Determine to Flourish

Transcript

Rob McFarlane: 0:59

The title of my sermon today is Determined to Flourish. Jeremiah 17, verse 7 and 8, in the English Standard Version says, Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. The decisions we make in life determine whether we will flourish in life or not. And from Jeremiah chapter 17, verse 7 and 8, we can ask seven questions to help us flourish in life. Number one, are you trusting in God? Jeremiah 17, verse 7 says, Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. The most important choice we can make in life is to put our trust in God. It's determining that He is the one we will go to for direction, that we will look to Him as our source, because there are needs that each of us have that can only be fulfilled in a relationship with God. Let's look at Proverbs chapter 3, verse 5 and 6, which teaches us: trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Question 2. Are you planted? Jeremiah 17 verse 8 says, He is like a tree planted by water. We all know that a tree planted by water flourishes and grows. In fact, if you go by a river, you will see trees on the banks of the river that are rooted and are growing and have lush vegetation and are fruitful. Every believer should be planted by the river. And we should be planted in a local church where we can flourish and grow. If we're planted in a local church that produces life, we will grow and our lives will be fruitful. Listen to Psalm 92 and verse 13. It says, Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. Are you planted? Are you planted in a local church? This is so important for our spiritual growth and development. Number three, how easily can you be uprooted? Jeremiah 17 verse 8 says, It's a tree that sends out its roots by the stream. A tree that has roots deep in the earth cannot be easily moved. And so often we allow somebody else to have the remote control of our life and we take offense. An offense can cause us to be uprooted and sometimes moved out of a place of fruitfulness. I encourage you this year, develop strong and deep roots in your relationship with God. Do not be quick to take offense and don't give up when you face opposition. There are two things we've seen from what I've just said that will cause us to be uprooted. Number one, offense, and number two, opposition. Do not let offense stop you from being fruitful, and do not let opposition stop you from being fruitful. Question number four. Can you take the heat? In Jeremiah 17 verse 8 it says, and does not fear when heat comes. I want you to notice it doesn't say if the heat comes, but when the heat comes. When difficult seasons in life come, when the heat is on. God wants us to come through to the other side, healthy and strong. There are two Bible verses that talk about how God wants us to go through the tests, the trials, and the difficulties of life that I would like to share with you. The first is Psalm 66, verse 12. The psalmist says, We went through fire and through water, yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. And Isaiah 43, verse 2. When you pass through the waters, the Lord says, I will be with you, and through the rivers they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. God wants us to be able to take the heat. He wants us to be able to stand strong and be secure through difficult seasons in life. Question number five. Are you spiritually healthy? Jeremiah 17 verse 8 says, for its leaves remain green. Now lush green foliage is the sign of a healthy plant. A tree or a plant needs nutrients and water to grow and to flourish. Make sure you're getting the right nutrients and that you are planted by water so that you can grow and flourish. Now we can't delegate our spiritual health to others. You can come to a church where we give you the tools and equip you and encourage you to be able to spend time in God's Word and prayer, but it's important for us to devote ourselves to our relationship with God. In Acts chapter 2, verse 42, talking about the early church, it says they devoted themselves to the word, to prayer and to fellowship. And I think these three things are so important for us to grow in our relationship with God and to be healthy, spiritually healthy, to spend time in God's Word, to spend time in prayer, and to spend time in fellowship with other believers. Question number six Are you ruled by the seasons? It says in Jeremiah 17, verse 8, that this tree is not anxious in the year of drought. Some people, when pressure is on and when they're going through a dry season in life, just decide to give up. But I want to encourage you, when you're going through a dry season in life, and each of us will at some point go through a dry season, don't give up, but stay faithful, keep doing good. Because as it says in Galatians chapter 6, verse 9, don't grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. One version says, if we do not lose heart. Don't lose heart in a dry season. And if you're going through a dry season, just keep doing the right thing. Keep spending time in God's words, keep spending time talking and listening to God, and keep in fellowship with other believers. As you do, you will come through that dry season and you will reap a harvest if you do not give up. And finally, question number seven: Is fruitfulness a lifestyle? In Jeremiah 17, verse 8, it says that he does not cease to bear fruit. God wants us to bear much and lasting fruit. This fruit includes the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5, verse 22 to 23 describes it as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control. And this fruit is not just for our benefit, but for the benefit of others. A tree that is fruitful, that is flourishing, that is strong, that is beautiful in every sense of the word, is a wonderful blessing. Let's be a wonderful blessing. Let's be trees planted by the river that bears much and lasting fruit. As we close, let's read the verses again. Remember, it's Jeremiah 17, verse 7 and 8. And we're reading from the English Standard Version of the Bible. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. Let's pray. And as we do, ask the Holy Spirit to show you what He wants you to do as a result of what you've heard in today's sermon. Let's pray. Father God, thank you that you are faithful to us and we want to flourish in life. We want to put our trust in you. We want to be planted. We want to be fruitful. We want to be rooted in our relationship with you. And Lord, we determine even through dry seasons or difficult seasons when the heat comes, that we would not be anxious and we would continue to be fruitful. Help us, Lord, not to take offense or be easily offended. Help us to stay steady and strong through times of opposition and difficulty. And we ask, Lord, that the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, meekness, and self control would be evident in our lives for the benefit of others. In Jesus' precious name. Amen.