Sifting of the Soils

2021-11-28 22:20

Scriptures

John 6:60-71 Luke 9:18-26

Intro

Jesus start every work with the end in mind.

Started with good soil. Disciples are awakened to a side of Jesus they’ve never seen before. They witness and perform many miracles through their humility, desperation, and faith for Jesus to move.

They’ve amassed quite a following. Yet, Jesus saves his most offensive message for now. He tests his followers because he is sifting the soils of their hearts.

What are the four soils?

John 6:60-63

Point 1

Jesus offends the mind to reach the heart.

The Jesus that had his disciples marvel at his calming of the storm is the same one that offends their understanding of Him.

He’s always pulling the rug under his disciples’ understanding of Him.

Why? The way to eternal life is not through our understanding - it’s through the person of Jesus.

Jesus wants more than a mental and logical agreement with his teachings. He wants dominion over our hearts. He cares so much about our hearts that he teaches and LITERALLY EXPLAINS the Parable of the Sower which illustrate the types of postures our hearts take when we hear His word.

John 6:64-70

Point 2

Jesus looks past the “fruits” of his ministry to evaluate the soils he produced.

We are tempted to look first at the fruit in people’s lives when the Lord looks at the soils that produce said “fruit”.

While everyone is fed up with their idea of what fruitfulness looks like, Jesus is telling us to break the hard soil in our hearts so we can bear real, genuine, lasting fruit.

We are easily satisfied when house church grows bigger or we have a fun social gathering. But Jesus is only satisfied with a heart that’s wholly surrendered to Him.

So Jesus at the peak of His ministry preaches His most offensive message to date. He rebukes the crowd along with his followers. He sifts the soils of His followers. It’s almost as if He’s says,

Now that I’ve got your attention, I want your heart.

What were the types of soils in this scene?

Crowd was mixture of thorny soil or pathway soil. Disciples were good soil with Judas being rocky soil.

Peter had no other options.

Do you have other options? If living wholeheartedly for God doesn’t work out, do you have your career to fall back on? Do you have other sources of enjoyment in life to lean back on when this Christianity thing doesn’t work out?

Surely, the worries of life and the options outside of God will choke the seed planted in our hearts.

So, how we can we emulate the faithful Twelve who were good soil amidst this time of testing?

Luke 9:18-27

Point 3

We wander when we have no wonder of God’s character and beauty.

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important things about us - Tozer

It is this same question that keeps the disciple following Jesus. He is first, the man whom nature obeys. Now, He is the Christ of God.

Our revelation of God grows in tangent with our history with Him.

We daily take up the cross because we daily toil the soil of our hearts. Weeds grow. Rocks get into the soil sometimes. New roads may be paved near the soil.

Conclusion

Jesus doesn’t sow seeds in places where they can’t grow. He knows what soils bear the most fruit and last.

And I now ask this question to you, house church. “Who do you say Jesus is?”

What comes into your mind when you think about Jesus?

Your shallow revelation of who God is will surface in your turning away from the only One who can save. Get revelation now.

I challenge this house church. Know God. In your loneliness. In your sufferring. In your confusion of God’s word. Meet him there. Put your faith in His word! Hear it, retain it, and perseveare.

I want you to get a bigger vision of persevearing through finals week and winter break. Perseveare in this life.