The Text is Matthew 13:5,6
"[A sower went out to sow]. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, because they had no root."
Prayer: Lord, grant us Your grace. Take away every barrier in our hearts to Your holy, life-giving Word. Help us to receive Your truth with lasting joy. Keep us from falling away, Lord. Strengthen us, and bless us, dear Lord, through Your Word, Your Word is truth, Amen.
Imagine you decide to go skydiving:up you go in the plane, then, at the right time, out you jump. It's glorious, falling through the air, free as a bird. Now, as you fall, you start to wonder, there's something I need to do, round about now. Oh, yes - the parachute... shouldn't I be wearing a parachute?! If you did go skydiving, naturally you would prepare very carefully. You'd want to be wearing a strong, reliable parachute, packed properly, and ready to hold you up when you need it. Why? because your life depends on it!
Most of us don't usually spend our time skydiving. But we do launch out into daily lives where we can easily come to grief, if we are not prepared. It might seem a hassle to pack a parachute. It takes time. It takes time to learn, and you do need to get it right. It may be a bother at the time, but it really is a matter of life and death. In the same way, taking time to receive God's Word properly can keep us safe. But a hasty, or shallow, reception of the Word leaves us vulnerable and weak. When the pressures of sin and unbelief come against us, what will happen?
Jesus gives us a picture of plants that grew up quickly, but as soon as the sun came up, they withered. Why? They had no root. No depth. Nothing to sustain them.
Rocky Soil, is what we are considering this morning. Rocky soil, and God's Word. Jesus explained how some receive his Word with joy. There is spiritual fervour. We may make great promises, and feel proud of our commitment. Maybe we heard a great speaker, and we felt deeply moved. We respond to the message of the Gospel. We're eager to get going. Our parents, or the pastor, or a fellow Christian says, "there's still a lot to learn. We need God's Word daily. We need to receive it deeply. Psalm 1:2-3 describes how God wants us to be: [read] "...his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."
But this is hard work. We find excuses. We don't naturally delight in God's Word. It's different. Not always easy to understand. Not as easy as sitting in front of a TV program. So we put it off. Later, we say, but that 'later' never comes. 'When someone else invites me,' we say, but maybe that someone else is waiting for us to invite them! Or - this is a good one: 'when things at Church or in the home group or wherever, become perfect enough for me...' Is that going to happen? Not likely.
Something else is likely to happen, more than that, it's certain to happen: Trouble. Trouble because of the Word. Trouble within ourselves, as we find desires and thoughts in us that want to take us away from God and His plan for us. Trouble from people around us, who are sometimes threatened when God's Word takes hold of a person, and begins to transform them. Trouble from evil spiritual forces, with their agenda to entice us, delude us, then destroy us.
How are you going, with the pressures in your life? The pressures that come because you are a Christian - because you have been baptised, and believe in God? How is your faith? Is it a deep faith, created by God in the good soil of a receptive heart, a heart that has no confidence in itself, but clings to God? Or is it shallow... do you appreciate God and the things he does for you...but feel that, when it really comes down to it, you can manage on your own?
Shallow soil plus hot sun equalled withered plants.
Shallow faith plus scorching troubles, equals withered Christians.
Are there any here this morning? Are you a withered Christian? Did you start well - can you remember a time when you did receive the Word with joy... but then certain pressures came to bear, and you lost your motivation to worship God and live for Him...? Is your heart like this rocky ground... do you have areas of your life that are off-limits to God?
If so, I invite you to confess this to God. Psalm 52:17 says, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." If there is any hardness in your heart, confess this to God. Ask Him to change this. He can. (And only He can.)
(You might like to follow in your hearts and minds as I offer the following prayer: )
Lord, deepen me. Break up the rocky parts of my life, those areas I have been resisting You. Bring me to repentance, that broken and contrite spirit which You have said You will not despise. Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Create in me a new heart, Lord, a heart that will know and love You, and will not waver when the pressures are on. Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth- that I may live according to Your wisdom, and not according to the wisdom of this world. Let me be like that tree in psalm 1, with its roots going deep, drawing strength and life from the river. Lord Jesus, You are the living water...You are the life-giving Word of God. Open my heart, Lord. Make me soft, receptive to You and Your Word. And help me to be consistent: to continue in Your Word, so that I can know You, and Your truth, and remain faithful to You, in the midst of troubles, and in times of peace and blessing. Thank you for hearing us , as we pray to You, Lord our God, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
There's no container of instant root powder God has sitting on a shelf for us to use. It takes time to grow roots. We grow roots as we continue to read and study and receive God's Word. This Word is a life-giving Word. A Word which brings to us God's grace and forgiveness. The Holy Spirit will use it to strengthen our faith, and refresh our hearts in His love. Our 'roots' grow as we not only hear the Word, but put it into practice. We can't do this in our own strength, but with the Holy Spirit in us, we will grow.
Finally, hear Colossions 2:6 "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
Amen.
The peace of God which passes all human understanding, keep our hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus, Amen.