The cup is half full thank you

I’m going to speak to a group of men this morning at 7 a.m. who refer to their group as “The “Skeptics”. Most every week I speak to a different assembly and although they have different names and purposes, one thing I have noticed is that there will always be those in attendance who are skeptics.

Okay so how does one go about convincing a skeptic that God is real and that the Bible is His unerring word?

Hmmm

You don’t.

Huh?

It is the Holy Spirit of God who does the convincing. We just plant the seed by presenting the facts as we know them to be true. The Bible compares witnessing to planting seeds. Seeds can lie dormant for years, but when someone takes the time to plant them miraculous things are sure to happen. If seeds are not first planted then God cannot create life from them.

So it is a good thing for us to plant seeds; however we must be cognizant that not all of it will bear fruit.

Jesus explained this phenomenon with the following parable: Mark 4:3 – A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! He explained the parable this way to his disciples:

The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 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. And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!

1. Okay some of the skeptics will not pay attention this morning and satan will thereby take away their seed.
2. Some will receive it with joy, but will lose interest because they won’t follow through and utilize the full armor of God moving forward including daily Bible study, prayer, fellowship with other Christians, and faith.
3. Some will stay obsessed with their ongoing portfolio buildup, golf, parties and other interests and follow the world instead of Jesus Christ.
4. Some will become staunch believers and become sowers of God’s word themselves.

Hmmm. As I look at it broken down this way three of the four options do not turn out well. Wait a minute! It occurs to me that I am taking a half empty cup approach instead of a half full. I prefer to focus on option four where some will advance mightily in their faith and go on to produce an excellent harvest.

It is sometimes easy to be discouraged, but maintain your resolve steadfast and sure. Don’t worry about who answers the call – when. The Bible refers to sowing by alluding to a picture of the farmer seen toiling and plodding slowly and sadly over the plowed ground planting row after row, heavily burdened with his back breaking work in the hot sun, as though he is in tears.

Then one day he returns to the field and is overjoyed at what he sees. It is then that his tears will be turned to joy. Then the rich harvest will wave before him and he will fire up his tractor and combine and reap the harvest. As he rumbles along he will sing songs of joy and gather the golden grain until his barns are overflowing. In the end he will be abundantly rewarded for all his toil; he will see the full fruit of his labors; he will be filled with joy.

For now we must do the difficult work of sowing, but one day we will see the ripe golden field gently waving to us as Jesus stands in the midst of it, smiling and saying; “Well done my just and faithful servant”.

Oh yeah! I’m fired up now all right.

Okay Bobby Appleseed must now get ready to prepare for today’s meeting with the Skeptics. Have a great day and plant some seeds of your own today Will you?.

Psalm 126:6
They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.