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DATE |
CHURCH |
SUBJECT |
PREACHER |
BIBLE
REF. |
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07.10.07 |
All Saints Church |
A Harvest Challenge:
I
know of a clergyman who was preaching on this passage and couldn’t
understand why the congregation became highly amused. He was
speaking of Jesus teaching about the seed (of the word of God)
falling on rocky (shallow) ground, where it soon stopped growing and
was killed off by the hot sun. |
Rev. Tony Higton |
Luke 8: 1-15 |
|
A Harvest
Challenge
I
know of a clergyman who was preaching on this passage and
couldn’t understand why the congregation became highly amused.
He was speaking of Jesus teaching about the seed (of the word of
God) falling on rocky (shallow) ground, where it soon stopped
growing and was killed off by the hot sun. This refers to people
who hear the word of God, respond positively for a short time,
then forget it and do nothing about it. There response is
superficial and shallow.
This clergyman leant earnestly over the pulpit and said: “Do
you have a rocky bottom?”!
Well, do you?
Seriously, over the years I have known Christians who firmly
believe the Bible is the authoritative word of God and they are
familiar with its contents. But it doesn’t do them much good
because they don’t put it into practice. They have rocky
bottoms! Their attitude to biblical teaching is superficial.
Then Jesus spoke of some seed falling on thorny ground. It
sprang up but was soon choked by the thorny weeds. He was
referring to people who heard and agreed with the word of God
but then the cares and anxieties of this life choked their
interest. If you like, they had thorny hearts.
However Jesus also spoke of the seed falling on good soil and
bearing much fruit. Here he referred to people who are both
hearers and doers of the word of God.
Which sort of “soil” are you? Do you have a rocky bottom or a
thorny heart?
When we stand before God on judgment day, which we all shall, it
won’t be a Scripture exam. It is very important indeed to read
and become familiar with Scripture. But we won’t be judged on
how much Scripture we know. We’ll be judged on how much
Scripture we do.
When, at his Ascension, Jesus sent out his disciples on a world
mission, he didn’t say: “go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, and teaching them everything I have commanded
you.”
No, he said: “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, and teaching them TO OBEY everything I have
commanded you.”
The Bible is our Maker’s Instructions. If we follow those
instructions we please and honour God. But we also experience
the best God wants for us. He made us. He knows how we should
function.
True wisdom is to hear the word of God and to put it into
practice.
Tony Higton |
