Sermon Transcript – The Planting of the Lord – Part 1a – by Nathan Leal

Sermon Series by Nathan Leal – Transcript Part 1a

The Planting of the Lord – An Introduction

This is going to be the beginning of a new series. As we journey into it, I believe that it is going to be a blessing to many of you.

This message is also available as a PDF download for off line viewing. To download it, click here or right click to save.

The name of the series will be, “the Planting of the Lord.” It is going to examine and explore the fundamentals that every Christian must understand. It will include the topics of repentance, salvation, and the Christian’s walk into maturity. Aside from intellectual study, it will also provide nutrition for the spiritually hungry. I am confident in this, because the source of our study is going to be a deep layered journey into the Scriptures.

The Treasure

The Scriptures contain the treasure. They are the source of immeasurable wealth for the child of God who is spiritually hungry.

The Scriptures contain the words of hope, redemption and restoration. They are the source of strength for the one who is weary.

Are you weary my friend? If so, there is hope for you. God provided it, but we have to get a hold of it.

We – my friends. This means you and me. In this late hour, God’s people must strive to get a hold of His Word, and be strengthened by it. We’re going to need it.

Many of you know this. You’ve looked around, and you see where we are. The landscape speaks for itself and concludes that we need to be fostering spiritual readiness in ourselves and our love ones.

In this series, we are going to work toward that. We are going to find the treasure that’s in God’s Word. It’s in there folks; waiting to be discovered by the hungry soul. So if you are hungry for His Word, welcome to a treasure hunt.

If you are hungry, join us as we become spiritual prospectors and extract the priceless treasure of gold from the Bible. But be forewarned. I have a caveat. Studying the Bible in earnest is not for the casual Christian; or the compromising; or the earthbound resident of Babylon.

Instead…

…It is for the hungry one who is seeking strength from God.

…It is for the wounded one who is seeking God’s ointment.

…It is for the thirsty one who is parched.

…It is for the child who is looking for Abba Father.

…It is for the one who is seeking God in holy desperation. And wants to find His hope, His shelter, and His truth.

It is for you! And those who want to find the truth.

It’s about truth, my friends. Because outside the walls of your house is a broth of deception and counterfeit. And out there is a spider’s web that is seeking to snare victims and devour souls with poison. The deception is out there folks! It is outside the four walls of your dwelling place, and the challenge is to keep it from sneaking into your dwelling.

I cannot say this enough brethren. “We are in a battle.”

When I say, “we,” I’m talking about those whose name is written in God’s Holy Book.

If your name is in there, this includes you. I’m talking to you, my friend. You are in a battle. And you’re also on a journey where you will either – endure and survive, or go astray, and wander in defeat.

I have to say this folks.

It’s either one of the other. A child of God MUST become a healthy plant of the Lord, and flourish into a tree, or they will spiritually fail.

And for you, spiritual failure cannot be an option, because God wants you to succeed. He wants to look at you someday and say, “well done.”

…Well done, will mean you didn’t quit.

…Well done, will mean you thirsted for righteousness.

…Well done, will mean your Bible was not a dusty book on the shelf.

…Well done, will mean you matured into a healthy tree of righteousness.

…Well done, will mean you found victory over the temptations that tried to defeat you.

These things can be done my friend. But they do not happen by giving up. They happen one way – by completing the race.

You can do it. And completing it means you’re nurturing these things…NOW!!!

That’s what it’s about. It’s about getting there. So to get there, we have to study what it means to be the planting of the Lord. Make note of those words – The planting of the Lord.

They must be understood as the theme of your Christian walk. If you are a follower of Jesus, then you are a planting of the Lord.

Think about it folks…

Your faith started as a seed. And one day, it sprouted.

It happened when you answered the convicting call of the Holy Spirit, and the seed of salvation exploded in your heart.

“Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ…” Ephesians 2:5

The Greek word for quickened in the verse above means, “to make one alive together.”

That’s what happens when a person answers the call. The spirit within is made alive with Christ. After that, the journey begins.

Do you remember that day my friend?

If so, from that point on, your job is to nourish the good seed of salvation into a healthy mature tree of righteousness.

I call it the good seed of salvation, because Jesus referenced salvation as coming from a good seed in a parable found in Matthew chapter 13:24.

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

…He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;…

In this parable, Jesus explained that children of the kingdom (those who were saved) come from the good seed…

“…The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom;…”

The parable goes on to tell us that alongside the good seeds are counterfeits who are children of Satan…

 

“The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one.” Matthew 13:38

I do not want to digress this message into another study about spiritual warfare. But I do want to make mention that part of the challenge of becoming a healthy tree is knowing that there are satanic counterfeits out there.

And these counterfeits will do everything they can to destroy you and prevent you from doing what this next verse says…

“But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also….” Matthew 13:26

In His own words, Jesus tells us that God has a goal for the spouting seed. It must grow and become a tree that bears fruit. Which means that salvation is the beginning but we must press on…

This applies to every follower of Jesus. And no matter where you are in the Christian journey, the same goal applies. Whether you are a seedling, a green shoot, a young plant, a baby tree, a growing tree with sprouting leaves, or an aged tree with a large trunk, we all have the same goal.

… It is to become a healthy flourishing tree with thick branches, and healthy roots that are growing in good soil, nourished with the living water of God – which bears much fruit.

It is a beautiful picture. It’s all in the Bible. It’s in there. Becoming a mature planting of the Lord is the goal.

…And it must be your goal.

Think about it folks, a planting of the Lord will either flourish or wither.

…It will find either water and grow fruit, or be choked out in the thirsty desert of the wilderness.

Saints of God, Babylon is dry, and Egypt is a desert. And if you’ve been at this long enough, you know this. You know that it is hard out there. You know that it is ruthless out there. You know that finding a good drink to quench your thirst can be challenging at times.

Some of you know about this all too well. You know that it is lonely and painful out there. Because you are living it.

Some of you are living alone, walking alone. Your shelter only includes you. The others have gone.

…or maybe you left. And you’re alone. But it’s not easy being alone, is it?

It’s not easy, because the question, “where did everybody go?” has an answer. And for some of you, it’s a painful answer.

Perhaps it’s an answer that you do not like to think about, because it includes a diary of regret.

Perhaps the only way to sum it up your situation are the words, “if only.”

… “if only, I did it different.”

… “if only, it didn’t happen.”

But it did happen, didn’t it? And you have found out all too well, that like Job..

“…man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.” Job 5:7

If you are a child of God, you do not have to be alone. You can find comfort, in spite of the sparks that blow in the wind. God supplied a river; a wellspring where His children can quench their thirst and find His remedy.

But we gotta get there. And we gotta get a hold of it. Some of you are weary and need strength and encouragement.

Perhaps some of you have wandered. And the sheepfold that used to be nearby is now in the distance. And getting back is harder than you thought it would be.

If this is you, I have good news. There is hope for you. Because even though it’s dark out there, God has made provision available for His people.

This includes you.

So get a hold of this information. Study it. Absorb it. Let it incubate and give birth to large healthy branches that bear fruit in your life.

Introduction – the Parables

Jesus warned us in His parables that we never want to hear the words, “I never knew you.”

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matthew 7:23

The verse above is a terrifying snapshot that we never want to face. This means that our instructions include getting to know Him, understand Him, and not be one who practices lawlessness. The child of God who truly knows Jesus, will not want to practice lawlessness. Instead, they will have a desire for righteousness.

They will hunger for it.

But the foundation of this relationship includes knowing Jesus, not just intellectually, but intimately where He becomes our ultimate friend.

“…But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24

God tells us that He wants us to know Him as a child who cries, “Abba Father.”

“For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Brethren, God wants to personally know you.

Because to know Him means that we are close enough to hear His voice. And in hearing His voice, we also know His convictions, His principles, His statutes. And thus, we will not desire to take part in lawlessness.

When a person truly knows God, the things of earth become dimmer. And spiritual victory becomes attainable. This is the goal folks. It does not happen overnight. But it is what we are should strive to attain. The key to this is knowing Jesus. This means that we have to develop a true relationship with Him.

The tool for getting there is the information in the Bible. The Bible is a love letter from God to us. It is a letter that explains His heart, His thoughts. It reveals to us who He is. It is His method of communication to mankind. The Bible reveals the goal that He wants to see in our lives.

This is very important ladies and gentlemen. God has a goal for you. And in is not limited to the good seed of salvation that sprouted on day one.

A lot of folks are confused about this. Today’s evangelical church sums up the Christian walk in the salvation seed of the sinners prayer. But that is just the beginning.

Salvation is day one.

From that point on, Jesus wants to get to know us. He wants us to develop a relationship with Him, just like a child does with their Father.

As they get to know Him, the baby Christian will become familiar with His voice, and desire to please Him. As they do this, they will notice that their hunger for righteousness will grow.

If they continue to feed the hunger by meditating on His Word, their method of thinking will change. This is called renewing the mind by putting on the mind of Christ.

As they continue, they will become stronger in the Word, in prayer, in desiring to do the right thing and respond in a righteous manner when they face opposition, as these changes occur, FRUIT will develop in their lives and be evident in the way that they behave.

This is what being a follower of Jesus is all about.

…it is a lifestyle.

…a daily walk.

…made through daily choices.

…it is genuine.

…it does not waver.

……And it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Unfortunately, most Christians have not been taught this information. But this is what Jesus wants for all of us. And for the person that got a hold of this, the benefits would be many.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:” Psalms 103:2

Jesus stated over and over in his parables, that it was about fruit. And it was about having something to show when He appears.

By the way, I am not talking about salvation here. Salvation is free. But salvation is day one. It is the new birth. And excluding the deathbed salvation experience, as Christians, we are not supposed to stay at the immature level of day one.

Paul tells us this:

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection…”

What kind of perfection? Maturing into a tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord.

The follower of Jesus must grow into maturity, ladies and gentlemen.

And the best evidence that a Christian can show is maturing into a tree that bears fruit.

The Fruit

It is about the fruit. Jesus repeatedly tells us in the Gospels that He wants to find fruit on our branches. He mentioned it a lot.

“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Matthew 7:19

Why did He say this? It is because fruit is the evidence of maturity. A tree that bears fruit requires nurturing and attention.

In layman’s terms, a tree that bears fruit is not a slacker.

Are you a Disciple or a Slacker?

It’s one or the other. And when Jesus returns, He’s going to separate people into two groups. What will the separation be based on? He tells us in His parables that He is going to look for fruit on our branches.

This is the Word of God folks. I know that this concept Is not taught very often in churches, but it needs to be. Why? Because Jesus talked about it in His parables. Therefore, we need to be talking about it.

Consequences

Unfortunately, some churches are not talking about this. And sadly, those that aren’t, are not preparing their flocks for the appearance of the Lord.

The Lord Jesus is coming back folks. When He does, He expects to find fruit in our lives.

This is why the topic of – the planting of the Lord – is so important, and is not something that should be taken lightly.

The Theme of Fruit and Agriculture

If we were to examine the Scriptures and search for themes related to fruit, we would find the theme throughout the Bible. If we added agricultural terms, the results would be massive.

This includes the imagery of plowing, planting, harvesting, and processing of the harvest. Additionally, we would also find references to baskets of fruit, both good and bad; rotten and healthy.

A few weeks ago I was praying, and I asked God, “God what do I share with the people?”

He answered, “the planting of the Lord.”

I knew the term. I was familiar with it. But I was not sure what He meant. I said,”Which part? What do you mean?”

He said, “Study it.”

I obeyed.

And as I did, what started as one thing, became many. It branched out in all directions. I was excited as I discovered more and more information about it. I soon realized, that if a child of God truly got a hold of this concept, it would provide a tool that could serve as a map for the Christian walk; a map for the disciple of Jesus that showed the Christian journey from start to finish, with instructions that;

…start at the beginning when the good seed of salvation sprouts,

…and then guides us through what we need to do,

…what to look for,

…what to avoid,

…what to seek,

…what to expect,

…and what He expects.

I find this exciting. The truth that is found in the imagery of the planting of the Lord is a golden nugget that contains all of these things. It is a painting with a canvas as large as a mural.

This information could help so many Christians if they got a hold of it. So my friend, please do not take it lightly. And let the truths that we are going to extract from the Word of God become a part of you and bless your soul.

(To be continued… In the next portion, we’re going to look at the foundation of repentance. We will examine the scriptural references of what repentance is and what it means. This study will help the child of God who may be struggling with spiritual victory and provide encouragement to the one who is tired of being defeated.)

In His service,

Nathan Leal

Watchman’s Cry

Note – This sermon transcript is also available as a PDF download for off line viewing. To download it, click here or right click to save.