Hey, good morning, everyone. Welcome to The Roads Church. How are you going to see her this morning? Are you good? Come on, get up on your feet. I hope you guys are doing well. Everyone’s joining us online, everybody in our overflow room. It’s wonderful to have you guys come together and worship God with us. We’re going to sing a song it’s older, but it may be really new to you. It’s called the King of all the earth. And today I just want us to do something. I want us to position our hearts. I want us to, you know, just take a second and just say, Lord, I want you, Lord. I need you, Lord. I can’t do life without you human. It may be wherever you’re at. And for those of you who don’t know Jesus, I want you to know that he’s the one that, that is the strong tower. He’s the one that provided a way for us to know peace and no life. And even in moments, our feelings don’t match up with that truth.
He’s the one that comes in. He makes it possible. He makes it where we can have that piece. And so today, I don’t know why. I just felt that really strong in my heart for somebody, maybe it’s in the room now, maybe you’re in the overflow room right now. Maybe you’re joining us online, but I just want you to know this God that loves you. I want you to remember whether you’ve known him before, whether you don’t know him yet. Maybe you’ve known him for 50 years. You’ve been walking with him or more. Maybe it’s new. Maybe it’s all those things. And he wants you to know that he’s present. He wants you to know that he loves you. So God, today, as we open up our mouth and we open up our hearts and we see God, we want to engage worship the King of Kings, lifting your name, high weight higher than any other thing.
[inaudible] [inaudible]
I don’t know when I’m holding up my hands when I’m counting [inaudible] and I’m shutting up. I know that when I’m stepping off, I know you [inaudible], [inaudible] four 25 and I love this translation. It says sexual game on the path before you with purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions. And I’ll tell you what. Life can throw some crazy distractions your way and my way. And the Lord says, if you will keep your eyes on me, fixed straight ahead. It does not matter what happens to the left, to the right behind you all around. It feels like a tornado swirling. You can be fixed in the middle of the storm saying, I will not be moved. Why? Why is that? Because the Lord says, I am here making all things new. I am your constant. I am steady. Lord. We just love you. We thank you that you have us here and we’re fixing our eyes on you. You fight for us. [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible]
With Candace spoke that word. It reminded me of my prayer for the last couple of weeks. It really stuck with me a couple of weeks ago. Pastor was talking about there’s a way that seems right to man, but that way is death. So my prayer for these last couple of weeks have been Lord, show me your ways, teach me your paths because I’ve tried my ways and my ways are never good enough. My way is always linear and in depth. And they always seem right at the time, but it had been in, it just never works out because I’m not meant to lean myself. I’m not meant to be the Lord of my life. He’s always been the Lord of my life. He is meant to be the Lord of my life, but it seems like this week I’ve just been falling over and over and I’ve been stumbling.
And it just seems like that way is so hard. And then I feel like the Lord encouraged me on Wednesday night, it was at the move service and it was a powerful service. And he highlighted Hebrews 12. And in the past the translation, it says, so be mean. So be made strong, even in your weakness, by lifting up your tired hands and prayer and worship, strengthen your weaknesses. As you keep walking forward on God’s path, all your stumbling ways will be divinely healed. So I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced this. I know when I was little, I liked to play basketball, but I used it from the side because I wasn’t strong enough to get to the ball of the hoop. And I got beat. I got pretty good at shooting that way, but as I got older and the coach told me, no, you gotta, you gotta shoot with the proper form.
And you know, at first that new way of doing things, it seemed weird. And I was actually worse than shooting the correct way than I was at the old way. But by doing that new path by shooting, by shooting the way I was supposed to actually got way better than what I would’ve done in by my own way. And I feel like that’s what the Lord is saying. So, so many times we stumble and we fall when we try to go to God’s ways, because it’s not always the easiest path, but you need to focus on the end. You need to focus on what he’s doing. He is the author and the finisher of your faith. And when you focus on the end, you no longer worry about the times that you’ve messed up, but you worry about, and he starts to put on your heart the way that it’s proper in the way that it’s true, the way that is right. And you will begin to succeeding and begin to grow beyond ways that you can do it by doing it your own way.
So it’s like staying here.
I just want to thank God for so many, his past for teaching me his ways. And for anyone out there that’s struggling the same way that I’ve been struggling. Maybe you feel like you’ve been following his ways better and he’s teaching you and it’s going to get easier and it’s going to get easier. And it’s going to create those pathways in your brain, to where it makes it, where that’s the default that word’s going to get into your heart and it’s become, it’s going to become a part of you. And as the enemy tries to come and steal that seed out of your heart, just smelled like the song said he is your defender. He is defending your heart. He’s already won the battle. The enemy wants you to think that you’re in a war with him constantly, but the battle’s already been won. Jesus already died on the cross.
Once for all, he continues to cry out from heaven, forgiveness, forgiveness of sins. The battle has been won. So I just want to pray, dear Lord, we just thank you for your ways. We thank you for your past. And we pray that you continue to teach us a download to us where we can, where we can better grow in doing it your way and let go of our own way to use the new, the new, the new way of doing things in let go of our old habits. Lord, let us grow in your new path. Let us grow and bring a harvest of righteousness that comes not from what we’ve done, but from what you’ve done for us Lord in Jesus name. So if you guys want to go and make your way back to your seat, we’re going to stay in a posture of worship. We’re going to take communion. You should see some elements in front of you in your seat.
He
Wrote his family. I urge you to go ahead and grab some elements of your home. Don’t think that just because you’re not charged, you can’t do it with us. Communion started riding in people’s houses, in the book of acts. So you’re doing it just like they did it in the Bible. So I just want to encourage you to join us in this posture abortion. So she could take out this wafer and then represents the body. The bread represents Jesus’s body that was broken for us. That was poured out on the cross. One of the things that he really began to download to me lately is that he bore our shame on the cross. So if you’re feeling shame, if you’re feeling guilt, if you’ve been doing it your own way, like I had been. And if you’ve been stumbling and falling, that shame that you’re feeling is not you or shame, you can let go of that.
He bore that on the cross and you don’t have to bear that shame. So let go of it right now. Here’s the time where you can say, thank you, Jesus. I take this remembrance of you and I’m going to fully grab what you gave to me, like pouring out your body by having it broken for you for me, that I can overcome. And I can let go of that shame. So as we take this bread, I just want you to release any shame that you’re feeling released any guilt that you’re feeling, because it has already been painful than it has already defended. It has already been won. [inaudible]
represents the blood of Jesus. The Bible says there’s no remission of sins without the shedding of blood. It just, as Abel’s blood cried out justice in the book of Genesis, it says in Hebrews, in the past and translation, I love it. That Jesus, his blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat once. And for all in that blood continually cries out from heaven, forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness. It’s not that it was pouring out and that you were forgiven. And then everything after that, it’s still counted against, you know, it continually cries out forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness. So as we take this, as we take the juice, I just want you to remember the year that his blood is brought on about brought about a new covenant, the covenant of love, the covenant of mercy and the covenant that forgives you of all your sins.
All right. Can we just give it up for [inaudible]? What is up The Roads Church What is that? He wrote family. We’re so happy you joined us today, man. I’m so excited to be up here on hand. You got to slow down. All right. So Hey, if you’re a first time guests, there’s a couple of different ways we want to connect with you. So if you’re an E member, go ahead and get out your phone and text the word roads. The six 1-824-300-ZERO. We’re going to sing you some information, get to know you a little bit better and get, uh, can you start it on your next steps? Because we don’t want this to be just a time thing. We want this to be a continually act of pressing in and walking out your faith day by day. So we’re going to help you out with that with your next step.
So if you are a first-time guests in this room, we want to connect with you as well. So on your way in, you should have gotten the horse guide in that worship guide. There is a connect card, fill it out and we actually have a next steps table set up in the cafe in the four-year right there. Sorry. Then wait for a little dry anyways and Hey, they’re going to connect with you and they’re going to get you started on your next step, whether that mean on growth track, getting out of the crowd and the crew, whether that be a rogues group or whether that means water baptism, we’re going to help you get started. We’re going to help him get on the right path on God’s path God’s way and get you connected here in the church to keep you strong. That way, when the resistance, the enemy comes to try to snatch that seed out of your heart, you’re going to be defended.
You’re going to have ways to defend yourself and God’s going to be inside of you defending you. So speaking of next steps, man, there’s a couple of awesome things coming up here in the road’s church. So we have our merged service this Wednesday. We just give it up for our emerge. Come on, come on. I know I’m making you work this morning. I’m making the cheer too much. Um, with that merged service, it’s really special because we are one church with two locations. Um, and then we have already roads family too, but that’s a time for us to come together in worship as one body altogether, we get to press in and go for the presence of God, man. And it’s just a really special atmosphere. If you’ve never been to a bird service or used to be called first Wednesday, um, I really urge you to join us, but maybe you’re saying, Hey, I can’t wait that long.
I need something before then. We’ve got you covered to Eagle. Prayer is this Monday. And uh, in the Bible it says the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. If you want to experience the effective fervent prayer Eagle, prayer is a place for you. You’re going to get to see a group of God’s children coming together and pressing in praying for God’s will on earth to be done. I read a quote this week from AWS towels is one of my favorite, one of my favorite authors. And he said, revival starts in three places. The Bible starts with the individual and then goes to the church and then it goes to the community. So with that Eagle prayer, we’re going to be pressing in for revival. We’re going to let that revival start in our hearts. We’re going to let it spread to the church.
And then as a church, we’re going to go out and we’re going to spread into the community. So if you want to be a part of that, if you want to be a part of pressing in and praying God’s will and earth to be done, I urge you to come out the Eagle prayer, that rugs news is going to give you the time on that. But it is this Monday here in the growth track room. Um, so I just urge you to come out. It’s a very special time. So now is the time in the service where we worship with our giving. So if you have your tithes and offerings ahead and get those out, give online, going to take out your phone and what I’m going to do. Um, I just want to pray over those because here at the road’s church, we live generously and that’s, and that’s what giving is all about.
It’s about the generosity of your heart is not about a number. It’s not about impressing God with how much money you need. It’s about, it’s about a posture in your heart that says, Lord, I give to you. And it says in the Bible that if, if we, uh, the first fruits to be Holy, then the whole up is Holy. So by giving out of that first 10%, we’re bringing blessing on the whole entire 90% of our lives. So I just want to pray over that right now. Jesus, we just thank you for the power of the time. We just pray for good seed to be. So we rebuke the enemy as you rebuke the devour. When we give Lord that he cannot steal any of this seed Lord, that it goes into a good ground and it brings this harvest of righteousness. It brings a harvest of souls, your kingdom, Lord, we just pray that you multiply that seed and you bring more and more people into your kingdom in Jesus name. I pray. Amen. All right, well guys, we are going to queue up the roads news and the pastor. Chad’s going to be out with an awesome message.
Good morning church, and welcome to the roads. We are excited to be together today, to worship and connect with Jesus as one church, with many locations, our North city campus, our Mount Carmel campus in our E Rhodes family. As you join us from your homes, through your devices, all of our nation, wherever you are, Jesus is amazing. And being in his presence is everything. If you’re joining us at one of our campuses this morning for the first time, take a minute to fill out your connect card found in your worship guide that you received. When you came into service after service, stop by our next step table on your way out. We’d love to get to meet you and give you a welcome gift. If you’re joining us online today for the first time, we’d love to hear from you to go ahead and text the word roads to (618) 243-0900.
If you’re ready to get involved and learn more about the roads church growth track is your next step. Our North city campus offers our four week class on Sundays at 10:30 AM in our growth track room. We also offer our fast track growth track every month at our Mount Carmel campus, giving you all four classes in one day and registration details can be found in your worship guide. The roads church has an exciting new local mission opportunity. This summer called Jesus nights. And it’s coming this July to our North city campus community. The vision of Jesus nights is to reach, engage and get to know the children and their families. As we present the simple gospel with lots of love and lots of fun. Our mission is to be in the neighborhoods and engage where our children live in play and let them know that Jesus sees them.
And Jesus loves them. Church. We’re called to be the hands and feet of Jesus bringing his hope and his love sign up online. Starting today. If you’re at the North city campus, visit our Jesus nights table in the cafe, or if you’re at our Mount Carmel campus, you can find all the information in your worship guide or on our website. Registration is now open for our roads, kids bootcamp at our North city campus and roads kids, summer connect at our Mount Carmel campus. All the information can be found in your worship guide on our website or our roads kids check in hosts. We’ll be happy to help you register. Make sure to look through your worship guide, visit our website and join us on social media to stay connected. We believe doing life together and building relationships make us stronger. That’s all for the roads news. We love you. Road’s family. Welcome home.
Good morning. Good morning. Welcome to the Rhodes church. So glad to have all of you here at our physical location here in North city, whether it’s your first time or have been here many times, we pray that you feel right at home. Glad to have you with us. Want to take a moment, just look into the camera and welcome all of our erodes family overflow rooms, people Mount Carmel campus, come on. Let’s make them feel welcome and thankful for all the people watching online, the opportunity and the technology that affords us, that, that we’re able to do that and reach people from all around. Again, continuing to be thankful for what God is doing there. So glad to have our Mount Carmel family up the road with us as well. Appreciate all of our erodes groups, the ones that are meeting together to watch. We got them in Wisconsin, North Carolina and LaSalle Grantsburg and Carlinville, Illinois.
So again, thankful for all those people that are hosting people in their homes and watching and helping people connect with Jesus. That’s our vision here is to connect people with Jesus from all roads of life. So that’s what we want you to do is not just attend and watch a service, but we really want you to get plugged in and build relationships so you can grow and your relationship with Jesus, your relationship with others, jumping in and get serving on our roads crew and using the gifts and talents that God’s given you to build relationships with other people. Cause that’s what doing church is all about. It’s not just coming in, watching something, it’s being a part of it and doing a sweetest encourage you. You have something on the inside to offer other people. You have gifts that need to be used. We cannot build God’s kingdom without us using our gifts and talents.
So I don’t know what all yours are, but we encourage you to jump in and be a part of our crew. We need more people serving if we’re going to reach more people. So we’d love to have you jump in and be a part of that. Thank you. Uh, those that are serving and helping us do what God’s called us to do. Uh, I did want to tag onto a little bit something to vain said there. I believe just to give you a heads up on what’s happening our church the next 40 days, I believe. And I mean this with all sincerity, I believe AR is an integral or very important 40 days in our church and the next 40 days we’re going to be, uh, again, we’ve got merge coming up, this winds or Eagle prayer tomorrow night tonight, I encourage you to come be a part of that and then merge this Wednesday.
And then, uh, and then in that next 40 day timeframe, we’re going to have three guest speakers come in in that 40 days. And all three of those, I believe are carrying something special for our church. We’ve got them sandwiched together. It wasn’t by design initially, but it’s just like, God has put it together. And so, uh, we’ve got, uh, Lee Grady coming. We’ve got William Wood coming and we’ve got Todd Smith coming. And all three of these are coming together. And you might like, I don’t know who those people are. That’s all right. You need to know who Jesus is moving through and you’re going to experience something. So I just encourage you to pray with us. We’re going to be leaning into it because I believe there’s something God’s stirring. And what we’re believing for is for revival for the fire of God to come, that we will not just have church like normal.
I’m not praying for another service and other sermon at The Roads Church. I’m praying for something way more than that. Um, I’m, I’m, I’m not satisfied. I’m not fulfilled in life. And just giving you a nice sermons and we’ll see you next week, that doesn’t work for me anymore. I’m hungry for something more in my life. This is going to change this region. Change. The nation changed the world. I believe only the power and demonstration of the Holy spirit is what’s going to turn this world around. It’s not a better argument, a better ideology. It’s something that when people look at, they go, that can only be God. And all of a sudden, they believe in the power of God because of signs and wonders and miracles. So we’re leaning into that and we’re believing God for it. So if you want that lean in with us, if you don’t come, you will learn to love it.
Just come in. It’s going to be fantastic. Beautiful, good one touch from God will change your life forever. Once you get that touch from God, you can’t go back. You can. Once you, once you’ve tasted you can’t, you can’t go back to just normal. Whatever normal is. I don’t call that normal. I think supernatural is supposed to be the normal. So today, the message today, what is it? We’re going to talk about kingdom, culture, kingdom culture. This is going to be part two. We started last week and I’m going to jump into it again today. Here’s the roads we get excited when we open our Bibles. Why? Because we believe God’s word is the ultimate truth in our life. So come on Mount Carmel, North city, he, his family. If you’ve got your Bibles, let’s get excited. Open them up to Matthew chapter 13, Matthew 13, you 13.
Love it. Love it. Love it. Kingdom culture, sermon notes are available for you in the worship guide or on the YouVersion Bible app. Anybody ready for the word today? I’m ready. I’m ready. Kingdom culture. The word Curt culture I mentioned last week means a set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize a society, an institution or an organization, attitudes, values, goals, and practices. So there are a set of attitudes, values, goals, and practices that match the culture of the kingdom of heaven. And there are those that match the culture of the world. You remember when the, when Satan took Jesus up onto the high mountain to attempt him, and it says that he showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And he said, all these belong to me and I give them to whoever I want. And he said, I’ll give you all this authority if you’ll bow down and worship me.
So there were kingdoms of the world and there’s the kingdom of heaven. And the Bible says that the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our God. So what we’re talking about is the difference of a kingdom culture. Satan has a counterculture to the kingdom culture to heaven. The culture has a counterculture to it, but it’s designed. Here’s what we understand about Satan’s culture, his kingdom Satan’s goal. I believe this was one of the biggest tricks that he makes and not just to get, well, let me just say what it is and then I’ll explain it. There’s the counterculture that’s Satan’s culture and it is not to worship Satan Satan’s culture is not to get us to worship him. That’s too obvious. He’s too smart for that. Satan’s culture is to get you and I, to believe that we can live without God.
That’s his goal. This was what gets us tripped up this. It gets teenagers going into twenties. This is what gets us tripped up because we’re raised a certain way. And then we come up to a place where we get to make some decisions on our own. And Satan’s objective is not to get you to worship Satan and come down and say, I want to be a Satan worshiper. No, no, no, no, no. He knows. You’re too smart for that. He wants to get you to believe that you can live without dependency on God. You can make your own decisions. You can take care of your own luck. You know, what’s right and what’s wrong. You don’t need God. You don’t need the church. You can do it. You’re the man. You’re the woman. You can do it. He points you to you, which is really pointing you to himself.
We don’t recognize it because anything pointing to ourself, we go with, Oh yes. And he’s got us. That’s the culture. See the kingdom cultures that ultimate dependency on God for everything. The opposite is that I can do whatever I need to do and live. I can have a job I can, as long as I have money, that’s all I need. I can buy what I need to buy. I can do what I need to do. Just give me a good job with some money. And I don’t need God. That’s satanic culture. Ooh, what sounds harsh? That’s true. Anyway, that we can live and dependency on something other than God, that’s satanic culture. Was that too strong for the introduction or look at your neighbor and say, it gets better. Just hang on. Matthew chapter 13. Look at verse. One says on the same day, Jesus went out of the house and set by the sea and great multitudes were gathered together to him.
So he got into a boat and sat in the whole multitude, stood on the shore. Then he spoke many things to them in parables saying behold, a sower went out to sow and as he sowed some seed fell by the wayside. The birds came and devoured them. Some fell on Stony places where they did not have much earth. And they immediately spring up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, they were scorched. And because they had no root, they withered away and some fell among thorns and thorns spring up and choke them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop, some a hundred fold, some 60, some 30. He has ears to hear, let him hear the disciples came and said to him, why do you speak to them in parables? And he answered and said them because it’s been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.
But to them, it has not been given for whoever has to him more will be given. And he will have an abundance, but whoever does not have, even what he has, will be taken away from him. Let’s pray, father, I thank you for the anointing. Thank you. Holy spirit for the word of God. I just pray that you bring life to it right now. Breathe on it. That we can understand it. We can see what you’re wanting us to see that we truly can hear what you’re wanting us to hear. I pray God for distractions to go. I pray for blinders to be removed over our hearts that we can see clearly and hear clearly from you. Lord, I give you all the praise in Jesus name. Everybody say, amen. All right. So what is the kingdom of heaven? Verse 11. It says it’s given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.
I touched on this. I just want to briefly throw it in here. Send your sermon notes. Kingdom of heaven. Kingdom is a word that means an area ruled by a King. Also comes from the root word, which means the bottom or the foundational principle components of something. So the kingdom of heaven put them together. It means the foundational principle components of heaven, the system of heaven or the culture of heaven. So when we say, Hey, the kingdom of heaven, when Jesus says, and Matthew chapter 13, we’re going to talk about this and give you some more clarity on this. But when it talks about the kingdom of heaven, I want you to hear, I want you to think and want you to read the foundational principle components of heaven, the system of heaven, or the culture of heaven. That’s what he’s talking about. So there are mysteries to this, these principles that’s been given to us to note.
So I thought about this question. If people believe that heaven is such an incredible place that we all want to go, I have yet to run into anybody. This sincerely says, I don’t want to go to heaven. Most people want to go to heaven, even if they’re not sure how to get there, even if they’re not sure they believe in it. If it’s there, they want to go there. Then why would we not? If we believe that we think it’s an awesome place. Why would we not want to bring the foundational principle components of heaven into our everyday life? If that’s a great place, what makes it a great place? The principles, the culture, right? So if Jesus said, pray this way, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Why would we not want to bring that culture into our earth and allow it to function here?
Just a question. So in Matthew chapter 13, Jesus talks a lot about the culture of heaven. The kingdom of heaven, the system of heaven, seven parables. He uses to describe these mysteries. We’re just on the first one. This could be a long series. Now I don’t know what we’re going to do. We’ll see. So let’s look at this first parable again. I talked a little bit about it. Last time. I’m going to skip the wayside, but I’m going to give this first part behold, a sower without too. So here’s the kingdom culture. Here’s what we need to get a sower. This is in verse three, a sower went out to, so they did not go out to just see what happens. I want you to read that of sower. Went out to sow, meditate on for a second. A sower went out to just see what happens. No, he went out to, so that’s a proactive approach. He went out to do something. He didn’t go out to react. He went, went out to ProAct, went out to do what went out too. So what’s the word soulmate remember means to place your scatter seeds in the ground for future growth. So they went out a sower, goes out to do something that will change what they were experiencing.
A sower, went out to sow a sower. Didn’t go out to observe
And go.
Well, golly, I sure wish my life was better. That’s not a sower. A sower. Doesn’t go out to complain.
Yeah.
A solar. Doesn’t go out to say, I wish they wouldn’t. I would be different if it wasn’t for them.
That’s all reactive.
A sower goes out to come on by. I got about 25% of you on that one. See here, we got, we want to be proactive. So a sower goes out to, to make changes in my current so that I can experience something different in the future. They go out with a purpose. They get up with a purpose. They look at things with a purpose of sower, goes out to sow to. So, so are we continually reacting to the culture around us or are we trying to be proactive to change the culture?
Yes.
Sowers go out to change their friend group. I’m just texting my words here and I’m sure running around, running around. Yeah. So it goes out to, so just let that one die. Sometimes you get, sometimes he trips on the back stretch and falls down. You just got to let him lay.
But how many times did we get caught up in telling it like it is instead of sewing what we want it to be? This phrase that’s so common. It is right. It is what it is, man. Every failure of your four players. Hey, well, how do you feel about that? It is what it is, man. It is. What does that mean? Yes, it is what it is, but what shall it be? What can it be? Well, I have no say so in that the sower goes out to, there you go. You don’t like your culture. So into it. Don’t like your friend group. So into it. Don’t like the attitude of the people around you at work. So into it. This is my culture around me. And the negative work is so negative. So into it. So that’s not the sermon, but it sounds good.
That was, and as he sowed some fell some Sea-Doo okay. So what’d do go out to, so what are we talking about? You’re so in the word of the kingdom, not my once and on my wishes, I’m sowing the word of the kingdom, the wayside, some fell away side. We talked about that last week. I don’t want to spend time there. That’s going from information to revelation pickup last week, let’s look at verse five. Yup. Verse five, some seed, some seed. Some words of the kingdom fell on Stony places where they did not have much earth and they immediately spring up because they had no depth of earth. Some fell, some seed fell among Stony places, water, Stony places, Stony places, a Greek word. That means a thin layer of soil, like top soil with bedrock or larger rocks right underneath it. So some fell on Stony places. Remember these are talking about conditions of hearts. We’re not talking about physical ground here. We’re talking about people’s hearts. It says some word of the kingdom. The, from God fell on Stony places. What does that mean? That’s a heart that has a thin layer on the surface that it looks good, but underneath they got all kinds of junk going on.
That means on the surface they got what everyone else can see. It looks good. But man, underneath are some issues that nobody can see. And guess what? We’ve all got some
Rocks.
This is not for those people here at The Roads Church. This is for we people. There’s more, we started pointing our fingers. Yeah. Yeah. Those people would throw those Stony places raw. Yeah. Yeah. Just look in the mirror and say, Ooh, it’s me. It’s me. It’s me. Oh Lord. Standing in the need of some rock removal. It’s big. We got to get some out. So this is what happens in the Stony places when we have, and again, I want to say this when a parent theoretically insert this. Sometimes we, we like to paint broad brush strokes, and I make, I think it brings great discouragement into our life and some false sense of security. Here’s what I mean. We like to put all encompassing things like I’m either a Stony place person or I’m good soil. And that is the wrong way to interpret scripture. The only way I’m going to successfully interpret scripture is when I begin to compartmentalize different parts of my life and realize I can have good soil in certain parts of my life and Stony places in other parts, if I will recognize that I’ll only gravitate to my good soil and think that I’m okay and not pay attention to some areas of my life, where I need to dig some rocks up, or I’ll only focus on my Stony places and walk in caustic condemnation and never appreciate the good soil of what God’s doing in my life.
We got to realize that we’ve got all this going on and I can be man, great soil, seeing great fruit in this area of my life and have some huge rocks over here that I still need to work on this one, throw that in there. So the Stony places, what happens when you have this, this area of your heart. So they hear the word of God. Once they do that says here in verse five, they immediately spring up because they had no depth of earth. They immediately spring up there. Look at verse 20. Here’s the explanation of this parable. Jesus said, but he received seed on Stony places. This is he or she who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. So this first, this happens when a person initially hears the word, gets excited, grabs hold of it and responds with immediate growth. This is when we hear that something’s possible. And we get excited about what God can do. And we get joy in our hearts. We say, yes, this is going to be awesome. What happens? We’re like here, God, you to get a promise. Maybe you’ve got an area of our life where we’ve got a struggle. We got situations going on. We need a solution, man. We hear a word. We hear a testimony. We hear something. And we get excited about the possibility. And we say, yes, I want that in my life.
We want it. We want a lot of things. So we get excited about the one. Yes, yes. It’s going to happen. That’s going to be for me. So then, then we get excited about that. But then there’s a problem. There’s a problem. Look at verse six. What’s the problem. But when the sun was up, they were scorched because they had no root. They withered away. They’re excited. They received the word. They like the promise, what they initially hear, but there’s a small problem. Then the sun comes up. It gets scorched because they had no root. They withered away jump to verse 21 because they immediately received this. Enjoy verse 20. But in verse 21, it says yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a little while. So knows what happens to get excited in the moment. Like we hear something good. Yes. I want that too. I want that for my life. But the problem is that we have no root. The Bible says we have no root. And the in verse 21 says they have no root in himself. What does the word root mean? What does that mean? Why isn’t having no root of problem. The word root means the fundamental part of the plant. Listen to this part that absorbs nutrients from its surroundings. It’s really important. The root absorbs nutrients from its surroundings.
What are you surrounded by that? You’re absorbing nutrients from
You are absorbing nutrients from whatever you’re surrounded by. You’re like, well, I’m just not I’m I’m, I’m surrounded by that, but I’m not absorbing nutrients from it. Oh yes you are. We are. That’s what roots do. It’s the, it’s the part of the plant that feeds stabilizes and sustains. It feeds it. Stabilizes keeps it from planted and sustains it over the long-term. This is what the root does. So remember they’ve heard the word they got excited, but they had no root. They didn’t have anything that was going to feed them, sustain them or stabilize them. They didn’t, they didn’t have themselves planted in a surrounding. That was going to absorb something. That’s caused that word to grow. When you get a word from God, you get a promise from God. That’s why you need to get planted. The Bible says those who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish like a Palm tree. Why? Because you’re going to get more words. You’re going to get fellow believers coming alongside of you. And they will help nourish that word because you’ll be surrounded with other believers to have relationships with other people to help you absorb the right nutrients. But those one says no root in himself. You first read that and you might think, well, that’s kind of selfish, no root in himself. My roots, not in me. My roots are in Jesus.
When it says in himself, the Bible is locating the source, but it’s not identifying the source. The difference in locating the source and identifying the source. So no root in himself does not mean self is the source. It’s telling me where the source is. It’s in me. Not outside of me. Come on, you got to catch with me. No root in himself means the source is in me. It’s internal. Not external me is not the source, but the sources, my sources, not in you. If my roots get in you, then now you control my nutrient supply.
My roots are in you. Then you control my sustaining supply. My stabilizing supply. If my roots are in my circumstances, what’s happening in the world and the globe around me. If my roots are in that, then my stability is determined by the circumstances that I cannot control. It says the root in himself, Colossians chapter two, verse six, as this, as you therefore have received Christ Jesus, the Lord, as you have received it. So walk in him. How do we walk in him? How do we live in him? Walking him doesn’t mean how you walk down the street, walk in him means how you live your life, how you live your life. So as you received Christ Jesus as Lord. So you will live your life. Verse seven, Ruda, everybody say rooted, rooted, and built up. What’s the next part. Next two words in here, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith. As you have been taught abounding in it with Thanksgiving. So rooted means firmly planted in the ground, strengthened with the source of strength, being emphasized. So rooted and built up in him. So he has no root in himself, in him, in me, in me. Jesus is supposed to be in me. And my roots are in him. I’m rooted and built up in him. He’s in me, Christ in me, the hope of glory, the Holy spirit of not only be with you, but he will be in you. My roots are in me.
I’m not the source, but my sources in me, what’s the power of that. When I have a root in myself that I’m not looking for support outside, I’m getting my strength and support from internal circumstances in internal sources. What feeds, stabilizes and sustains us should be our internal relationship with Jesus. We should be rooted and built up in him. I’m not rooted and built up in everybody. Else’s mood. I’ve gotta be rooted and built up in him. I can’t be rooted and build up on great circumstances. I gotta be rooted and built up on him because I’m going to fail you. If you’re rooted and built up in me, I’m going to fail. You feel like man, I’m depending on Chad, Madam, I become, I know he’s going to give me a word, but what if I don’t give you a word? What if my sermon just falls on deaf ears? And you’re like, Oh, that was the dud.
Where are you going to get your source from? Where are you going to get your strength from? Where are you going? Where are you going to get your stabilizing from? You’re you’re not, you’re not you. We can’t have our roots in other people. People can, people can add to. I’m not saying that, you know, we don’t have relationships and connections. I’m talking about rooted and built up in him. So no root in himself. He said, I cannot sustain this. I get excited. And moment, I get excited about what God can do. But if I don’t allow what God can do his word, the word of the kingdom to get a root in me, then I’m not gonna be able to make it. I can be excited. But how many has ever been excited about the possibility of God doing something? And then time went by and all of a sudden you were excitement, went from a level 10 to a level of negative five, right? learn how to gather more strength at The Roads Church!
I’ve been pastoring people for a long time. And I’ve, I’ll just say I’ve done it. And I’ve watched a lot of people do it. You get hyped in the initial time. It’s going to be great. I’m believing God, I’m confessing scriptures everywhere. It’s going to be awesome. But if you have no root in yourself, because something’s coming, it’s going to test. Something’s coming. What’s coming the next verse. Next verse that’s what’s next has no has no root in himself, but endures for a while. I want to highlight this part endures only for awhile. That word endures is a different Greek word than what I’m used to studying. This Greek word means to possess certain characteristics or to be something like to become something he endures. He can only be something for a while or for temporary time period. So it’s like this. I can get excited about what God’s wanting to do or wanting what God wants to be in my life.
And, but if I have no root in myself, I will not sustain that existence. I will not extend, I will not be able to sustain it. So let’s say practical application. So let’s say that I want to, um, change. Uh, I just want to put it on me. So let’s say I want to be a better husband and God brings conviction to me how I can be a better husband. So I need to get root in myself of what God says that in me means for me to be, to be a better husband, right? So I’ve got to get that root in myself. I to get that root in myself. And when I get that route in myself and I’m sustained from what I’m wanting to produce, not by what’s external, but what’s stay with me because if you want to change something in your life, your route has to be in
You
Because you’re only going to be fed, stabilized and sustained by the route that you get in your heart, not by the approval or affirmation you get on the external. If I want to change. And I don’t mean this about us, maybe, but I’m just saying other
People, if
Disclaimers, you got to throw them out there. Once in a while, if I wanted to change, I’ve got to have a root in myself that will produce that change. Not my root in her reaction to my,
It can’t be based on, on, on what I think she does. That would do something in me. I got to have root in myself. We put our roots in other people’s response to our promise of chains. And if they’ll cooperate, come on talking to somebody. If they will cooperate in my, whatever you want to apply to, it may not be a husband and wife for you, but whatever area you want to do it, you got to have a root in yourself because you won’t be able to sustain that because the moment she doesn’t respond to my change, my desire changed the way I want. I will not be able to endure. I won’t be able to stay that way because my root was in her response to how I would change and not in what God promised me. You I’m talking about. Come on, feel me, somebody so now. So cause here’s what happens. The sun comes up, you’re excited. Then the sun comes up and you get scorched. Maybe for my illustration. I probably shouldn’t use that. But you just say that like tensions could come up. Opposition could come up to your excited change.
Yeah.
You’ve ever been excited about something that had some opposition slap you in the face. Now you’re not so excited anymore. Mike Tyson said, everybody’s got a plan until they get punched in the mouth. I’m going to change. I’m going to change. The sun comes up. Look what he says in verse 21 endures only for a while for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word immediately. He stumbles. See what we get. We start out great excite, excited about what God has promised you and what’s ahead. And then all of a sudden, Glen fry starts singing in your head. The heat is on heat. Know it’s inside your head and on the street and every beat. I mean, all this stuff, heat is on. Tell me, can you feel it won’t tell me, can you feel it? Tell me, can you feel it? The heat is on.
I used to get nervous about using these eighties music references. And then my kids are listening to all eighties music like now, Hey, it works. It still works. We’re bringing it back, baby. But it’s what happens, right? We get excited about what God’s going to do. And then here’s why we have to be discipled. We have to understand the value of a root in ourself because the heat is coming. The heat’s coming. And we think the heat is just an act of the devil. But I want you to see something. Maybe you don’t realize these four words in scripture, but endures only for a while for when tribulation what’s tribulation pressure. I give you that in your sermon notes there, if you want to read the full definition of it, trouble distress oppression. Yikes. Doesn’t sound like a happy day or persecution. What’s persecution means to literally be systematically oppressed, to systematically oppress people, to renounce their beliefs, to pursue or chase. In other words, someone’s systematically pursuing you, oppressing you trying to get you to change your stance. Yes.
In other words, I’m going to be different. The sun’s coming up and what’s the sun coming up. It’s bringing pressure, spring distress. It’s bringing a systematic way where the enemy is going to try to get me to change my beliefs that I can change. He thinks that he can turn the heat up. Hot enough. I will wither and we have to prove him wrong because we’re not in it for the short term. We’re not in it just for the happy times. We’re in it to endure since when tribulation or persecution arises. But here’s the four words because of the, it doesn’t say because of the devil, it doesn’t say tribulation persecution rises because of the devil. Now it says tribulation persecution arises because of the, because of the word, the word causes and produces tribulation and persecution.
I read that. I’m like, look what you’re talking about. Here’s a faulty theology that some people have. I’ve heard people and they embrace this theology. They believe that if they get closer to God, they get more trouble in their life. Therefore their solution is to not get close to God. So they don’t have so much trouble. They really believe that they’re like, man, every time I try and get close to God, all hell breaks loose. So I’m just going to stay here and mediocrity and just keep the that’s the devil’s playground. He comes because of the word, because he knows what the word will produce. Most dangerous thing to the devil in your life is the word in your heart. Once you get the word in your heart, there’s nothing that can stop you, baby. He’s coming for the word. He’s not coming for your feelings. He’s not coming for your emotions. He’s coming for the word because the word is the incorruptible seed.
He can’t keep it from producing. He can’t stop it. If I ever get God’s word in my heart, it explodes on the inside of me. And it’s an internal growth that he can’t do anything about. So the tribulation, the persecution is coming because of the he’s coming to test that word in you. He’s trying to see, which is going to endure most your feelings and your emotions or the word of God. That’s what he’s coming to do, comes to do it to all of us. So how are we going to work then? How do we get to work? It looks, he says, once we, the persecution arises because the word immediately, he stumbles in that word. Stumbles means to trip up and cause someone to stop believing what they used to believe, to believe what is wrong as right, and right as wrong. So sustain growth in our life.
Let me finish with this sustain growth in our life has come, has to come from internal root system and not an external root system. What feeds, sustains and stabilize their life has to be internal roots in Jesus. Two parts of the application, the message today that I want you to get. Number one, our root system has to be in the word of God in our hearts and not attached to someone else when we are going to be successful. This is when I know when I’m not. This is when we are, when we are successful. Our root system is not in people. It’s in Jesus.
It’s internal and it is hard. It is hard. Cause we all love us. Some affirmation. We all love us. Some applause. We all love us a great job. You’re doing good. But what if you don’t get any of that? What is sustaining you? What is feeding you, sustaining you and stabilizing you. Well, my friends tell me is our, is our likes and, and friends and followers. Are they feeding you, sustaining you and stabilizing you? Or is it the word of God? The first part, our roots have to be internal, not external. Number two in order for us to produce good, good harvest. We have to dig up some rocks under the surface. I spend a lot of time on this, but I want you to understand the importance. Stony places are things where we live a life where looks good on the surface,
But underneath there’s some boulders that are keeping us from flourishing. What are those rocks? What can those rocks be? Here’s maybe some raw. I’m just gonna throw out some rocks of shame. Rocks of unforgiveness, others or yourself. Dig them up. Stones of regret, stones of anger or offense, bitterness, insecurities fears. What are some things that you’ve buried that no one can see that you think they’re good because they’re unseen. But these are the Stony places of our life. Remember don’t broad brush stroke, your whole life. This isn’t who you are as a person. I’m just saying there’s areas of your life, where you’ve got some rocks that you may need to dig up, that God wants to grow that area of your life. But there’s these rocks underneath her that you’ve buried. You’re like, we don’t talk about that anymore. We don’t address that out of sight. Out of mind, God says, I know, but that’s a Stony place in your life. You know, when that person said that thing about you and it hurts you and it made you feel a certain way, you just put some top soil over the top of it. And he went now try and grow something in that area of your life.
It’s not going to happen until you dig those rocks. So this is what God’s wanting you to do. I believe it’s what the Holy spirit wants to do. So if you would, let’s just invite Holy spirit to speak to us. Two applications. One is your root in yourself in Christ, in you. Where’s your route in other people is your route in the approval of people around you are your routes too much. This is where I’m working in my life. I’m working on this area because this is an area that I can be susceptible in. My roots can be too attached to the opinions of people. God’s willing to get those roots out of there. Get your roots out of their roots in yourself.
For many, if not most of us, this is the tough application that I believe Holy spirit really wants to do. He wants to dig up some rocks this morning. Holy spirit. I ask you to come, got to want to see you. I want to see from your perspective, God show us the Stony places. Show us the Stoney places. Show us the fear. Show us the insecurity. Show us the regret, the shame, the bitterness, the unforgiveness show us, show us, God, show us the Stony places that are holding us back from producing what you want us to produce. When would you be open before God? Will you pray that right now? And not just assume this is for someone else. Would you be bold enough to ask Holy spirit, very simply Holy spirit, show me my Stony place.
This isn’t who you are as a total person. He just revealing to you areas. Will you embrace that and say, Oh, I know some of you knew already. You didn’t have to pray about it. You already knew God’s already been speaking to you about it. Some of you, God has been speaking to you about it all week. And right now this is confirmation of what he’s been telling you. What he’s wanting you to do. You felt that before, um, I’m just sensing that to there. Some of it’s been on your mind, this one area of your life, and God’s saying that’s a Stony place. I want to dig that up. I want to take that out. Yeah. That’s not, that’s not good soil for you. Dig that out. That’s a Stony place.
If God’s speaking to your heart about a Stony place and you want to dig up those rocks, I just want to open up the altar that you can come. Just get out of your seat, right where you are right there in Mount caramel or here in North city, out of your seat and come. If you’re desiring to get rid of some Stony places, some rocks, the Bible says to confess your sins, one to another, that you may be healed. I’m not talking about telling your junk to everyone. I’m just talking about you realize I got some areas of my life. That’s holding me back. I got some Stony places of compromise that nobody knows about.
You don’t have to broadcast it. We’re not asking you to put it up on the screen. I’m just saying before God would you, would you desire to allow Holy spirit to come and touch? You say, God, I want that rock out of my life. I’ve been compromising in that area of compromising my convictions. That’s not God’s way of living. I’m not been doing it. God’s way. I’ve been compromising in my business. My marriage, I’ve got some Stony places in my marriage. I want, I want to do something different there. Lord, I got some Stony places in my relationships with my kids or with my parents or, or my friends at school or with my employees, with my ball. I don’t know what it is, but you’re like, God, I want to dig up. Some Stony places I’ve been hurt a bit confused. I’ve been afraid.
I’ve this whole COVID thing. I’ve got some stones I need to dig up. I’m I’m not the same ever since this happened. I, I don’t know where to go. I don’t know where to turn, but Lord, I don’t want to just push top soil over the top of it and move on. Like, everything’s fine. I want to remove those things of my life. That’s going to hinder my growth from this moment forward. So God let’s dig them up. When I’m asking the Holy spirit to come and do a work in our hearts. If we want to move of God, we have to repent. First. We have to renounce all the thing, get things out. We have to dig up some stones out of our garden. We have to get them out of here. I said, Lord, search me. Do the, do the Psalm one 39 preps. Search me O God and see if there be any wicked way in me. Show me my Stony places. Lord, show me the areas where I thought I could live without God. Show me where I put my roots and something else. I put my roots in money, but my roots should be in you. I put roots in prestige. I put roots in other people’s approval, but I need my root to be in myself, in Jesus, inside of me, internal root system.
Thank you. Thank you. Holy spirit. Come touch every heart at The Roads Church. Every one, desiring with all these responded, God, I just pray over them in the name of Jesus. Every Stony place, every stone be removed. Maybe you’re here and you’re watching or North city or Mount Carmel. And you’d say, Chad, I’m not a Christian. I’m not born again. I’m not sure that I’d go to heaven. If I died right now, we don’t want you to come to a service without having an opportunity to give your life to Christ, to realize that we are lost in sin without Jesus. We cannot live without God period. We cannot. While I see people living all the time, without God living their best life, living their best life, they are not living their best life. They are not. Don’t let them fool. You don’t let the top soil fool. You don’t let what you see on the surface fool. You there’s rocks. They’re going to move their way to the surface.
So if you’d like to give your life to Jesus and walk away from sin, repent and give your heart to him. I want to pray with you. I want to give you an opportunity to say yes to Jesus and no to a life without God. So if you’re here today and you want to do that, you want to pray that prayer with us. I’m going to give you some words to pray, but you give it to meeting, going to one of our services or erodes family, people watching all the time. I never know who’s going to give their life to Jesus. We’ve got to stop being limited to what’s happening in the room. And we got to think about what God is globally, what God is doing in places. We will never know. We’re trusting him to connect people with Jesus from all roads of life.
That is our vision. That is our heart. So right now, if you want to give your life to him, the presence of God is on you. The desire, you know, I need to get my life right with God. We’re going to pray this with you, but I want you to pray with all the meaning that you have. Come on families. Pray together. Say father in heaven. I believe that Jesus is the way the truth and the life today. I repent. Forgive me of all my sin. Come into my heart and be my Lord. You died for my sin and Rose from the dead. And today I confess you as Lord.
Thank you for loving me. Jesus. Thank you for saving me. Jesus. I give you everything that I am. I surrender all in Jesus’ day. Amen. Can we give a hand to those who prayed that prayer this morning? Listen, would you, would you stand now? I want to give an opportunity for prayer, for healing. Those that are up here for your rocks. You keep you keep praying. I mentioned the next 40 days are essential, essential, important, whatever word you want to use. I really, since this, we as leaders, we are going for it. I want you to know we as leaders here are pastors and leaders here at the church. We are not satisfied with just regular church. And if that scares you and you’re like, Oh boy, I knew this was going to happen. And I’d have to get out of here. Hang on, hang on.
You really want what Jesus wants to do in your life. That’s all it is. It’s not something weird and kooky. It’s what Jesus wants to do in your life. So let’s just invite the miracle worker to do miracles. I want to go for it. I want to say, who needs a miracle? Let’s pray and believe God for a miracle because there’s no pressure on me to perform a miracle. We believe God, right. See, we got to find out whether we believe it’s just good, amen material or good, really putting our stakes in the ground and roots in the ground and going for it material. I don’t want to just say, man, that’s good preaching and going. And we really don’t believe it. I want to really go for it. If you need a miracle, if you need prayer that I believe that God is a miracle worker.
So father, I just thank you for coming and healing right now in the name of Jesus. If you need prayer for healing, just come. We want to lay hands on you and pray with you. If you’re just watching online right there in Mount Carmel, you can make your way to the front. If you’re a part of our erodes family, just put your hand, whatever part your body that you’re needing healing. And I want you to receive from Jesus. Holy spirit, come and touch. I bless the hands of those on our erodes family, who couldn’t be here. We just thank you. As they put their hands on their body, that the healing power of Jehovah, Rapha, touch them in Jesus name.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. God, I give you praise God for every incurable disease, we speak the name of Jesus. We just released faith. God that you are a miracle worker against coronavirus COVID-19 we released the name of Jesus all around the world. We declare healing in Jesus’ name. Your name is still above every name that is named. So we worship you and exalts you Lord. We choose to trust you. You are bigger Lord. Thank you father for touching. Thank you Lord. For healing injuries in the name of Jesus. Somebody had a right ankle, right? Ankle injury. If that’s you, I believe God’s wanting to touch that he will restore health to you and heal all of your wounds in Jesus name. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Someone’s busted, uh, with the right knee cap. There’s something about injuries right now. Feel God breathing into the bus, right? Knee cap. We just pray healing over that. And she’s a snake.
Thank you specifically a strain in the shoulder. And what part of it strain the back of the boat. The back of the strain across the back of the shoulder, we feel like this is the air that God’s going to heal in Jesus’ name, but I just pray for your word to come. If that’s you and you’re in one of our rooms, come forward and let God touch you today. He Rose family. You put your hand, wherever it is. And you begin to receive the healing of God. Just think of the right side of rupture of the eardrum on the right side is injuries that have taken place. This may have been someone who had something poked in your ear and God sing as is traumatic in God’s wind to bring healing to that in the name of Jesus, Lord, to disbelieve you for supernatural, supernatural God, thank you, Lord.
Thank you for more, more, more, more Jesus. We believe you. And we trust you. Come Holy spirit do far and exceeding above all that. We can ask her thing. We give you the glory. Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Listen, we’re going to ask our service hosts to come to the platform. They’re going to give you some information and close out the remainder of our service, but if you want prayer, please make your way to the front. We’re going to stick around and pray for you. Service hosts. Go ahead and take over erodes family. We love you. Thank you so much for joining us at The Roads Church!