Luke 8:4-8: Keeping On to the End of the Road

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever set out to do something that turned out to be much more difficult than you expected? What made you want to keep going until you accomplished your goal? And if you did keep on with that difficult thing, you now look back with pride and a sense of accomplishment at what you achieved.

Many people set out on the Christian journey, not really realizing what they’re getting into. Maybe it’s good not to know the difficulties that lie ahead, but as we mature in the faith, we find that our Lord gives us the desire and the strength to continue, no matter how many struggles lie ahead.

But sometimes I’ve been disappointed that some Christ followers whom I have loved and admired falter on the journey and give it up.

I started my journey of faith while I was in college in a group of Christian students who showed me the way, not only in the things they told me but also in the quality of their lives—their love, their generosity, and their seriousness. They were my examples and my teachers. They inspired me and I thank God for them.

But somewhere along the way a few of them seemed to lose interest. Some of them seemed to drift away from faith. They stopped going to church. God and Christ and eternity became less and less important in their lives.

A few, sadly, even turned against the faith they had once embraced so enthusiastically.

Some dropped out of the race after only a few months, some after many years.

I have even seen some who were faithful Christians most of their lives, drop out near the very end. There may be some here at Village Ridge who were active in their churches in years gone by, but whom one would never guess now that they they had once been earnest believers.

The Christian life isn’t a sprint; it is more like a marathon.

Someone asked a famous Christian for permission to write his biography. He refused. He said something like this: “I have seen too many men fall out on the last lap of the race. You can write my biography after I am gone if you still want to.”

Jesus warned his disciples that this would happen. He wanted them to understand that it is difficult to keep faith alive to the end. He told them about this in his Parable of the Sower. I’m sure you have heard many sermons about this story, but just to refresh our memories, here it is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 8:

When a great crowd came together and people from town after town came to him, Jesus said in a parable:

“A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot, and the birds of the air devoured it.

“And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away because it had no moisture.

“And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it.

“And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

And then Jesus explained his parable:

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word form their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved.

“And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy, but these have no root. They believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.

“And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

“And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.”

Notice that all the way through the story, the sower is the same.

The seeds are the same.

The difference is in the soils.

The message—that is, the gospel—is the same.

The Lord Jesus—through whom the message comes—is the same.

The difference is in the hearts and lives of the hearers of the Word.

I. First let’s talk about the seeds that fell along the path.

A. There are many who hear the story of Jesus but whose hearts are never really touched by the message.

Maybe they went to a church. Maybe they learned their verses and the Bible stories. But nothing sparked their interest.

Maybe they went to Sunday school because their friends did or because their parents made them. But as soon as they could choose for themselves, they dropped out of church and gave little more thought to what they had heard.

In our church we have confirmation. Confirmation is a course of study that the young people take with the pastor and mentors from the church.

It leads to full adult membership.

But sadly, every so often, the young people, after the ceremony of membership, drop out of church and are not seen again.

B. In Jesus’s parable the soil was too hard for the plant to take root. It was trampled underfoot. Or it was snatched away by the birds. The birds, Jesus tells us, represent Satan, the enemy of souls.

The soil of the path represents hearts unprepared for God’s word, so it can’t take root.

They are like a young man who told me that he didn’t believe in God. He said, “If there is a God, I’ll find out when I get to heaven.”

Gently, I tried to tell him, that when he dies, then it will be be too late.

II. Next comes the rocky soil.

A. The rocky soil isn’t soil with a lot of rocks in it but a thin layer of soil with an underlying bed of rock. If it rains and the sun shines on it, the soil warms up and the seed sprouts quickly in the damp, warm soil. But it also dries out quickly, and the tender plant soon dies.

B. The people of the rocky soil are people who are easily enthused about things. They may respond excitedly to the offer of salvation.

I remember such a one in our college Christian group. Joe was good-looking and had a charming personality. He was so enthusiastic about his new-found faith that we plodding Christians envied him. We wished we had what Joe had.

But after a few months, we never saw Joe at our meetings or Bible studies any more. He had found something else to be enthusiastic about.

In later life Joe became famous. He was an astronaut and traveled in space. He retired a General in the Air Force. I hope he came back to faith, but I never heard.

C. Jesus says that the people of the rocky soil are those who, when temptation comes along, they fall away.

Jesus says, “When you set out on the Christian journey, count the cost.”

Sometimes we only count the benefits—

forgiveness, salvation, a heaven of happiness forever—

We forget that following Jesus also costs—

It costs obedience to God in every aspect of our lives.

Following Jesus costs us our pride, our comfort, our time, our money.

Sometimes it costs the approval of people you care about.

If you are outspoken about your faith in Jesus, people may call you “weird”—“intolerant”—a “Jesus freak.”

III. And then some seed fell among thorns. In dry countries like Palestine, the weeds are mostly thorny.

A. This is good soil, as is proved by the abundant weeds, but there’s too much competition. The wheat is crowded out.

Some of God’s people are good at too many things. They have hobbies and interests. They read books. They watch movies. They have social obligations. They are successful in their work.

Jesus says that the thorny weeds represent the cares, and riches, and pleasures of life.

Cares and riches and pleasures are good things in their place, but they are also dangerous if they take the place of God in our lives.

B. In a church I know of, the Sunday school superintendent approached the older adults’ Bible class requesting volunteers to help with the children of the church.

The spokesman for the class returned this answer: “We are all retired. We have worked in the church. Now we just want to kick back and enjoy.”

Just at the time in their lives when they had more time and opportunity to serve their church than they had ever had before, they decided to retire, not only from their daily work but also from service to their church.

As we grow old, there are many things we can’t do any more. I can’t paint at church any more or tend the flowers. Children need younger people to teach their Sunday school classes. But if we love the Lord Jesus there are still things we can do to put our faith to work.

IV. Finally, we come to the good soil, the soil into which the gospel message falls and produces a good crop.

A. It’s good soil—soft and free of impediments and competition.

We can keep our hearts soft and ready to grow the good seed by using the “means of grace.” The means of grace are the practices that help us go forward in our life of faith, and love, and obedience. Some means of grace are prayer, meditation, study, church attendance, and helping and encouraging others in what ways we can.

B. Jesus says that when the people in whose hearts is good soil hear the word, they “hold it fast in an honest and good heart.”

They confess their sins and with God’s help they seek to root sin out of their lives. They keep tuned in to God.

They hold the Word fast. They hold it fast by keeping Jesus’s Words always in mind. They make it their aim to live out what they believe.

C. And they bring forth fruit with patience.

“Fruit” just means results. The fruit the farmer Jesus is talking hopes for is grain.

It is easy to become fruitless. It isn’t always easy to go on living for God.

It may get harder and harder as our health deteriorates…as our opportunities are fewer…We may feel useless.

We can no longer be active in the ways we used to…and it may be that all we can do is to just hang on.

And hanging on means never giving up—that is also “bearing fruit.” God is pleased when we are faithful in difficult times—when our health is deteriorating…when we face disappointments…when we become discouraged. But we don’t give up on God.

CONCLUSION

The highest achievement any of us can attain is to suffer with patience…

…clinging to God...

…bearing witness to all who know us that we are still trusting…

…still loving God…

…still rejoicing in the Lord.

When I taught fifth grade I used to ask the children to memorize poetry and to recite their poems to the class. One of their favorites was “Mother to Son,” by Langston Hughes, the famous African-American poet. Many of my students memorized this one. Here it is:

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

and turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps

‘Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now—

For I’se still goin’ honey,

I’se still climbin’,

And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

That poem isn’t just for youngsters. It’s for all of us—because it is hard to keep going on for God.

But that’s what we have to do.