Seeds On The Rocky Soil Series

Phillip Keller writes,

“From earliest childhood we are taught and trained to be self-reliant, self-confident, self-promoting people. I and me and my are the triune epicenter around which our little lives revolve. We build our entire earthly sojourn upon the premise that myself is the most important person upon the planet. The net result is self-centeredness of appalling proportions.

He goes on to say that,

“Moving in a diametrically opposite direction comes the call of Christ to us to forget ourselves (lose our lives); to follow Him (that is, put Him at the heart and center of our affairs); and give ourselves in glad service to others.

“It all goes very much against our grain. We may not say so publicly, but privately we are convinced this is the sure path to oblivion and nothingness. We really do not believe that God in Christ has the only formula for a fulfilling and abundant life” (A Gardener Looks at the Fruits of the Spirit, 38).

As humans living in a fallen world we all have these tendencies. More often than not, our first inclination is to think about how something will affect us. We search and investigate the ramifications of this or that on our own lives. And though there is wisdom in this to an extent, more often than not, many of us obsess about how we will be affected.

Our anxieties about what God is calling us to, quickly stunts, and often kills off, the faith and trust we have in God to faithfully care for, and watch over us; to give us strength and hope.

It’s only when we are able to view through the lenses of selflessness that we’re able to fully recognize who we are and whose we are; because only then can we cultivate good soil and grow deep roots.

Conclusion:

In Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, Chuck Swindoll talks about an incident between a house church and the KGB in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. This is what he writes:

“On Sunday, believers arrived at a house church in the Soviet Union in small groups throughout the day so as not to arouse the suspicion of KGB informers. They began by singing a hymn quietly. Suddenly, in walked two soldiers with loaded weapons at the ready. One shouted, ‘If you wish to renounce your commitment to Jesus Christ, leave now!’

“Two or three quickly left, then another. After a few more seconds, two more.

“‘This is your last chance. Either turn against your faith in Christ,’ he ordered, ‘or stay and suffer the consequences.’

“Two more slipped out into the night. No one else moved. Parents with children trembling beside them looked down reassuringly, fully expecting to be gunned down or imprisoned.

“The other soldier closed the door, looked back at those who stood against the wall and said, ‘Keep your hands up – but this time in praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. We, too, are Christians. We were sent to another house church several weeks ago to arrest a group of believers….’

“The other soldier interrupted, ‘But, instead, we were converted! We have learned by experience, however, that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot be fully trusted’” (Edward K. Rowell & Leadership Journal, 1001 Quotes, Illustrations & Humorous Stories for Preachers, Teachers & Writers (Baker Books: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1996, 1997), 207).