Summer with Jesus Sunday Gathering

Hey, good morning.

Welcome to Church Online this morning.

I'm Brandon.

I'm Cody.

And we just want to say Happy Father's Day.

We did not even rehearse that.

That's nice.

Alright, love it.

Happy Father's Day.

We should start by Happy Father's Day.

Happy Felice.

Oh shots.

Happy Father's Day.

It's great.

How are you supposed to finish?

We're not going to go for it.

Man, it is Father's Day.

It is Father's Day.

Hey, and we hope you dads are having an awesome weekend and filling all up this morning.

And we just want to say that you got your care package of Armoral.

Yes.

Some uh some uh Stanley tools.

Nice toolbox, right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Some Ryobi drill bits.

Yeah.

Maybe some maybe some barbecue rub.

Yeah.

Like an apron or something.

So you don't get your nice new polo that you got for Father's Day.

Dirty.

See why you're smoking that brisket.

Yep.

Come on.

Come on.

We should start a Daz podcast.

We should.

And they're done that.

Alright, so we are so glad that you guys are hanging out with us today.

So much going on.

It is Father's Day and Man Oh Man.

Yeah.

We've already said it.

We'll say it again after Father's Day.

We're gonna move on.

So we've got a lot going on this Sunday.

Tell us about it.

I don't know why.

I just could have lost already.

Make sure you forget your kid names.

That's exactly what's what happened to me.

It's all good.

You get you get my baby channel.

I guess that happened.

Yeah.

No, we are grateful for you dads, and we do want to say, hey, what you do matters.

So we're thankful that uh for you dads who are showing up each and every day and bringing your best.

It matters, and um God is using you, so we are grateful.

Uh we got some really great stuff planned this morning, like Cody said.

So if you haven't already, we want to tell you to make sure to download the Church of the Grove app.

It's hands down the best way to stay connected uh and with everything that's going on in the life of our church.

Uh you can do things like fill out sermon notes uh there and track along with the message, which Pastor Russell's gonna be bringing today.

Uh we're still in the Gospel of Matthew.

It's gonna be so good.

Uh so you can you can check along with sermon notes, uh, you can submit prayer requests, which we'd love to be praying for, or join a community group, or uh take any next steps like towards baptism or anything like that you feel like I might be leading you to.

So tons of ways to stay connected, especially throughout the craziness of the summer where we're all traveling and fictions and all that good stuff.

Uh man, the app is the hub to stay connected with everything that's going on in the life of our church.

So make sure you do that first and foremost.

And then, like I said, we're still in the series called Summer with Jesus.

Man, we're spending the whole summer here journeying through the gospel of Matthew and really uh walking alongside Jesus throughout his life and his ministry here on earth and through the uh from the perspective of Matthew.

So we're walking alongside Matthew too.

Yes, yeah.

Um, so it's it's been so good so far.

We want to say if you missed any of those uh sermons to go back and check them out on the podcast or the archives um and and catch up.

But today we're jumping into one of Jesus' most well-known parables, the parable of the bring a hole in a garment and bring the two sides together.

That's no.

No, no, there's not what we're talking about.

It's gonna be good though.

Um so Pastor Russ is gonna bring that to you uh here in just a few minutes.

But before we get there, we do want to make you just aware of a couple things that you could be involved with uh involved in this summer.

Uh first is we've got camps coming up.

We've got student camp coming up, and then we've got kids camp coming up.

Really close.

So if you have not registered and you would like to go, man, please get on the app or the website.

You can find out all the info and details there.

So make sure you're registered to go to summer camp, and it is gonna be incredible.

We believe that uh there's something about pulling away for some time and getting out of the regular routine and getting away and getting to spend some time with the Lord over a few days and or a week, and it's uh and God really doesn't uh in the lives of our students with that, so make sure that you are signed up for that.

And then also we've got Fish for Kids still happening.

So uh Fish for Kids is this really awesome opportunity where we get to really be the hands and feet of Jesus in our own backyard and get to supply uh they they supply lunches to kids who um would normally get a meal uh at school when they're there, but because they're out for the summer, they might not get that meal, and so fish gets to step in and provide them with the lunch, and uh, we get to partner with them, and so what a great way to be on mission throughout the summer.

So make sure that you are uh signing up for that as well and joining us in that endeavor.

Yeah, love it, love it.

So many things going on, you know.

Just tell them yeah, just do it.

Do it.

If you haven't, then just do it.

If you have, then open it.

You know, it's just it's important to do that, to use those things.

So um, we're gonna jump into the sermon with old Rustafer, and um, it's gonna be great.

We're gonna have a good time, and then we will see you guys on the flip side.

Yeah.

Um, Church of the Grove, and happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.

Um, as I was coming up, I just I was it's like the Holy Spirit just um for a second, it just made me fully aware that I heard along with all the water.

I know that for the I want you to know that there is hope.

Tell you a cool story from Honduras.

We're sitting at lunch table eating a meal, and and Stephanie and Otto are a young couple.

Stephanie is the granddaughter of the the man and the woman, Bill and Jones Tyson, that that moved from Vilica, Georgia, the late 60s, s 1970, to first Nicaragua.

They were kicked out because of the Sandinistas.

They landed in Honduras, and that has to be their home base.

And so they were they were talking about um their kind of their home church.

Somebody asked, Do y'all do y'all have a place that you call home?

I mean, think about missionaries and they said it's Glen Haven Baptist Church.

And I said, Glen Haven Baptist Church?

In McDonough, Georgia.

They said, yes.

They said, they said they have been partnering with us for 50 years.

Good Samaritan Baptist Missionary.

I said, I need to just tell you a short story.

Y'all know Ralph Easterwood, and they said, Oh, we know Ralph.

He he's he's our pastor.

He's our you know, he passed away during COVID.

I said, Well, Ralph went to high school with my dad.

And my middle brother, the middle brother between me and Butch, he passed away in 1992.

My dad was an alcoholic already.

He got worse, he fell into a deeper pit.

And I'm not sure the circumstances, but all I know is that Ralph Easterwood started coming by.

Ralph and my dad were rowdy high school buddies at Southwest Decav High School in the 50s.

And Ralph was called in ministry, and I think he founded Glenhaven Baptist at that time was in Decatur.

And he started coming to buy the house just to just to talk to my dad.

They were they were buddies from high school.

But Ralph had a greater purpose in mind.

And over time, he just began to love my dad to Jesus.

And so they were walking the property, they were down at the barn, and Ralph said, Buddy, everybody call my dad.

Buddy, what's holding you back from giving all of Jesus?

Buddy to my dad, he said, he said, I can't think of anything.

And they knelt down down there at the barn.

And my dad put his faith in Jesus a few years before he passed away.

And so that that was just a that was just a refreshing conversation in Honduras of all places to remind me of God's faithfulness and goodness.

And I'm on I'll I'll be honest with you, I'm I'm you know, I have I have still in my adult life and in the last few years gone to counseling because I've there there's some deep father wounds.

And I need I need to get it all out.

I need to expose it to the blood of Jesus.

I need to I need to let it out and not keep it covered.

Men, let me tell you something, men.

We're not wired to open it up.

We're wired to kind of cover it up and just pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and just carry on.

And many of you, listen to the Holy Spirit, listen.

You're walking around and you're working day by day, you're taking care of your families, and on the inside, you are breaking apart.

Because you need healing and you need you need to let let go of some hurt and some pain.

You need to process.

Man, we're not good processors.

Women like you to get together and and and I'm this is this is not a you know male chauvinist kind of thing, but man, women process better than we do.

So this should not even count against my sermon time right here.

That's just Holy Spirit right there.

Um uh so but man, we're we're celebrating dads.

We're celebrating dads, but we're in the word.

We're in the word today.

Dads, you rock.

Thank you for being here.

Um I want to I want to show you a little quick, we're talking about the parable of the sower today in Matthew chapter 13.

Matthew 13 · chapter mention

If you want to get ready, while you're getting ready, just take a look at this little parable.

Now that looks awesome, doesn't it?

Here's a problem.

You see that the fatherhood dot what of the government should not be teaching us about how to be a father.

This on the front end, people are going to look at this and like, this is great.

Finally, our nation and our government has got something.

But here's the problem.

Sadly and ironically, this dad is actually continuing in his workaholic habits while he's in the bedroom with his child rather than being present and loving fully.

I want you to see that.

I want us to see that.

You see what happened here?

We're presented with something that looks like one thing, but in actuality, we're being sold something completely different.

And if we aren't careful, we're going to begin to or continue to live in the narratives or the stories that are being imposed upon us by the culture.

And you know what?

I'm going to tell you, they got really close to getting it right.

But we've been talking about it.

Busyness, hurriness, and and being a workaholic rather than being a loving and present dad is they got it so close, but we're bombarded with messages like this all the time.

And so, man, kudos to dads being here.

Not that dads that aren't here, something's wrong.

But we need to hear the word.

What are we seeing?

What are we hearing?

Or what would Jesus say?

He would say, anyone who has ears to hear should listen and understand.

We're in this series summer with Jesus, and we're in the gospel of Matthew, and we're today we're in the parable of the sower, Matthew chapter 13.

Matthew 13 · chapter mention

Let's just read it.

He's in a boat teaching crowds on the shore.

Verse 3 listen.

Listen, say that with me.

Listen.

A farmer went out to plant some seeds.

And as he scattered them across the field, some seeds fell on a footpath, some and the birds came and ate them.

Some fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.

Other seeds fell on a shallow soil with underlying rock.

The seeds fried quickly because the soil was shallow, but the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn't have any deep roots, they died.

Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.

Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was 30, 60, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted.

Anyone, listen, anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.

Anyone with ears to hear, his disciples came and asked him, Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?

He replied, You are permitted to understand the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but others are not.

To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge.

But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.

This is why I use these parables.

For they look, but they don't really see.

They hear, but they don't really listen or understand.

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, When you hear what I say, you will not understand.

When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.

For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes, so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me, and let me heal them.

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn't see it.

They long to hear what you hear, but they didn't hear it.

Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds.

The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who don't understand it.

They hear the message about the kingdom and don't understand it.

Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.

The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.

But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long.

They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word.

The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.

The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of 30, 60, or even a hundred times as much as has been planted.

And why parables?

Why does Jesus teach in parables?

Literally the word parable, it means to set alongside or cast aside.

It's a comparison.

It's a comparison story.

Jesus is building a story that runs parallel to the present reality that we live in.

What is that present reality?

It's the coming kingdom of God.

And where Jesus is, Jesus is, it's already come.

Because back in Mark 1.14, he said, the kingdom of God is at hand.

It is now.

It is now.

It is a breakthrough.

It's a kairos type of breakthrough.

There's two Greek words that both are translated in English as time.

One is Kronos that says it is 945, which is important if you're under thinking about how long I'm going to preach.

But Kairos is a transcendent.

It's a moment that is beyond chronos time.

It is a breakthrough moment where God speaks, God opens our eyes to something, the Holy Spirit impresses you with something.

You're reading scripture, you're spending time with the Lord, or you're in a worship service, and bam, God speaks.

God quickens your heart.

So Jesus speaks in parables in a way to announce, and usher in the God, in God's kingdom.

Jesus says things like the kingdom of God is like, and he launches into a story, a man who finds a treasure in a field, or it's like a mustard seed.

He's teaching in a way to challenge the common narratives that the culture of his a was bombarded with.

Much like the video that we saw, or or being bombarded with social media, or all the images.

Somebody asked me on the trip to Honduras, Russ, is it me, or has it seemed like just in the last, like since COVID, like right before COVID, that the world has absolutely gone crazy.

And I said, I don't think it's you.

I think you you are aware.

You, the Lord is revealing, proves to you.

It has ramped up.

It is ramped up.

And listen, I am not, listen, any anything like whether it was Facebook or Instagram, it can be a tool that God can use to spread the gospel.

But it can also be a tool of the enemy.

And it has become in many ways.

And so we're bombarded with these messages.

And so the people of Israel have bought into a specific story of how they thought the Messiah would come, how they thought that God's kingdom would come.

But Jesus is telling these parables as a way to challenge their misunderstanding of how God's kingdom would come.

Mark 1.15, Jesus says that he says, the kingdom of God is here.

It's here.

Repent and believe.

Repent and believe.

This is the reality of the kingdom.

It is here.

It has arrived.

That Greek word is metanoia.

It means a change of mind, a reorientation, a fundamental transformation of outlook, of a man's vision of the world and of himself.

A new way of loving others and loving God, rethinking what you know.

And then there's the word believe.

It is a trust.

But it's not just, it's not a trust like you say, man, I believe in God.

Nicodemus said he believed in God, but Jesus said, you need to understand, you might say you believe in God, but you need to be born again.

You must be born again.

Satan believes in God.

The enemy believes in God.

And so it's this idea of trusting.

So I go to the airport to go to Honduras.

And I, you know, I believe that that plane fly.

I've looked out the windows.

They take off and they can fly.

I've been on a plane before.

How many of you have been on a plane before?

How many of you have ever asked a pilot for his driver's license?

How many of you said, hey, listen, I've got a pocket breath, breath est, breath detector.

You know, I want to check your, I want to see.

How many of you ever like asked for any credentials?

No, you you believe, you trust.

That's the idea.

How crazy is that?

Jesus, Jesus says, hey, trust in me with your life.

Jump on as we journey.

Follow me.

He says, follow me.

And so if you ask different people what they think Jesus' main teaching was about, a lot of people would say different things, but but here, especially here in the South, in some version, Jesus taught that he would save me so I could get to heaven.

That's what we teach.

We taught our kids.

Repeat a prayer.

We taught people.

Repeat a prayer.

And if you repeat this prayer, you'll go to heaven.

I'm telling you, I don't really think that's what the Bible teaches.

What Jesus is really after, he's talking about proclaiming that God's kingdom has broken into here and now.

It's not about me trying to get to heaven.

It's about the reality that heaven has broke through here and now.

God's kingdom is not just some future thing, it is a present reality.

We live in it.

And that always begins with the seed of the word, seed of his word.

Jesus teaches in parables to weed out those who are flippant from those who are really hungry.

And so when the disciples ask why he taught this way, he says in verse 11, he said, You are permitted to understand the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but others are not.

To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge.

But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.

That is why I use these parables, for they look, but they don't really see.

They hear, but they don't really understand or listen.

And he goes on to quote Isaiah.

His parables are meant to draw people in who are interested and curious, but it repels those who are unconcerned or against.

And he's fulfilling the prophecy as he does this.

Parables both reveal the truth to those who are leaning in.

They reveal the truth to those who are leaning in, paying attention, and it conceals truth from those who aren't.

Which is why he says things like, anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.

What does he mean when he's talking about the word hear?

Hear.

The Shema, the Shema of Israel.

Deuteronomy 6.4.

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Deuteronomy 6.4.

He's saying, hear, O Israel, hear, hear.

It's the Shema.

It's this idea.

Jesus had certainly used that word when he's talking about listen and obey.

Tim Mackey of the Bible Project says in Hebrew life, listening and doing are two sides to the same coin.

There is no separation from listening and obeying.

Listening and obeying are two sides of the same coin.

That's why James 122, James says, but don't just listen to God's word.

You must do what it says.

Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

This is why we ask the questions.

These are our discipling questions.

We ask all the time.

What are the two questions?

What is God saying?

Alright, alright.

Somebody's not.

Alright.

Anyone disciple in here?

What is God saying to me?

What is God saying to me?

And then what's the second question?

What am I going to do about it?

What is God saying to me?

What am I going to do about it?

Two sides to the same coin.

So for those who are ready to receive the good news about the kingdom of God, those ready to Shema, to hear and obey, we dive in.

Verse 18, he explains that now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds.

The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message.

The seeds that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message.

Luke says it this way, Luke 8, 11.

This is the meaning of the parable.

The seed is the word of God.

The seed is the word of God.

So, so seeds thrown on the path.

People that cling today, this week, they're going to love me.

Seeds on the path.

So I'm I'm when I'm in Israel this time last year.

I'm in Israel.

We are going around the Sea of Galilee, and there, you look on the fields, and you see where they have rocks that mark out little small areas that individual families would have just a little area to grow a small garden.

And you can see that the walking paths that they use regularly, and they would sow freely.

They sow the seeds freely.

They sow freely.

It's the word of God.

The seed represents the word of God.

I love what Isaiah 55, 10 and 11 says, The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.

They cause the rain to grow, they cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.

In the same way, my word.

It's the same way with my word.

I send it out and it always produces fruit.

Jesus described himself described Jesus as the word.

In the beginning was the word.

The word was with God, the word was God.

Verse 14, so the word became human, made his home among us.

So I'm trying to help you understand the significance of the word of God.

The word is the seed.

The word seed in the story is the word of God.

So soil number one.

Soil number one, beware of listening to the word what?

With a hardened heart.

This is the first seed.

This is the first soil.

First soil.

Seed is thrown on rocky ground.

A path that is that is a pathway.

It's a pathway.

A pathway.

One commentator says there were paths that ran through the fields.

I saw those when I was in Israel.

When the sower was scattering his seed, it was inevitable that some of it would fall on or close beside such paths.

Since there was no soft soil there in which the seeds might sink, they remain where the birds or the evil one could reach them, and they were speedily devoured.

So this is the heart that is hardened.

The word is on, the word is shared.

The word might be read.

You might read it yourself.

You hear it preached, but your heart is hard.

Your heart is hardened.

Your heart is hardened.

The seed bounces off and it is quickly snatched by the enemy, like a bird coming on a pathway.

We need to tend to the things of God.

We don't need to be careless, but we need to be intentional.

The enemy wants to steal everything that God wants to sow into your heart and life.

And he'll use anything he can.

He doesn't want anything to grow.

He doesn't want the Holy Spirit to work.

We become empty, hollow, barren, just a patch.

A patch of hard ground.

I mean, I have you I have you ever shared or had a conversation or tried to share the gospel with somebody?

I mean, and they're just mean.

Have you ever been around church people that are just mean?

I remember one of the first churches I went to when I became, I mean, I the Lord changed my heart.

And I went to church and I said, Who are those men that are that are just frowning and mean?

And they said, Well, that's the deacons.

And I mean, I I'm I'm you laugh.

There's there's sometimes that's the way it is.

How in the world do they get into the place they are in leadership?

Meaning snakes.

And so soil number one, the seed is thrown out, it's on a pathway, it the birds come and snatch it.

The seed is preached, the enemy comes and snatches it.

Soil number two.

Beware of listening to the word of God with a shallow heart.

Beware of listening to the word of God with a shallow heart.

So this is my now these these may be poor attempts, but I'm trying, you know, you won't forget.

You won't forget these.

They may be poor.

But there's a rock, there's a rock in here, and there's a sweet little plant, sweet little flower, that has just bloomed right here.

But what's gonna happen?

Because the soil is very, it's it's not it's not deep at all.

It's shallow.

Soil is shallow.

And so what'll happen when the sun comes out and there's not rain over a period of time, it'll scorch this little plant and it will wilt.

It'll wilt, it'll shrivel up.

And so it's a picture of a thin layer of soil on top of bedrock, no depth.

Sunshine, it kills the plants with no roots or depth.

But for those who have deep roots and depth of soil, sunshine can give life.

And so in the parable, the sun represents high.

Hard times and trials.

If we have deep roots in the right soil and sunshine or trials can produce fruit and life or growth within us, James talks about this.

Trials will come, consider it all joy.

So for every person on the planet, the sun will come up.

There is no escaping hardship.

There's no escaping drought.

It's just part of life.

It's part of this broken world that we live in.

And so many miss out on the depths and riches that God has for us and who we are supposed to become because we aren't positioned in the right soil.

Listen, listen.

God is absolutely obsessed with who you are becoming.

God is obsessed with who you are becoming.

Not just what you do, but who you are becoming.

Soul number three.

Soul number three, beware of listening to the word of God with a divided heart.

The third soul, I believe, represents most likely the people that live in what we call the Bible belt.

Especially those who've grown up around church, in and around church.

We have seed in our hearts.

And here's what I believe.

The first two soils represent primarily people who don't have salvation.

They probably don't have salvation.

They thought they did.

Some completely outright reject it because of their hard hearts.

Some seem to have some response, but it is short-lived because when the trials come, they just walk away.

Something happens and they walk away.

And so it, I'm not saying 100% of the time, but I would say mostly those first two soils represent those that are outside of Christ.

The third soil are people who probably, many, who actually put their faith in Jesus.

It's the bottle belt.

We've grown up, we've had the word of God, we've responded to the word of God.

But we have seed in our hearts, but it's it's in the competition with so many other things that God has fully intended for us, but it never comes to fruition because it gets choked out by the other loves competing for our time, our energy, our affection, and our attention.

Because all these things that are sucking up nutrients needed for the good seed to grow.

Don't let the weed steal your spiritual nourishment.

So here's here, there's a if you saw inside of here, if you saw, you see a little bloom, you see a tiny little bloom, and these these weeds have really wilted more than I thought they would have in a short time.

But but they have choked out, they've choked out the beautiful flower, they've choked out the seed that God has planted.

Leon Morris says this one life can hold only so many things, and he's referring to a life that is so full of worry that there's no room for serious attention to the word of God.

The hearts in this soil, they're the only hearts in this soil are the only hearts in the parable that are miserable.

Miserable.

Listen to this.

Too much of the world to be satisfied with Jesus.

And too much of Jesus to be satisfied with the world.

Too much of the world to be fully satisfied with Jesus.

Or too much of Jesus to be fully satisfied with the world.

Ouch.

Here's where I think our culture.

And I'm just gonna stop here for a second.

This is where I think the church in America, the church in our culture, man, we have access to the word of God.

And I I can I can flip on the internet, listen to my favorite preachers, anytime I want to.

The access is just it's unfathomable to think how much access we have to the word.

But we live in a culture where the church is absolutely declining.

Now, let me when I say this, I always it sounds so doomsday.

But let me tell you, the story ends very well for us in the church.

Amen?

We know, we know there is victory in Jesus.

It's victory.

And so I'm asked, I'm asked, I'm asked recently, Russ, it seems like things are are just getting worse and worse and worse.

I'm like, yep.

We're a broken world.

And so our struggle, are we gonna sell out and be all in?

Or are we gonna be a picture of the seed that's planted around thorns and all of the hurriness and busyness and all the ambition and all chasing after you fill in the blank?

Or are you going to be chasing after Jesus and what he wants for you?

And listen, dads, you need to listen.

It's not just about you, it's about the generations that will come after you.

You hear me?

It's not just about you, dads.

Your kids are gonna watch what you're chasing.

And by and large, you're probably gonna chase after the same kind of stuff.

So are you loving Jesus, chasing after the kingdom?

Are you are you all in soil number four?

These people listen to the word of God, understand it, obey it, and give their whole heart to seeing the fruit of the word.

This is a person who is open to the things of God.

They are the people doing the work who till up the soil in their heart, they get it prepared, they come ready.

Man, they don't come to church and then and then the worship leader kind of has to has to rev them up.

Let's kind of get going.

We're singing about the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and we're just kind of, you know, I'm just really it's come on here.

Let's go, let's go, let's go.

Man, we ought to walk in.

Man, Jesus is changing my life.

I've walked with him all week long.

Man, I have been in the word.

He's spoken to me.

He's he is the kingdom is breaking through.

I am seeing God at work.

It's worth noting that all the soil in the fourth category is good soil, but produced in a variety of levels of harvest.

Just a reminder, don't get caught in the comparison.

Trap.

Luke 8, 15, but the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart who hear the word, retain it.

Listen to this.

And by persevering, produce a crop.

Persevering, produce a crop.

If you're a good farmer, you stay with it.

You stay with it, you stay with your garden.

You gotta weed it, you gotta work it.

And so a seed takes time to grow.

You listen and you obey.

It's a lifelong journey.

Eugene Peterson says it is a long obedience in the same direction.

I'm telling you, that's hard.

That's hard.

I'm telling you, it's worth it.

It's worth it.

Brad, isn't it worth it?

Braddy, isn't it worth it?

Isn't it worth it?

Is it worth it?

Brad, is it worth it?

Is it worth it?

I'm telling you.

It's worth it.

It's worth it.

So here's the picture.

I want you to think about it when you we think about the kingdom of God and the seed of God sown in long obedience over a period of time.

I think we got a picture.

Do we have a picture?

You know what that picture's of?

Anybody tell me what that picture's of?

When you walk out this door today, the first time I ever walked this property, I went over to that tree.

I didn't I didn't even know the verse in Isaiah 61.

I didn't, I just I just thought about how how that God wanted to plant something that was mighty and would have lasting influence.

And so when I walk out that door, I mean it's for me it's it's almost daily.

Isaiah 61, 3 says to all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.

In their righteousness they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

Great oaks of righteousness.

So I got two questions for you.

What is God saying to you?

And what are you gonna do about it?

It's worth it, isn't it, Rob?

It's worth it.

Man, you got you got three right there.

You got more than three.

Because I've known you for a long time.

And I've known your wife.

Man, together.

Y'all are faithful servants of the Lord.

Him and Ingrid?

And God has blessed y'all.

Like a lot.

You got some mighty oaks.

Those girls.

Boy.

They're gonna be mighty oaks for the Lord.

Rick.

It's worth it, isn't it?

You've been faithful.

Faithful.

Man.

I know you have been a friend and a cur.

Man, when I've been at my lowest times, you've spoken a word in my heart and life.

And it's gotten me through.

You told me one of those jokes you probably shouldn't tell me.

Man, I could go.

I'm telling you.

I could go around the room.

It's worth it.

And what God wants to do, listen, the best is yet to come for your family and for our family as a church.

Amen.

Would you pray with me?

Let's pray together.

Father, we thank you for your goodness and your grace.

We thank you for just how precious you are.

We thank you for the word and the seed.

And God, I pray for our hearts to be broken for the things that break yours.

God, I pray for those that this morning that need to simply take a first step and put their faith in Jesus.

If you're here this morning and you've never, you've never for the first time put your faith in Jesus, I want to ask you if you if that's you this morning, do you want to put your faith in Jesus this morning?

For the first time you say, Russ, I want, I want to be in on this.

I want the seed to take hold in heart.

I want to repent and believe and put my faith in Jesus.

If that's you, just raise your hand up and say, I want I want to put my faith in Jesus.

Anybody?

Raise it up.

Raise it up where I can see it.

Raise it up.

Might be somebody watching online.

Man, I am so thankful for Lynn and Joanne Martin that I know are watching this morning, who are who were oats of righteousness.

They've been that for me and for so many in their life.

Lord, bless them physically.

Bless them spiritually.

Father, would you, God, just help us to open our hearts and make room for what God wants to do this morning.

So in Jesus' name we pray.

He tells us that if we don't if we don't understand this one, how can we understand what else he's teaching throughout the rest of the parables?

And so the fact that Jesus is coming and he's speaking through parables, he's announcing his kingdom.

Yeah and uh and he is he's calling us to be invited in to and participate in the kingdom of God that he's saying is coming and it's here.

So what a great word.

We hope that you're challenged by that.

And if there's any next steps that you feel like you need to take towards the Lord, if uh you've been evaluating your heart and uh this morning, and you're evaluating what kind of soil your heart is, uh, if you feel like there's any next steps you need to take towards Jesus in that this morning.

We would love to partner with you, give you some resources and start a conversation with you, or maybe just answer any questions that you might have.

So if you would take start to follow to 9700, start to follow all one word to 9700.

We would love to partner with you on your journey as you uh learn more about what it means to follow Jesus and so it's so good.

And just remember, we got all kinds of things going on in the summer, so please uh check out the website or the app today.