It’s a wonderful thing to be able to say that we are a Multi-Cultural Church in Kansas City. It has always been important to us as a church to look like heaven will look like…DIVERSE. We want to see Jesus touch every person from any culture.
We have been talking about the Word of God and how it falls as a seed into the hearts of the hearers. The enthusiasm we have for God must expand beyond the borders of our churches to our jobs, our schools, and the streets. But we must have an understanding that as we (the farmers) spread the Word (the Seed) it will land on different types of hearts (the Soil). We need to have an understanding of the state of our own hearts and how we are receiving the preached Word of God. The parable in Matthew 13 discusses four types of soil. Out of the four, only one type of soil was good enough to cause the hearer to continue in salvation.
In today’s blog, I want to discuss the seed sown on stony ground,
“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.” Matt 13: 18-21 NKJV
There are people who come to the altar. They cry, weep, and receive the Word of God with joy. But the next Sunday they can’t be found.
God’s Word is vulnerable to threat or theft when it is only received as a concept and does not go deep in the heart. You can be convicted by truth, and even agree with that conviction, but if you do not walk it out it doesn’t get deep inside of you. You have to put legs behind what you are hearing.
The seed (God’s Word) has to get deep into the soil of your heart to bring change. The seed needs to take root in your life.
Many are living high on theory but low on experience. If I really hear God’s Word and receive it the enemy can’t steal it.
“….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” Matt 13:21 NKJV
It’s a good thing you go to church. But the issue is will you be serving God 10 years from now? There are people who do good until God’s Word is challenged. Do you know God’s Word is not designed to make you feel good all the time? God’s Word will challenge you. It may even offend you. The messenger of that Word can even offend you.
Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord tested him Psalm 105:19 NKJV
God has a purpose in your life but first, the Word needs to purge your character.
The person in this parable has quick growth. People marvel at how fast the grasp the Word of God has taken hold of their life. When I got saved my life totally changed. I received the Word, I clung to it and I am still here today. But there are many people whose growth is only for a season.
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Col 2: 6-7 NLT
It’s time we quit studying the Word and start living it. There is so much on YouTube. Has your refrigerator stopped working? Go on YouTube. I’ll bet you can find a video that will help you fix it. But you need to be careful in what you watch that’s supposed to help you spiritually. If you are not rooted in the Word you may be moved by the world’s philosophy.
Remember this parable is not talking about the person who rejects God’s Word. It’s talking about the one who joyfully received it. Just receiving the Word is not enough. You need to meditate on it. Getting that root in yourself takes time, work, and dedication. You can’t survive on someone else’s root. You need to be convinced yourself in the truth.
Listen, tribulation and persecution do not just come to make us strong. There are tribulations and persecutions that are designed by the enemy to destroy your faith. There is a strategy to steal that seed from your heart.
“I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches. As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless. John 15:5 TPT
The enemy wants to steal what God is doing in your life through His Word. He wants you to think you will always be addicted, broke, angry, and powerless. He wants you to believe you will never be free. He wants to stop that Word from getting rooted in your heart because he knows if it’s rooted you will be unstoppable!
The devil and the world do not care if you go to church. They care if you actually believe what the Word of God says. If you believe you will fulfill the great command,
‘You must love the Lord God with all your heart, all your passion, all your energy, and your every thought. And you must love your neighbor as well as you love yourself.’” Luke 10:27 TPT
And you will fulfill the great commission,
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15 NKJV
Let me leave you with this,
Jesus rode through the gates of Jerusalem and up to the temple. After looking around at everything, he left for Bethany with the Twelve to spend the night, for it was already late in the day.
The next day, as he left Bethany, Jesus was feeling hungry. He noticed a leafy fig tree in the distance, so he walked over to see if there was any fruit on it, but there was none—only leaves (for it wasn’t yet the season for bearing figs). Jesus spoke to the fig tree, saying, “No one will ever eat fruit from you again!” And the disciples overheard him.
When they came into Jerusalem, Jesus went directly into the temple area and overturned all the tables and benches of the merchants who were doing business there. One by one he drove them all out of the temple courts, and they scattered away, including the money changers and those selling doves. And he would not allow them to use the temple courts as a thoroughfare for carrying their merchandise and their furniture…
…In the morning, they passed by the fig tree that Jesus spoke to and it was completely withered from the roots up. Peter remembered and said to him, “Teacher, look! That’s the fig tree you cursed. It’s now all shriveled up and dead.” Mark 11: 11-16, 20 TPT
This tree represents the people, the church. Jesus was hungry and he was checking that tree for fruit but all He found was leaves. From far away it looked like there may be fruit just like from far away many of us look like Christians. But when Jesus got close there was nothing. It was all show and no fruit. So He cursed it and went back to the Temple and rebuked everyone. When He returned back to the tree the tree was withered…from the roots up.
The root is what no one sees. It’s your time in prayer. It’s your time in the Word. It’s your character. It’s your obedience.
We all want to be visible and get praise from men but work on getting deep roots. It’s easy to get impatient waiting on fruit but keep putting your energy in developing those roots. It’s not how you started your journey it’s how you finish.
PRAY THIS
God, I want deep roots in your kingdom. I don’t want to be here today and gone tomorrow. Help me to do all I do with all my might as unto You and not just to get attention from people. Make me a lover of truth and let the fear of God fill my heart. Help me to bear fruit, let others see Jesus in my life, and spread the seed of Your Word wherever I go!
MEDITATE ON THIS
Always do what is right and not only when others are watching, so that you may please Christ as his servants by doing his will. Eph 6:6
“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. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:5-8