WORLDLY CARES ARE THORNS
Luke 8:14, "And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection."
LUKE 8:5-14 Reference
This third type of ground is characteristic of a large part of the Body of Christ today. These are people who have received God's Word, committed themselves to it to the degree that they are able to remain faithful in persecution.
But because of being occupied with the affairs of this life, the Word sown in their heart is choked, the word does not grow and no fruit is produced.
Just as weeds in a garden will steal all of the nutrients and starve the plant,
so the pleasures of this life, if we allow them to dominate our thinking,
will stop the fruit that the Word would have produced.
Throughout history, the Church has always grown in size and strength during persecution. This is because during persecution we get our priorities straight. We realize our life is in Jesus (Jn. 14:6) and not in things (Lk. 12:15), Amen!
We should also focus all of our attention on the Lord. However, prosperity has been far more damaging to the Body of Christ for the exact reason stated here in this verse. God wants to bless His children with things (Ps. 35:27; Mt. 6:33), but a preoccupation with these things will choke God's Word and make it unfruitful.
If we would follow God's formula for prosperity found in Matthew 6:19-34,
We would have the Word bringing forth fruit and we'd enjoy the physical blessings of this life, too.
Matthew 6:19-34
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
New King James Version (NKJV)
Notice Jesus said that no fruit was brought to perfection.
This type of person will exhibit some fruit, but it will always be small and far short of what it should be.
Do you feel frustrated because you are just getting by and are not really experiencing the abundant life that Jesus came to give? (Jn. 10:10)
Examine your lifestyle and see if the cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, or pleasures of this life could be choking God's Word in your life?
But because of being occupied with the affairs of this life, the Word sown in their heart is choked, the word does not grow and no fruit is produced.
Just as weeds in a garden will steal all of the nutrients and starve the plant,
so the pleasures of this life, if we allow them to dominate our thinking,
will stop the fruit that the Word would have produced.
Throughout history, the Church has always grown in size and strength during persecution. This is because during persecution we get our priorities straight. We realize our life is in Jesus (Jn. 14:6) and not in things (Lk. 12:15), Amen!
We should also focus all of our attention on the Lord. However, prosperity has been far more damaging to the Body of Christ for the exact reason stated here in this verse. God wants to bless His children with things (Ps. 35:27; Mt. 6:33), but a preoccupation with these things will choke God's Word and make it unfruitful.
If we would follow God's formula for prosperity found in Matthew 6:19-34,
We would have the Word bringing forth fruit and we'd enjoy the physical blessings of this life, too.
Matthew 6:19-34
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.The Lamp of the Body
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!You Cannot Serve God and Riches
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Notice Jesus said that no fruit was brought to perfection.
This type of person will exhibit some fruit, but it will always be small and far short of what it should be.
Do you feel frustrated because you are just getting by and are not really experiencing the abundant life that Jesus came to give? (Jn. 10:10)
Examine your lifestyle and see if the cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, or pleasures of this life could be choking God's Word in your life?
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