02.24.2013 Journeys to the Cross - 2 - How to be used by God

SermonAudio

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Lord, You love our worship – it enters before Your throne – and You are pleased – because of what Jesus did for us – You are satisfied and we have peace and forgiveness of sins and a relationship with You. Knowing that we have that relationship with You, allow us to treasure that and make it a priority in our lives. We have so much of Your word that it can be easy to lose its value and not treasure it – so help us, Lord, to have a new perspective on our relationship with You and to count it as more valuable than all things.
We are looking at the events that led to the cross – and this parable comes up in three of the gospels:
On that day after Jesus went out of the house, he sat by the lake. 2 And such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat to sit while the whole crowd stood on the shore. 3 He told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep. 6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they did not have sufficient root, they withered. 7 Other seeds fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked them. 8 But other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 The one who has ears had better listen!”
10 Then the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 He replied, “You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. 12 For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. 14 And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

‘You will listen carefully yet will never understand,
you will look closely yet will never comprehend.
15 For the heart of this people has become dull;
they are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
We often look at the parables and try to figure out how we should behave – through what is being said in the parables. The tendency is to focus on sowing, and soil, and seeing things grow. The parable is moving in that direction – but sometimes in our enthusiasm to apply the parables to our own lives, we can miss the power of the original story. We need to look how it fits in context so our application can be most helpful.
In context, this comes on the heels of the rejection of Jesus – especially by the Pharisees and the religious leaders of the Jews. From that, these Kingdom parables come.
The ones rejecting Jesus are the ones the Jewish people would not expect.
So – what that tells us – all of these kingdom parables are judgment stories – pronouncing judgment against the nation of Israel. There is a lot there for us, and we will look at that, but He is saying – you are not there – this kingdom is coming – and those who are not expected are rejecting it – and those who are receiving it are the unexpected as well!
So what Jesus is doing – setting new criteria for the community – a standard of who is in, and who is out. They assumed they were in, because of their heritage, and Jesus is saying – Maybe not – you think you are part of all this, but in reality, you are out. Now, this kingdom that is coming – is also coming in a way they would not expect. It is coming gradually – and with a sense of subversive approach to the way the world works.
We’re talking about Journeying to the Cross and the events that led to the crucifixion. These parables – Jesus is not just telling nice stories – not just giving sermon illustrations – like when I get up here and tell something in my own life that is not very funny, but you graciously laugh at it – but that is not what he is doing. He is saying he is giving the parables so they don’t get it! He is saying – you have rejected God all along – and you are about to reject for the last time. The religious leaders knew – and it led to his crucifixion. Jesus did not speak in such a way as to win friends and influence people. He straight out said, you have rejected, and judgment is coming.
He wasn’t afraid to turn people away. He wasn’t harsh – he was always gracious – but he wanted to make clear who was in and who was out – to understand what it really means to be a disciple of Christ. It was very clear for these early followers what it meant. For us it is a bit more cloudy, isn’t it?
What Jesus does – he explains to the disciples what the parable means – usually he lets it hang…
17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Sower Explained
Jesus is the Sower. He is the one spreading the word of God – and it is being rejected by most. He sows the seed – and it is not like farmers today with nice rows for miles – but he is just scattering seed – it is landing everywhere – maybe that is the way they did it – or maybe he is just making a point. The point is – he was scattering the seed widely – everywhere – he was not being selective.
This teaches us - We never know who will respond. So maybe we need to think – as we put ourselves in the story – oftentimes, it is not those expected who respond. In our own lives, when we think about spreading God’s word – sowing God’s word – we think – that is not the type of person to listen – and they do – and at times we think – that is the type who would listen, and they don’t. The effectiveness rests with God. We are called to “JUST SOW IT” – graciously and with the right timing – to get the word out.
I was reading in my devotional time this morning – we think there are those we think would never want to hear it – but often, that person is the most prepared. Sometimes those who are the loudest, the strongest against faith in the gospel are the ones whom God is working on the most and may be the most prepared to listen.
Zech. 8:6 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If it is too difficult in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, will it also be too difficult in My sight?’ declares the Lord of hosts.
If it is impossible in the sight of the people, is it impossible in My eyes?
Do I think that way? Does God think something is impossible that you think is impossible? No. It may be impossible for us – to get someone to change – but it is not impossible in God’s mind. He doesn’t look down and say – this is going to be a hard one! Take Paul. God didn’t think –oh no, I’m going to have to strike him blind – do you think that will work? God knows! He knows His own power – nothing is impossible for God – Nothing.
There is not a person out there who is too difficult for God to work on.
So, we need to sow – widely! Like Jesus – preaching in all these different places – he sent his disciples out to all these towns – if they reject you – fine, leave – just go!
When anyone hears the word about the kingdom – …
18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; this is the seed sown along the path.
In this sowing process – there is an enemy and there is a conflict over the souls of people. The enemy is looking – looking to snatch that seed – to destroy the ministry of the word. So we need to engage in the conflict – to engage the enemy as we minister the word. The biggest way we see, from the Bible – it is not a physical battle, but spiritual – but prayer is the most powerful thing we can do – praying for people is the best weapon against the enemy as we minister the word – it needs to be part of our life.
Prayer is something we get going on – we hear a message – but it can be something that is easy to stop doing – like dieting – it is something we need to learn consistency. When you pray, you are engaging the battle – it is not just a pious discipline – but you are engaging the conflict over the souls of people. You are entering in that spiritual warfare in the heavenly realms.
He goes on –
20 The seed sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 21 But he has no root in himself and does not endure; when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.
So many people end up being like this. We have all seen it happen – where someone hears the word, they come to church – they get all excited – but months down the road, where are they? That is common. It happens – there is an emotional response. Maybe they are looking for escape from a problem. But when the reality of being a follower of Christ sets in – and it is a journey to the cross – when the heat of the sun starts to bake and the pressure comes on – what it really means to follow Christ… - today, you can be a churchgoer and not have it influence your life at all. It wasn’t like that for them. They were leaving their community. When they followed Jesus, they were leaving all they knew. He said, those who leave family for ME – they were leaving their nation to do it.
One thing we have to do – use this as a mirror – am I really following as I ought? We can look at others and be discerning – but to not judge another’s heart. Be cautious – some superstar becomes a Christian – and people rejoice because ‘we have the superstar – but a year later, nothing has changed.

22 The seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth choke the word, so it produces nothing.
I think this is probably a bigger one in the church – the worries of the world – the seductiveness of wealth – I think all of us probably face this on a consistent basis – allowing the cares, stresses, anxieties – to begin to squeeze out God.
What do we allow to choke what God is doing?
“What you allow to inform you transforms you”
We have to ask – what do we allow to inform us? People, messages, values, priorities… what do you allow to speak into your life? Because what you choose to speak into your life will make you, form you into the person you are. We have a choice what speaks into us. We can choose to have certain things NOT speak into our lives. Kids really have to make a choice – where will they get their input. It is no different for us adults – we’ve just found ways to not make it so obvious.
23 But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”
Good soil – how do you know? It produces fruit! The better the soil, the better the fruit. What is interesting – even though ¾ of the seed/soil fails – there is enough in the ¼ to make it.
This fruit is genuine transformation – allowing Him to transform our person.
What soil are we? If we are good soil – we should be producing fruit in our lives. We need to make sure we are.
Jesus accepts us as we are – right where we are – but He never leaves us there! He expects change. He expects growth – He expects repentance – he expects transformation.
I urge you – find yourself in the story today – where are you? In the fruit-bearing process, to what extent is God producing in you? For some – has it really taken root, so that you are genuine follower?
Matthew 13:10 – he says a few words I want to look at in closing.
9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
There is a divine responsibility and a human responsibility. We can’t understand it without the work of God – He has to open peoples’ minds. But there is also the human responsibility – whoever has ears to hear, listen!
12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
The disciples are seeking to understand – they are trying to get more – and there are others who have not – they have shut God out. We have to be careful to not shut God out – the more you listen, the more God gives. That is what He is saying here.
To listen well, we need dot listen with humility and surrender – not just to hear what God says, but to surrender to WHAT he says! The disciples did what He asked.
We also need to make it a priority – to listen well, it must be a priority. We need to become like Mary, not Martha, who was distracted – but like Mary who listened to God’s word – and to give Him the freedom to speak into our souls.
The other side – if you stop listening and responding – you will lose what you have gained.
At times we think we are at a standstill – but you are either moving forward or backward.
Phil. 3 – Paul – that I might know Christ –
3 goals:
To know Christ
To be transformed by Christ
To make Christ known.
12 Not that I have already attained this—that is, I have not already been perfected—but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, 14 with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
We will fall short – we are still in process – not that we have already attained it – don’t remain in failure and guilt – because we are still in process – but do one thing – forget what lies behind – but get up and move on – always ready to begin the growth process. When we figure out where we are – the good news – we can start right now – fresh and new to start the growth process. One thing I do – if there is one thing I do – this is it – I forget and begin anew and press forward.