In a society where commitment isn't fashionable anymore, more and more people are tempted to drop commitments to Christ and His church. This is nothing new. The devil has used these priorital shifting tactics since the inception of the church. Focus on the world and the here and now. Forget eternity and the things that God demands while you are here on earth. Hebrews 11:13 reminds us that we are aliens and strangers in this world: "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth." We're just passing through.
Jesus shared a teaching about the reality of Christians remaining faithful. In Matthew 13, Jesus shares the parable of the sower: "3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
So what does this teaching mean? Jesus explains it later in that same chapter: "18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
Bob Russell writes: "Some people drop out of church because they can't take the heat that comes from believing in the basics of God's Word. (and the changes it demands, I might add) Some get so caught up in the pursuit of worldly success and pleasure that they think the don't have the time for the church anymore." I think that the latter is true for most people in Enid. They want to do the right things, but they are struggling with priorities. When a biblical church comes along and actually musters up enough courage to lovingly call them to repentance, to line up with the Word of God, most people never look at the actual truth of the situation. I've rarely heard a backslider say: "I'm sorry. I'm so consumed with making money and being a success in the eyes of this world, that I must have my priorities messed up." But what usually happens is quite the opposite. Almost always they go into a defense of their sin. They blame the church. The preacher offended them. The church just isn't meeting their needs. They weren't being fed. They didn't ever connect with friends here. The list could go on and on. These are the sad excuses of the uncommitted.
But here's the crux of the issue: people don't own up to their stuff. We don't like to look in the mirror and see ourselves and our lives as a contradiction to God's design for us. It's not the church's fault for their faith default. And Jesus warns of this in Matthew 13.
The encouragement that I get from this is to do all that I can in teaching the Word of God in a powerful and relevant way so that people understand it and understand the commitment that Jesus calls us to as believers. The cost of following is high sometimes, but the benefits are out of this world (literally!). I will keep speaking God's truth in love so that believers will grow up in their commitment to His cause. Like Ephesians 4:15 says: "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."
Be blessed and be a blessing to someone this week.
1 comment:
Sometimes I think the current day church is like the Isrealites in Jesus' day- we want all the benefits of a "kingdom" but still don't understand that Jesus' model is being a servant. There will be a kingdom, but for now, we serve in order that others may come into a relationship with Christ and be saved. This parable always reminds me to examine the condition of my heart(the soil). Am I letting things choke it out? Also, for those of us who have walked with the Lord for awhile, are we doing what we can to help others "understand the Word"? For ourselves and others, we need to identify the weeds and keep the soil tender to produce a harvest.
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