Spiritual Suffocation | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series)

My heart is swelling with joy this afternoon and as you can

imagine there's so much that can be said about what the Lord has

done over the past year but I'm going to restrain from doing

that and I'm going to keep that for our time of Fellowship where

I will share a few words. But for now I just want to trust

the process that we have been going through in the scriptures

as we continue in our series within a series in Mark, chapter

Mark 4 · chapter mention

4. As we study and continue to

survey the parable of the sower. And so this is going to be a

strong word today, but I'm going to trust the Lord that the

people here today will benefit from it.

And that it will be a fruit. It will bear fruit.

And so meet me in Mark chapter 4, and let's just look at one

Mark 4 · chapter mention

verse together. In verse 7, Mark chapter 4,

Mark 4:7

verse 7. Other seed.

Fell among thorns. And the Thorns grew up.

And choked it. And it yielded no grain.

Other seed fell among thorns. And the Thorns grew up.

And choked it and it yielded no grain.

Lord, this is your blessed word. Now, bless our hearts. as we

seek to understand your mind, your wisdom, your will We plead

with you Lord, that you would Grant the Special Touch from the

Holy Spirit. That there would be his power,

assisting the delivery of this word and his power breaking open

our hearts to receive it with joy.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

You and I have now arrived at our third installment of our

study in the parable, the sore and the value of our time in

this. And what the Lord Jesus has to

teach us is incalculable. Its primary design is really to

have listeners of the word of God to cautiously Ponder not

just what they are hearing but how they are hearing the truth.

In other words, this teaching that is so familiar to us,

especially those who grew up in the church is a confirmation

from God, that any audience member from every generation

Will be responsible for how they assess and how they apply God's

revealed will to them. If the sower is faithful in his

delivery of the seed, he will not be guilty for the

fruitlessness of his hearers. At the same time, the seed will

never be criticized for having an inability to produce life in

the soul. Even even though the audience

may be receptive, though. Unchanged.

This Parable is important because the Lord Jesus points us

to the heart of a very complicated and debated matter.

Concerning the complex short-term and long-term

responses to the gospel. But this Parable unveils it and

he really simplifies it for us, the explanation for the variety

of reactions. Is in the attitude of the here.

That is where it all lies, the seed of truth will either Thrive

or it will die based on the condition of the inner man,

which varies from person to person and we have already

discussed the hardened heart, the hearts, who hears the word

like you are hearing it today. But because of different reasons

they are totally unresponsive to the truth.

And that truth ricochets off of them.

Making it totally easy for Satan to grab that seed.

Lesson might have some impact in your life down the road and then

we looked at the rocky soil, Different in.

In the sense that it was receptive.

Suddenly and excitingly receiving the truth.

Promising much fruit. Much Conformity to Christ like

this until the heat of persecution trials.

Discomfort blazed over it scorching it until it has no

life and no fruit to show. But today, the Lord has another

batch of soil to sift before us. and I believe, That this is a

class of professing Christians. That is unfortunately widespread

and Chris and them today. And the reason for that, the

reason why this category is so typical Even in our

congregations is I believe because what spoils the soil is

something that most of us generally tolerate Partly.

Because what Jesus, deems as soul damning is what our

culture, boldly Advocates, as ambitious.

As wise as aspiring. I said my herbal.

How many professing Christians have bought into that same idea?

You might be shocked this afternoon to learn what the Holy

Spirit defines as thorns. But if you are among those lean

in, now lean in. Now, if you are among those who

are honest enough to admit that your spiritual life has not seen

growth since your apparent, confession of Jesus, then take

heed to the words of the author of life because it may rescue

you from the spiritual Suffocation that you are

suffering from. Listen.

We are already at the verse. In the parable that tells us

about this category of listeners, but let's go to Jesus

explanation of it in Mark, 4, 18.

Mark 4:18. And others are the ones sown

Mark 4:18

among Thorns. They are those who hear the

word, 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 before I get to the list of perils that

Jesus mentions in this allow me to make a comment of the

uniqueness of the soil and comparison to the others.

Like the rocky soil, the soil with thorns, looks good on the

surface. But in reality, there are deadly

elements within it. That's contained corrupting

faculties neighboring organisms like brambles and weeds are

living there and they are prepared to accelerate and

growth because there was not careful purging that took place

beforehand in the soil. And these components have no

problem cohabitating with good seed.

They don't mind having good seed being their neighbors but they

are always always threatening the growth of that seed and

anything that tries to develop in close proximity.

The reason that these weeds are viciously threatening The Good

Seed is because they are selfish and they soak up the nutrients

and they steal the water and the light that is required for

development. And because of this, there is a

hindrance to the maturity of any competing Harvest.

Even if it's good. By alluding to thorns and the

imagery of thorns. Jesus is brilliant.

He's brilliant. he's wonderful because in this, he is

communicating the pitfall and it is this embracing the gospel

while permitting polluted preoccupations to abide in the

same heart. In Luke, 8, 7, and you don't

have to turn there. We are.

Told with a different detailed that this seed, Grew but the

Thorns grew up with the seed with it and then choked it.

This informs us, something very important.

The main lesson about this part in the parable is to point out

the listener who thinks that they can receive the truth and

accept the terms of the Gospel while allowing other aspirations

to coexist. Well, the Lord is not saying is

that there are people who because of their single-minded

drive for riches and promotion and luxury and other desires and

pleasures of this life immediately reject the truth.

I'm not interested, don't sign me up.

If you read carefully, these people are like the rocky soil

in that they welcome the seed. They accept the seed, they're

stirred by the seed, they're convinced by the seed, they

confessed Christ. They can articulate Theology and

Doctrine And they may make an appearance in the house of God

from time to time. But here's the main thing,

ultimately ultimately, they lack genuine fruit.

Like the fig tree that Jesus cursed from a distance that tree

had leaves, it looked like it had life.

It looked like it was the real thing, but upon close

examination and evaluation Jesus realized that it was a fraud.

And he cursed the fig tree, This is the type of plant that we are

dealing with. This is the type of professing

Christian that Jesus is addressing.

And if that is the case, then at what point this apostasy occur

with the thorny heart and here's where it is unique because you

can point out with the first soil that it is immediate I

don't want this, I reject this, okay, you come to the rocky soil

and what the moment, things get hard, the moment there's a price

to be a Christian. The moment there is pressure

from family. They jumped ship that's the

moment but when you come here to this soil, there is no

definitive moment. There is no clear, observable,

measurable Turning Point. Instead, this kind of falling

away, is defined by a deception that makes the ensnared soul

generally, unaware of the seriousness of his spiritual

plight. In essence, it is a gradual

decay. That eventually leads to a

practical denial of discipleship.

Let me show that to you and Luke's version.

Go to Luke with me in chapter 8, In verse 14, Luke 8:14.

Luke 8:14

Luke 8:14 reads and as for what fell among the thorns.

Luke 8:14

There are those who hear but as they go on their way, they are

choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life.

And their fruit does not mature as they go on their way.

Listen, don't get distracted. See how quick that can happen.

As they go on their way, is a striking phrase.

First, it means that the seed made some kind of impression on

the soil. There's something there or else

the weeds would have nothing to choke.

This shows that a person who has a thorny heart.

Is someone who has an initial interest and attraction to

Jesus. Unlike the hardened soil that

has no desire. Secondly, it shows a trajectory

of the soil. The person's relationship with

the truth is deteriorating. As time goes on, they

deteriorate. The more time that goes on over

time, it shows that there is something wrong on a

foundational level. And that's why Jesus says that

they're fruit does not mature. Have you met a professing

Christian who looked the same from the moment that they

apparently confessed Jesus? That's a scary place to be.

Lastly. It reveals that the smothering

of spiritual life happens, over an unspecified amount of time as

they go on their way. What happens here, is that at

some point at some point, such a person ends up looking as though

there is no see that entered into their heart even to begin

with. Here's the overarching statement

of what Jesus is trying to teach with this section of the

parable. One cannot know, cannot know the

true saving power of the Gospel unless he or she is willing to

surrender every other priority, every other passion to the

lordship of Jesus Christ. You see the main issue about the

way, the thorny soil receives Christ is that he accepts him as

pay attention a priority A priority among other cherished

preferences. This is starting to sound a lot

more like American Christianity, isn't it?

Instead of Christ becoming the preeminent purpose and pursuit

of a life. He is a shared conviction.

He is a shared conviction that lives in the shadows of rival

objectives. And this is why.

Becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ is increasingly

becoming difficult in the west with all the freedoms that we

have so far. Because our culture is

constantly trying to sell us. So many means of contentment and

success and comfort. Always at the price at a true

commitment to Jesus always. and if you desire this afternoon to

know whether or not this soil speaks of you, all you have to

do really is be honest enough to reflect on your own heart as the

three things that Jesus mentions as Thorns are things that

determine the direction of your life.

Examine yourself and say, are the things that Jesus

illustrates as Thorns. Are these things, the true

Masters Of My Life. But let me give a disclaimer

before I move on and this is an important disclaimer.

Here it is, it is totally possible to know the temptation

of one of these Thorns, even all of them at the same time and

still be a true follower of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is not referring to being tempted by the cares of this

world being tempted by riches, being tempted by different

desires. It's easily proven just read the

Epistles and what will you find? Whoa.

Earnings to Trueblood bot. Christians about caring being

anxious riches so it's there it's a possible Temptation for

the believer but what Christ is explaining here is something

different how worldly cares worldly desires, worldly riches

upon evaluation of the professing Christian is really

the Lord of their lives. It's it's it's the conflicting

desires that completely starve, the affection and the energy

that must be reserved for your relationship with Christ.

And so, I want you to just hear what these things are and then

ask yourself, not am I tempted by these things?

But are these things truly more important, more demanding, more

lovely more cherished than Christ who is supposed to be my

Lord. And so Jesus begins in Mark

Mark 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4 by referencing the cares of this world.

Another way of saying it is the day-to-day worries in our life.

And these things are characterized by concerns that

stem from life's stressful, demands and unpredictable

challenges. They're not necessarily fruitful

by sinful by the way. They're not, they're not

inherently evil but they can be idols and they can be Idols that

we excuse as you ready for this responsibilities.

They can be Idols that are decorated as.

Personal goals. when in reality, they're Thorns sticking in your

neck and your bleeding, and you can't even tell I will not list

what these cares can be because they vary from person to person

and there's always a danger when you get to specific

applications, right? The moment a preacher gets into

specific applications. He is walking on a razor thin

thread. And he can fall into legalism

and he can fall into Liberty and sinful Liberty.

And so I will try to be as general as possible, especially

when it comes to these things. But however, major or minor

these cares might be to you the heart filled with, thorny weeds

and bushes, permits his relationship with Jesus Christ,

and his fellowship with his people to be rendered valueless

because of them. To be rendered worthless in

light of these other cares. All you would never admit it.

Remember you accepted the seed? It's their didn't disappear,

burden, and coming. Pluck it up.

I know it's there and even from a distance, look at all that

green. And when you come closer, I like

those weeds. Oh, so Thorns.

Where's the fruit? But you accepted it, right?

You would never say that. Jesus is my all.

He's my everything. And yet in practice there is

concern. For such people.

There is no such thing as private devotion.

Private, what? Day after day goes by mourning

tonight, mourning tonight and not one.

Heavenly thought has traveled through the corridor of your

meditations. Oh, not even a whisper to the

Lord that you apparently profess.

And more than that, the gathering with the local church

is a matter of personal convenience, personal

convenience. I'm not speaking about

emergencies, I'm not speaking about irregular events.

I'm speaking about priorities and so is Jesus.

And guess what? For the thorny hearted

professing. Christian, the local church.

Ain't one of them. Meeting with the Saints on the

Lord's days and afterthought. Simply because there are other

things that I got to do, man. Come on preacher.

Understand where I'm coming from.

Oh they can be easily done on Saturday.

But who's going to really give up a Saturday?

We can always have church the skip right to hours on a Sunday

but we can skip it. What about Saturday afternoon

on? Oh no.

That's Girl's Day. That's this, that's that that's

that. I'm reminded of the words of

Jesus and another Parable that I believe accurately reflects the

mindset of those who have this kind of a heart, it's another

Parable. The parable of the great banquet

where the king sends his servant with an invitation and his hands

to bring a specific audience into his presence. and when the

servant goes out, he realizes that as he extends his gracious

and merciful invitation It has responded to, in the following

way and Luke 14 17, Luke 14 17. And at the time for the banquet,

he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited.

Come for everything is now ready.

But they all began to make excuses.

They all began to make excuses the first set them.

I have bought a field and I must go out and see it.

Please have me excused. and another said, I have bought five

yoke of oxen and I go to examine them, please have me excused And

another said, I have married a wife and therefore I cannot

come. You know what this Parable is

about, primarily procrastination with salvation.

Excuses to why you won't come to Jesus, but I have to admit, it's

not difficult to see how similar excuses are made by some when it

comes to their willful neglect of personal discipleship.

Did you notice how none of these reasons were inherently wrong?

I just bought a field. I just got new oxen, new cars.

I just married, I just married somebody that I'm madly in love

with. J.c.

Ryle. Quote says infidelity and

immorality. No doubt slay their thousands

but decent plausible smooth spoken excuses slay their tens

of thousands. you know, as I notice from this They're pretty

polite. But you notice that please have

me excused, please have me excused Except the one with the

wife, I'm serious read it. I'm not making it up when it

came to the field. Please have me excused when it

came to the ox. Please have me excused when it

came to the marriage now. Alright coming, that's by

Design. You know why?

Because I believe it's meant to show.

How there are some who she purposely justify Their

unwillingness to submit to the words of the king and then there

are others. You ready for this who are

outright offended when the servant of the king comes and

tells you about making the king's bidding a priority.

You see what I got going on here?

I'll come when I'm ready. Properties work, fashion food

and romantic relationships were stumbling blocks then to

fruitful faith and they're still there today.

They're still there today and I know what some of you may be

thinking I can feel it. Right, what kind of world do you

think we're living in preacher? What kind of world do you think

we're living in this being a Christian mean, we ignore other

responsibilities and duties, I got food to put on my table.

I got bills to pay. I got relationships to nurture.

I have an ill mother-in-law who needs constant attention and

supervision? What is this?

Legalism that you're proposing and let me clarify by saying

this that nowhere in the Bible. Nowhere in discipleship.

Nowhere in instructions of practical Christian Living, are

we told to abandon wholesome activities and or

responsibilities and let me add to that by saying that as a

Ministry. Our goal is not to keep you in a

church building as many days in the week as possible.

That's not our goal. I praise God, that we have

Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, my desire.

I wish I can see you more than that because I cherish your

fellowship and I cherish you, but I understand we understand

there's a world out there to engage with.

And there are responsible, there are dealings, there are things

that happen. That is not what I am speaking

about, and neither is Jesus. There's a world to engage with.

But if you can easily brush off your basic duties as a disciple

of Jesus and point two reasons that we all have to deal with in

life by the way. Would you check your heart and

see if there's any prickly Thorns there?

Being a Christian does not erase the cares of life.

Might even add some to it. Being a Christian is all about

how the gospel enters in. Sits on the throne of your heart

and then by God's good grace and love teaches you how to handle

those cares. Remember what we conclude about

the rocky soil? Remember how they rejected

Christ so quickly When Trials, came we learned from that that a

true follower of Jesus Christ does not renounce, his faith.

When it gets hard, those things actually bring him closer to his

God. And guess what?

It is, no different with the Christian and his worries.

Let me give you just a glimpse. Let me just let just peek a

little bit to get an idea of how a Christian deals with the cares

of this world, James 5:13, is anyone among you suffering, let

James 5:13

him pray. Huh, has anyone among you

suffering? Let him pray.

Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the Elders of

the church and let them pray over him.

Anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

Two out of those three things are negative.

Are you suffering in any way? Are you sick and body?

Well, if you're suffering, then pray cast all your anxieties on

him because he cares for you, lay it all there.

She when you give your heart all to the gospel, God gives all his

promises and his Comforts and his mercies to you.

The worst thing to do is to embrace Jesus half-heartedly and

then be consumed by cares. The best thing to do is give

yourself to him and watch what he does with your cares.

So if you're suffering, what is the Christian do?

He comes to his God? Lord, I need you.

I am. And I don't know where to go

from here. This is overwhelming.

I'm tired. I remember being in college

overwhelmed with my schedule overwhelmed internship didn't

have a car that the commute was so terrible.

I made a vow. I will never take public transit

transportation again. That's how bad it was.

And I remember, I would walk home in the cold February

weather stepping foot into my apartment exhausted.

And you know what would come out of my mouth?

The moment I have to enter in and make my terrible excuse of a

meal as a college student. Lord, I missed you, this is

hard, this is not easy. Well, I don't have much to give

you but I'll give you what I can.

I'll give you what I can. Among you sick like even Satan

knew when you touch somebody's body, they really reconsider the

goodness of God touch his stuff, that's one thing, touch his body

and watch out he'll squeal. But as anyone you sick, what do

you do? If you're sick?

You don't run away from the church.

You call the church. You call the pastor's all

pastors, pray for me. I'm suffering here.

Pray for me, I'm Ill. Pray for me.

The doctor's report was not good.

Have the church pray for me. Do you see what happens?

You see what happens to the heart that has good soil when

they do experience the cares and worries of life?

It doesn't pull them away from their Master.

There's a pull them away from the church, it pushes them

towards them. This is what happens.

Oh, but the heart filled with thorns is driven by cares.

Driven by cares at the expense of totally ignoring what Jesus

Christ. As Lord asks of him, But

strangely there are some who when they advance in life and

experience its various promotions and blessings. their

faith and service to Jesus seems to only evaporate more and more

As they go on their way. See, jokes them.

The cares of this world and Jesus goes to the second

component and deals with the deceitfulness of riches money,

money money. Jesus famously said, in Matthew

Matthew 6:24

6:24. You cannot serve God and money.

but this group of people believe you can The heart filled with

thorns, believe you can. And that's why Jesus

specifically said that they are. Choked by the deceitfulness of

riches. Not just riches the deceit

behind those riches. and these group of professing, Christians

believe that a Christian can live with the same goals that

almost every other ungodly person in this world has What

happens? Lord didn't say you can't have

God and money. He just said, you can't serve

both of them at the same time, but the thorny heart hears, the

gospel and become a disciple by name and then they plan.

And they prioritize his today and his tomorrow's with one

goal. You want to know the goal, I

want to get rich, that's what I want.

I want riches, I want Financial Independence.

I want things at the snap of my finger, I want to get to the

point in life, where no matter what I spend or what I invested,

it would not even affect my day-to-day, even by the

slightest, And if time in the word, check this out.

If serving in the Church of worshiping Christ with God's

people are investing in the advancement of the Gospel gets

in the way of that Pursuit. Well, guess what, those things

are going to have to suffer How do I know if money is my master,

it's not hard. What do you more happy to have

cash or Christ? What do you more worried about

losing material, blessing, or spiritual Treasures?

What dominates your long-term goals.

Financial Independence or fruitfulness for the kingdom of

God. The thorny heart would answer

internally, I know what the Christian answer is, but look,

I'm honest here, I want more. I want more and I won't be

content, too late until I get it.

So be it. So many examples in the Bible.

So many examples. But one of the strongest

examples that came to mind when I was reflecting on.

This was a man in the Old Testament who who's told to be a

lover of money in the New Testament?

His name was Balaam. Remember Balaam, Balaam is an

interesting figure in the Bible because when you read about him

in numbers, there's debate about whether or not he is a good

profit that went bad or if he was a fraud to begin with.

And it's not until you go to the New Testament.

We see that Balaam is mentioned by name three times and each

time it's to condemn him as an apostate as a false teacher.

And he actually becomes a prototype for false teachers

today. Again, when you read about

bailing The Numbers 22, when you're introduced to them, you

get this sense that maybe he's a real prophet, he calls the Lord,

his God balak, send some people to hire him to put a curse on

the nation of Israel and he says, let me inquire of God and

he inquires of God, God tells him, no, My People Israel, their

bless you can't curse them. So he comes back and he says,

look, I can't help you here. God said, no.

They go back to balak and Bailey says up the ante.

More honor more blessing go. So they come back and there's

bail them again, and they said, look, paraphrasing, he's willing

to give you more. And here's what Bailey does or

Bailon does. Let me inquire got again.

God already told you what the answer was wasn't up for

negotiation, but let me go to God again.

Maybe I can work something out. So he goes it's comes before

God. And the Lord saw, what was

really in his heart. You want to go, okay.

He allows them to go. So Balaam is ready to go and

curse that which God has blessed.

He's ready to defy, what God had originally said.

For one thing, the Price Is Right?

The Price is Right. For this kind of thorny soil if

the price is right. It's nice.

Knowing you. Marry not the Bible Church?

So, I reach you from numbers, 2222. if you want to turn their,

you're welcome to Numbers. 22 22.

Very easy reference. but God's anger was kindled because he

went and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his

adversary. That's a terrifying thing.

I think some people consider me their enemies, I don't

personally have any enemies but I rather have the world as my

enemy, then have the angel of the Lord, as my enemy just

saying, Now, he was riding on the donkey and his two servants

were with him. And the donkey saw, the angel of

the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand.

And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the

field and Balaam struck the donkey to turn her into the

road. The irony of this passage the

irony of this passage is just oozing.

Balaam is hired to be a prophet who has apparently unusual

insight and access into the spiritual world.

But he cannot see the angel of the Lord who is standing before

him. You know, who does the donkey

The donkey does. The donkey sees the angel of the

Lord and here's this man who claims to have eyes into the

Unseen World and he can't he can't see the donkey.

You know, what, I take from this.

Maybe you see it to, to some degree.

Balaam could not see what was spiritual because he was blinded

by his love for money. He was blinded by his love for

money. When a person loves money, one

of the dangers that he invites into his life, is that he does

not have the right perception of reality, especially when it

comes to perceiving the riches that are in Christ Jesus.

I've talked to people who love money when you it just like are

you serious? Like what are we doing right

now? They don't have the right

evaluation, they don't have the right estimation.

They don't have the right understanding, that's what

they're suffering with. And what do they do?

What do people who love money do?

Well, they put their security, they put their value, they put

their worth, they put their joy in that, which will fail him,

that which will harm him. And I admit at this point.

The donkey has more spiritual Insight than Balaam and I rather

be living the quality of life like this.

Poor beast but see the angel of the Lord who is Christ, then be

a guy like Balaam and he couldn't That's very offensive,

isn't it? It's offensive to a lot of

people. yeah, let me be a servant like this donkey but let

me see Christ as I walk instead of being like Balaam who had so

much already and wanted more but could not see the angel of the

Lord. The True Believer will confess

that he rather have that. The True Believer will confess

that he rather have the eyes of his heart opened so that he can

explore the Deep Riches of God's grace and intimacy and love than

to know more and more and more and more of this world.

Does God say you can't have money and God no you can't have.

Both are there. Very successful.

Spiritual men in this life. You better believe it, but they

have money. Money doesn't have them.

And you don't have to be rich to love money.

You can be poor and still be riddled with this cancerous

desire. It's so easy, isn't it?

The deceitfulness of riches come in and suffocate.

Maturity in Christ. And Jesus masterfully ends with

a final Thorn when he says not just the cares of this world,

not just the deceitfulness of riches.

But also the desires for other things.

You know why that is so masterful because our immediate

reaction to that might be well, huh.

Okay? What things Jesus?

Lord, this very general. Can you, can you tell me the

list of things that have the power to choke out fruitful

faith? I would like to know so I can

avoid those things. And Jesus wasn't being General,

because he was being careless. Jesus was being General because

he was being strategic, because when he says that the desires

for other things, what he means is other things are anything

Anything not just some things, anything that is inferior to the

worth and value. That is found in.

Jesus Christ is capable of choking faith and guess what?

Is inferior to Jesus Christ. Everything Anything and

everything that has primary devotion and places, God, even

in second place is capable of choking your religion.

To the heroes who are honest today, please listen carefully.

Listen carefully. Now I'm almost done.

When we present the gospel and we call you to say yes to his

unbelievable Mercy. And you choose to say, yes, keep

in mind that at the same time you are also confessing that

Jesus Christ is more precious, more glorious, more lovely, more

desirable, more honorable, more brilliant, and infinitely more

worthy than anything else in this life.

That's the gospel that we preach, and that's the gospel

that we hope and pray. People would accept not a gospel

that says I will plant you right here on the bed of my life, with

all these other plants around you Jesus.

Because Christ will not be a roommate in your heart.

He wants all of it. He wants you to give the title

deed of your life. He wants you to surrender

everything from top to bottom from east to west from all that

you have and all that, you know, and all that you aspire to, he

wants you to surrender it at his feet when you come to the foot

of that cross, nothing less. And any confession that is less

than that reality. Will like the rocky soil, prove

itself, eventually, to be fraudulent because it will be

fruitless. I'll say this in closing.

I think it's amazing how the thorn is the metaphor that Jesus

chooses to describe cares riches and pleasures of this world.

Why do you think that is? Have you ever had a thorn

sticking to your hand? That little device can be

torturous? And putting a bandaid on it,

isn't going to help. Icing, it won't be numb it for

so long until the pulsing ache and irritation revisits.

You And Jesus said cares to live for cares and to satisfy your

cares where you push out, God deceitfulness of riches.

The desires for other things, it can be anything.

I heard of a man who lost his ministry because he got caught

up into his collection of stamps.

He forsook the ministry for sick, prayer for sick,

preaching. These things if you live for

them like a thorn in your flesh. Will bring no goodness, only

burden only frustration, only irritation.

And the only solution to being liberated from the pangs of

these things. Is to remove it completely.

Is there any complete when a thorn goes into my hand?

And I've had it coming to my foot.

I don't do anything with one. Just happened in the history of

my life. I have one thing in mind when I

realized it. I don't want to go shopping.

I don't want to take a nap. I don't want to even eat a meal.

I need to get this thing out of me.

See what you think you're wearing around your neck, is a

necklace that beautifies your life.

It's actually caller, that's choking you.

And doesn't matter what you paint in there, how you decorate

it in the end, that thing is just a thorn and it has one

intention when you misplace its value in your life and that is

to take your life. Oh yeah, outwardly you're good

but spiritually, you're dying. You're already dead.

You know I listen to something this past week of a very wealthy

man and he said something that was so true yet so simple and

people who are still pursuing riches and the deceitfulness of

riches, don't get it. This man says, I've reached a

point in my life where I can spend anything and I can buy

anything and it doesn't affect me one bit.

And he said, you know, there are days when out when I was poor.

And I thought to myself, when I become rich when I become

wealthy, I'm going to buy this. Something about that, by this

money by that. Is once I got there, I realized

there's not so much things that you can buy.

I mean, what can you really buy anyway?

Okay, you buy a nice house. Then you buy okay you buy more

cars. Okay you buy the fancy watch you

buy 10 of them, okay, you fill your closet with clothes, then

what? Then what?

Tell me, what else don't actually tell me.

People do sometimes. Don't What?

What? What?

Tell me, what else you going to get, huh.

And that's why you look on the TV.

You look on the social media and what do you see when you're

unregenerate and you are extremely wealthy.

The only thing that you have to live for us?

Well, I got this well, so I have power.

Let me exercise this power because they're sinful.

It gets ugly. Let me save you the trouble.

There's nothing worth living for a part from the one who gave you

life Christ himself and letting him fill your heart with his

goodness and day-by-day presenting to you.

A Feast that will keep you satisfied and steady an

immovable and no matter what you have on your back, no matter

what brand the thing is no matter what you acquire in this

world, you will be glad you will be glad upon one condition.

To die to yourself. Let the Holy Spirit come in and

let him dig up. All those other routes, let him

remove the Thorns. Let him remove all those silly

things that were worried about and we're willing to ignore

Christ for all the things that were willing to put energy and

effort and time and investment. Let him do that work.

And then let him have your heart.

And you'll be satisfied. And you will know.

What we're going to discover next week that when the heart is

good and it understands all that Christ is and what he demands,

you will know fruit upon fruit, you will know fragrance upon

fragrance, you will know life upon life.

Pray with me. Lord, we are reminded again.

That you alone are worthy. And we gladly confess a fresh,

you are truly Lord Of Our Lives. Lord, we know that even as

children of God, the cares of the world, knock on the doors of

our hearts. We know that the riches of this

world persuade us and promise satisfaction.

We know that there are things in this life that have no problem.

Kicking Christ out to have our dominant desires. so we ask that

you help us Lord and protect us from these things, but for the

person who initially receive Christ on the wrong premise, And

thought that he can just fit one compartment.

Do we pray that today would be the turning point?

For you have given us this Parable, not just merely for

reflection, but also for reflection, that leads to change

if necessary. And so for the heart that can

honestly say, since I said yes, to Jesus, there was no growth.

There is no fruit in my life. There is nothing in me.

That loves Jesus. I love 10 things.

Before I love Christ, I love even one thing.

More than Christ. Lord, may you have mercy?

And save that soul from such deception.

Thank you, Lord. That when we give up on

everything else, we don't lose anything.

We gain everything. And we asked, oh, Lord, that,

that would be true for every person who does truly know you.

They can say, all I have is Christ.

And All I Need Is Christ. And yes, there are things I got

to do in this life and I will enjoy the riches of

relationships and marriage and food and vacations, but Christ

has more than all of these things put together and because

of Christ, all these things are possible.

And even enjoyable, Lord may that be the theme of Our Lives.

So we surrender to you and we sing to you and we worship you,

Lord, you are worthy of everything.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Hallelujah. Indeed, let's stand and Worship

the Lord.