Standing In the Storm #5
Desire for "Other things"
The girl knelt in the confessional and said, "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned." "What is it, child?" "Father, I have committed the sin of vanity. Twice a day I gaze at myself in the mirror and tell myself how beautiful I am." The priest turned, took a good look at the girl, and said, "My dear, I have good news. That isn’t a sin - it’s only a mistake."
A tourist was admiring the necklace worn by a local Indian.
"What is it made of?" she asked. "Alligator’s teeth," the Indian replied. "I suppose," she said patronizingly, "that they mean as much to you as pearls do to us." "Oh no," he objected. "Anybody can open an oyster."
There is a parable in Matt.7 about two houses. One is built on a rock and another was built on sand. This is a great lesson about the way ALL PEOPLE face storms in life.
One house stood while the other fell. This is the way people do when faced with all the problems in life.
Those that can laugh at trouble must be having a hilarious time!
Matt. 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell and great was the fall of it
Notice it was not hearing the word.
The key is in the doing of the Word.
This same principal of being a DOER of the WORD is found in another parable.
Mark 4: 13-20 is concerning how we receive the Word
Seed= Word, ground= your heart, fruit = what the Word does
75% of the people were not DOERS OF THE WORD.
Only 25% of the people were DOERS OF THE WORD and produced FRUIT.
V.15 No understanding of the Word
V. 16 Understanding and did well for a while, but become offended.
V. 18,19 Produced Fruit for a while but become unfruitful. They BACKSLIDE.
Why?? The CARES OF THIS WORLD choked the WORD
CARES== fearful concerns
1.Fear is a cause of falling,
2.We saw there were reasons for Storms:
1. Disobedience
2.Because you are being obedient and doing the will of God
3 Because of the people to whom you are unavoidably connected.
3. We found Deception to be a cause of falling.
1. Riches,
2. The Bible is Not Literally True,
3. You Are Not Worthy,
4. It Doesn’t Matter What You Think,
5. It Doesn’t Matter What You Say.
The Devil knows he can’t defeat you if he can’t deceive you.
4. Lack of understanding
An understanding of the Word of God is the foundation of believing.
1. The Holy Spirit will teach you
2. God has provided in the Church teachers.
3. We must pray for understanding.
4. We have blessings in this world for meditating on His Word.
Tonight we are going to see some more things that can cause you to fall in the storm.
Mark 4: 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
“There is a story of a man who, resisting the cost of oats that he fed his mule, decided to gradually substitute sawdust in its diet. Everything went fine for a while – but by the time the mule was satisfied with sawdust, he died.” When people start feeding themselves on worldly desires and pleasures rather than the Word of God, they do not even realize that they are dying until it is too late.
The lust for other things = is an intense desire or passion for anything other than God’s Word.
This is what chokes the seed and it becometh unfruitful.
You may ask why God’s Word, The seed that was sown was the Word of God.
This is the reason I have stressed reading, meditating, obeying, and understanding the Word.
Ps 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
To me this means if I neglect the Word I have nothing to tell me if I am about to sin.
The bottom line is if you have accepted Jesus into your life you will want to hid the word in your heart and become passionate for it.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
If we have the Word in us then we should have a passion for the Word.
Mt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
We sometimes try to bypass the process that was given to us and want the things and then we will seek the kingdom.
God wants good things for his children, Healing, Prosperity, and peace of mind, but He wants us to seek Him, and not His benefits.
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Ps 27:8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek
We must have a passion, a desire and zeal for God, and we will not be like the seed choked by the thorns that choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
We lost the Garden of Eden because of wanting something more than the provision and presents of God.
In 2 Kings chapter 5 is the story of Gehazi, Elisha’s servant who got tired of being broke. He lusted for gold. He took gold and silver that had been offered to Elisha after Naaman had been healed.
But become a leper because of a desire of other things.
Judas sold Jesus because he had a passion for money.
How Do We Overcome the Lust of Other Things?
Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Lets look at this for what it says.
Conversation = manner of life
Content = Stops lust and means no worry
Prosperity is a blessing from God and he is delighted for you to have it.
Ps 35:27 Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
We can see that God delights in His servant, that is one that serves with love and without motive.
1 Tim. 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content (don’t worry)
9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
V.9-10 describes thorns choking the life out of them. (Desires for other things.)
Paul had a great passion for God.
Php 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
He knew that worry about a condition brought a passion for a benefit. He made up his mind to be content.
Php 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content.
How do we make up our mind to be content where we are?
Redirect your passion to God.
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
As a bowler that carried a 200 average I understand what Paul was saying.
Many bowlers start throwing the ball for the pins, they will do very poorly. Some have learned to throw the ball to the arrows and do well. The best is to throw to the marks that is 5 ft down the alley this is where the professional bowlers press for.
Redirection to God is an adjustment for most Christians. Paul gave us some instructions about redirecting our minds.
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
The mind of a servant is redirected to the one he is serving; this is a radical change from the worlds view.
It is the world that builds its house on the sand that falls and the fall is great.
In Gods kingdom the servant is the greatest.
Mt 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
A servant serves others, while those that covet serve self.
Service = taking time and ability to get the Word to others.
Prayer, witness, money is all part of service to God.
Ps 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
PUT OUR PASSION INTO SERVICE TO God.
Then you will be content and YOU WILL BE SEEKING THE KINGDOM OF God.
This causes all the benefits of God to be added unto you.
Don’t lust after God’s hand, you will be disappointed , but Long for God and His Word and you will not be choked.
