The Condition of your Heart | 6th March 2022 | The River of Life Assembly church

Welcome to the house of the One and the ONLY LIVING GOD. And His name is Jesus!

This is the day that God has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it!

As we are celebrating the year of abundant harvest, today we will be learning about “The condition of your heart!” This is in continuation to our ongoing series on the parable of sower.

We will turn to God’s word. The word of God is same, yesterday, today and forever more.

Jesus was the best story teller; He told stories that were easy to understand and in order to do that, He used parables. These were simple stories, life experiences etc. However, few people didn’t understand, so Jesus explained the parables as well.

Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Let us talk about the third soil. This is one if the most difficult soil.

Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.

During that time, they had a different understanding about thorns and thistles. In that geographical area, there was a wide varieties if thorns and thistles. Plants bearing thistles/thorns was very common. If you cut these plants, there was a problem since it used to take all the fine nutrients from the soil. Moreover if planted something else, they would creat an obstruction.

These are the people who hear the word of God but as they go further, their choked by three things:

Some of us will end up seeing their spiritual growth choked up with worldly desires. The plant is growing in you, however all this suddenly stops growing the way it is supposed to be.

The Greek word used for care in this simply translates to distraction. This also means the things if this world keeps us preoccupied and we become obsessed with it and we stop hearing the word of God.

Home cares, Work/Business cares, Future, job security, family, health care, global pandemic etc. All these cares national and international cares. War is happening and suspected world war may occur. However, as long as things are not bad, we are okay with the word of God. But when things are bad and we are already preoccupied with these cares, will start worry about things and stop hearing the word of God.

The word of says, “Seek the kingdom of God and all these things will follow!”

We must be controlled with Spirit of God and we need not to be worried, because God will provide.

Similar to the plants that grow among thorns and thistles. The things of the world doesn’t produce the fruits of the holy spirit. Only we can bear the fruits if the Holy Spirit with the help of God. But if we are worldly minded, the fruits will not grow. The seed in our heart will get choked.

But the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

The word of God must not be choked, it should grow. What God has said, He will fulfill and He is unchanging God who will not lie. No matter what your problems are, do not let the cares choke the word of God in your heart.

But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

The Psalm beautifully says…

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Isn’t this the picture of us today?

Matthew 6 says, “You cannot serve both God and money.” God has to be our priority, not money.

Illustration: In one of the Mumbai Mall, it shows an image with the title, “Life of an urban man.” An urban man sitting on an artificial horse, running every day running for a luxury life, a purely imaginative common man. Rise up early morning and sleeping late. Riches of this world are something like this. The horse will move to and fro but will not take you anywhere.

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world,when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Christ knew that covetousness was the sin which most easily beset this young man; though he had got honestly what he possessed, yet he could not cheerfully part with it, and by this his want of sincerity was shown. Christ’s promises make his precepts easy, and his yoke pleasant and very comfortable; yet this promise was as much a trial of the young man’s faith, as the precept was of his charity and contempt of the world. It is required of us in following Christ, that we duly attend his ordinances, strictly follow his pattern, and cheerfully submit to his disposals; and this from love to him, and in dependence on him. To sell all, and give to the poor, will not serve, but we are to follow Christ. The gospel is the only remedy for lost sinners. Many abstain from gross vices who do not attend to their obligations to God. Thousands of instances of disobedience in thought, word, and deed, are marked against them in the book of God. Thus numbers forsake Christ, loving this present world: they feel convictions and desires, but they depart sorrowful, perhaps trembling. It behoves us to try ourselves in these matters, for the Lord will try us.

Though Christ spoke so strongly, few that have riches do not trust in them. How few that are poor are not tempted to envy! But men’s earnestness in this matter is like their toiling to build a high wall to shut themselves and their children out of heaven. It should be satisfaction to those who are in a low condition, that they are not exposed to the temptations of a high and prosperous condition. If they live more hardly in this world than the rich, yet, if they get more easily to a better world, they have no reason to complain. Christ’s words show that it is hard for a rich man to be a good Christian, and to be saved. The way to heaven is a narrow way to all, and the gate that leads into it, a strait gate; particularly so to rich people. More duties are expected from them than from others, and more sins easily beset them. It is hard not to be charmed with a smiling world. Rich people have a great account to make up for their opportunities above others. It is utterly impossible for a man that sets his heart upon his riches, to get to heaven. Christ used an expression, denoting a difficulty altogether unconquerable by the power of man. Nothing less than the almighty grace of God will enable a rich man to get over this difficulty.

Who then can be saved? If riches hinder rich people, are not pride and sinful lusts found in those not rich, and as dangerous to them? Who can be saved? say the disciples. None, saith Christ, by any created power. The beginning, progress, and perfecting the work of salvation, depend wholly on the almighty power of God, to which all things are possible. Not that rich people can be saved in their worldliness, but that they should be saved from it. Peter said, We have forsaken all. Alas! it was but a poor all, only a few boats and nets; yet observe how Peter speaks, as if it had been some mighty thing. We are too apt to make the most of our services and sufferings, our expenses and losses, for Christ. However, Christ does not upbraid them; though it was but little that they had forsaken, yet it was their all, and as dear to them as if it had been more. Christ took it kindly that they left it to follow him; he accepts according to what a man hath. Our Lord’s promise to the apostles is, that when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, he will make all things new, and they shall sit with him in judgement on those who will be judged according to their doctrine. This sets forth the honour, dignity, and authority of their office and ministry. Our Lord added, that every one who had forsaken possessions or comforts, for his sake and the gospel, would be recompensed at last. May God give us faith to rest our hope on this his promise; then we shall be ready for every service or sacrifice. Our Saviour, in the last verse, does away a mistake of some. The heavenly inheritance is not given as earthly ones are, but according to God’s pleasure. Let us not trust in promising appearances or outward profession. Others may, for aught we know, become eminent in faith and holiness.

Illustration: A man who took care of dead covid patients, he describes one of his experiences. A man died who had many sons and daughters, but no family member was willing to touch the body. What kind of relationship is this? Eventually, the body was put on stretcher, but before they took the body, one son shouted and asked to uncover the body. Once it was uncovered, the son removed the diamond ring from his dead father’s finger.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”

But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

God wants His children to be blessed. But it is the world and its riches which is choking down on the word of God and eventually your blessings.

You’d be surprised that Bible talks about many things related to money including managing money. However, for rich people, they must seek God who has provided and His word.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,

People getting distracted from the word of God. Pleasure is not always sinful or wrong.  Going out with family, office picnics, having good time with families and friend is absolutely fine. However, when we are doing that as a priority over God, then such things may choke you down.

The pleasure of life should not be the priority, the word of God is. Do not seek comfort to sit at home, but come to the house of God and we must not neglect the time that God deserves.

If we become like a tree which does not produce fruit, the farmer cuts it off. We do. it want to be in that position. We mustn’t be unproductive, we are to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Jesus was crucified, however Jesus knew what exactly a cross is. That is why He said, “Take up your own cross!”

People of God, examine your life. Are Cares, Riches and Pleasures of life are choking the word if God? If your answer is yes, then you need to seek immediate God’s intervention. Ask Him to work in you and help you grow Hie word in your hearts.

We thank you all for joining us. We look forward to see you again next Sunday. God bless!