Fruitfulness and the Condition of the Heart
Fruitfulness and the Condition of the Heart
Pastor Keith Hassell
Foundation Scripture: Mark 4:13-20
I. The seed is the Word of God (verse 14)
II. The sower is the means by which the word is sown (verse 14)
III. The soil is the heart of man (verse 15)
IV. The Wayside Ground (verse 15)
A. They hear the word
B. Satan comes immediately to take away the word that is sown
C. The seed is plucked up before it has a chance to germinate
D. Wayside hearers are disinterested, deceived, or hostile
V. The Stony Ground (verse 16-17)
A. They hear the word
B. Their initial reaction is to immediately receive the word with joy
C. The seed has to share ground with areas of sin and compromise
D. They want the blessing of the word, but not a change of lifestyle
1. They want prosperity but they do not want to tithe or give
2. They want peace but refuse to forgive
3. They want the life of God but do not want to change their lifestyle
4. They want to have a happy home but they refuse to do things God’s way
5. They want freedom from addictions in their life but they do want to stay around the places that invite temptation
6. They want to serve God as long as the goosebumps last
7. They are feelings oriented. As soon as the feelings are gone, they are gone.
E. Their commitment to Christ remains shallow
1. They do not read their Bibles
2. They do not develop their prayer life
3. They have all kinds of reasons and excuses. Excuses are like the loops on a hangman’s rope.
F. They get just enough moisture to keep their roots shallow
1. They live from jumpstart to jumpstart
2. They do not keep their batteries charged
3. They are always running with their low fuel light on
G. They are easily influenced away from Christ through
1. Tribulation (thlipsis): pressures, troubles (sickness, financial woes, marital struggles, problems with children, stress, setbacks, jobs, etc.)
2. Persecution (diogmos): persecution, suffering (Verbal abuse, physical abuse, loss or the threat of job loss, etc. It can be persecution for righteousness sake)
H. Immediately they stumble (skandalidzo): offended, tripped up, apostasize
1. They take the bait that causes them to be trapped once again by Satan
2. They get disillusioned when trouble comes and often blame God and others for their problems.
VI. The Thorny Ground (verses 18-19)
A. They hear the word
B. The word is choked out (sumpnigo): strangle, crowd out
1. There is not room for God in their lives
2. There is not room for God’s will in their lives
3. They have filled their lives with competing activities
C. Cares of this world (merimna): distractions, solicitude, the concept of being divided
1. Things that solicite your time, attention, energy, and resources that should be reserved for God
2. Distractions are leeches that suck the spiritual energy out of us
3. Even good things can be distractions from God’s best
4. Good things can be like “suckers” that hinder the fruitfulness in our lives. Sometimes good things must be pruned out of our lives.
a. Sucker: Bot. a subordinate shoot from a bud on the root or stem of a plant
5. If we are too busy for God then we are too busy
a. People today want to be involved in everything, have their kids involved in everything, and then they are running around like chickens with their heads cut off
b. We spend most of our time doing things that we don’t like to do with resources that we do not have to impress people we do not even like
c. I John 2:15 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
6. If we are too tired for God then we are expending our energies on the wrong things
a. A lot of people are claiming they are too tired when it comes to spiritual things
b. Because people are so tired they get lazy
c. When they get lazy they get lukewarm
d. It takes a lot of determination and energy to serve God. Don’t waste it on irrelevant or foolish things.
7. We are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30)
8. Keep you life simple and unencumbered. so that you can serve God well
D. Deceitfulness (apate) of riches (ploutos): delusion / wealth, money, possessions, abundance, richness
1. Wanting more than is necessary (unsatisfied)
2. Unhealthy emphasis on riches (keeping up with the Jones’)
3. Unhealthy emphasis on pleasure (eat, drink, and be merry?)
4. Wrong priorities in life (life does not consist of the things that a man possesses)
5. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
6. We are to be rich toward God.
E. Desire (epithumia) for other things (loipoe): Longing for what is forbidden / without, lacking, absent
1. Forbidden can apply to either sin or things that God has said you cannot do if you want to inherit the blessing
2. Evidenced by
a. Unthankfulness
b. Murmurring
c. Complaining
d. Self-pity
3. People doing the work of the Lord can forfeit their joy by always looking around at what they are missing
4. Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
VII. Good Ground (verse 20)
A. They hear the word
B. They accept it (paradechomai): receive, accept, delight in it
1. It has become a part of them
2. They have become a part of it
3. There is a difference between those who have the vision and those in whom the vision has them
4. What are the signs of a person who has good ground?
a. Jesus is their first love
b. They do not feel they are missing out on anything in life by serving Jesus
c. They remain faithful in their commitment to Christ when trouble or persecution comes.
d. They allow times of trouble and persecution to dig up hidden stones of sin and flesh that keep their roots from running deep.
e. They maintain their focus on the Lord and on the work He has called them to do.
f. They keep their life simple and unencumbered.
g. They have chosen to serve God rather than to serve riches.
h. They delight themselves in the Lord.
i. They believe the word and act upon it.
C. They bear fruit (their heart is fruitful)
1. Thirty-fold
2. Sixty-fold
3. One hundred-fold
VIII. Conclusion of the matter
A. The thing that will determine the fruitfulness of God’s word in our lives is the condition of our heart
B. What is the condition of your heart? Wayside? Stony? Thorny? Good?
C. You can change the condition of your heart through
1. Desire to bear fruit
2. Decision to turn from sin and to follow Jesus
3. Determination to do what it takes
4. Discipline to live for Jesus daily