What are the Dangers and Obstacles?
Vision Series: Who Are We and Where Are We Headed? • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 10 viewsIf our mission is to become more like Jesus and help others do the same, we must familiarize ourselves with some of the spiritual dangers and obstacles to receiving and obeying the message of Christ. In his parable of the sower, Jesus explains three different enemies that keep a person from reaching fruitful maturity in Christ. What are we doing personally and collectively to guard against, and overcome, these dangers?
Notes
Transcript
Vision Series
Vision Series
Our mission is to help people become more like Jesus
But I’m not as much like Jesus as I would like to be
I haven’t changed as much as I want
anger
resentment
greed
pride
How about you?
Have you changed as much as you want?
I love this church
this is an amazing church family
but we are not perfect yet
WHY??? Isn’t that frustrating??? If we have…?
heard the gospel?
believed the gospel?
been baptized?
received the Spirit?
Why aren’t we further along by now?
What stops people from becoming more like Jesus?
What stops people from becoming more like Jesus?
If our mission is to help people become more like Jesus
Then we need to understand
the obstacles
the challenges
the enemies
Jesus told a story that can help us
but it’s a little hard to understand. it’s not self-explanatory
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.
If you’ve never heard this parable before you might feel the same way Jesus’ disciples felt
what is this a botany class?
I thought you were the King of Israel!
why are you speaking in riddles???
just tell us plainly!!!
thankfully Jesus explained the parable to his disciples
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 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.
The evil one (satan / devil) is a problem
but before he is a problem
our lack of understanding is a problem
sometimes we lack understanding because we don’t care enough to understand it
let’s think about this…
What makes someone the soil along the path?
What makes someone the soil along the path?
dismiss the message of the kingdom as foolish
dismiss the message of the kingdom as foolish
love your enemies
lose your life in order to find it
become great by becoming the least
the cross is an instrument of victory
don’t care enough to try to understand
don’t care enough to try to understand
in one ear and out the other
we’re present
we’re here
we just don’t care enough to think deeply
not interested in considering something new
not interested in considering something new
I know what I believe / think
I have my opinions about God and my mind won’t be changed
but that’s not the only mindset that’s a problem
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.
Tribulation and persecution are not the real problem
the real problem is a lack of roots
a lack of depth
What makes someone the soil with rocks?
What makes someone the soil with rocks?
excited as long as it’s fun
excited as long as it’s fun
when I did youth ministry
deacons talked to me
their kids never came to any of the Bible studies, but wanted more “fun” activities
willing as long as it’s easy
willing as long as it’s easy
what percentage of a congregation show up when there’s work to be done?
not 100%
committed as long as it’s safe
committed as long as it’s safe
we don’t seek out suffering, persecution, tribulation
but we can’t shy away from it when it comes
We have to prepare one another for challenging times
deepen our faith
deepen our commitment
WE CANNOT cater to a shallow and watered-down version of Christianity
but maybe the biggest obstacle to discipleship in our generation
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.
Proves unfruitful
An unfruitful plant is a plant that’s dead and doesn’t know it
It looks alive, it may even look healthy
But it doesn’t produce mature fruit
What makes someone the soil with thorns?
What makes someone the soil with thorns?
a desire to be rich
a desire to be rich
1 Timothy 6:8–10 “8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
a fear of being poor
a fear of being poor
Matthew 6:31–33 “do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
an illusion that we can pursue God AND money
an illusion that we can pursue God AND money
Some things really are
either/or
NOT both/and
this is one of those
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Riches are inherently deceitful
but we don’t believe that
we are not on guard against it
but then there are those who are good soil
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.”
This is what Jesus wants us to be
receive the word
submit to his Kingship
follow him
become like him
That’s our goal and our mission
in order to receive the word and become more like Jesus, we have to…
RECOGNIZE and RESIST the lies of the devil, the flesh, and the world.
RECOGNIZE and RESIST the lies of the devil, the flesh, and the world.
I think you can see all three in Jesus’ parable…
The devil says the way of Jesus doesn’t make sense
The flesh says the way of Jesus is too hard
The world says the way of Jesus won’t work, it’s not practical
But if we will
recognize and resist their lies
submit to Jesus
follow him
He will change us and transform us
