Made New – Week 3

My mom has a green thumb. My wife and I will kill a plant then right before we throw it away, Mom says, “Wait, I can save it.” She’ll find a piece of the plant that is alive, she’ll replant it, and it will grow. I believe something a little controversial. I believe God has a green thumb. If God puts His seed in you and you are made new, it WILL grow. If you will let it, it will change you. He will plant it. He will water it, and He will make it grow. The apostle Paul said,

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. I Corinthians 3:6-7

Matthew 13:3-9 ³ He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. ⁴ As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. ⁵ Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. ⁸ Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! ⁹ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” If you’re not growing, you’re not healthy, and it’s time to make some changes. The cool thing about this parable is that Jesus actually interprets it for us. So let’s go through His interpretation: Matthew 13:18-23 ¹⁸ “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: ¹⁹ The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. ²⁰ The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ²¹ But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. ²² The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. ²³ The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” God doesn’t need my money, but He wants my sacrifice. When people brought tithes to the priests, they literally burned them. It’s not about what God needs. It’s about attention. Jesus listed Two Thorns:

1. The worries of this life.
   • If your attention is on the worries of this life it’s because you’ve taken your eyes off Christ. The birds and lilies trust God, and so should we.
2. The lure of wealth
   • If your focus is on power and wealth, it will eventually take your loyalty from God. That’s why it is INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT for a rich person to get into the kingdom of God.

Christians, hear me, THIS IS YOU. Don’t doubt it. You’re here for a reason. Don’t question your salvation. Don’t question being made new. You might have heard something today that convicted you, but let it lead you to God, not away from Him.

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Did you like this message, Made New – Week 3? Check out more of our Sunday teachings here.