"A "choked" Life"

A “Choked” Life

Luke 8:4-8 (NLT)

In the familiar parable of the sower, we see that even Jesus saw people respond superficially to His message. The problem was certainly not in His preaching, but in the audience’s hearing. The warning to those who hear the parable, of course, is to take it to heart so that we avoid a superficial faith. Whatever the current state of our hearts, we can appeal to God to grant us a new heart so that we will hold fast to Him and bear fruit with perseverance.

In the parable of Luke 8:4-15, Jesus likens the soils or grounds of a field to the different kind of people on this earth. Everybody falls into at least one of these four grounds. If you don’t like “your soil”, just know that the kinds of soils are not fixed forever. By God’s grace, a person can change. (can I get a amen)

The four soils can be grouped into two categories: the unfruitful and the fruitful. All four soils hear the Word. The first soil is the only one not to accept it at all. The second soil accepts the seed briefly and shows initial promise, but it soon dies out. The third soil seems to make even further progress, but eventually the thorns choke it out. Only the fourth soil eventually bears fruit.

Release the Choke Hold

Luke 8:7 (NLT)

Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants.

One type of weed looked very much like wheat as it grew, but it had larger roots and took away the moisture and nutrients that the wheat needed

Looked like something that it wasn’t

Gave you a false sense of security

Health – we are headed toward death

Wealth – we are all one bad decision or accident away from being financially challenged

Relationships – people make mistakes and loved ones fail us… who are you trying to please

Productivity and Work – we find a false sense of security in our title or completing our to-do-list

But in the end, it robbed and drained you

True security is found in the Lord

Isaiah 40:6-8 (NIV)

A voice says, “Cry out.”

And I said, “What shall I cry?”

“All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.

7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

“The word of God will stand forever.” Jesus Christ, the Word of God, will reign for all eternity. He is the beginning and the end, and he is ruler over all creation, including your life, whether you realize it or not. Christ is the everlasting joy of mankind, the joy of our salvation and our true stronghold. And we can trust him, rely on him, and find our security in him because he did not spare even his own life for our sake, but gave himself up as a ransom for many.

Mark 4:18-19 (NLT)

The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.
They hear, but the word doesn’t even take root… why?

Stresses of Life

Worries

Wounds

Weariness

Depression

Fear

Anxiety

Money

Some of us are so overwhelmed so much so that the word of God (Jesus) doesn’t have an entry for the word of God (seeds) to take root.

1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Riches and Pleasures of Life Some of us love to sin; makes us feel good Lust after a noun (person, place or thing) Pride of life; can’t nobody tell you nothing Living Your Best Life

Become unfruitful

No good tree produces bad fruit; No bad tree produces good fruit; Only a good tree can produce good fruit. You have to have the Word in you to be a good tree.

1 John 2:15-17 (NIV)

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Isaiah 43:1-4 (NLT)

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4 Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.

You are not choked out

As long as the Lord has given you breadth; you have another chance, another opportunity

Jesus died on the cross to defeat death

He died so that we can have eternal life

He died so that we can be restored to Him

Jesus is the breadth of life that can make all things new