July 12 2020 Matthew 13.1-9, 18-23 “Leaders: Working the Crowd” Pastor Hines

It’s been 15 weeks and we continue to believe that together we can overcome this contagious coronavirus. Together we can do great things. God has not forsaken us nor forgotten us. Are you blessed in spite of it all today? Yes! Yes! Yes! A thousand times, Yes! We are blessed. Let us turn our hearts to the message of the day.

It is nice to be popular. Have you gotten your 15 minutes of fame that supposedly everyone in this world gets? Some people enjoy popularity more than others. Can you imagine being a singer or actor, people chasing after you to get a closer look, to be with the real thing as opposed to the glimpse you get in the movies or from the internet? 

They want your autograph while you’re having dinner in a restaurant or they want to take a selfie or take home the cup you drank out of as a souvenir forever.

If you were famous, would you drop your fur coat on the floor of the stage like Aretha franklin or smile for the cameras until your cheeks hurt?

You may have been popular enough in middle school or high school not having to worry about a date to the prom or being picked last for team sports. Popularity is just one reason we may want to be with someone.

Sometimes we want to be with one another just because we are Christians, we share wholesome values and expect to uphold high standards and to be treated with love and respect at all times.

The 13^th chapter of Matthew tells us that Jesus left his house and went to the beach and such a great crowd gathered around him that he made space for himself, got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. It is safe to assume that at least two of the disciples were with him acting as security guards.

Jesus worked the crowd. He used his popularity to share the word of life to those who appreciated him.

 

Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Senior Minister Emeritus of the Riverside Church, a multicultural, interdenominational church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City, served there 18 years. During that time, I heard him preach a sermon that I will never forget. It was entitled “Use What You Got.” He taught that we should use our gifts, our talents, our gender, our opportunities and whatever we have in order to draw people to the God in us!

Jesus took advantage of the moment as the crowd was happily gathering to tell them many things in parables. We are like Jesus. We all have attractive gifts and talents, and we all have wonderful opportunities that we can take to share the word of God through our testimony and the good example of our lifestyle.

Our lifestyle bears fruit and many notice that fruit. Many are nurtured by our fruitfulness, particularly those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness. Part of being a Christian is growing in Christ. We grow with the help of each other’s fruitfulness.

When it comes to spiritual fruit, the more the merrier! In our Monday Meditations, the question was raised as to whether churches are experiencing the power of the resurrection.

 If not, what can we do to experience more of the power to heal and to overcome evil with good? Of course, the answer is to surrender our lives daily to the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Sometimes we do not care about whether God approves of what we say and do. 

There are many examples in scripture where it was said of nice people, that they loved the praises of men and women, more than the praises of God. We live for the praise and popularity that our friends and family shower on us. 

First and foremost, we need God’s approval, and we know God has our best interest at heart.

When we share our love and our lives with others, we are also planting seeds that, with love and care, will help others to grow and prosper. When we plant seeds, we always hope to get a lot for our efforts. At the same time, we know as verse 21 tells us,  some of our best efforts never take root, and some of our greatest achievements that have taken years to come to fruition, may not last nearly as long as we want them to or think they should.

We need to pause and take that reality in…. Some of our best efforts never take root, and some of our greatest achievements that have taken years to come to fruition, may not last nearly as long as we want them to or think they should.

We plant seeds, we nurture them, but we are not in charge of all the results. That is a hard reality to accept. There are so many factors involved in how things turn out. It is impossible for us to control them all. If we all do the good we are supposed to do, the chances of results that are good and holy increase.

A young mother sent me a video exemplifying the power of our good example. The video shows a mother saying to her son, “Make a circle with your fingers and put it on your chin, like this.” Again and again, she said, Make a circle with your fingers and put it on your chin.” Again and again, the little boy did exactly what she did but not what she said. The lesson was so clear. Children pay more attention to what we do than to what we say. The quality of our care makes a difference in how seeds grow and mature.

It is not easy to be good. Sometime we even have to spend time thinking and praying about what the good and right thing to do is. It is not always obvious.

There are many temptations along the way that can distract us. The Wall Street Journal had an article about how scientists are trying to understand how the coronavirus gets us off guard. When they set the coronavirus to music they see a pattern in how it moves to trap us.

All matter, whether dead or alive has a vibration. Scientists assign each vibration in the virus to a musical note that is long or short, high or low. Each virus makes a different song. You can go online and hear the sound that the coronavirus makes. It is a sweet, alluring sound that draws you in, invites you to come closer and closer. It tempts you with a pleasant, intriguing layer of sound with a plan to destroy you and satisfy itself.

Hearing the patterns of coronavirus as sound gives scientists insight into some options that can be developed when the virus pauses or spikes. This scientific methods reminds us of times when darkness does not allow us to see, so we rely on the patterns of what we hear or feel in order to maneuver our way to success.

Beautiful sounds and beautiful things invite us, and tempt us. Still, we need to be mindful of the patterns of the behavior behind them. Some of the most popular songs and voices may not lead us to places we need to be. We need to know what the deal is. One multicultural trainer in our conference reminded us that there are times when, as she says, “We choose not to know.” It is then that we know we have given in to a certain temptation. We choose not to know that something is not right.

We learn what is right when we keep our conversation going with God. We are work I progress. We have to think as well as pray. We won’t get it right every time. That is why it is good to seek the Lord diligently, serve God faithfully, and obey quickly. We do well to praise God every hour and repent every day in order to stay on track.

That is how we become that good soil Jesus talks about in verse 23. That is how we become one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”  We are not in charge of the increase, but we can do our best to be good, and for that we need the power of the Lord to help us.

Let us pray: 

God, you call us “Dear Ones” for that is who we are to you. Thank you for loving us and helping us. We come with hearts open and ready to receive the power we need to love you and to love each other with all our heart, and all our mind, and all our strength! For, we know that there is nothing greater than love. We pray as you taught the disciples.

 Our father who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 

Benediction: No prayer, no power. Little prayer, little power. Much prayer, much power.

Next week we continue our focus on leaders and the concept of weeding in Matthew 13.

If you would like to make your contribution to the ministry and mission of Bethel, the website is  Bethelumchurch.com 

Or you can send to 952 Bethel Church Road, Spring City, Pa. 19475. God bless you! 

We are closing with a selection of  Closer Walk with Thee  by Donna Pick]