One of my favorite parables of Jesus is the Parable of the Soils. I am sure you remember this one. There was a farmer who was sowing seeds in a field. In the parable, it described how the seeds fared in the differing soils. This morning, I want you to think about the condition of one of those soils that is described in Mark 4:7. Turning to this particular soil, Jesus said that some of the “seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain.” (NLT2) The Greek word for “choked out” is συμπνίγω (sympnigō, pronounced, soom-pnee’-go).[1] In the context of this parable, it refers to plants that are starting to grow whose “food and light are cut off by weeds.”[2] When His disciples were puzzled by the message of the parable, Jesus explained this part by telling them that the weed-infested soil represents those who receive the “good seed.” In fact, it is the best seed of all because it represents God’s Word. But, even though they have God’s Word, Jesus explained that “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.”[3]
A couple of weeks ago, I bush-hogged a small two-acre field that was covered with briars and weeds to prepare it for a wildlife patch. Then, I chopped the soil up with a disk and sowed about 40 lbs. of mixed wildlife seeds on the field. When I checked the field a few days ago, I could see some soybeans and sunflowers were beginning to shoot up. But, it they don’t grow fast, the briars, thorns and weeds are going to overtake them and choke them out, just like the seeds in Jesus’ parable. Christians, in particular, need to be mindful of their seed being “choked out” because there are so many things in this world that can do that to your faith. Sometimes when this parable is preached, the sermon will conclude by asking you a question. Usually, the preacher will turn to the congregation and ask them to honestly consider what kind of soil their lives are filled with because, in the parable, only the “good soil” allows faith to grow and produce fruit. But, this morning, I would like you to think about some different questions. For those who identify as Christians, but have lives that are infested with weeds, what are they to do? And more to the point, how can you identify those weeds that are continuing to grow before it’s too late and your Christian faith is, in fact, “choked out.” That is a crucial question because too many Christians think of their lives as being “weedless” when, in reality, they are living in a jungle of thorns and weeds and don’t even know it! Identifying the weeds takes effort and expertise.
Did you know that, on the collegiate level, there are many contests scheduled this summer throughout the country that are dedicated to identifying weeds? These contests have been described as the “World Series of Weeds” and the “Hula Bowl of Herbicides.” They are really big deals in the agricultural community. The competitions are designed to test students in quickly identifying harmful weeds (from a list of about 100 varieties of weeds). Then, they must immediately select the most effective herbicide to eliminate them. James Worthington, a past-president of the North Central Weed Science Society, explained: “When [the weeds] get big enough that anybody can recognize them, it’s too late to do anything about them.” [4] Not just anybody can enter as a contestant. Those participating are top notch undergrad and post-graduate agriculture students from some of the finest schools in the United States and Canada—institutions like Cornell University, Clemson, N. C. State, Pennsylvania State, Rutgers, Iowa State and Virginia Tech—to name a few. By the way, Virginia Tech is hosting the 2024 Southern Weed Science Contest on August 7, 2024 at Kentland Farm in Blacksburg[5]—in case you want to update your calendars. In fact, Virginia Tech has consistently performed very well in these contests on the national level. (Unfortunately, those attending my alma mater in Charlottesville wouldn’t be able to identify a “weed” unless it was in a cannabis shop.)
I mention these contests because they emphasize something very important when it comes to Jesus’ parable. It’s like the man said, “When [the weeds] get big enough that anybody can recognize them, it’s too late to do anything about them.” That is the way it is with the weeds that try to stifle your Christian faith. Those deadly weeds must be identified and eliminated at an early stage before they get out of hand. So, what are these weeds? Well, we don’t have enough time to list them all this morning because the weeds that choke faith take many forms. Some of them are evil and must be uprooted. Some of them are not necessarily bad (in fact, they can be relatively good things); and yet, they too must be prioritized in a way that they never step ahead of Jesus Christ in your life.
For example, I remember when we attended a large church in Richmond. About this time of year, the pastor would call all the graduating high school seniors to come up on the stage. There would always be a large group of them. And, we could recognize the faces of these young people because we had seen them regularly at church in Sunday Bible studies, in the youth choir, as participants who attended Christian youth camps, and in a number of other church-related activities. Come September, most of them would be headed to college. And, quite frankly, that would be the last you would see of them. I don’t mean for just the next four years in college—I mean you would rarely ever see them again in church… period. So, what happened? Were they kidnapped in college? Did someone round them up and hide them away? No—not at all. Their absence from church was completely voluntary and self-imposed. Little by little, weeds had begun to grow in their lives. And, to repeat—not all the weeds were bad things: The pleasures college (some evil, some good) began to push their faith aside. Then, came careers. Then, marriage and children. Family responsibilities. Mortgage payments, car payments and credit card bills. One thing after another until one day they looked around and found themselves in their mid-thirties firmly planted in a world full of weeds. But, the weeds they’d tended had formed a barrier that totally blocked the Son (S-O-N), Jesus, from their worldview. Sadly, these were people, who grew up in the church, yet followed this pattern. They move from young adulthood to old age comfortably nesting among the weeds. Pastor and Christian writer, William MacDonald, described these people as follows: “To all outward appearances, they seem to be true believers. But then they become preoccupied with business, with worldly worries, with the lust to become rich. They lose interest in spiritual things, until finally they abandon any claim to be Christians at all.” [6]
For others, evil things do become their weeds of choice. The typical foursome of evil weeds is sex, alcohol/drugs, lust for money, and lust for power. Eventually, those who are observant enough to see that these things are all dead-end streets sometimes come out of their jungle of weeds. Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son shows those trapped among such weeds the way out of that jungle. But, those who choose to reject God’s way end up wasting a lifetime on things that do not last. God has a stern message for anyone who allows evil weeds to take root in their lives. He tells them: “Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” Genesis 4:7 (NLT2) The Holy Spirit will help them do exactly that if they sincerely try.
Then, there are those who can’t seem to tell the difference between that which bears fruit as opposed to a weed that can only produce more weed seed and no fruit. As a young man, I was certainly like that. I remember standing in the rain outside one of the polling places near my home campaigning for this political candidate or that one—sure that the morality and fate of western civilization depended upon their election. Sometimes my candidate was voted in, sometimes not. In either case, nothing much ever changed, except perhaps for the worse. You are seeing that right now and will continue to see it throughout this presidential election year. Democrats are convinced that if their candidates are not elected, then our democracy will fail. Republicans are persuaded with equal passion that the end will come unless their men and women can claim office. Sadly, as a high school student, I thought we were all doomed unless Richard Nixon (of all people) was re-elected: You know how that worked out. Those who depend on politics for saving this country are seeking after fruit among the weeds. But, weeds can bear no fruit. In ancient times, when people spoke of so-called military or political saviors, they referred to their chariots or war horses. But, as the psalmists proclaimed, it is fruitless to depend upon such worldly false saviors. The psalmists said: 17 “The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.” Psalm 33:17 (ESV) “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but WE TRUST IN THE NAME OF THE LORD OUR GOD.” Psalm 20:7 (NIV) In an article that appeared in yesterday’s ChristianPost.com, Pastor Mark Driscoll offered a prayer consistent with the psalmist’s thoughts. Driscoll prayed, “Lord Jesus, we would humbly request that you return before November 5.” A few weeks ago, Driscoll posted on Instagram that he doesn’t trust in politicians to secure our future. He posted: “Government can’t fix spiritual problems; it’s ultimately a God problem. Trusting in politicians won’t solve it—repentance and faith are the only way forward.”[7] Driscoll’s comments addressing our situation today are right in line with what the psalmists said many centuries ago. This is not to say that we as Christians are to be dormant during political elections. Certainly, that is not the case. But, Heaven is not a red state. It is not a blue state. The Kingdom of God is an eternal, holy state. So, be mindful that our first allegiance is to our KING—His name is not Trump, and it certainly is not Biden—for HIS NAME IS JESUS CHRIST! You can always trust in Him, but you can’t say the same about politicians.
And, then, there are those who can be quite difficult to reach when it comes to removing the weeds from their lives. Some of them ride around with Christian-themed bumper stickers on their cars. They have Bibles throughout their homes—although they are notably dusty most of the time. They occasionally show up in church from time to time. They do their share of good deeds and feel certain that those acts of kindness will be sufficient to outweigh the bad things they have done—and habitually continue to do. If you asked them about the weed patch in their lives, they’d insist that they live in a weed-free rose garden. But, the one thing that they cannot show you is the main thing that is the mark of a true believer. What is it? Well, Jesus mentioned it when explaining the Parable of the Soils. Jesus said that all too quickly the Gospel message is crowded out by the weeds of this life. . . “SO NO FRUIT IS PRODUCED.” Mark 4:19 So, what does Jesus mean by “fruit”? Fruit means showing loving kindness to others, even when they don’t appreciate it. Fruit is sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others, although it might seem uncomfortable to do so at the time. Fruit is to live a life with an attitude of contentment, gratitude and faith in God, no matter what the circumstances might be. But, fruit isn’t to be confused with “good deeds” or “works” as the Bible sometimes calls them. Rather, fruit is what produces “good deeds”—but, not with an attitude of scoring brownie points with God and somehow “earning” salvation. There’s an old country-rock song by Rick Nelson that said, “You can’t please everyone, so you gotta please yourself.”[8] The song was pretty good, but those lyrics express a bad attitude. And, it’s a bad attitude because it’s a worldly attitude that can never produce the kind of fruit Jesus demands of us. Rather, true fruit bursts forth from a heart that is right with God. It’s the kind of heart that finds joy and satisfaction in pleasing Him—not in pleasing yourself. If you want to be a follower of Jesus Christ, you can’t produce that kind of fruit all on your own. Human beings simply do not have the capacity to produce God-filled fruit by acting independently. As Christian writer, Susan Nikaido, explains: “Love, joy, and all that other good stuff are the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, NOT THE FRUIT OF OUR EFFORTS. We can't produce them on our own. Period. The fruit comes only as we submit our lives and let the Spirit control us.” [9] The Holy Spirit is eager to offer that amazing blessing when we commit ourselves to obeying Jesus. For as Terry Fullam once said, “The fruit of the Spirit grows only in the garden of obedience.” [10]
Earlier, I mentioned the Weed Science Contests that focus on quickly and accurately identifying weeds before they have a chance to grow. But, there is one variety of spiritual weeds that Christians often overlook. They are the weeds of worldly worries. Sometimes we let these weeds grow without realizing it. We worry about the future and what it will bring. We have financial worries. We worry about the weather. We worry about our health and the physical health of friends and loved ones. Or, we worry about the spiritual health of friends and loved ones who really don’t know Jesus. There are a million other things that we could worry about. But, here’s the thing: Jesus bids us not to worry. Instead, Jesus assures us that we can trust in Him. If you discipline yourself to do that—have faith in God—it’s like a spiritual weedkiller that rids your life of worrisome weeds. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus turned to His disciples and said: 22 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things? 27 Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 29 And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. 32 So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.” Luke 12:22-32 (NLT2) Considering these words of Jesus, the great British pastor of the 19th century, Charles Spurgeon said: “It is always weakness to be fretting and worrying, questioning and mistrusting. What can we do if we wear ourselves to skin and bone? Can we gain anything by fearing and fuming? Do we not unfit ourselves for action, and unhinge our minds for wise decision? We are sinking by our struggles when we might float by faith. ... Oh for grace to be confident in God.”[11]
Yes, there are so many worldly weeds that seek to choke out your faith—but, they all have one thing in common. They all have the potential of distracting you from what is important. What is important is to have your priorities straight. And, they can be straight only if your primary focus in life is following Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. If Jesus is forced into the back seat by any of the weeds that I have mentioned this morning, then your faith will certainly be diminished. If you allow those weeds to continue growing, then sooner or later your faith will fade away—as will your prospects of entering God’s Heavenly Kingdom.
Now, in addition to eliminating weeds, there is one more thing that you need to know if you truly want to be a farmer in the fields of God. Farmers are certainly mindful of destroying weeds, but their main purpose is to produce a plentiful crop. Christian writer and counselor, Gary Oliver, put it this way: “If a farmer doesn't plant seeds, he will never harvest a crop. It doesn't matter how weed-free his ground is; he must also plant and cultivate good seed. In the same way, we can only reap a harvest of purity and integrity by planting the good seed of God's Word into our lives. I'm not talking about merely reading the Bible. I'm talking about allowing the Holy Spirit to plant the truths of Scripture deep into our hearts and minds through consistent Bible reading and memorization, meditation and prayer. To be effective, and to remain pure, truth must be planted in our hearts daily.” [12] That is sound spiritual advice for those who truly desire to produce the “good fruit” God demands of us. Why is that the case? Well, because it prepares the soil of your soul to be what it is supposed to be. It allows it to become that “good soil” Jesus referred to in His parable. Jesus promised that the “good soil” will always “accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Mark 4:20 (NLT2) That’s the kind of crop that pays the farmer in heavenly dividends in the Kingdom of God!
Do you have that kind of “good soil” in your heart this morning? If not, then now is the time to come forward and accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. Or, maybe you are already a believer, but you realize that a little weeding is needed in your life as a Christian? Again, come forward and rededicate your commitment to Jesus. Weeds are tough things to get rid of, but the Holy Spirit is a sure weedkiller in whom you can always trust.
Let us pray.
Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor
Forest Hill Baptist Church
June 2, 2024
©2024 All Rights Reserved as follows:
Anyone is at liberty to use this sermon or any portions thereof for educational or religious purposes, with or without credit. The pastor believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of God’s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.
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[1] James Strong, Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary, (Austin, TX: WORDsearch Corp., 2007), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "4846".
[2] Rogers, Cleon L., Jr. and Rogers, Cleon L., III. The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, “Mark 4:7,” Zondervan: Grand Rapids (1998), p. 74.
[3] Mark 4:18-19 18 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. (NLT2)
[4] Spokesman Review, July 27, 1989, p. A9, cited in Sermon Illustrations, Study Light, https://www.studylight.org/pastoral-resources/sermon-illustrations-archive.html?q=weed&t=body&a=search.
[5] Southern Weed Science Society, https://www.swss.ws/collegiate-weeds-contest/ [accessed May 27, 2024].
[6] William MacDonald, Believer's Bible Commentary: A Thorough, Yet Easy-to-Read Bible Commentary That Turns Complicated Theology Into Practical Understanding, ed. Arthur Farstad, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 1330.
[7] Leonardo Blair, “Pastor Mark Driscoll wants Jesus to return before Election Day as civil war chatter abounds,” ChristianPost.com, https://www.christianpost.com/news/pastor-mark-driscoll-wants-jesus-to-return-before-election-day.html (June 1, 2024).
[8] “Garden Party,” written and produced by Rick Nelson, Decca Records, (released 1972).
[9] Susan Maycinik (now Susan Nikaido), editor of Discipleship Journal, "Who's Afraid of the Holy Spirit?" Discipleship Journal (Issue 91), cited in PreachingToday.com.
[10] Terry Fullam, Leadership, Vol. 6, no. 3, citing in PreachingToday.com.
[11] C.H. Spurgeon in Faith's Check Book. Christianity Today, Vol. 34, no. 17, cited in PreachingToday.com.
[12] Gary Oliver, clinical director of Southwest Counseling Associates in Denver. Men of Integrity, Vol. 1, no. 1, cited in PreachingToday.com.
