Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Thanks, Josue.
[00:00:02] Nailed it.
[00:00:04] I love this time. We get to celebrate people who have accomplished something that is very difficult.
[00:00:14] Not many of us have worked all our lives towards something.
[00:00:19] You know, we've grown up and sort of just, you know, we have hobbies, but all our, like, these kids have these teenagers, these men and young men and women have worked all of their life to this. And that's crazy. I mean, like, your whole life you're in school, and it's mostly awful.
[00:00:44] Like, for the most part, just kind of a getting it. You're trying. And there's days where I remember when. When Covid hit and we had.
[00:00:58] In 2020, we had a fifth grader and a fourth grader and then a baby who didn't count for the schooling side of it.
[00:01:08] And we would drive through and get packets.
[00:01:13] People would take their mask off and stick their face in our vehicles and say, here's the packet. And we'd say, okay. I don't know. Anyway, well, I remember the last week of school.
[00:01:27] I know the last week of school is just killing time until it ends, but they kept giving us packets.
[00:01:35] And I said, when do we get to show them the movie holes at the house? Cause that's always. That's like, in my mind, that's like the go to movie you show at school.
[00:01:46] And they went, just Shia LaBeouf just digging in the sand. When do we do like. But when we had to teach them things and show them things, it was just like, what is. And teachers are. Teachers are so helpful and devote their lives to these kids, and it's so important. But they have literally devoted their whole life to a thing and have now come to a stopping place and a turning point.
[00:02:15] And those turning points in your life are rarely demarcated as clearly as this one is, where I've got to make a choice about something. Even when we talked about it here, Andy would say, their choices from here on out are this.
[00:02:32] You know, he didn't say things like, today at lunch, they're gonna pick Applebee's.
[00:02:39] Although he did mention on the border. And for a second I thought, who's interacting with people on the border today?
[00:02:44] And then I realized, you with a restaurant. And I was like, what, is there a trip I don't know about?
[00:02:53] But he didn't mention small things, small choices. It's these big life choices. Going to the Marines, talking about being a doctor or a dental hygienist, or talking about how exactly you're going to spend the rest of your life is big decision. Making.
[00:03:13] And when you come to a moment that is demarcated like this, where it is, you got to decide which way to go. And there is no road. It's just a field, and you have to meander in a direction.
[00:03:27] Once you realize that these choices are yours to make, then it's time then to make a choice.
[00:03:40] And not like, you know, sometimes preachers do this where they're like, you gotta make a choice. Gotta make a choice today, make a choice. Jesus might come back tomorrow, might come back this afternoon while you're at the border. And so there's like, you've gotta.
[00:03:52] You've got to make a choice right now. And then puts this urgency on you that might make you make a choice. That's not quite true, but just afraid.
[00:04:06] We don't want to be that.
[00:04:08] But Jesus calls his disciples. And we have a different.
[00:04:16] There's a different slide up there.
[00:04:19] Luke 8. Jump to the Luke 8 that's coming up. Jesus tells his disciples a story.
[00:04:26] It says when a great crowd gathered, people from town after town came to him. And he said a parable. Now, time out. Parable is a fun little word in Greek. It's parabola, which is spelt just like, you know, when we say hyperbole, it's so hyperbole is tell over what is. So when you tell a hyperbole, it's over. Like, that's a big exaggeration.
[00:05:01] A parabola is alongside life.
[00:05:06] So, like, we're telling. Jesus tells stories that kind of can walk alongside life.
[00:05:14] And in these moments, these moments where I've got. We have. And this happens when you graduate, when you graduate from high school, when you graduate from college, when you start your profession, when you have a child. Like, there's just these moments in your life where you gotta decide what. Well, what am I right now?
[00:05:31] And now that I'm a new one of these, what type of one of these am I going to be?
[00:05:38] So Jesus tells this story that rolls alongside life.
[00:05:44] A sower, like man who plants seed, went out to sow his seed. And some fell on the path and were trampled on the birds of the air.
[00:05:55] And the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock, and it grew up and it withered for lack of moisture.
[00:06:03] Some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
[00:06:09] And some fell into good soil.
[00:06:11] And when it grew, it produced a hundredfold. And then he said, let everyone with ears to hear listen. Now. Time out. We have. We know this parable, and we know that Jesus talks In parables. And we know that Jesus sometimes explains par and we understand where this is going. But you gotta imagine if you're standing in the first century and Jesus gathers a crowd and his teaching is, you know, sometimes when you spread seed, it goes everywhere.
[00:06:46] And the ones on the rocks don't do well, and the ones in the thorns don't do well, and the ones on the good seed, it does well.
[00:06:53] He who has ears, let him hear.
[00:06:56] Do you realize how simple of a teaching, like, it's pretty, like. Well, yeah, it's almost as if he just told him about a thing that happens sometimes and then said.
[00:07:14] Told him about a thing that happens sometimes. And then he said, well, and you've got to get something out of this.
[00:07:19] For he who has ears, let him listen.
[00:07:25] He pointed out a thing that happens in life, and then that was the sermon.
[00:07:37] It's pretty odd.
[00:07:39] Now, naturally, then his disciples asked him what this parable meant.
[00:07:47] If there's nothing you get out of this, and I hope you get more than this out of this. But if there's nothing you get out of this.
[00:07:54] Teens, adults, seniors, senior citizens, when you don't know, ask.
[00:08:03] Wisdom never pretends to know.
[00:08:10] Wisdom never forces or fakes an opinion.
[00:08:15] Ask.
[00:08:17] So the disciples obviously didn't know. And it makes sense that they didn't know. He just talked about something that happened. Seed goes everywhere.
[00:08:27] Stand and sing.
[00:08:32] It's not a profound.
[00:08:35] He didn't quote anybody.
[00:08:38] He just said seed.
[00:08:41] And you know how it happens.
[00:08:43] Let's pray.
[00:08:46] And so they're a little confused, like, what does this mean?
[00:08:52] And he said to them, to you, it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God.
[00:08:58] But to others, I speak in parables so that looking they may not perceive, and listening they may not understand.
[00:09:05] What he's saying is, when you're ready to hear what. What you need to hear, you will hear it eventually.
[00:09:17] Sometimes somebody's heart. Let's say in the first century, if you're waiting on the Messiah and you think the Messiah is going to draw a sword and start killing Roman guards, then you're not ready for the Messiah yet.
[00:09:29] And so some who are looking for a messiah, may they not find the one they want, they're listening for the wrong good news. May they not hear the good news they want.
[00:09:44] So I had a lady call me one time. I was preaching in Teague, Texas, Small little Tig, Texas.
[00:09:50] And in Teague there was a.
[00:09:53] It's a pretty small country, conservative church. And as a preacher, I've always had My ideas about things. But when I'm called to serve a church, I'm called to serve them where they are, not be a jerk and try to move them where I am. That's bad leadership.
[00:10:10] And so I was in that church preaching Jesus, because I've learned that if you preach Jesus, you create a church.
[00:10:24] If you preach your opinions, you create a cult.
[00:10:29] And I don't want a cult.
[00:10:31] They are so hard. I've managed cults, and they are so difficult.
[00:10:36] It's just. I mean, the Kool Aid's got to be just right.
[00:10:47] No.
[00:10:48] So everyone's too close. Too close to Waco, too soon.
[00:10:54] No, but you want to create a church.
[00:10:57] You want to create, like, a place where people follow Jesus. And that can be done in any setting, in any scenario, with any doctrine. Like you can. People can follow Jesus. And they might not be where you are yet, but my goodness, Jesus can go where they are. So can I.
[00:11:12] And so I was preaching Jesus to these people, never my opinion.
[00:11:17] I was in my office one day, 2007, and a lady from church calls me and says, hey, I just have one question.
[00:11:28] You think women can preach, don't you?
[00:11:31] And I said, what? Yeah. Yes. Sorry, yes.
[00:11:36] I've had those questions before where they're like, do you believe this? I'm like, yes. And they're like, you're fired.
[00:11:41] Those are scary questions.
[00:11:45] She said, you think Jesus can. Women can preach, don't you? And I said, yeah, I do.
[00:11:50] She goes, I thought, so I like that. And then she hung up on me.
[00:11:57] But she heard something that I wasn't saying, but she was ready to hear.
[00:12:06] That's how preaching Jesus works sometimes.
[00:12:10] So he said, I'm telling them the best I can. When they're ready to hear it, they'll hear it.
[00:12:16] Now I'll tell you, he says, now the parable is this. The seed is the word of God, both written and Jesus himself. Where Jesus goes, is Jesus accepted.
[00:12:31] The ones on the path are those who have heard.
[00:12:35] The devil comes and takes.
[00:12:37] Birds are devils, which is a good lesson here.
[00:12:44] When the devil comes and takes away the word of their hearts so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rocks, those are the ones who hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root.
[00:12:57] They believe only for a while, and the time of testing fall away. This happens quite a bit.
[00:13:06] If you have no roots, any old wind will blow you over.
[00:13:11] And we don't.
[00:13:13] We want to prep our self for testing. He says, for the ones that fell among the Thorns.
[00:13:21] These are the ones who hear. But as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And their fruit does not mature. Like when you're so caught up in all of, like, the things in this life, like when you're, you're. You. You want sure to be a good person, but the most important thing is like, having fun and playing games and stuff.
[00:13:48] Like, do you just, I don't know, do you. Do you actually focus on what is right?
[00:13:56] Do you actually focus on the word that is in your heart that Jesus has given you?
[00:14:05] And so they fall among the thorns, and the thorns sweep them away and they do not produce fruit. Now remember, he says, the birds take it away and nothing grows.
[00:14:25] It falls on the rock and its roots aren't deep, so when it's tested, it will not withstand the test.
[00:14:37] And when it's choked by the riches and the cares and the pleasures of life, the fruit does not mature. Notice those three things. That's very important because then he says, but as for the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the Word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and they hold onto it fast and they bear fruit with patient endurance.
[00:15:08] Hearing the word of God and putting it in your heart does not make you skip and sing more often. Sometimes it has you buckle down and withstand.
[00:15:21] Sometimes it grows. We are. It grows roots in us. And we plant ourselves in the ground. And the God who blesses us with that, when God is the God who gives us this Word, gives us this Savior is the good God who hopes for good soil.
[00:15:43] Our God, because he is good, wants to prepare us for what is bad.
[00:15:53] Our God, because he is good, wants to ready us for when we do have to bear fruit in difficult times, endure the storms of life, when we have to be rooted. Our God is rooting for us, for us to endure, for us to plow forward and have a life that actually produces fruit. The Word, Word of God is key.
[00:16:27] And by that I want you to hear me right? The Word of God, the written word that points to the human word.
[00:16:37] I am not telling you that if you read your Bible, you'll be a good person.
[00:16:42] I know plenty of people who read their Bible a lot and aren't great people.
[00:16:47] But just because it's possible to read your Bible and be a bad person doesn't mean you shouldn't dive in and find this Jesus. The Bible points to.
[00:16:59] Because in the word of God is the word of God.
[00:17:05] And whenever I, when I hear the Word and let it grow roots in my heart Let it solidify me in a place.
[00:17:18] I was talking with a guy recently about church, and church has been hard for people. The more I talk to people about church, they have some horror stories, and I have my own.
[00:17:32] I have some, too. Let's talk.
[00:17:35] We'll trade horror story cards.
[00:17:38] It'll be a blast.
[00:17:41] But church can really do some damage, to be honest.
[00:17:47] And we were kind of trading that back and forth. And he was telling me he was thinking about going to church. And it's a comedian friend of mine, and he said, I'll actually sit in the back and I'll give you a light when I'm done with your sermon, which is a comedy joke, so don't worry about it.
[00:18:03] You get a light in the back of the room whenever you have one minute left.
[00:18:09] No. Okay.
[00:18:12] It's fine. It didn't hurt my feelings, so.
[00:18:15] But he was like. Well, I told him some of the stuff we went through, and he was like, why are you still, like, doing that?
[00:18:25] I was like, I just can't shake a resurrected God.
[00:18:31] I just, like. I can't get over it.
[00:18:34] Right? I mean, you're just like, if Jesus is alive, why quit?
[00:18:39] If the Word is alive, then why quit listening? I've got.
[00:18:44] If my roots are gonna be planted in something, it's gonna be the someone who conquered death.
[00:18:51] It's not gonna be on weak games and easy life or a fun life. It's not gonna be on. I'm not gonna plant my roots in anything else except this Jesus who we crucified and who is now Lord and Savior. That's all I've got.
[00:19:12] And when I try to put my hopes and dreams, when I try to plant my life in anything else that seems to fail, I love my wife. She's a horrible God.
[00:19:28] I love my job. It's a horrible God.
[00:19:35] It is. So if I try to put my roots in that and other things that fall over all the time, I, too, am going to fall over. But I have a resurrected king on the throne. And when this good soil from this good God and his good son come into my life, the roots grow deep, the winds can't knock me over, and the fruit is abundant.
[00:19:58] And so we have been called as people of this good God, to be good soil for the world.
[00:20:08] Heard someone recently say, and I'm going to rebuke this in a second. So when I quote it, don't say amen. Even if you feel it. If you feel it deep, don't say it Heard someone recently say that Christians believe in hell.
[00:20:24] Christians don't believe in hell because people are going there. We believe in hell because if you don't have Jesus, then you're already there. It was a very dramatic statement.
[00:20:35] And I don't. Okay, sure, there's a lot of questions I have about that statement, but I think the way we need to be thinking about it is not about, like, who's in hell and who's not. Then the way we need to be thinking about it is. Is my presence in this place setting heaven free in this place?
[00:20:56] Is my presence in this place scattering the seeds of the Word of God not just by me standing and proclaiming, but by me welcoming and inviting and loving people?
[00:21:09] Is when. When I'm in a room, does heaven show up with me?
[00:21:15] Or does cynicism and judgment rule?
[00:21:19] When I'm in a room, does the. When I'm tested, does the fruit that falls from my tree feed and nourish the people around me?
[00:21:32] This Word of God matters.
[00:21:39] And it's not about trying to keep people out of hell.
[00:21:45] It's about taking heaven to the people.
[00:21:50] Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
[00:21:54] In this place, does God rule?
[00:21:58] And wherever we go, does God rule? And my goodness. You're gonna go to some places. Senior, senior citizens, all of you, you're gonna go to some places where it feels like chaos rules and that the wind is stronger than the ground.
[00:22:21] But the king we serve, if we give our give our existence to Jesus and the ways and teachings of Jesus, we will. If we give our. If we give our teaching, our life to Jesus, we will find that no system of chaos, no day of evil can overcome this relationship we have with the God who is good.
[00:22:48] It just can't be done.
[00:22:51] And so when you're at a moment where you've got to decide what you're going to be, try to put yourself in a place where your roots will grow deep and strong and your fruit will be abundant to spread and produce the word of God that has so impacted us, so impacted you, and to make it mean something to the world around you, to let all heaven break loose and the kingdom of God, when, wherever you are, let's pray together.
[00:23:38] Father, I am longing for the members of our church here in Glenwood to have deep roots provided by you as you are a good God.
