Trust the Seed, Pastor Wendell Williams

Trust the Seed                     Sunday, August 29, 2010             Pastor Wendell Williams

You have just received a handout [have you not]? Praise the Lord. Let’s read it! This is from Luke 18… I am going to share along this line. This particular portion of scripture is found in three places in the Gospels [Matthew, Mark and Luke]. I wanted you to have something in your hands [because it is good for you to have that] because then you feel like you went to church.

Father, bless us [now] and speak to our hearts and quicken us in the moment… quicken your Word. Father, bless us that we might be a blessing. Speak Lord and minister to our hearts… increase us by the entrance of your Word that it would [just] lodge deeply in our hearts and spring up like a living well in our souls… in Jesus name… and the church said [Amen].

In Luke 18… I do want you to use your Bible a couple of times today… can I have you do that? Would that be alright? This portion that you have here says this [essentially]: Jesus has let the little children come and it was a time when parents brought their children and their tiny babies to Jesus [as you read]. It says that they only wanted Him to touch them BUT the disciples [had] noticed that the parents were trying to do this… and the disciples ordered them to stop! When the disciples ordered them to stop… you know… He is a ‘holy’ man… he is a busy man… Parents have heard the stories of Jesus how he had touched a woman’s son who was dead… in the funeral procession on the way to be buried… dead… and how Jesus touched a dead child and raised the dead child back to life. These are parents… how many of you [here] are parents? How many of you [here] interact with children? How many of you know some children… have [got] a niece… have [got] a cousin? You have any kind [of] child in you anywhere… you have some level of concern and interest in that child? Jesus was very [very] interested in children… in fact He created parents just so that He could have some kids! He made parents just so that He could have some babies!

One of the poets wrote [and] he said [essentially] this “You have come into our world BUT you have just not been a citizen of His world!” I believe that if you have spent any time with infants and newborns… I have spent a little time with infants and newborns and preemies… Lincoln is here today and I remember when Lynette had Lincoln… I went right there and I went to see Lincoln… everybody was happy… Lavelle was happy… Lynette is happy BUT Lincoln ain’t happy. He wasn’t happy to see me… he promptly peed on me. Is that true? I think it is… didn’t he let loose? I blessed him in Jesus name…

If you have ever been around them and have looked into their lives [then] you can see eternity… you can see heaven! You will know ‘You just saw Him’… I have said that to more children [as I was] serving in hospitals as a chaplain. God has a tremendous interest in children.

So here, in this portion Jesus is interested in children… and the parents are interested in having Jesus touch their children. If He could touch somebody who was dead and now they are alive then what can He do with somebody who is alive? You can raise… You can make him better… You can help him… and in the process why don’t you touch me too! I need some skills for parenting. How many of you need skills for parenting? You say, ‘My kids have grown up’ BUT you still need skills [in Jesus name]. Jesus called to them and He said, “Let the little children come to me, don’t stop them. The Kingdom of God belongs to people like these… like these children. I tell you the truth… you must receive the Kingdom like a child… if not [then] you will never enter into it!’ Then He held the babies and He gently touched the children… I like that… He held the babies and He gently touched the children [amen]. So… if I don’t hold up your child [then] don’t be upset… we will gently touch them [amen].

I wanted you to see and draw a couple of things to [your attention]… I only have two or three simple points to make:

When He is talking here about children… and in one place it says… Go with me in the scriptures to Mark 10… I want you to read it from there… page 893. Mark 10:13 the Bible says this:

¹³   Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

¹⁴   But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

¹⁵            Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."

Now He wasn’t [just] saying that ‘only children can enter the Kingdom of God’ … He was saying that if you don’t receive the Kingdom as a little child then you won’t get in!

I am going to need some volunteers… there was a difference between receiving as a little child and being childish! In other words there is a child likeness… say ‘child likeness’… there is a child likeness and then there is a childishness! Now… Mahadi [first volunteer] come on. Let me ask you this… let me give you [if you will] a few characteristics of childishness. Childishness [for example]… child likeness [let’s go with the positive one first]:

Child likeness is:

An innocence to children… An innocence to this relationship that we must have with God. In other words… when I come to God I must believe that He is… and I must believe that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. I come with an innocence… I don’t come with my baggage… with my background… BUT I basically come with an innocence desiring to know the Lord! With that innocence and that openness the Bible says ‘Jesus is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him’ [And so innocence is one of the characteristics of child likeness. God is talking about child likeness as being the characteristics. Other characteristics of child likeness might be a ‘belief’… might be ‘innocence’… might be ‘trust’… might be ‘simplicity’… might be ‘motive free’… might be ‘faithful behavior’… ‘peaceful’… ‘patience’.

I didn’t get to unpack Galatians 6… I didn’t have time for that BUT if you want to read in Galatians 6 about the fruit of the spirit then you will read of the fruit of child likeness. Write it in your notes… Galatians 6… the fruits of the spirit. Child likeness characteristics are found there… ‘temperance’… ‘meekness’… these are all characteristics of children or child likeness.

The antithesis of ‘child likeness’ is ‘childishness’! Has anybody ever met a childish person? They can be 80 [years old] or 8 or 8 months… 8 weeks… 8 days. Childishness is ‘carnal’… it is rooted in the natural flesh… it is rooted in my desire for myself… it is self-centered!

Child likeness takes who I am and puts my focus on God… Childishness takes who I am and puts my focus on me!

Here is one of the characteristics… if one of the characteristics of child likeness is ‘innocence and peace’ then one of the characteristics of childishness is a ‘tantrum’! Here Mahadi was supposed to throw a tantrum… unfortunately he didn’t know how to…

Albany airport… your plane is not going out… your baggage is on it… maybe it is not… I don’t think that you are going to go… I know that you have been waiting… so there!

Jean comes up and acts out a tantrum so well that Pastor didn’t know if it were real or fake…

That was pretty close to real. I know that if you weren’t pretending that would be… thank God that you are redeemed! Saved!

In fact that did happen to Jean… and she did not throw a tantrum… she heard the voice of somebody say… and you got on to a plane when everybody else was having a fit… God opened a way for Jean. Isn’t that good?

Child likeness gave her patience in the moment when that last nerve could be tried. So… child likeness and childishness are not the same. Childishness has its focus on you… and you will not have your focus on God where it really needs to be.

Now, you [to Mahadi] to sit over there until I can find a better way to make you a victim. I think to [maybe] illustrate this I want you to go down to verse 17… I had a number of things BUT I know that we have the kids that we are going to dedicate today. Verse 18 in Mark 10 tells this particular story… are you there? It says this:

¹⁷   Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"

¹⁸   So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

¹⁹   You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' "

²⁰            And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."

Then Jesus said… one of the characteristics of childishness is when you don’t get your own way. How many of you have ever played basketball? How many of you have ever played basketball with someone that you didn’t like and took your ball and went home? That is childish! There is a child likeness when it says: “Hey man, I got my ball. OK, I don’t get to play BUT you all can play with my ball!” Does everybody [got] that? Let’s read on and see what happens. It says this:

²⁰   And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."

²¹            Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him…

Everybody say ‘Loved him”

²¹            Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way…

 I need you to understand… please look up here. One of the challenges in the church… in the Kingdom… maybe on your job and certainly in your house is when correction comes that the love doesn’t come! You respond the way that you are going to respond BUT if you are going to bring correction… if you are going to accept correction then bring it in love and accept it in love. Jesus is about to bring correction. If you are in this church and correction comes… Correction will come… I am not looking for a fight… I am not looking to offend you or hurt you or step on your toes… I am here to help you live right before God; I cannot be any ‘plainer’ than that! If I fall or falter then you can come to the leadership and say, “Pastor stepped on my toe and I am real upset about it. Could you tell him that I am hurting and that I would like him to come and apologize?” They would tell me or you could share that with me… I will come and apologize. BUT correction must come! We must hold onto the fact that the Bible says ‘that whom the Lord loves He corrects’… He chastens. You are not going to be a parent and not correct a child! It is tough enough correcting a child yet still have them go crazy… So, keep loving and keep correcting… keep coming; let’s grow together. Can you say ‘grow’? Amen!

Let’s read… that was good…

²¹   Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."

²²            But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Kids, listen to me… when correction comes don’t get upset and go away sorry! [Because] if you [just] hold on for a minute [then] Jesus will make it all better. If you just hold on for a few short verses… this person would have made it all better BUT what happens is correction comes… you get upset… you get mad and you don’t talk to me for two months. Don’t do that! Your parents make corrections… teachers make corrections… this person Jesus loved and he got instructions because he came there looking for it!

“Tell me, what must I do to be saved?” Jesus said, “You must be child-like… you must grip the heart of God by selling what you have and giving it to the poor!” Child-likeness will follow the heart of God! Child-likeness will follow instructions from the Word of God. Child-likeness will follow instructions from the authority figure [in this case] God Jesus talking to him or a parent… BUT don’t leave like the prodigal and [just] go away sorrowful… because you will go away empty and you will miss your moment with God. Somebody say, “Pastor, you are helping me [now]!” I don’t want to miss my moment with God. My mama always said, “One thing that I love about Wendell… he would [just] hold it and take it and then he would be better.” Don’t be trying to ‘whip’ me! Do you know what? Hold on… receive instructions… Receive instructions in love… receive instructions in righteousness and your life will be better. Amen!

How many [of you] want a better life today? I know that I do… praise the Lord!

So, we have these two stories… they bring the children to Jesus… and Jesus… the Bible says… ‘lays His hands on the children and He holds the infants and touches them and He loves them all.’ That is the expression that we express today [in Jesus name]… we dedicate the children to the Lord today.

Here is something that I felt is an important word to you parents… Parents, we sometimes… there are children being dedicated today… and we [Pastor Wendell and Pastor Dona]are parents… three young adults [now]… and sometimes you wonder, “Lord, what did I miss?” “What didn’t I do?” “What could I have done better?” The thing that I need you to write down… even you children… I need you parents to write this down. Tell me when you are ready… say, “I am ready to write”. I don’t say these things for my health… If you are not a parent you can still write…

Write these words: Trust the Seed

Trust the Seed! Parents, you have [got] to trust the seed… you have got to trust the seed. Why is this important? This young man that ran up in there… he had the ‘seed’ of the Word of God in him. When we dedicate these children we put them in the hands of the Lord… we put them like Jesus was presented before God… He was presented like [if you will] as a ‘seed’. The Bible says in the Book of Genesis that every ‘seed’ reproduces after its own kind… every ‘seed’ reproduces after its own kind… the Bible says that! The Bible goes on to say that Jesus was described to Eve… say, “Eve”… Jesus was talking to the Devil… God was talking to the Devil and He said, “The ‘seed’ of the woman is going to crush your ‘seed” Seed is a very big thing to God. Why am I going here [parents]? Because sometimes we get down the line and we wonder. “What in the world is going on?” You think… “I have done… I will do… I will change… I will fix it up and straighten up… I will do what you will of me to have me help my child” BUT you have got to trust the seed that you have put in! The ‘seed’ God says must go into the ground and there it must die… and then it will come up and it will be first a blade… and then it will grow up as a stalk [if it is corn]… and then it will make an ear of corn… and then it will be the full kernel in the ear! Parents, you have got to trust the process of the seed to produce… not in your time… BUT in God’s time! You have got to trust the seed that you put in… that God put in… You took this child and you dedicated this baby. Those [of you] that are going to have kids… we are going to dedicate them to Jesus as a seed into the ground of God. That seed will cause a harvest to come up… in God’s time!

You have got to do…the Word of God says, “Train up a child in the way that they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it!” What does that really mean? It means… plant the seed… let it go into the ground… and their responsibility as they get old is to bear fruit! That is [really] what it is saying. We start thinking… “Train up a child… as they get old they should not… Oh Lord, what about that? The passage of time… when they get old they are going to come back… No! Their responsibility is to grow old and bear fruit so that you can reveal… that the seed in them is the seed of God and a seed that you can trust! Parents, don’t abandon ship… you get to sit in on the message to Wendell and Dona Williams! Parent’s, don’t give up on your children… trust the seed! God said [that] Jesus was seed and that seed thousands of years later would grow up and come out of a tomb… and that seed would crush the head of the enemy… and you and I can be fruit of that seed! Jesus was fruit from God… Jesus was seed from God and we are the fruit of His harvest [and] fruit of His labors… because He died and went into the ground… He came up out of the ground… and the fruitfulness of His life is being born today in you and I! Praise the Lord!

Parents… you have got to trust what you did… what you tried to do… what you had hoped to do. You have to [in our closing verse] 1 John 1:9… we will go there in a minute… you have got to receive forgiveness for yourself for what you didn’t do. In a message like this you can [say]… “I didn’t do this [and] I didn’t do that”… “Oh Lord, if I had only known that”… So our prayer is… Father forgive me for what I knew to do and didn’t… Father forgive me for what I didn’t know to do and couldn’t… forgive me of sins of ignorance and sins of omission. BUT Father, bless me and help me be a blessing to my child because [talk to me now] I trust the seed… Your Word… clear. I trust the seed!

I am not perfect. The Bible says in one place that…”you being evil”… evil doesn’t mean to be disrespectful BUT [Jesus says] meaning ‘carnal’… meaning ‘natural’… meaning that you are not God! How many of you are [actually] God [here]? It says that if you were a ‘natural parent’ [and] do good things for your children [then] how much more would God do for those that love Him? He knows that you are [just] dust and a parent and imperfect and incomplete BUT He knows you [Momma Freeman] did your best… are doing your best [Kathy Snay]… you are doing your best! God will honor you for doing your best! I want to encourage you [today] that God will honor you [Mr. and Mrs. Vickery] for doing your best with your boy… BUT you have got to stay in trying to do your best! Not for that child… not talking bad to tat child… not running that child down… not using your mouth to prescribe some history to your future…

 I sat at a ball-field… at a kid who was beating my son [Benjamin] out of a position… who was a good kid… he is not a perfect kid BUT he was a good catcher… and I said to his dad, “That kid… he is a good catcher. I wish that my son could throw like him and do like him!” I said, “He said that he wants to go to college and play at a high level!” That father looked at me and he said, “That kid ain’t going to be nothing!” I scooted over on the bench. I said, “Well, he told me that he wants to play ball in college [and stuff].” The kid looked like he was going to flunk out of Shen… smoking dope and doing this and getting into trouble. A few years back I ran into the kid… I prayed for the kid. I am not saying that it was my prayers… I don’t know if his dad changed or not… I said, “Son, how are you doing?” He said, “Hey Mr. Williams, how are you?” I said, “What are you doing?” He said, “I am a stock-broker!” Hallelujah! Somebody prayed… I am [just] saying don’t use your mouth to run down your kids… use your mouth to speak to the seed.

How many of you [all] have planted anything? Now [gives a visual example] this is a cantaloupe. Can I have some kids? Reach in their a pull out one seed… the kids then answer that the seed would create cantaloupes from the cantaloupe seed. The Bible says that every seed reproduces after its own kind. If you plant this cantaloupe you are not going to get a cucumber, you are not going to get a potato… you are not going to get a Mercedes Benz… you are going to get a cantaloupe!

Pastor asks for a few more volunteers… kids.

Let me ask you a question. The Bible says that every seed reproduces after its own kind…

Pastor has the kids look away from him and asks them to not turn around and look at him.

Every seed reproduces after its own kind. So… if you plant a seed into the ground then what kind of food are you going to get back?

Pastor has the kid’s close their eyes… put their hands up…

 It is very important what kind of seed you put into the ground…

Pastor hands them earthworms… they aren’t looking and only feeling…

If you plant [this] into the ground then what are you going to get? Don’t open your eyes! If you plant that into the ground then what are you going to get?

The children get squeamish when they feel the earthworms… they are not what they were expecting…

Parents… it is very important that what you put into the ground… into your kids heart. If you put in earthworms then you are going to get earthworms… BUT if you want to get Godly kids then you have to put in the Word of God! If you want to get Godly kids then you have got to put in the Word of God. You don’t want to put in a worm… you want to put in a seed of God’s Word [amen]! Praise the Lord!

Before we dedicate the children I want to read something to you… it is [real] brief. Remember [parents] that Jesus is watching you! You want to remember that Jesus is the seed. I want to encourage you [parents] today to do your best. You say, “I may have missed my moment…” God is the great Redeemer… that means that when you may have missed your moment… you may have missed your time… you may have missed the opportunity… [BUT] God is that god who will bring that ‘thing’ around again! God is a great redeemer… and you can’t judge God based upon what you see with your eyes. You are going to be child-like… you are going to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven in the domain of the King in the earth… you have got to enter in child-like… that means ‘trusting’ and ‘believing’ even though you are not ‘seeing’. That is child-like-ness! BUT if you demand [parents]… and you demand [believers] that you will not believe it until you see it [then] that is childishness. That will not get you the expanse of His domain or dominion in the earth and it will not get you into heaven. You cannot get into heaven… ask Thomas… because he finally got the point… You can’t get into heaven determining that “I will go believing Jesus when I see Jesus!” You will sit there until you are ‘dust’ and they will call me to ‘pronounce’ your bones. I want to say this to you… “Believe in Jesus sight unseen and that will open the door to heaven for you!”

This last thing that I want to give you… and then we will have the families come with the children. There was a story… I may have read this some time ago… I am not going to read it BUT I am just going to tell you a brief part of it… it was speaking of seed… speaking of the need to trust the seed. There was a report done… a survey done I think in the late 1800’s… it was called the Max Jukes report… the Max Jukes story [read it here] short version, long version, synopsis… How many of you have ever heard of it? Some believe that it is credible… some believe that it is not BUT I believe that even if it is not that it demonstrates the point very well to parents to trust the seed. The Jukes family… this was done in New York state… it was an examination of important seed… the importance of the seed…. In this case how a family started and how they perpetuated themselves around their beliefs and their actions. The Jukes family… it says that a man of questionable character married a woman of questionable character and out of the produce of their lives and their marriage and their family they had ‘X’ number of thousands of children that were their [ultimate] offspring over about 100 years. Out of this one man and this one woman… both of whom married with questionable character and never evidenced any kind of faith or a relationship with Christ… it says that out o this there was there were prostitutes… there were beggars… there were thieves… there were robbers… some were killers… some others were hung in public for their crimes… and it went on to describe the effect of this one man and this one woman and the fact that they were ungodly from their beginning… and their ungodly seed was ungodly in their children. Let me say this to you… “Parents, you can turn it around!” The devil wants to tell you that you can’t! Then it compares this Jukes family and their offspring and the cost to New York state over this 100 year [period]… $1.2 to 1.5 million… put them in jail and take care of them in mental institutions… take care of them in the hospitals… the public arena… $1.2 to 1.5 million of tax payer money over 100 years… they had a godless origin and godless offspring.

BUT then they compared this family to a man by the name of Jonathan Edwards… He married a woman of faith… he [himself] was a man of faith… and together from their bringing up their children… they brought them up with a faith in Jesus Christ and a hope in God… They brought them up to have the seed in the Kingdom of God. It says that [this] man and [this] woman with godly seed over 100 years… they had 729 descendants. It says that the contrast to the Jukes family that had over 1000 descendants that became of no account… this man with 729 descendants had [practically] no law breakers… more than 100 lawyers… 30 judges… 13 college presidents… 100 or more professors… 60 doctors… 100 ministers [clergymen] missionaries and theology professors… 80 elected public officials including 3 mayors… 3 governors… several members of congress… 3 senators and one vice president of the United States! 60 had attained prominence in authorship…

The story goes on….

Your seed is valuable! Your seed is important! Your seed is critical! If you say, “I have not sown well” then I am saying, “You can turn the tide now!” You can turn it around. I say this to you… God is the Great Redeemer! What you think is lost God will find… whether it is a coin… a sheep or a son.

 God is the Great Redeemer

... pastor continues... trust the seed and receive from God your forgiveness and your health.