Is Christ Being Choked Out Of You?

Is Christ being Chocked out? Luke 8

So in our house when we moved there, there was a garden in a wooden box.

I noticed a few small plants inside the box, But there sure was a lot of weeds. These weeds did not allow the plants to give Any flowers...

You can do nothing and get weeds...

So I decided I was going to clear out the box, so I cut down all the weeds inside that box.

As I did this I realized that you don't have to do anything and you will get a patch of weeds growing.

Afterwards we planted our vegetables, and after a short while many of the weeds that I thought I had pulled out began to grow again.

I sprayed some weed kill on the weeds and they still grew back.

And just when I thought I had them all good and dead here they come again...

But I continue to battle on because I know that the weeds will eventually kill any seed that begins to grow in that garden.

I began to compare this to our lives as Christians, as youth that want to serve Christ

In fact Christ used this as a tool to teach us about priorities...

READ. Luke 8:5-7. 11-14

Our lives are the soil, But if that soil is contaminated with weeds,

There may be some here today that say well I'm not contaminated with weeds I don't have nothing to worry about this message is not for me...

Many things may not necessarily be sin, but

It can get to the point where the spiritual things that are supposed to be our highest priorities as a Christian are becoming 2nd in our lives.

Mt.6:33

It is easy to be taken away by the cares of the world.

HOW ABOUT EVANGELISM? We need a bigger concern for lost souls.

Are you too busy to share Jesus with others? I'm talking about them that don't know Jesus not those that know about Jesus but reject him...

VIDEO "IF"

Cut off tops,of weeds Often times the weeds are not even seen but seeds of weeds will eventually Choke our spiritual life to death...

Weeds can be opened sin transgressions against the word of God, addictions

But they can also be hidden things like our motives, our attitudes, not having be right priorities, Distractions, bitterness, envies, pride, vanity, not honoring your father and your mother, past memories, even certain influences friends...

If there are weeds in your life, don't matter what service you attend, conv you go to, or camp,

The word of god has no lasting effect in your life. Once again, same defeated christian life... Discouraged and dissatisfied with God, same feeling of emptiness.

These Weeds tangle up roots in our lives, though you try to cut it out it continues to be there... A Thought, Opinion, lack of forgiveness... The root is still there...

that can Choke out the word of God from us

Heb. 12:15 root of bitterness that will effect many.

The devil will try to tangle you up with all kinds of stuff, and drama that you don't grow closer to The Lord, that you Don't do the will of the Father

Mt. 7:21not everyone that says to me Lord,Lord... Will make it in, only them that do or are doing the will of the Father...

resist the temptation of being wrapped up in drama of bitterness, don’t become entangled in that stuff that weed will destroy you...

You have to refuse the tricks of the devil and rebuke him in the Name of Jesus...

Paul wrote to Timothy, Not to be entangled with the affairs of this world....2 Tim.2:3-4

Weeds rob the soil of nutrients

focus energy on what they shouldn’t focus on Robbing your soil of what it needs for the seed of God's word to grow in you

Col.3:16 With the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom...

So instead of focusing on the word of God and feeding your soul you begin to focus on other things Like this world's pleasures...

And instead of being a friend of God, you become an enemy of God as James 4:4 states If anyone wants to be a friend of the world he will be an enemy of God

Going back to my garden, there were many weeds that I would not dare to touch without being protected. They had these thorns on them that would really hurt if you were to grab them without gloves...

you see the enemy is always trying to hurt us and protect the weed that he can continue to survive in our lives

We go to the altar and we feel conviction about this weed, But here comes the enemy poking you with a thorn so you can let the weed live and be a part of your life.