first in our series of Discipleship is called changing soils and we're going to look today at which soil am I on? Yeah, I've told you that we're going to be talking a lot about discipleship, and today, we're going to explore a famous Parable. The parable of the sower. And I think that Jesus intended this Parable to help us take an honest. Look at where we are in our relationship with God. So let's get started in our new series called changing soils. Matthew chapter 13 verses 1 through 9. That same day. Jesus went out to the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it while the people stood on the shore. He told them many things in Parable say the farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was, scattering the seed, some fell along the path and the birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on Rocky places where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow, but when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and they withered because they had no root.
Other seed.
Fell among the store which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, Where It produced a crop 160 or thirty times. What was sown Whoever has ears let them hear.
In this Parable, God is the farmer and the for soils represents the different responses people have. When they hear and experience the gospel of the Kingdom, we can know this because this is one of the few Parables where Jesus turns to his disciples and actually gives them his own explanation of what it all means. Wouldn't it be insanely helpful if while you were reading the Bible? Jesus would sit in the chair next to you and explain all the parts. You don't understand. Well, that's exactly what we have here. So continuing on Matthew chapter 13 verses 18, through 23. We hear Jesus's explanation. Listening to what the parable of the sower meat, when anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it. The evil one comes and snatches of way. What was selling in their heart, this is a seed, sown along the path. The seed falling on Rocky ground refers, to someone who hears the word and it once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly Fall Away. The seed falling among the Thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word. Making it a fruitful But the seed falling on good soil. Refers to someone who hears the word understands it. This is the one who produces a crop yielding 160 or thirty times what was sown From Jesus's own words, here's a simplified description of the four ways people respond to the gospel. The path equals not interested. Some hear the amazing news of Jesus's sacrificial, death for our sins and just don't understand. We learn here in this case that they left it possibly by hoping that's person doesn't figure it out. He aggressively snatches to see it away. So it's out of sight, out of mind, quickly. The Rock's equal to shallow. Hear the person appears to have received the good news. They often respond by praying a simple prayer and maybe even get their name embroidered on a Bible and check out some Churches. But unfortunately, their choice doesn't last when God doesn't fix all of their life problems. When the storms come in, they always do. This person turns their blame on God and slides back into their old life. My guess is we've all seen the scenario. Play out far too many times. The Thorns just means, we're too busy. Some people turn to Jesus, and it's not that they ever fully turn away. They just get so distracted by the stresses of life that they settle for only a fraction of the blessings. God wanted to bring about in their life. God intended for them to have an orchard but instead, they settled for having a nice little trip. The reason here is much more subtle than the Rocks. They simply just got too busy. This can come in a lot of forms, from a drive to make more money by working too many hours or falling. Into the regular schedule of kids and competitive sports or all sorts of activity.
This person hasn't turned against God, but their life doesn't allow them to follow him. Oley.
You Know, The Enemy doesn't try to stop this.
He applauds you doing more and more things filling your life with more and more stuff as long as it's not Jesus.
Jesus gave the thorny soil, one, other description. Unfruitful.
when we allow the things of this life to crowd out, Space for Jesus, and getting to know him better. We can't help but be on Fruitvale.
The good soil equals fruitful Jesus. There's that some people respond to the gospel in such a way that it overflows from their lives on to the lives of others. This is dramatically different from the Thorns are rocks, and that dozens of people respond positively to the gospel because of this one person and their positive response to the gospel. There's a really good chance you are here today, listening to this message, because you had someone who fits this description in your life at some point in time.
You are the fruit of their faith.
And I want to share with you just three simple observations that are pretty pretty easy for us to understand. But much harder for us to be much harder for us to live by. The first one's an obvious one. You want to be on the good, fruitful soil. Listen to the words. Jesus uses to describe the person on the Rocks. Shower scorched wither, no root. They quickly Fall Away. We don't set out at the beginning of our relationship with Christ hoping to be Drifters who cry out to him when life is hard. But ignore him. The rest of the time that would be like standing at the altar on your wedding day looking across at your soon-to-be, spouse in the eye and failing to love him or her for the next couple of months or until your first argument. if that's how things start off, it's definitely not a relationship that's going to last
Storms are a bit trickier. We sometimes full our selves in treating busyness as a badge of honor to be proud of. You know, if I'm busy then I must be successful. If I'm successful, I must be important. Look at the words. Used by Jesus to describe the forms. Choked worried, deceitful and unfruitful. It's clear. Jesus isn't trying to get people to pick option 3 here as acceptable.
Man, who wants to get to the end of this life in here? Their eulogy be here lies, Bob, you know, he was always busy and he really loved his stuff.
You don't want these words said about you at your funeral and honestly, you don't really want to live like that. Now
Jesus sets up option for as The only positive option in this parable. He actually calls it, the good soil. This leads to. A simple and obvious Point number two as well. The only description Jesus uses for the good soil is multiplication.
Jesus says, you can know you're on good soil by seeing a large group of people that have chosen to come to him because of you. Imagine how incredible Heaven would be. seeing dozens of flies whose attorneys were changed because you introduced them to their savior or at least played a part and that
Why does Jesus put such an emphasis on casting on her face into others? It's really simple. He cares about your heart and every person's heart on the planet. One of the ways we reveal, what we're most passionate about is what we talked about, what we spend our extra time, what we spend the majority of our money on Those things often point to what are really our priorities.
And unfortunately, the church at large in North America is not doing a great job of Producing fruitful good soil.
So, here's my point number three, that more Christians can relate with being too busy than being spiritually. Fruitful.
My goal in all of this is not to make you feel guilty. I'm preaching to myself as much as anyone else here today. Remember what I said at the beginning about being too busy, working, two jobs, and not feeling like, I'm able to carry out every plan that I want to and need to as your leader in the church. My goal is to help us have an honest assessment of which soil we are actually. you can't get where you want to go, if you don't know where you're starting from, and every time you want to put in a new destination, on your phone, or your GPS, in your vehicle, Not only does it need to know where you want to go, but it needs to know where you're starting from. The reality is that the thorny soil is not something we can laugh off as just being a part of our culture, just being how life is now in this modern area. It's much more dangerous than that. Dizziness is a major distraction from spiritual light.
You may not be sure if you agree with that, just listen carefully to this hypothesis and see where you're at, then. Is it possible that Christians are assimilating to a culture of busyness? Her, you know, which leads to God becoming more and more marginalized and Christians daily lot, which leads to a deteriorating relationship with God, which leads to Christians becoming even more vulnerable to adopting. Secular ideas about how we should live, which leads us back to number one and the whole cycle starts over again. As we instead of changing the culture around this symbol might be more and more like it.
You can relate with being too busy over being spiritually, fruitful. Then your life is on trajectory away from God and the ramifications of this are even greater when it comes to your kids. Whereas, if you're truly on a fruitful soil, your life trajectory is towards a greater dependence on God and rescuing others to do the same. Can you see the massive difference between the two? One leads to death and isolation from God. The other leads you to life. For you for your children and countless others.
I think it all boils down to two. We want to pass on a legacy of being too busy or being spiritually. Fruitful That's why we are starting this hugely important. New series that we are calling changing soils. If today's passage has you questioning at all, that you might be on the wrong sort, all the necessaries is for you and couldn't come at a better time. over the next three weeks will going to focus on some small mindset changes that these small ships and changing habits will help you to move from becoming unfruitful to becoming a fruitful disciple maker. I know what you're thinking. I'm too busy for this now. Well, that has been the point of this entire message. It looks like you. And I both might need to think about changing the soil that we're currently rude muskrat. Dear Jesus, please enable us to understand your word today. And most importantly give us boldness to obey. We want to live our lives on the fruitful soil that multiplies into many other lies, our culture consumes us with distractions, that demand our time and energy that don't lead us to make disciples. But I pray that you will convictus. In the areas of our life, where we need to grow more than Empower us to make the necessary changes needed to live the life of a disciple maker that. Jesus desire for us to be. Barbie expectantly, pray, all of this in your most. Holy name. Amen.
