Soil Testing: Thorny Ground
"I’ll Serve the Lord as Long as It Does Not Interfere With Things That Are More Important"
Luke 8:4-8
There was a young man who was doing everything possible to move up in his company. Over the past 3 weeks he had built us 52 hours of overtime working on a new project. One night he slipped in at 12:30 and quietly crawled into bed next to his new bride. Upon feeling the movement of the bed his wife woke up long enough to say, "You’ve got to alphabetize,".
Not wanting to wake her up any more than he had to, but a little confused he asked her, "What do you mean?".
Without missing a beat she replied, "Wife comes before work.".
That is a hard lesson to learn but in marriage as with everything else there is an order or a progression. We have already discussed the first two soils, Pathway and rocky.
We said that pathway soil is the life that is hard and unreceptive. Whether it is a new idea or a new way of life this type of thinking is “I have already made up my mind and no amount of scripture will change it.”
We said that if this is your mindset God will have to break you in order for the seed to have a chance to enter.
Then we talked about the Rocky ground. About the lack of depth and that a sudden change may be more for manipulation than for transformation and spiritual healing. I may be bargaining with God. I may be trying to cut a deal with friends or family. If that is true, the wilting will be as fast as the sudden growth.
If this is where you are on the progression then with help handling and removing the rocks you can develop depth and provide stability .
I hope you have your bibles this evening because we are going to look at what God has to say on this subject of soil progression. Let’s read Luke 8:4-8, then we will pray.
We are supposed to continue the farming process, but we must advance with wisdom and work. Wisdom to know the difference between good plants and thorns. The work to pull out the thorns.
Robert Morgan tells about a time his family was leaving for an extended vacation, he asked a friend to water and spray his rose bushes. But when he returned, he couldn’t see the rose bushes for the weeds.
He told his wife that he had no idea where the weeds came from, since They were taller than the rose bushes.
He later found out that his friend saw the weeds starting to come up, and thinking they were bedding plants he’d planted among the roses, she sprayed and watered them, and doused them with a little extra fertilizer!
Ground that will nourish desirable crops will also develop undesirable thorns.
If we look back at Mark 4:18-19 we can see the weeds that are in your life and mine.
“Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful"
Thorny Ground soil is represented by folks who have not matured, they have moved from babies to teenagers, but have not made it into adulthood. Some Christians have mixed up priorities because their lives are tangled up in things they should not be messing with. Jesus says there are two things that are choking them.
The first is Worry.
We are in the "Age of Anxiety." Martha has many brothers and sisters in our day who are "careful and troubled about many things." (Lk. 10:41). Indeed, worry is the watchword of our world.
If we do not have a job, we worry about that. If we have a job we worry about losing it.
If we do not have any money we worry about that. If we have money we worry about "where it all goes."
If we do not have a car we worry about that. If we have a car we worry about it breaking down.
If we do not have an education we worry about that. If we are getting an education we worry about passing the course.
If we are sick we worry about that. If we are well we worry about getting sick.
If we feel a flutter of the heart or a pain in the abdomen we are convinced that we have heart trouble or ulcers.
A man was overheard once saying, "I have so many troubles that if anything happened to me today it will be two weeks before I can get around to worrying about it."
Now, I know that life cannot be lived free from all sense of anxiety and concern. For example, being concerned about not having an wreck will cause us to drive safely. Concern over becoming sick will cause us to practice good health. Concern about the retirement and Social Security will cause us to look into IRA’s.
But the problem is this: it’s too easy to let our concerns become cares, and our forethoughts become fear-thoughts.
We all know that it is a sin to worry according to Philippians 4:6, Be anxious for nothing.
In other words Don’t worry. Don’t sweat it. Don’t allow anything to so control your mind that it keeps you from functioning.
But we do. As a matter of fact we worry in 3 different ways.
We worry about things that have already happened.
Now this is a bit silly. You can’t saw sawdust. Worrying about the past is like trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube.
Deeds cannot be undone. Words cannot be unsaid.
We need to take on the Motto of Lloyd George, former Prime Minister of England, who said, "I have made it a practice of my life always to close the gates behind me."
Second we worry over things that will inevitably happen.
I have heard people worry about their children marrying; not a particular person but that they will get married and leave home.
Some people worry about dying; or worse about growing old.
My question is what can I stop. If I refuse to grow older then I will die and if I refuse to die then I will grow older.
Finally People worry about things that will never happen.
Mark Twain said, "I have worried over a great many things in life, the most of which never happened."
The apostle Paul goes on to say in Philippians 4:6-7 , but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The word we translate guard here means to post a sentry, or to set up a watch around your mind so that when worry or anything else shows up, the guard keeps it out.
Now I know that there are legitimate concerns in our lives but so often we are so concerned about the little things that we don’t have time to make it to the legitimate things. And worry will strangle our growth.
The second area Jesus said will choke out your growth is riches.
The thorns in our lives are those things that choke out the fullness of spiritual blessings. So we tend to forget about keeping up with the church because we are trying to keep up with the Jones’, and Lee’s, and Stewarts, and well you get the picture.
Too often we allow material things to capture our thoughts, feelings, and focus, and we get in a world of trouble.
One of the most tragic accidents that has ever happened came about in the mid-Atlantic, April 14, 1912. The Titanic, one of the largest vessels of that time, hit an iceberg and sank within a few hours.
One woman, who was allotted space on one of the rescue boats, asked permission to return to her stateroom. She was given three minutes to do this, so she hurried. In that stateroom money and jewels were scattered all over the floor, but she stepped over them on her way to the three oranges that were on the counter, and hurried back to the boat.
It seems almost incredible that she preferred oranges to diamonds. But, you see, death had boarded the Titanic, and with one blast of his awful breath, transformed all values - precious things became worthless and worthless things became precious.
Now I feel right here I need to stop and tell you that I do not believe possessions are necessarily bad or evil and I think that Paul agrees with me. He writes in 1 Timothy 6
And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows
Paul never says that Money and possessions are bad he said that the love of these things were the root of all evil. It is when we put our trust in the creation instead of the creator that we begin to be choked by the thorns. He continues in verse 17:
Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life
Paul again addresses the subject of our attitude towards things in his letter to the church in Philippi.
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry , both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:11-13).
We need to be level headed in all of our decisions and learn to make the right choice.
It’s like a salesman trying to sell a housewife on a home freezer, a salesman pointed out, "You can save enough on your food bill to pay for the freezer ."
"Yes, I know," the woman agreed, but you see we’re paying for our car on the bus fare we save. Then, we’re paying for our washing machine on the Laundromat bills we save, and we’re paying for our house on the rent we’re saving. We just can’t afford to save any more right now."
I believe that she had a well weeded garden.
When you love money, not having money, supersedes you love for God, you will start choking on your wallet.
It has been said that you can tell what you love by looking at your check book. In Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus basically states you will know what you love the most by what you invest in.
What are your spiritual investments?
Some people like to do something big for God once a year. You know they are the folks that come out on Easter Sunday. It is the nod for God crowd that comes out that day and they are proud of the fact they have made it. They show up on that day, but the rest of the year they have allowed things to choke out their relationship, their investment to God.
So how can we weed our soil and make sure that at the harvest there will be a good crop? Two things:
First we can’t get root bound or fruit crazy.
Roots are important. They bring water and nourishment up from the soil. With out the roots there will be no fruit and we will have a garden like a high school friend’s mom had.
She was so conscious about her little garden and her inability to grow tomatoes that she would put plastic tomatoes in her garden so it would look better - but there was no substance or nutrition.
In our Christian life Roots and foundation principles are important. The Hebrew writer says in Hebrews 5:12-13
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
If there is no fruit in your life then it is because you have no roots. You see fruit follows roots.
But becoming root-bound will not bring maturity .
Hebrews 5:14 and following say: But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings, and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we shall do, if God permits.
There has to be growth in our lives.
John Stott, asked: “what is the greatest need of the church today?” His answer was: “the church needs greater number of deep Christians – Christians that are not shallow nor superficial but deep and committed”.
In the course of their conversation at a dinner party, Albert Einstein’s young neighbour asked the white-haired scientist, "What are you actually by profession?"
"I devote myself to the study of physics," Einstein replied.
The girl looked at him in astonishment. "You mean to say you study physics at your age?" she exclaimed. "I finished mine a year ago."
Some Christians, like the little girl, are often content not to grow up. They are content to be a spiritual infant all our lives.
The Hebrew writer goes on and tells us in chapter 6 how we are to mature
Remember the past 6:10. Think of our God, think of His faithfulness, think of our first love to Him and our first love to others. This will help us to reaffirm our faith and commitment to Him.
Act on the present 6:11-12. Persevere to the very end, don’t give up, be diligence, don’t be lazy – which is the root cause of backsliding. Learn from others – our more mature brothers and sisters.
Look for the future 6:13-20. The author used Abraham as an example. Abraham looked for the promise and the hope from God. He took comfort in God’s faithfulness and was patient and waited for God’s promise. Just as Abraham received what God promised him, we will also receive God’s promise if we remain faithful.
Maturity will bring wisdom to distinguish thorns from good plants that will bear fruit.
Finally we must be willing to take radical action, when necessary , to eliminate thorns.
"If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell" (Matthew 5:29,30).
Thorny ground is progress, growth from wayside soil and growth from Rocky soil. In the pathway, the seed does not enter. In the rocky ground, the seed sprouts and dies. But now in the thorny soil there at least can be a harvest. But there is still work to be done.
Offer the Invitation.
