Sermon Manuscript for Feb. 28 2016

Matthew 13:1-8, 18-23


Introduction

An old American Indian tale recounts the story of a chief who was telling a gathering of young braves about the struggle within. “It is like two dogs fighting inside of us,” the chief told them. “There is one good dog who wants to do the right and the other dog always wants to do the wrong. Sometimes the good dog seems stronger and is winning the fight. But sometimes the bad dog is stronger and wrong is winning the fight.”

“Who is going to win in the end?” a young brave asks. 

The chief answered, “The one you feed.”¹

It would seem that too many in the church have been feeding the wrong dog. When we feed the dog of our worldly desires he grows into a ferocious beast that controls and ruins our lives. 

Jesus told a parable that illustrates for us why it is that so many of those who have been exposed to the Word of God fail to live productive spiritual lives. In this parable Jesus compares our lives or our hearts to various types of ground on which seed is sowed. From this parable we learn that the conditions must be right for God’s Word to produce a harvest in our lives so we must properly cultivate our hearts to ensure that the right conditions are present.

How To Cultivate Your Heart For A Spiritual Harvest:

1. YOU MUST TILL THE SOIL. (13:3-4, 18-19).

And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; ⁴ and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up… “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 the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.

The first type of soil described in this parable is ‘the path’. There were paths through and around farmer’s fields and is inevitable that some of the seed being scattered would fall upon these paths. The paths were packed down hard because of all the people walking on them. They were so hard that the seed being sown was unable to penetrate the soil and so they remained on top of the ground as easy picking for hungry birds. 

Jesus is referring to people whose hearts are so hard that the truth of His word cannot penetrate their lives. Just as a seed cannot grow unless it penetrates the ground so the seed of God’s word cannot grow unless it can penetrate the heart. 

Farmers can remedy this problem in their fields by plowing them. The plow breaks up the hard ground so that when the farmer plants the seeds will be able penetrate the soil. Just like those farmers some of you need to plow the soil of your hearts so that God’s word can enter in. You need to prepare your hearts to receive the word of God.

In 1 Peter 1:13 we are told,  ^“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Perhaps you have seen The Dead Poet’s Society. As I recall, a translated Latin phrase, “Seize the moment!” became the philosophy of a group of college students. “Seize the moment!” aptly characterizes the spirit of our age; it also betrays the absence of the most vital element of hope. Sadly, our “now generation” has become the “hopeless generation.”

If ever there was an age without hope, it is our own—nuclear war, environmental pollution, racism, drugs, crime, corruption, AIDS. No wonder children live as though there were no tomorrow, and some even choose suicide to avoid facing today. If Hebrews is the book of faith, and 1 Corinthians or 1 John the books of love, 1 Peter is the book of hope. While suffering is the dominant theme of this epistle, hope is the prominent emphasis. Hope gives the Christian encouragement in the midst of the trials and tribulations of this life because it focuses our affection on the blessings which await us for all eternity.

Like faith, hope is a response to the goodness and grace of God. But we shall see in our text that hope is also a responsibility we have toward God’s grace. For the first time in his epistle, Peter issues a command which we must carefully consider, so that, by God’s grace and for His glory, we might be obedient to it.²

How do you “prepare your mind?”

• Filter your worldview through the Word of God. “Preparing your mind”
• Adjust your expectations and attitudes through communication with God. “Keep sober in the spirit”
• Live with a view toward eternity. “Fix your hope…on the grace…to be brought to you”

If you’re taking a look at your life this morning and you’re realizing that you haven’t been growing spiritually maybe it’s because you have been hardening your heart to what God has been trying to teach you. Just like the farmer and the path, God has been sowing seeds but your heart has been too hard to receive them. It’s time to let God plow the soil of your heart today. As you can well imagine, plowing is not always a pleasant experience. God needs to break up the hardness in your heart and it might hurt a little, but the results are well worth it.

2. YOU NEED TO DEVELOP DEEP ROOTS. (13:5-6, 20-21).

⁵ Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. ⁶ But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away… ²⁰ The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹ yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.

The next type of soil that Jesus speaks of is rocky. He is not talking about soil that has rocks in it, but of a shallow layer of soil on top of solid rock. Because of the underlying rock the plant is unable to put down deep roots. It is important to understand that the real reason the plant dies is not because of the trial of the scorching sun, but because it doesn’t have deep enough roots to deal with the trial. The same trial that destroys one plant will prove the quality of another plant. Everything depends on the roots. If the roots are shallow the plant will be scorched and die. However, if the roots are deep, the plant will survive and its very survival proves that it is a strong, healthy plant. The sun is absolutely necessary for a plant to grow. Without the sunlight the process of photosynthesis cannot take place and the plant will die. So what proves to be a devastating trial to the plant with shallow roots also proves to be a life giving source to the plant with deep roots. We need to put down roots so that we can persevere in the face of difficulties.

There was a ten year old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move.

“Sensei,” the boy finally said, “Shouldn’t I be learning more moves?”

“This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” the sensei replied. Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match.
Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals. This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.

“No,” the sensei insisted, “Let him continue.”

Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake; he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.

On the way home, the boy and the sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind: “Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?”

“You won for two reasons,” the sensei answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm.”³

The boy’s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength because his roots went down deep as he mastered that one technique. The reason that so many Christians wilt when they face the scorching heat of trials and tribulations is that they have shallow root systems. They have failed to “go on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1).

The Bible teaches us that it is very important that we “keep hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience” (1 Timothy 3:9).

That is why Paul prayed that the Ephesians would be “rooted and established in love” (3:17). A shallow Christianity simply cannot survive times of trouble. But those who are not content with a shallow religion and so go deeper in the faith will discover that “the chains that seem to bind them, serve only to remind them, they drop powerless behind them...”

Is your Christianity shallow or deep? Are the troubles of life knocking you out or making you stronger? Let me share with you a secret: You cannot go too deep. No matter how much you have grown in the faith you still have more growing to do. There is no such thing as having arrived spiritually. Let me share with you a few practical ways to put your roots down deep.

• First, go to church every Sunday.

The Bible actually commands us to not skip church. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing...” (Hebrews 10:25) We are not to skip church because God knows that we can’t grow alone. We need each others love, encouragement, and support. We need to follow in the footsteps of more mature believers as they follow Christ. We need to experience corporate worship and hear the Word of God proclaimed.

• Second, you need to be in an accountability group.

You need a few people that you can be transparent with so they can pray for and encourage you. You also need people that have total access to your life and can ask you hard questions to keep you on the narrow path.

If you have not been growing spiritually and God’s word has not been producing fruit in your life then you need to plow the soil and put down roots. But there is also one more thing you need to do.

3. YOU NEED TO REMOVE ANY WEEDS. (13:7, 22).

 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out… ²² And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

The third type of soil that Jesus spoke of was thorny or weedy soil. The thorns grow up quickly and they choke out the plants. The weeds consume the water and nutrients that should be used for the plants nourishment and so they die. These thorns represent the cares of life and the desire for wealth which choke the Word of God out of the lives of many people. The pursuit of worldly wealth consumes the energy that should be used in the pursuit of spiritual wealth and we die spiritually.

If “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth” are choking out your spiritual development, you need to restructure your life. Stop making the pursuit of worldly wealth your highest objective and make the pursuit of spiritual riches your grandest goal.

Jesus said, “Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’... But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:31,33).

Let me give you some practical steps to putting God first in your life.

• Steward your time, talents, and resources.

• Simplify your life.

• Serve the kingdom.

There’s an old fable about a miserable rich man who went to visit a rabbi. The rabbi took the rich man by the hand and led him to a window. "Look out there," he said. The rich man looked into the street. "What do you see?" asked the rabbi. "I see men, women, and children," answered the rich man. Again the rabbi took him by the hand and this time led him to a mirror. "Now what do you see?""Now I see myself," the rich man replied. Then the rabbi said, "Behold, in the window there is glass, and in the mirror there is glass. But the glass of the mirror is covered with a little silver representing wealth, and no sooner is the silver added than you cease to see others, but you see only yourself.⁴

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, if you really want to have a spiritually productive life, you can have it. One day a student came to Plato and asked him how he could come to have true knowledge and wisdom. The teacher told the student to follow him and he led him to the river. The teacher waded out into the river and called for his student to join him. When he did, the teacher told the student to dunk himself under the water.

The student thought that this was a bizarre request, but he did as the great teacher told him. As soon as his head was under the water the teacher put his hands on his students head and held him under the water. The student fought desperately, but he was unable to break his teacher hold. The teacher held his student under water until the student began to weaken and lose his strength. Then he released him and the student shot up and began to gasp for air desperately. The teacher said, “When you desire knowledge as desperately as you desired to breathe the air you just breathed -- then you shall find it.”⁵

Jesus said something similar: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). 

If you truly want to live a spiritually productive life then plow the soil and prepare your heart to receive God’s word, put down roots and persevere through the trials of life, and pull the weeds of worldly wealth and pursue spiritual riches instead. If you do these things then you will have good soil and the seed of God’s word will produce a bountiful harvest in your life.

Jesus said that the harvest would yield “a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown”. You need to understand that at that time a sevenfold harvest was considered to be a good harvest so a harvest of even thirtyfold would have been miraculous not to mention sixty or a hundredfold. When you make your life match God’s model the results are miraculous.

1 This illustration was modified from First People: American Indian Legends.com website, accessed 27 February, 2016; available from http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/TwoWolves-Cherokee.html; Internet.

2 Bob Deffinbaugh, “Fixing Our Hope,” bible.org, accessed 27 February, 2016, available from https://bible.org/seriespage/5-fixing-our-hope-1-peter-113; Internet.

3 Illustration taken from moralstories.org website, accessed 27 February, 2016, available from http://www.moralstories.org/boys-weakness/; Internet.

4 Illustration taken from Paulo Coelho, paulocoelhoblog.com, “20 Second Readings,” accessed 27 February, 2016, available from http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2011/07/27/the-window-and-the-mirror/; Internet.

5 Illustration taken from http://gabesfascinatingstories.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-secret-of-success.html; Internet, accessed 27 February 2016, available from http://gabesfascinatingstories.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-secret-of-success.html; Internet.