Cultivate

Over the past two weeks we have been looking at how to create a firm foundation so that we might stand firm in the midst of a shifting culture. Today is part 3 and we are going to look at how to cultivate our lives in Christ.

I want to show you in two illustrations today how the Kingdom of God is cultivated in your life. Mark 4:26-29

Turn with me to Mark 4:26-29 “And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.””

Let me quickly remind you that the seed is the word of God and the soil is the hearts of men.

Take a bag of soil, pot, seed, and water. Keep all of them separate, and place them on a table. In front of me there is everything needed to produce (whatever seed I purchased). The idea is that if I don’t do the “work” to put the ingredients together nothing will happen. The pieces are all there. They are whats needed for growth, but if they are not cultivated nothing will happen. If they are combined but not cultivated the seed will die. If they are combined and cultivated the seed will grow and become everything it was created to be.

The passage in Mark 4:26-29 reveals the essence of the Kingdom of God. God is a sower of the word. The seed has within itself the ability to produce whatever is contained in it. Man does not grow the seed, the seed produces as God has commanded. The seed of the Kingdom planted sprouts and grows first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. Then when maturity comes we gather the harvest. ___________________________________________________________

Submit:

The only factors that determine the effectiveness of the seed is the condition of the soil, and whether or not it is cultivated.

The seed needs good soil, light and water to grow.

The condition of peoples hearts matter. Matthew 13:18-23

““Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.””

The word of God carries within itself the ability to produce whatever God has spoken. The only determining factor of the seed is the condition of the soil and the cultivation.

There is power in the seed! Some time ago, archeologists dug into a pyramid tomb in Egypt. In that tomb they found several jars of seeds. These seeds had been buried with the deceased person 3,000 years earlier. Those scientists took the seeds they found and planted them in good soil. They watered the soil and waited patiently. After a time, those ancient seeds germinated and tiny plants pushed their way through the surface of the soil. Those tender plants matured and produced fruit.

So we must cultivate and prepare the soil. Remember the PURPOSE of planting seed is to produce fruit.

Hard soil can’t receive seed

Rocky soil will not give the seed much chance

Weeded soil will choke out what’s growing and it won’t reach its potential to bear fruit

Nutrient rich soil will bring forth fruit.

Tend the field, God has already designed the seed to grow.

1. The Sprout - The new life is tender. As the days and nights revolve, it sinks it roots deeper into the soil and steadily becomes stronger. This speaks of the new believer. They are to be nurtured and loved as we wait for them to grow into maturity.

2. The Blade – When the blade appears the promise of future fruit is plainly seen. Still there is much growing to do. This speaks of the middle stages of the Christian life. The believer is stronger and shows the promise of a fruitful future, but there is much growing to do!

3. The Full Head of Grain - Now the head hangs over due to the heaviness of the grain within. Here lies the potential for multiplication and more growth. This plant can be used to build up men and it can be used to produce more plants. This speaks of maturity in the Christian life! This is the stage of victory, usefulness and glory! It is here that the farmer receives his reward and his labors are compensated!

4. Two examples of this process in the scripture are the woman at the well and Saul of Tarsus? The seed was sown in their hearts and God was doing His secret, sovereign work within them. Soon, however, what God was doing on the inside began to produce fruit on the outside, The woman goes back to her village after her encounter with Jesus and many from her town believe on Jesus. Saul becomes one of the greatest Apostles in the new testament reaching the gentiles with the Gospel of which you and I are fruit of His ministry. John 4:29; Acts 9:19-22.)

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Apply:

Second Illustration: The Vacuum. leave it in the box until the illustration. Then take out the contents, assemble the vacuum, using the instructions. Once it is assembled show that it has the ability to be used, but it ultimately it must be plugged into the power source to work.

All of this begins with the ability to hear the Word of God. Deuteronomy 6:4-5

““Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” The commandment begins with HEAR.

Jesus echos the same in Matthew 7:24-25.

Matthew 7:24–25 NKJV

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

The cultivation of our lives begins with the instruction manual which is the Word of God. Jeremiah 4:3

Jeremiah 4:3 “For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns.” Fallow is ground is ground that hasn’t been plowed yet.

To soften the soil we have to be honest about the condition of the soil.

Breaking up the soil of our heart can be painful, but at the level at which we are prepared to go through the pain and examine what is in our hearts, is the level to which our hearts will be receptive to the seeds that will bring healing to our lives.

Unwillingness to break up the hard soil will keep us from growth with God. We will have to throw out the old soil, the old life and its habits. Our freedom and spiritual health will be determined by the soil we are growing in.

We have to remove the rocks for our soil. If we do not remove the rocks they become stumbling blocks in our life. Things like unforgiveness, offense, anger, bitterness, unbelief.

Ultimately we must connect to the nutrients of God’s word to fertilize the seed through meditation on the word, prayer, and confession.

After the ground is softened and ready for planting we must become students of the word. A people who consume the word. Psalm 1:1-3

Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”

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Closing:

The seed planted will do what it is supposed to do.

But the last thing I want to show you in my second illustration is this.

The Vacuum I assembled is completely ready to be used. It is 100% of a vacuum. It has every component needed to do its job. If run it over this carpet as is will anything happen? Of course not, its not plugged in.

John15:1-6 ““I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”

The life of a believer is built by and through the word, and it is intended to bear fruit. However if it is not connected to power it will be ineffective. You and I have every opportunity to become all that God intends for us to become. If we will break up the fallowed ground, plant the seed of the word, and connect to the Power of the Holy Spirit we will have great effectiveness in our lives.

We simply must choose to abide and remain in Him.