We left putting a fence in this week to the professionals, on account of how rocky and hard our ground is. However, I thought I could manage putting in some bushes. On my last one, I went to lift up and *snap* my shovel split into two pieces. I had gotten underneath an unyielding massive rock, and it was not going to budge. Well...Jesus warns that our hearts can be like this. Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, our hard hearts are unyielding. We don't allow God's Word to cut us deep or mold us, but we resist his will. As a result, our faith is shallow, and we cannot bear fruit. What condition is our heart in?
#SetYourMindAbovePodcast
We left putting a fence in this week to the professionals, on account of how rocky and hard our ground is. However, I thought I could manage putting in some bushes. On my last one, I went to lift up and *snap* my shovel split into two pieces. I had gotten underneath an unyielding massive rock, and it was not going to budge. Well...Jesus warns that our hearts can be like this. Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, our hard hearts are unyielding. We don't allow God's Word to cut us deep or mold us, but we resist his will. As a result, our faith is shallow, and we cannot bear fruit. What condition is our heart in?
#SetYourMindAbovePodcast
Hey everybody, and welcome back to the Set Your Mind Above Podcast! I’m your host BJ Sipe – I’m a Christian, a preacher, a husband, and a father. In this podcast we take everyday, ordinary events and explore how they can teach us extraordinary, eternal truths. I’m so glad that you joined me for this episode. Now, let’s open up our minds, our hearts, and our Bible’s together.
We finally broke down this week and hired someone out to come in and put in a fence around the backyard of our home. With the kids getting more curious and another baby on the way, it was just a matter of safety to keep the little rascals contained. It actually came a lot sooner than we were expecting. We had gotten some quotes from some contractors around town, but they were quoting us like 10k for a fence! When our neighbors next door had Akers Fence put one in for them about a month ago, we learned that they were charging half that price. So, naturally we called them and had them come out and give us a quote. Originally, they told us they would be back out in about 7-8 weeks to put in our fence. Well, fast forward to last weekend, we got a call from them saying they were coming only 2 weeks later! They are finishing it up today, and the kids could not be more excited about it, as are Kylie and I. Originally, I had thought about trying to do the work myself, but that idea quickly went out of my mind for a single reason: the condition of our soil. We have the most rocky ground that you could possibly imagine. Nearly every day, more rocks pop up to the surface like trolls coming out of the ground. And I’m not talking about little rocks, I’m talking about anywhere from 15-30 pound rocks – big ones. Digging fence posts was going to kill me without having the proper heavy equipment, so we left it to the professionals. However, while they were working on the fence, we used it as an opportunity to do some things with the yard that I knew I could handle – like planting some more bushes. Kylie recently picked up some more boxwoods, and so I got out my shovel and got to planting them where she wanted. I did the first big three out front underneath one of the bedroom windows, and already by my third bush I had pulled up at least 50 pounds worth of rock. One of them I hit as soon as I dug my shovel into the ground – I muscled it out with my hands after loosening the dirt around it, and it ended up being a 14-inch long by 9-inch wide and 2 inches thick rock. It was massive. After planting the big ones, I moved my way to the backyard where Kylie had three smaller ones for me to plant, and I thought surely these would be much easier to plant than the bigger ones were. I got through the first two no problem, it wasn’t until my very last boxwood that of course I would run into problems. I dug my shovel into the ground, which went in with ease. As I went to pry up the ground above it, this is when I had problems. As it turned out, I had dug right along the edge of another massive rock under the surface, and proceeded to try to lift up underneath of it. When I did this, apparently I applied too much pressure, because the next thing I knew *SNAP* I was holding just the handle of the shovel, with the head still stuck into the ground. It broke off right at the base, snapping not only the wood, but the fiberglass it was wrapped in as well. Luckily, I was able to grab some other tools I had to finish the job, but was still left with a broken shovel that was beyond repair. Today I went ahead and grabbed an all steel shovel, handle and all, to tackle future projects on our very rocky ground. I miss the soil back in the Willamette Valley in Oregon that was so easy to work with and pliable. The soil here in Kentucky does not like being challenged or cut into, and makes quite a few projects just about impossible.
Having really rocky soil is a struggle certainly when it comes to work I’m trying to do as a homeowner, but it’s nothing compared to what having a hard heart does to the work God is trying to do on us. I want us to revisit the parable of the Sower today, and I want us to zero in on the rocky soil & Jesus’ explanation. The parable itself is recorded for us in Matthew 13:3-9 as Jesus taught, “Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown. Let anyone who has ears listen.” Jesus would go on to explain the meaning of this parable with his disciples. He said, “So listen to the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path. And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:18-23) Let us pay special attention to the rocky soil that Jesus describes. Naturally, the seed which is sown is the will of God, perhaps more specifically the gospel. The rocky ground represents the condition of one’s heart that God’s will falls upon, which the text says has no root and quickly will turn away when things get difficult. But why? I believe what Jesus is trying to explain is very simple: a hard heart is an unyielding heart. It is a heart that loves the idea of God, but is not truly willing to submit to him or suffer on account of the gospel. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” God’s Word is like that shovel, digging in deep into our hearts to mold us and shape us the way that he so desires. The hard heart, however, is unyielding and resists. So long as what God is calling us to do does not cut deep, the hard heart is onboard. But sacrificing? Suffering? Being molded into something we don’t want? That’s when the hard heart quickly abandons discipleship to Jesus. The hard heart is best described as in 2 Timothy 3:4-5, “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of godliness but denying its power.” When we are unwilling to do the hard things that are called to do in discipleship, if we are stubborn and only get behind what is pleasurable or easy, rest assured that we would fall into the rocky soil. Our faith is shallow, and most certainly not motivated by a love for God. If we truly love God, we will not be so unyielding. We will let his Word break us, mold us, and remove that which didn’t belong under the surface. It is such a love for God, and such a molding by his Spirit and through the Word, that will allow our faith to be grounded deep, and finally begin to bear fruit for him. To quote the old hymn we often sing, “His power can make you what you ought to be. His blood can cleanse your heart and make you free. His love can fill your soul, and you will see, ‘twas best for Him to have his way with thee.”
Thank you for tuning in for this week’s episode, and I would invite you back every Tuesday for a brand-new episode each week. If you haven’t already, be sure to find us on Facebook for occasional announcements and special video sessions. If you have benefited from this podcast, please if you’re able to be sure to share it with someone else that you think could benefit from it as well. Until next time, know that I love you, that God loves you, and may we all each & every day set our minds above.