Sermon: Start Plowing!

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[Steve Myers] Figures of speech are those things  we use all the time to describe things in a better   way so they're more understandable. Whether you  talk about analogies or metaphors, you hear them   all the time, don't you? And you probably  use them without even thinking about them.   I heard one of the other day that said, "If  you've got troubles in life, just plow right   through them." Well, we don't literally do that.  The sea captain doesn't literally plow through the   sea. He navigates through it, doesn't he? Or the  person that gets irritated when you're trying to   give them advice, you know, it's like, "You ought  to do this or you ought to do that." They might   just say, "Plow your own field. Don't bother me."  Now, literally, they're not talking about that.   That's a metaphor. Another one for all of you  Star Wars fans out there, here's a metaphor.   What do Jedi Knights say, to encourage  one another to use analogies?   "Metaphors be with you." Did  you catch that? Yeah. Okay. Obviously, those are figures of speech that  describes something. They describe an action.   They describe even an object in a way that's not  literally true but it helps explain the idea.   You can get a concept. You can get a little  bit deeper understanding because of that   comparison. And it's something that God inspired  over and over and over again in His Word,   and sometimes where you might least expect  it. When it comes to prophecy, there are many   metaphors that are used. In fact, I'd like to  focus on one that was used by two different   prophets to drive home a point. Those  two prophets are Jeremiah and Hosea,   Old Testament prophets, that prophesied to  Israel and to Judah. I mean, Judah became   lazy. They were apathetic. They weren't  caring that much for God and His way, so they   fell into disobedience. Now, the funny thing is,  there were people that were still sacrificing.   There were those that were still keeping the  Sabbath and some observing the Holy Days. And then they go home and they'd worship  idols. They'd practice ungodly things.   They'd do things that were an affront to God.  And so, Jeremiah and Hosea come on the scene   sent by God to warn them that they have to change  their ways. They must repent. And so, in the book   of Hosea, we read one of these metaphors,  where God makes that very point. Hosea 10,   let's notice verse 12. Hosea 10:12 is a figure  of speech that God inspired Hosea to write down   to really impress on the people that change is  absolutely necessary. So, when you turn to Hosea,   just past the book of Daniel, we find Hosea,  one of the minor Prophets, and notice what he   was inspired to record for us. Hosea 10:12, it  says, "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap   in mercy." So there's a figure of speech. Then he  continues with this idea by saying, "Break up your   fallow ground, for it's time to seek the Lord,  until He comes and reigns righteousness in you." Now, that's all a big metaphor. And in fact,  a similar one that Jeremiah also prophesies.   Turn over to Jeremiah 4:3, and we'll notice this  connection between these two prophecies. Jeremiah   4:3 tells much the same story. Now, these are two  different peoples at different times, whether here   it's Israel, or later Judah with Hosea, we see  this powerful word that Jeremiah speaks to the   people. And it's a reminder because they've fallen  into the same issues, the same problems, the same   attitudes. And so, here in 4 verse 3, Jeremiah  tells the people much the same as Hosea did. Verse   3, "Thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and  Jerusalem: ‘Break up your fallow ground, and do   not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the  Lord, and take away the foreskins of your hearts."   You see, they both use this farming analogy. They  use this metaphor of breaking up the ground. What   is that? I mean, they're basically telling the  people, "You better start plowing. Start plowing." But they didn't do it. They didn't want to break  up that ground. They continued to disobey God.   They refused to seek Him. And of course, as we  read these messages, we recognize this is not   just to Israel. This is not just to Judah. These  are prophetic things that apply to us today. They   mean something to us today. This metaphor is about  us, as well as them, a metaphor that our life,   our spiritual condition, is like that field. It's  like this fallow field. And the bottom line is,   like Israel and Judah, we need to start  plowing. I mean, do we even recognize   what this is talking about? What is fallow ground  anyway? I mean, if you're not a farmer, we may not   be familiar with exactly what's going on here.  But it's interesting that this kind of ground,   this is a field that could be  productive. I mean, it could produce,   but at the moment, it's not being used. It's  just lying there. It's just being wasted.   So it's land that right now, it's unproductive.  Right now, it's not producing any fruit. But it   needs to be tilled. It needs to be worked up. It  needs to be prepared for planting. It needs to be   plowed because up until now, it's been lying  there useless. It hasn't been productive.   It's been neglected. It's just been lying  there and hasn't been put to good use. Maybe another way to think of  it, it's just sitting there   and it's always the same. It was like that  last year, and it's like that this year,   and it continues just to be the same. It's  undisturbed and crops just don't grow there   because it's never seen the plow. It's never  been planted with seeds that could spring to life   and could have growth. And so it just remains the  same. Now, fields around it, well, they're being   tilled. They're being worked. They're being  planted. So, they're changing from season to   season, changing from that beautiful brown earth  that suddenly is planted with seeds that sprout   to life, and it turns green and beautiful,  and it's living. And then there's a harvest   that's taken from that field. And those fields  change, and they grow, and they're prosperous. But that fallow plot, that ground over there, that  doesn't change. The plow hasn't worked the land.   In fact, maybe they put a fence around it,  maybe they put up a sign, and that sign says "No   trespassing." We've seen fields like that. they're  just overgrown. The plow can't even get in there,   can't even begin to work the land because it's  desolate. It's left barren, and it doesn't produce   what's needed for life. It's become hardened. It  doesn't yield anything except weeds, and thorns,   and thistles because that hard ground prevents any  seed from getting in there, and penetrating, and   germinating, and then growing to maturity. It just  can't. And so what the prophets are telling us,   as well as Israel and Judah, could it be that  a Christian could be fallow? Is it possible   that we better think about plowing,  not literally but metaphorically?   Are there areas of our property, our  spiritual property, and our life,   is there a field that's laying over there fallow?  It's barren. Area that could be productive.   This could be put to good use But at the moment,  it's just empty. Nothing's happening there. Many of the prophets spoke to this issue, and  prophetically call out to us today. God's calling   out to us to say, "Listen, you've got areas of  your life that you need to change." Prophet Amos,   Amos, 6, I won't turn. Just write it down. You can  check it out later. Amos 6:1 says much the same.   It says "Woe to you who are at ease in Zion,”  because they were taking it easy. It wasn't that   critical that everything be productive, is it?  You see, they were very prosperous back in the   day. They had everything they could want. But  they were missing what they needed. Their whole   society was marked by corruption, immorality,  complacency. Kind of sounds familiar to our time,   doesn't it? It sounds like our time. But when  I personalize that, and I think about me,   are there parts of me that are fallow, that I've  become complacent, that I feel, well, I'm pretty   satisfied? You know, that's pretty good. It's  okay. And okay is pretty good. It's good enough,   isn't it? I mean, it's good enough. I mean, we've  got 99 acres out of 100 are producing something.   So that's all right, isn't it? Do I really  have to make it better? Do I really have to   address that issue? I mean, there's really not  any need to have to go on to perfection, is there? And so, yeah, there are fallow areas in our life  when we're at ease with a false sense of security.   Because let's face it, we have everything we  need. And then on top of that, we have all the   luxuries. We have all these amazing material  possessions. And they cause us to be unaware   of the danger. Do we really see the danger?  Israel and Judah, they didn't get it. They   didn't see the danger of God's judgment that was  going to be on them. That was coming. And it's   no different for us today. God's judgment  is pending. And the fact of the matter is,   many of us are at ease in Zion, in the Church.  Yeah, we can become lukewarm. We can be   lulled to sleep. We can be lethargic as well. We  can be one-sided. "Boy, if I only had this. If   I could just get that. And I absolutely need that  85-inch UHD TV. That would be everything." And we   get sucked into the idea of these material  things, the entertainment, all the things   that are corruptible, all the things that are  temporary, all those things that just don't last.   And we get caught up in it, and  we overlook God's coming judgment. In a way, we put up a sign. Maybe it's "No  trespassing," maybe it's "Do not disturb,"   and we become comfortable. We  become familiar. Yeah, that's okay   but like that overgrown field, that  area is fruitless. Because after all,   that plow, that's sharp. That hurts. That  could sting a little bit. I don't want that.   And we fence in a part of our life. And by doing  that, who do we fence out? We say, "God, yeah,   don't enter here. Don't go there." And we fail  to cultivate His way, thoroughly, completely.   And we're shown very clearly that then that ground  is not broken up. That heart is really hardened.   And like Hosea said, "Break up that  fallow ground." Like Jeremiah said,   "Don't sow among the thorns, break up the ground."  And so, start plowing. And so, we as God's people   have to look at our property. We  have to look at our spiritual life,   and see, have we really broken up our  entire property, our entire ground? And it doesn't start with the plow  either. I mean, it says, yeah,   "Start plowing. You got to get going,"  but you don't just drag out the tractor,   hook up the plow, and have  added in the field, do you?   I mean, that's not the way the farmers do it. We  lived in a farming country for a long, long time.   That's not the way they do it. They don't begin  by dragging out the tractor. I mean, if we're   spiritually going to plow up the ground, really  examine our life, and look at every single field,   first thing we better do is identify that field  and clear out the brush. That brush has got to go. I know one time we were going to have a garden,  and this garden had become overgrown with sumac.   Anybody familiar with sumac? Oh, it is a horrible  bush that turns into a tree that if it lets… I   mean, it seems like they're all interconnected,  and these roots are running anywhere, and you   yank out this one, and then there's another one  over there. And it grows like lightning. It is   unbelievable how fast it can overtake a plot of  land. And you got to do everything you can to   get rid of that. You got to yank it out. You got  to pull it out. Get out the hatchet and the ax   or get serious. Sometimes it's going to take that  chainsaw to get all of that stuff together. And if   there's any little trees that have grown, you've  got to cut them down and pull out that root and   get rid of them. You've got to, otherwise, that  field, that area, that garden can't be productive. And so we've got to look at our life.  What have I been growing in that field,   that field of my heart, that field within  my thinking, my mind? Do I have some   roots that have taken hold? And maybe it's  a root of bitterness. Maybe it's greed.   Maybe I'm envious. Maybe I have gotten into  a judgmental attitude. But only over here,   but only in this one little thing, not in my  entire past year. But do I have to root that   out? I better get rid of that. If that crop  is going to be planted, that fruitful crop,   that has to be rooted out. And so, we have to ask  ourselves, how many weeds…? How many sumac plants,   spiritually speaking, have to be rooted out in  our lives? I mean, think about it on the other   side of the coin. How many things have I poured  my time into, other than cleaning up that field? What am I giving my attention to? What have  I paid attention to that really isn't bearing   spiritual fruit? I mean, are there things  we give our time to that end up not being   productive spiritually, but then ultimately  choke the spiritual fruit out of our lives?   Yeah, they're there. But we come to  church. We're here. I'm religious.   But does that mean, I'm really producing any?  “Okay. I show up, but I'm kind of detached.   This sermon is really boring so why should I pay  attention? I'm not getting anything out of it.   And I can't wait until this is over, I can get  out of here because I really don't want to talk   to any of these people. Why should I develop any  relationships with any of these people? This isn't   valuable. This isn't important to me. I got it.  I'm out of here. That's all… In fact, this is so…   Well, I got this game on my phone. This is kind of  interesting and more fun than listening to him.”   Okay, you can show up and be religious  but you can do plenty of things   that cause that field to lie fallow. You see, God's calling us and saying, "That hard  ground has to be broken up. You got to get out   that spiritual rototiller, that plow, and do that  hard work of getting that ground open. Because all   too often, there's that unbelief, and that's  really what it is. I don't believe I have to   change that. I don't believe I have to address  that. I think I'm pretty good the way I am and   I don't have to deal with that. And that's right  there under the surface. And so, I have to ask   myself, "Where is that hardness of heart in me?"  Because you can dig it one shovel at a time but   we need more power. We need more power in doing  that. And it can happen in so many different ways,   so many different things we may not even think  about. Because you don't know. “I've been hurt.   I've been in relationships, and they hurt.  And I was mistreated. And that wasn't fair.   Do you know what they did to me? Do you  understand how my family treated me? You   don't understand how I grew up. This relationship  between my mother and my father, it wasn't right.   It was dysfunctional.” It was awful. Do I have  a right then to seal off that part of my life? Because that's painful, and that  hurts, and I can protect that.   But those old resentments, they got to go. Those  old hurts, they have to be healed. We've got to   allow God to break up those hurts, and those  resentments, and those bitter feelings that   we have. We've got to allow God to pull that plow.  Yeah, He'll do the work. He's the force behind us.   But, you know, we still have to direct it. We have  to direct Him where that plows got to go, those   hard places that we know, that we understand,  and we know how they need to be dealt with.   Because sometimes it may be other challenges. And  you prayed about that. “I prayed about this issue.   I didn't get an answer. I didn't hear anything  back. Seems like God did not answer my prayer.   He knows I need this job. He  knows that I'm getting desperate.   He understands my health is not where it  should be. I've got this chronic illness   and I've taken it to Him over and over and He  hasn't heard me. Doesn't seem like He has.” And that takes a toll on us,  takes a toll on your faith.   And we conclude, God didn't answer that prayer  or He didn't answer it for me. But wait a second,   that hardness, that's got to be addressed.  We've got to face that square on and recognize,   that's my human perspective. That's not reality.  That is not reality. And if we don't face that,   and if we don't call on God, it won't change. That  field will just lie that way and stay that way.   Because if God's going to plant something new,  if something fruitful is going to be born,   what's it going to take? It's going to take  heartfelt, serious repentance, repentance that   plows deep, and even ask ourselves, "When's  the last time I was truly broken before God?   When's the last time?" Well, I don't  have to worry about that because I've   been around for all these years, right?  It's not that big of a requirement. When we look at what Paul wrote to God's Church  in Colossae. Take a look at what he says in   chapter 3 verse 5 of Colossians. Chapter 3 verse  5 in Colossians, here, the apostle Paul writes   to God's Church at that day, but he  writes to us by extension as well.   Notice what he says and how he addresses that  very issue about these fields that might be   hiding in the back acreage, back pasture in  our spiritual life. Colossians 3:5, it says,   "Therefore put to death your members which are on  earth." And he goes down a list of those pastures,   “fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil  desire…” Well, I don't do those things. But   I've got those fields pretty well wrapped up  in my life. I don't have to worry about that.   Oh yeah, but then he throws in covetousness. Well,  it's not that big of a field. He says, "Well, wait   a second. That's idolatry." And what does he say  about those things? He doesn't say it's okay to   let that one go because it's not that bad. It's  not as bad as killing somebody. It's not as bad as   evil desires. It's not as bad  as… At least I don't do that.   No. He says, "Put that to death." You got  to plow that under. You've got to get rid   of that. That is unacceptable before a  perfect God. And so that has to change. And so, we better get that field ready. If it's  been lying there fallow, now's the time. And not   only do you got to get rid of the sumac, you got  to get rid of those roots and those trees that may   be growing up, you know what else you got to do?  You got to clear the rocks. Clear the rocks that   are stumbling. They're there as stumbling blocks  before us. And there are plenty in those fields.   I mean, I grew up in farming country. You know  what they got to do when they get the field ready?   You drag out the old John Deere, you put the  flatbed trailer on the back, throw the kids on   the trailer, and you go down that field. And guess  what? When you see a rock, everybody yells out,   "Rock." And then whoever's turn it is, they go out  and pick it up, and throw it on the back of the   trailer. That's what they… And if you're lucky,  maybe the neighbor hires you for minimum wage,   and you get to go do that. And it's kind of fun  as everybody's yelling. But sometimes there's   these rocks, you go to grab it, and it's like,  oh, oh, it's little farther under the dirt.   And I got to go back and I got to grab  the shovel. I got to work at this one.   Takes more than that. Maybe everybody's got  to come out and start working on that rock. And sometimes, all the leverage, all the digging,  and all the efforts still doesn't get… We got to   bring in some heavy equipment later and get  that thing out of there. That's no different   for our spiritual life. Because if  that field been there for a while,   we've worked our whole life putting up a wall  around that thing because I don't want to get   hurt again. I don't want to bring those feelings  out again. You know, in this area, I'm pretty   locked down. I'm pretty stoic about that. I don't  want that. But God says, "Get out that flatbed."   You got to recognize those rocks. You got to be  like those kids in the back looking for them,   yelling out, "There it is. Don't miss it. Don't  overlook it. Don't ignore it." You ignore that   rock, that planter is going to come along later  and get damaged. Can't do that. So God wants that   rock removed. Well, all of those rocks got to go  because He wants to plant those seeds, the seeds   that are healing, those seeds that are hopeful,  but that hard ground has to be broken up. We   got to get the rock so we don't stumble  over them, so those fields can be planted. And those rocks come in so many different forms.   You know, for some, it's their phones.  It's the computer. It's the social media,   which is great. It's fun. It can be beautiful.  It can be wonderful. I mean, Instabook,   and Facegram, and all those Tweeters and…  Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. Yeah.   But isn't it amazing how suddenly I was going  to take 10 minutes and look at my newsfeed and   suddenly, it's an hour, and then, oh, there's  something else I got to look at? And then it   can totally engross us and steal our time and our  energy. I mean, we didn't intend to do that but   wow, did I get carried away. And maybe we don't  even see it as a rock that's got to be loosened   up. And of course, it could be a lot of other  things, that hurt, that aching, that resentment.   And maybe it's a bigger rock that we've got to  get rid of. And if we can't budge it ourself,   get the help that you need.  And the amazing thing is,   I never saw a field that didn't have rocks in it.  Even if the rock picker went through one year,   next year, guess what? There's  more rocks that weren't there. Where did they come from? How did that work  its way up through the soil? That seemed to   come out of nowhere, but there it is. And you got  to get rid of them. You've got to get rid of them   and clean up that field because we all have…  Every field has them. And God certainly wants   us to go on to perfection. He wants us to utilize  His Spirit to do that. And so we got to get out   the roots. We've got to get out those rocks. But,  you know, we've also got to get out the thorns.   Those thorns and weeds have to be gathered. We've  got to get rid of those because once a field goes,   you know, unplanted for years, I mean, and  it's fallow, it's not like it's just hard dirt,   is it? I, mean, isn't it amazing how those weeds  can grow anywhere. They grow everywhere. You   don't have to do anything, and where did that  come from? They just start growing. I mean,   amazing. They even grow between the cracks  in my sidewalk. How's that possible? I mean,   they just sprout up. And you don't pull them  out… I mean, sometimes you got to do it by hand.   I mean, when they infiltrate a productive field,  sometimes you've got to get all the hands together   and go pull them out, literally by  hand. Sometimes I've got to gather that… You know what works really good? A controlled  burn. Sometimes you can't get rid of them any   other way unless you burn them up. Because  those thorns, and thistles, and weeds,   they're going to choke anything that's going  to grow, that's profitable. They're going to   prevent a full crop. And so you got to throw  them in the fire. You gather those things up   and get rid of them. So imagine those weeds,  those spiritual things that get in our way,   they entangle our mind, they entangle  our heart, and they take our attention.   And in order to grow spiritually, we've got to  wrap those things up and we've got to burn them.   And it could be a habit. It could be  something that's become an obsession.   It could be a distraction. We got to get that  out of the field of our mind and burn it up.   Because we've struggled. That field has been  an angry field. We've struggled with anger.   And when we do that and we don't address  it… I'm known for the short temper I have. That's a part of me that comes out every once in a  while. And then I become known as a harsh person,   an angry person. I got to deal with that. Or maybe  it's the fact that I'm really concerned about   money. It's a big… I got to work. I got to take  care of my family. But how much do I really need?   Yeah, I can move from financial security to  all I'm worried about is money, the big bucks,   the American way. It's our dream.  That's about our way of life, right?   But boy, that can bind me to bad things. That soil  can get so hard that now I'm not generous the way   I need to be. In a way, that love for others  gets covered up and it's hardened. But that's   a responsibility I have as God's called out. I  have to be generous. I'm supposed to be generous.   Yeah, maybe it's not that. Maybe it's just like,  I like to be the man. I like to get recognized.   Because that's what it's about, right?  Recognition. People got to notice me.   I mean, if I don't get the 100 likes on  Facebook, I'm a real loser so I got to have it.   I like to be noticed. I like to be… And if  nobody else compliments me, I think I'll   compliment myself. Look how great I am. Look  how good my family is. Look at what we've done. We've accomplished all these wonderful things.  And we've got to have that recognition but that   moves beyond the normal. And it can become one  of those things that becomes even addictive. It   can be addictive. And, of course, there's a lot of  other addictive things as well. And sometimes that   keeps the other things at bay. I mean, a drink or  two, is that very bad? That's not really that bad   but it can become that. It can become more than  a habit. Now it can becomes an addiction. I mean,   okay, looking at porn is not that big a deal,  right? I mean, I'm not an addict or anything.   It's a little okay misusing a prescription, you  see, that's where we've got to fire up the flames   through the power of God's Spirit to  devour any of those weeds, and thorns,   and thistles that may show their ugly head.  It is bad. And at any degree, it will prevent   the power of God working in our lives. So even  though the rest of our life may look pretty   good and we can cover up these other things,  they're unacceptable. They're unacceptable. And Paul addressed this very  thing to the Philippians.   Take a look at chapter 3 verse 12, Philippians  3:12. What's interesting is, here, the apostle   addresses God's Church, but he does it in the  first person. I mean, after all, who could look   better than the apostle Paul? I mean, here's the  man. He traveled throughout the Mediterranean   world, through the Roman Empire, preaching the  truth. God called so many people through him,   lives were transformed, churches were built.  The apostle Paul, look at all the books in the   New Testament that he wrote, an amazing  example of God's way, a shining example.   Did he have any fallow areas in his life  that he was concerned about? I mean, man,   he looked fantastic. Who could look better  as a Christian than the apostle Paul? And yet, look at his perspective. Philippians  3:12. He says, "Not that I've already attained,   or that I'm already… I haven't made it yet. The  journey is still on." He says, "I press on. I got   to get out that plow. I've got to lay hold of that  for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. I   can't leave any row unturned." He says, "Brethren,  I don't count myself as to have apprehended."   But one thing I do, I forget the things that are  behind. I can't look back when I'm plowing. If I   look back, I'm going to be in trouble. I got to  keep my focus at the end of that row, the goal,   the ultimate. I got to follow that row right to  the Kingdom. That's where my mind is focused.   So I forget what's behind it, I reach forward  to what lies ahead. I press toward the goal   for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ  Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature,   have this mind. And if in anything you think  otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.” And so, the apostle Paul recognized the  need for his spiritual fields, those fields.   He recognized the fact that that ground has  to be overturned. You have to break up that   hard ground and it has to be exposed to  that beautiful sunlight of God's way.   We have to turn that soil so it's open  to the fresh air of God's way of thinking   and those spiritual influences of light and  warmth. Otherwise, the rains that would come,   those beautiful rains that cause those seeds to  grow, will never get where they need to be. And   so God will send those showers once that dirt  is turned and ready to grow a beautiful crop. And so Paul recognized that. He recognized  we've got to purify the fields of our heart.   And we have to truly recognize ourselves  for who we are, and how we think,   and those fields. We've got to eradicate lust.  We've got to eradicate those imperfections,   the things that are habitual in our lives because  unless we root them out, they're going to choke   anything that's good. They'll choke the good  seed. And so we have to prepare and be ready.   And when we do that, we have amazing promises.  When we take that to heart and we allow that plow   to come into our spiritual field… I mean,  look at this amazing promise in Ezekiel. Ezekiel 36:26, here's another prophet of God,  using a metaphor to bring home the same point   that Jeremiah spoke about, the same point that  Amos talked about, same one that Hosea wrote about   as well. What will God do when we allow that plow  to break up the hard ground, to tear up? I mean,   isn't that what a farmer does. He tears up the  surface of the earth. He rips up that field,   and it begins to make it soft and pliable, ready  to receive the seed. And when we do that, and we   go to God, and we have a pliable heart, when  our mind is tenderized, and be ready to be   worked with, then God can apply His Word to  every field in our life. And when we do that,   when we go to God in true repentance, Ezekiel  36:26 is what God promises us. He says,   "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit  within you; I'll take the heart of stone out   of your flesh." Because that heart won't pump  blood if it's a rock. So He says He's going to   replace that heart and give us a heart of flesh.  So things will change. It's a promise from God. And it's such a great reminder that we can't sow,  we can't plant among those fallow grounds. Did   anybody else talk about that? Don't  throw the seed on those thorns.   Yeah, Christ said the same  thing, didn't He? In Mark 4,   Christ said that very thing. Seed falls around  the thorns and what happens to that seed?   It's choked by the thorns. And it cannot  come to yield any fruit. It can't. And so,   if we allow those thorns of pride, those  thorns of anger, those thorns of lust and   temptations that can grow into problems of others  things, like self-centeredness or selfishness,   all of those things can choke out the Word. They  choke the Word of God and has a devastating effect   on the crop that God wants us to  produce, what He wants to grow in us. And so we have to face the facts. What  does the farmer get when he plants seed?   Well, whatever he planted. That's what he's  going to get. And it's the same for me.   My life reflects what I've planted. So, whatever  my focus has been, whatever my perspective has   been, whatever I turn my attention to,  that's what grows. That's what grows.   And so, I better pay close attention to the seeds  that I would really truly want growing in my life.   Because those weeds are going to pop up.  They're going to sprout unintentionally,   they're going to be there. And we know this  life is full of weeds and full of distractions.   And even the fact of just being busy. We can  get so busy with things because our life is   full of activities. They're full of things to do,  places to go, people to see, all of those things.   But what's most important? I mean, even thinking  about what we fill our life with. I mean,   think about one of the things we know we're  supposed to do. We're supposed to read this   book. We're supposed to be close to God and  understand His Word and meditate on that Word.   Yeah, but I'm really busy. I got so much to  do. I don't know if I have time to… Really?   Is that the way it is or does  God's Word dominate my thinking? Is that what's foremost on my mind throughout the  day, no matter what I'm doing? Because if it's   not, what kind of field is going to be produced?  What's going to come of it? If God's Word doesn't   dominate our thinking, how can I produce a  field that bears good fruit? How can I do that?   And unfortunately, when we don't do that,  other things develop, other things just grow.   We talked about gratitude today. In  gratitude, sprouts its ugly head, and   we don't appreciate the things that God has  blessed us with. Even the very next breath we take   is a blessing from God. Have I thanked Him,  thanked Him for His protection, His guidance,   His mercy, His calling, His long-suffering?  Have I really verbalized those things   to our great God? Because really, that's a lack  of love. That's a lack of respect. Because what   else is it that's on my mind? What's taking  my thoughts a whole different direction? I mean, Scripture says, our God is a jealous God.  He says, "I don't like that when you're so focused   on other things, you ignore Me." I mean, what is  it that absorbs my time? What is it that takes my   attention? How long do I really delight in His  Word or have I neglected that Word? And did we   read it today? Did we study that Word or has it  been a couple of days since we got that Bible   out and actually studied it or maybe a couple  of weeks? Maybe it's been months since I really   personally looked at this. What kind of field  is that? You know, neglect is going to be those   weeds that grow up. The same holds true with how  we talk to God. Have we prayed the way that we   should? Well, I pray. I prayed over my meal, I  prayed in church. I guess that's good enough.   Well, then you got an acquaintance with God.  He's not really your Father. Christ isn't really   your older Brother if that's it. If our time  gets in the way, and it's used in other ways,   then we're saying, "I'm more important. What  I want is more important." And that's pride.   That's vanity. I mean, I have to think,  "Well, what did I do this morning?" I mean, just think about how you got ready for  church. How long did it take to get ready for   church? Well, I take a shower, and comb my hair,  and do all these things, get my clothes on.   Did you take more time getting dressed for  church than getting prepared for worship? “Well,   I'm here.” But if we haven't prepared that field,   if our mind isn't really focused on worship, we've  got a fallow field we've got to take care of.   And so it applies in so many areas of our life,  that we've got to tear up that ground and we've   got to look at our own lives. Is that pride and  that vanity there or if I see others doing well,   I don't like that, and I'm jealous of them.  I mean, they're more talented than I am.   They seem to be more useful than me. And so, I  better look better. So I better put them down,   and I better look at their faults, and look  how they fail, and look how they've messed up.   And we focus on that, but I don't gossip. I don't  gossip or tell things behind people's backs. Okay,   I focus on the truth. I'm a truth-teller. And  so I tell the truth, but it sure hurts them when   I tell the truth about them. Well, that's  slander. That's gossip. That's not right. God hates that kind of an attitude.  But sometimes those kinds of fields   can left lying in our lives. And God says,  that's not acceptable. In fact, He says,   there isn't an in-between. You  know, there's no middle ground,   right? There's no difference between… There's no  happy medium. There's no compromising with those   things because Christ made it very clear when that  seed falls on hard ground, it's not going to grow.   So when we're apathetic, when we're just fine,  contented with the way we are and self-satisfied,   or when we shake our fist at God, that's  unacceptable. I mean, think about that. Week   after week after week, we come and we're here, and  I'm religious, and I'm here, making a good showing   for myself. And week after week, we open this  book, and we read this Word. And week after week,   my marriage doesn't change.  It's just as bad as it has been. My lifestyle is the same, hasn't changed. My goal   hasn’t… week after week. What's the reason  it doesn't change? Why doesn't it change?   You see the ground's hard. We've hardened  ourselves, our hearts, and our minds.   They've become inflexible because, you know, the  problem is not my mate. That's not the problem.   The problem is not my friends. That's not the  problem. It's not all those jerks on my job.   That's the problem. No, it's not. That is not  the problem. The problem is not the church.   That is not the problem. Where's the problem?   It's me. I'm the problem. It's my heart. It's  my mind. And the truth is the ground is hardened   on my mind and I'm dead to what's best, what God  would have me do. I need to break up that ground,   and I need to turn to God and allow Him  to plant that good Word in good ground. And the promise is, when we do that when we kill  that old man and we bury him, then the ground can   start to produce. And what's the promise?  What's that ground going to produce? Well,   Christ, Himself said, well, it's going to produce  abundantly, some 30, some 60, some a hundredfold   when we allow the plow to grow and cut up that  dirt. But if not, we know we'll have a harvest   of weeds, right? The weeds are going to grow and  they're going to take away from God's Word. And so   we can ask God to help us to plow up that ground.  Ask Him for that attitude of humility, to have a   humble heart that we can ask Him to help us to  repent, ask Him to help us to change, help us   to focus in our activities and our life on what's  best, and what will bear fruit for the Kingdom of   God because we don't want to be hardened to God's  will. He reminds us over and over again, it's time   to start plowing. It's time to start plowing  because this cultivated field will yield   good fruit. And by the convicting power of God's  word, we can change. By the power of God's Spirit,   He's given us authority over sin in our  life. We can grow and we can change. Yeah, that plow, it's going to be tough.  It's sharp, and it's going to tear,   and it's going to rearrange the dirt. It's going  to disturb the ground. And sometimes that is going   to hurt but it's the only way a crop can grow.  Without enduring that plow, the fruit can't grow.   But, you know, God says there are blessings that  await because the rains will come and that seed   will begin to grow. And new things, new attitudes,  new perspectives, will grow and ultimately mature,   as that field becomes green  and full of spiritual life. And so let's start plowing. Let's  allow those fields to be cultivated   and do everything we possibly can to draw closer  to God so that plow can break up those fields,   and seek God intentionally, make it a point in our  life to courageously obey the will of God, follow   His Word. Because we absolutely have to take that  seriously. We have to take up the plow, don't we?   Isn't that what Christ said? He said that very  clearly in Matthew 11:29. He said, "Take My yoke   and learn from Me." And He said, "That's the easy  way to go. That's the light way to go." In fact,   spiritually speaking, it's the only way to go. So  as we claim to be God's people, we're left with a   choice. We're left with this choice to let this  metaphor truly live in the fields of our life   and ask ourselves, "What kind of spiritual farmer  am I? Will I allow that fallow ground to lie   or am I ready to start plowing?"
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Channel: United Church of God Sermons
Views: 455
Rating: 5 out of 5
Keywords: United Church of God, sermon
Id: anmwfD1drII
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 48min 21sec (2901 seconds)
Published: Fri Feb 19 2021
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