The Power of the Gospel XIII

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Bearing Fruit9Sunday 07/05/15

 

Series: The Power of the Gospel XIII

 

Message – The Power to Bear Fruit unto Godliness IX

Click here for the Video

 

We’ve been talking about the Power of God towards godliness for many weeks now and today we are wrapping up the thorny heart.

We have spent a LOT of time here, but I believe it is the most important heart to cover in Jesus’ teaching. Most Christians who are serious about their relationship with God, but who also struggle – fall into the example of the heart with thorns. This life has so many distractions, so many things to do and get done – many are even good, but just because something is good does not make it necessary.

Martha was a tremendous woman of God who love our Lord dearly and tenderly, yet even in her devotion she had thorns which needed weeding out. You remember the example of how Jesus taught one day in Lazarus’ home, and how Mary had taken her place at the feet of Christ as He taught. Martha, while perhaps meaning well, was busy cleaning and cooking for all those present. This is indeed a good thing, but hardly the most necessary. As she began to become more and more frustrated she actually interrupted Jesus’ teaching to ask why Mary seemed exempt from all the preparatory work she was doing. Jesus’ words were not scoulding her for interrupting (something NEVER done and in fact forbidden by God’s law for a woman to do), He only redirected her attention towards her sister’s heart and motive rather than just her external actions. “Martha, Martha, you are troubled about many things, but only ONE thing is necessary and Mary has chosen that better part and it will not be taken from her.” – WOW! With the kind of sweet, yet disciplinary love only God could muster, Christ wooed her heart, corrected her actions and cut to the core of her developing bitterness with a simple sentence. His goal? Teaching for all present, restoration for Martha’s thorny heart and confirmation for Mary concerning any doubts Martha’s words may have cast upon her activity and motives.

Oh, Jesus is so BEAUTIFUL and so lovingly careful with our hearts! Not desiring that any perish or even experience momentary separation in their hearts! What a beautiful, beautiful Savior He is!

This illustration fits for so many in Christ’s body, who busy themselves with overworking to sustain a level of living that our American culture would call “normal”…even responsible, but in reality it is often excessive and over-occupies the family with work to sustain. Many also overwork in terms of Christian service. Like Martha, we may have good intentions but in the end the Master would say the same thing to us as He did to Martha. These and many other tings can be weeds according to Matthew 13:22 & Luke 8:14. In Hebrews they would be called weights that hinder our progress,

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” – Hebrews 12:1

This final week we simply and quickly reviewed the following points and then spent some time with a additional verses to wrap up.

 

 

The Four Hearts

Thorny:

Mat 13:22/Luke 8:14  As for what was sown among the thorn bushes, this is the person who listens to the word, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries of life (Flesh) and the deceitfulness of pleasures of life (EYES) and wealth (PRIDE) so that the fruit doesn’t come to maturity and can’t produce a crop.

  • This is a heart that CANNOT glorify God – Jn. 15:8, 16
  • This heart only produces IMMATURE FRUIT.
  • Immature fruit – Generally, people do not want to eat fruit that is not ripe. Unripe fruit is undesirable!
  • The thorny heart is a heart that is unstable. It is divided in its loyalties, appetites, desires & pursuits.

 

Key point last week – The TYPE of learning makes the difference

*Note the difference between their method of learning from the word and their method of   learning from the world….

  1. One was as Christ was teaching – One time exposure to another person’s thoughts.
  2. The other was as they walk through the way – An ongoing inner dialogue between oneself and the word.

READ – Prov. 7:1-4,

“My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your nearest kin, That they may keep you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words.”

 

“How I love Your teaching! It is my meditation all day long.” ~ Psa 119:97

 

“My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding. I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.” ~ Psa 49:3-4

 

Second Point last week…

 

The earth (heart) has IN IT all that is necessary to produce anything that is planted in it.

This is why we are told to guard it!

Remember our Key passage for this heart (and all the hearts really) is

Prov. 4:20-23,

“My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.

Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;

For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”

 

All a heart needs to grow ANYTHING are…

  • Seed
  • Water
  • Sunlight
  • Time

We spent our time on the last point – TIME.

Seed = the word of God or the “word” of this world. (cares of life, deceitfulness of riches & desires for other things)

Water = Dialogue either between you and God or you and the world. What has been planted is fed with thoughts which are consistent with the seed that was planted. It takes the form of Discussion…pondering…meditation…reflection…day dreaming 

Sunlight = A catalyst. Something that stirs to activity – many times (though not always) a catalyst generates heat.

  1. Opposition to the word / affirmation of the world. – IF NEED BE 1Peter 1
    1. Remember in the last heart, the stony/shallow heart – the Sun coming up with its burning heat was likened to opposition coming against the Word.
      1. Mat 13:6 “But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.”
      2. Mat 13:20-21/Luke 8:13 “… he believes for only a short time, but when  times of testing come like trouble or persecution, he immediately falls away. This testing comes because of the Word that was sown – it is a test of the ground (heart).”
  1. Calling to mind – Remembering – praising – worshiping

Time = Time/patient endurance – Hebrews 10:35-39

 

1Jn. 2:15-17,

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

The word love is agapao – To esteem, love, indicating a direction of the will and finding one’s joy in something or someone.

 “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

 

James 4:1-8,

“Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

 

I spent some time teaching these verses before we closed. I cannot write it all hear, so listen to the recording to get the content is you so desire.

Remember, when we are talking about ANY teaching in the New Testament – whether about the heart soils or any other topic, they all ultimately illustrate that the entire life of the Christian is about establishing the Kingdom of God in our hearts and in the hearts of others.

The kingdom of God is the rule and reign of Christ in our hearts – and THAT is a heat with GOOD soil.

 


This is where we ended this week. We will begin with hurtles to bearing fruit in our next message.

I realize that the graphic on the video says this is week 3 but that was my mistake and I did not feel like redoing the video so, I kept it like it is – my apologies. 

I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

You have a special place in God’s family & kingdom. If you do not know Him, please use our ‘Contact Us‘ page and reach out so we may have the privilege of introducing you to the Lord. Attendance at our church will NOT even be mentioned nor will money.

If you have been spiritually fed by this ministry and wish to give, we truly appreciate that and you may do so here, but all outreaches of this ministry are FREE for you and anyone to enjoy at no cost.

 

Blessings!

 

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!