Good heart soil in a pandemic

We have now lived through six plus months of a pandemic that has driven us inside physically and emotionally. We have had six plus months to take inventory of our lives, relationships, endeavors, and yes, even our own souls.

I read an article this week from LifeWay research that said five in ten Americans believe now that Jesus is not God. That wasn’t that alarming to me. What caught my attention is the article went on to say that three in ten Evangelical Christians do NOT believe Jesus is God. Wow! That is staggering to consider!

Christians in America have been leaving the church in record numbers for the past thirty-years in the United States.

Every one of us have covid fatigue to go with our ministry fatigue. Recently I went on a break to replenish and get ready for another season of ministry.  One thing I like to do is work in my yard and watch my grass grow.

Seems like an easy task right?

Well, I live in Colorado. It is not as easy as it may seem due to the high elevation, the dry climate, and yes, the bad soil. I can buy some really nice sod, put the nicest fertilizer on it, and water it excessively and it still dies. Why?

Because you need good soil for grass to grow.

Our souls are the same way because we live in a spiritually barren world. But also because we are all born with bad soil in our hearts. We are born, sinners, and without replacing the soil in our hearts with good soil from Jesus, we will fall away from the truth of who He is.

Jesus tells the story of the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:3-7 and talks about three types of soil that are bad and can’t grow the truth of who He is in them. However, there is a soil that can grow your faith in Jesus.

Matthew 13:8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 

So, how do we get good heart soil?

Jesus says…

Matthew 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 

How do we get good heart soil?

1.  TRUST JESUS, HE IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS.

Who is Jesus?

John 14:6 I (Jesus) am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, except by me.

Jesus continues…

Matthew 13:20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

So, this person is one who has some faith in Jesus or some interaction with Jesus but at the end of the day he or she is following a “what” not a “who.” They are following God for what they can get from Him not ultimately who He is. God Himself.

Maybe you find yourself as a follower of Jesus Christ in this sort of soil and in this sort of mindset. On the day I wrote this message, I woke up to no water in my house after having spent $2k dollars to fix water issues at my house. That was just one of a myriad of discouragements I was experiencing just that day and it wasn’t even 10am.

If you stay focused on the persecutions and hardships of your life instead of turning your attention back to God’s calling on your life, you will miss out on cultivating new soil for your soul that allows you to press through the difficult times and continue to follow Jesus.

To do this, we have to push through persecutions and sorrows that weigh us down at times to a snails pace. Some days are more discouraging than others. Some years are more taxing that others.

If you find your life and faith in this soil right now, can I encourage you to say to the Lord,

“Lord, increase my faith in Jesus to exceed my discouragement of my circumstances.”

How do we get good heart soil?

2.      ASK JESUS TO INCREASE YOUR FAITH TO EXCEED YOUR DISCOURAGEMENT.

Jesus continues…

Matthew 13:22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 

So this person, “Hears” they believe in Jesus, but they are caught up in the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and it proves unfruitful.

There selfishness causes them to let go of the truth of Jesus. And not only their selfishness but the lies that riches tell them. If you have that, you will be this. If you have that, you will feel like this.” They let go of truth to chase the deceitful lies of riches and in the process the deceitfulness of riches chokes out the word.

They hear the truth bombs but the voices that say something else will make you happier are louder to them and they chase those voices to their own detriment.

What are you exchanging for the only One who has the words of eternal life, Jesus?

The day I wrote this message I felt like the Devil said to me, “If you continue to serve Jesus, I will continue to attack your life. But if you will stop serving Jesus, I will stop attacking your life and let you have the life you want.”

You say, “How do you know that was the Devil talking to you?”

Because he talked to Jesus the same way in Matthew 4:9-11.

What selfish desire is the Devil using to keep you from fully living for Jesus? What lie is he telling you that is holding you back from fully living for Jesus? I encourage you to forsake like Jesus before you forsake your faith in Jesus. Like Jesus, God will send angels to minister to you afterwards.

How do you get good heart soil?

3.      FORSAKE THE DEVIL’S DECEIT FOR YOUR LIFE.

If you do these three things, look what happens in verse 23…

23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

You BEAR FRUIT and then you yield 100/60/30 fold.

Do you know the difference between bearing fruit and yielding fruit?

When you bear fruit, people can see it. When you yield fruit people can experience it.

When a tree bears fruit you can look at a fruit tree and say, “Look, look at that beautiful apple on that tree. When you yield fruit others pull the fruit off the tree and EAT IT.

When your life yields fruit it means others are not just seeing the fruit bore from your life but they are pulling the fruit, so to speak, off the tree of your life and benefiting from it.

If people see your life bear faith, it gives them the motivation to benefit from your faith in their life and take faith risks themselves for Jesus.

See, what’s beautiful about faith is it not only changes your heart, but cultivates the hearts of those around you to be more susceptible to receiving the faith God has for them too. The soil of your life matters because of the outcome of your eternity, but it also matters for the potential that comes from others experiencing Jesus through your life.

May you bear fruit and may others benefit from it for the glory of Jesus and for the good of others.