Whatcha Growin'?
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As we begin this morning, I want to say something about last week’s sermon briefly. And then move into this morning’s message.
Last week I made a comment in my sermon about “everything being a crisis” in our media. And how everything was a “news alert” or “breaking news”, especially on our national outlets. Some have brought to my attention that it seemed I might be forgetting that there are some real crises in our culture right now. Two things:
Yes there are definitely crises that we need to as a nation address. And my dream would be for the great minds of our nation work together for solutions.
My point was not that there aren’t crisis in our culture but to be aware that the media often seeks to make everything a crisis to get our attention.
I want to thank those that shared their concern with me for doing so, and so, let’s move on to our sermon for today.
Let me start with a couple questions. Are there times when you think of yourself as doing really great in following God? OR Are there times when you think of yourself as utterly failing in following God?
Our Scriptures this morning speak to both. We’re going to start with excerpts from Proverbs 21 & 22.
Excerpts from Proverbs
Excerpts from Proverbs
Remember Proverbs are bits of wisdom sometimes listed in pithy little sayings. There is an entire book dedicated to proverbs in our Scripture, and so we will be hearing this morning some excerpts from Proverbs 21 & 22.
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.
To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.
The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.
The violence of the wicked will sweep them away, because they refuse to do what is just.
The way of the guilty is crooked, but the conduct of the pure is upright.
The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.
When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.
One who wanders from the way of good sense will rest in the assembly of the dead.
Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.
No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord.
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.
The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.
Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease.
Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man,
lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.
Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts.
If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?
Our Parable
And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
Familiar parables are often the most difficult to preach on for several reasons:
People are very familiar with them - often because they are a part of our cultural heritage as well as our Christian heritage.
Because people are familiar they often think they completely understand it now.
So often we miss the point.
One could probably make the same point about proverbs. Both often use words that create a mental picture rather than coming straight out to say what it is that needs to be said. In so doing, they often make the point in a stronger way than if they’d simply told us what they mean.
In our parable this morning, Jesus is sharing with the disciples and they just don’t quite get it.
Jesus has just said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
To which the disciples say, “Um, teacher, we didn’t quite get that.” Could you explain it again? And Jesus explains it to them, and to us - and I’m so glad he did.
But note what he begins with in vs. 10
he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
Now if I were one of the disciples standing there we might say, “yep, I’m on the inside” because Jesus said, “to you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God.” and then as we thought about it, we’d be wondering what was going on because Jesus said, “but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’” Um…Help?
The reality is the disciples didn’t understand or they wouldn’t have asked the teacher, Jesus, to explain.
So, were they on the inside or outside? Are we on the inside or outside?
Well, Jesus goes on to explain the parable to the disciples who were listening.
We read in verse 5
“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.
The seed is the Word of God, and we are discovering what happens to it.
And Jesus says in verses, 11 & 12.
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
Anyone who has attempted to share the Gospel with a non-believer may have witnessed this. We put God’s Word out there, and it seems to disappear. They just don’t believe. I also appreciate the fact that Jesus makes it clear there is an adversary, the devil. This is not a myth, the devil is real, Jesus says so.
He goes on in verse 6
And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
He explains this in verse 13
And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.
Roots are important. If you are not rooted, no matter how good you look on the outside you’re not going to last.
Because of the shallowness the plant springs up quickly, but without roots it quickly withers.
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.
And Jesus explains:
And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
I’ve watched so many who used to profess Christ be caught up in all that this life brings our way and get distracted from God’s Word and from God, so they never really mature to the point of reproducing .
And then of course, there is the good soil.
And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Which Jesus explains in verse 15
As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
Now as I’ve read an understood this passage, since even before I became a follower of Christ I understood the idea that the road, the rocky soil, the thorny soil, and the good soil represents different kinds of people.
The Scriptures often demonstrate a dichotomy between the good and evil, between Israel and the Philistines, between those that are followers of Jesus and the Lost.
And because of this we tend to read the Scriptures with a “we vs. them” filter.
WE vs. them
WE vs. them
Of course we are the good soil. Right?
But are we?
As we study this passage, and as we come to understand ourselves better, we can’t help but see a path within us where the Word of God doesn’t even penetrate. It’s heard, but it is quickly snatched away.
We can’t help but remember things we found in God’s Word where we were excited about it and determined to thrive in that area. Early on, we jumped on it. We strove to put it into practice, but it quickly lost its fire and it withered and it died in us.
We also see how we’ve learned of God’s Word, determined to allow it to guide our lives only to see the busy-ness of our lives slowly squelch that passion or that flame.
Finally, there is good soil too. We do have areas where God’s Word penetrates and finds good fertile soil not only to grow, where it can take a deep and healthy root, but where it can also grow and produce great fruit.
Whatcha Growin’?
Whatcha Growin’?
What are you growing?
Are you tending the garden?
Is there a pathway in your heart garden that needs someone to break it up?
Perhaps there’s some rocky soil that needs some tilling.
Perhaps there’s an area of your heart garden that the thorns have overtaken, and you need to do some weeding.
We can read the Scriptures, study them, and yet it doesn’t help until we’re willing to allow them to change us. Jesus Word’s about the Law were positively frightening!
Do not commit murder - if you’ve been angry at your brother you’re guilty
Do not commit adultery - if you’ve looked at another lustfully, you’re guilty
Be Holy for I am Holy - Um...
I am the light of the world - You are the light of the world - the comparison is overwhelming.
Application
Application
How do we apply this?
First, pray and ask God to keep the devil from you. Ask others to pray for you - it seems like an odd request, but I believe the devil to be real and can snatch God’s word from our heart before it takes root.
The obvious one is to be in God’s Word - read it, listen to it, study it. Hear what others have to say about it. The one that we might leave out is simply do what it says. Even when it doesn’t feel good. Even when you’re not sure why. Even when its hard.
James wrote:
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
I encourage each of you to examine yourselves.
Where are the areas where you tend to put up walls to God’s Word?
Where are the areas where you tend to put up walls to God’s Word?
Are there areas where you think, “I know God’s Word says…but....? Yeah, those are the areas I’m talking about.
Where are your thorny areas?
Where are your thorny areas?
What are the things that distract you from God’s Word?
Pride?
Busyness?
Family?
Money?
Choose to be disciplined in weeding out the thorns. Ask friends to hold you accountable.
Whatcha Growin’?
Whatcha Growin’?
My hope is that what we are growing is a fruitful harvest. Not only that we will be good fruit, but that we will bear good fruit. In other words that we too are multiplying God’s Kingdom. To Him be the glory forever, and ever, AMEN.