The Church And The Revolving Door!

 The Church And The Revolving Door!

Have you ever just sat in church and looked around and thought about who was there last week, last month, last year, or times before? I remember doing this as a young convert and being flabbergasted. I mean, I couldn't wrap

my brain around where they had all gotten to and even  more confusing was why they would choose to walk away from something as amazing and incomprehensible as GRACE! I recall thinking how, if all the people who had been to our church in the last decade would all show up for a Sunday Worship, a building ten times the one I was in would in no way contain them. So again, I ask WHY? Well, the answer is as easy as opening a book, the only living book, The Bible! In the Gospel's we find a parable spoken by Jesus to the crowd, I like Matthew's account in chapter 13 because later in the

chapter Jesus himself describes the parable. Through this parable we can learn an invaluable lesson, not everyone that kneels at an altar or experiences some religious encounter will be transformed by the renewing of their minds! In all honesty, the statistic that Jesus gives is startling to say the least. In His account of the Word being sown and accepted three out of every four will fade away, never to produce fruit and thus unprofitable. And we all know what the scripture says about the unprofitable servant and the fruitless tree, they will be cast out and thrown into the fire! To me, as a Pastor, I typically blame myself for those who fade, like if my Preaching we more attractive, or if my personal skills were better, or if our ministry had more to offer they would stick in the fight. Then I read Matthew 13, from the lips of my Savior I was enamored  with truth, we are all free mortal agents and we each choose our own path. As long as I follow the leadership of the Holy Ghost I can do no more! If the Holy Ghost can't keep them, if the cross isn't attractive enough, if Grace isn't all consuming then nothing I could say or do could ever make them stay. Those by the way side are those who just don't understand, those who never seek scriptural and spiritual maturity(thus the importance of reading and studying scripture) and in ignorance are carried away by the deceptions of the Devil. Those that receive on stony ground(stony heart) are those that with immediate joy receive the Gospel but when tribulation or persecution(hard times) come because of the Word(could be from truth being preached as it pricks the heart) they dry up and die spiritually and fade into the dark(to me, this is the most common)! Next are those sown among the thorns(cares of the world), who after receiving the Gospel continue or fall into the lusts of worldly material. In searching for those treasures the true treasure has no light to grow thus perishing under the weight of the thorns(jobs, homes, false gospels, friends, success, etc.) of this life! But last are those to whom the seed falls on good ground and in time produce fruit(fruits of the spirit which are love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance) some thirty fold, some sixty, and some a hundred. Notice the only variable is the ground on which the seed(Gospel) falls. What does the ground represent? The intent of the heart! If you break up the fallow ground of your heart, seek scriptural and spiritual knowledge, and cast off the cares of this world, you'll be rooted in the good ground! Never give up, never give in, never look at those who fade as an expectation of yourself or others. We are called to be ambassadors of the Gospel, lets help those whom we cross paths with get their ground good and fight the good fight of faith!

Matthew 13 King James Version (KJV)

13 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Galatians 5:22-23King James Version (KJV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.