HOW’S YOUR GARDEN?
MATT 13 VS 1-8
Matthew 13:1-8 (NKJV)
1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.
2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow.
4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.
5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.
6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.
8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
1. A GOOD SPIRITUAL GARDEN REQUIRES “SOUL” PREP- DIGGING:
Jeremiah 4:1-4 (NKJV)
A. REMOVAL OF SIN:
1 "If you will return, O Israel," says the LORD, "Return to Me; And if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, Then you shall not be moved.
2 And you shall swear, 'The LORD lives,' In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; The nations shall bless themselves in Him, And in Him they shall glory."
3 For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away the foreskins of your hearts, You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury come forth like fire, And burn so that no one can quench it, Because of the evil of your doings."
Matthew 4:17 (NKJV)
17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
**THE WORD REPENT MEANS “TO TURN FROM,” “A CHANGE OF MIND WHICH LEADS TO A CHANGE OF DIRECTION.”
**THIS IS OUR PART IN SIN REMOVAL**
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 (NKJV)
19 Do not quench the Spirit.
20 Do not despise prophecies.
21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
** WE TEND TO ONLY CONSIDER SIN AS DOING WRONG WHICH IS THE SIN OF COMMISSION, WE ALSO NEED TO BE AWARE OF NOT DOING WHAT WE KNOW TO BE RIGHT- WHICH IS THE SIN OF OMISSION.
James 4:17 (NKJV)
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
**AS A PASTOR, I STRUGGLE WITH THE IDEA THAT MANY, MANY SAVED FOLKS ARE BEING DECEIVED INTO THINKING THAT CHURCH ATTENDANCE AND MEMBERSHIP IS ALL THERE IS TO CHRISTIANITY.. I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT INSIDE OF EACH OF US IS BURNING FOR US TO BE A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF THE BODY OF CHRIST…
** WHERE ARE WE AT DURING SUNDAY SCHOOL AND BIBLE STUDIES?? THE TIME TO SIT DOWN WITH OUR PEERS AND DIG INTO THE WORD OF GOD TO GET OUT VALUABLE GEMS FROM THE WEALTH OF GOD’S WISDOM??
** WHERE ARE WE DURING THE TIMES OF MUSIC, WHEN OUR SOUL CAN BE PERMIATED WITH THE SONGS OF GOD THAT WILL INSPIRE US TO WANT TO DO THE OTHER THINGS OF GOD??
**WHERE ARE WE AT THE TIMES WE SIT ASIDE FOR FELLOWSHIP WITH “FOLKS OF LIKE FAITH” SO WE CAN SHARE, AND GROW TOGETHER IN OUR WALK TOWARDS THE GOAL??
2. GOOD GROUND REQUIRES DEDICATION—HOW DEDICATED ARE WE TO THE LORD?? ARE WE MORE DEDICATED TO HIM, OR SOMEONE OR SOMETHING ELSE?? HOW MUCH TIME DO WE SPEND IN “HIS WORD?” IN PRAYER?
John 15:1-17 (NKJV)
1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 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.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4 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.
5 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.
6 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.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
**JESUS SAID THAT IF WE WANTED TO BE PRODUCTIVE IN HIS KINGDOM, WE NEED TO DO 2 THINGS—TO LOVE AND BE DEDICATED TO “HIM” AND TO LOVE AND BE DEDICATED TO EACH OTHER!!
Matthew 22:36-40 (NKJV)
36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
3. WE MUST BE DEPENDANT UPON GOD FOR THE OUTCOME, NOT OURSELVES:
Psalm 4:5-8 (NKJV)
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD.
6 There are many who say, "Who will show us any good?" LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
7 You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 115:11-18 (NKJV)
11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield.
12 The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear the LORD, Both small and great.
14 May the LORD give you increase more and more, You and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S; But the earth He has given to the children of men.
17 The dead do not praise the LORD, Nor any who go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the LORD From this time forth and forevermore. Praise the LORD!
1 Corinthians 3:4-7 (NKJV)
4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
GOD IS GOOD
ALL THE TIME!!
