ROOTS

There are men and women who can point back to a moment in their lives - an event - where they can say:  ‘I raised my hand.  I prayed the prayer.  I responded initially.  I said “Yes,” in that moment’ and yet, they have no objective evidences of a regenerated life.

They have not grown in their love for Christ - they have not grown in their life of worship - they are not giving - they continue to gossip and be bitter and unforgiving and sarcastic - they continue to have impure moral and sexual lives.  They may have a moment to point back to, but outside of that -- nothing.  They did not develop a root system and when the midday sun came out - when a little testing came - the plant withered, keeled over and died.  There are no roots.

We were out of town this past summer when one of the more brutal storms passed thru our area.  Our next-door neighbor called to tell us a tree with an insufficient root system had fallen on our house.  That’s a terrible phone call to get and it’s an unsettling thing to drive home to see.

Some people receive Christ into their lives with great joy and enthusiasm, but they don’t develop roots.  Eventually they are going to be tested by strong winds and circumstances and pleasures and something is inevitably going to reveal itself in their hearts that their treasure is something other than Christ.

Some hear the Word-message week in and week out with not the first intention of applying any of it.  They hear it and nod their heads and smile and shake hands on the way out: ‘Thank you, pastor - great message.  See you next week - same time, same seat’ -- and they walk out and continue unchanged.

It is a terrifying and heartbreaking concept to the Kingdom of God.

I can’t tell you how many people trade intimacy for the dumbest alternatives.  God is not the enemy of joy; He is not the enemy of riches; He is not the enemy of pleasure or of having fun.

That job you love that brings you amazing satisfaction and importance -- that house you live in that is so comfortable -- that car you drive that is so eye-turning -- they are not better than a relationship with Jesus.  In fact, those things are horrible trade-offs. 

'God is not the enemy of joy; He is not the enemy of riches; He is not the enemy of pleasure or of having fun.'

 
Think about some of the things people trade intimacy with Jesus for.  All the time, unmarried women trade their singlehood for a man who can’t possibly lead them spiritually.  But they love him.  That’s a horrible trade, ladies.  It’s probably far too easy for me to say, but there are a lot of things worse than being alone.  Men ... that hobby or sport that you love -- that woman who gives you extra attention at your working lunch and who listens intently to your stories of an unsatisfied home life and who smiles at you over the cubicle wall -- what you can get off the internet late at night when everybody else is asleep ... those things are terrible trade-offs for intimacy.

If we are careless with our spiritual foundation ... if we are careless with prayer and Bible reading ... if we are careless about service ... if we are careless about community ... it’s not going to lead us where we want to go. 

Because when storms come --- and they will --- when the circumstances of life change - and they will --- you’re going to have no substance to draw from so you can see it through.

Please pay attention to rootedness.  Please pay attention to the watering of your life.  Please pay attention to and take responsibility for the development of your foundation. 

And be blessed.