The Freedom Series, Part 15: Don’t Follow the Crowd (Pastor Ron Termale) August 1, 2021
In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus describes a farmer who sows seed that falls on different types of ground in order to explain how different groups of people hear and respond to the gospel (Matt 13:3-9, 18-23).
The seed that falls on the path and is eaten up by the birds represents those who hear the gospel but do not understand it, for the enemy comes and steals what was sown in their hearts (v. 19). People from this group need prayer, not judgment, for them to want to learn more about Jesus.
The seed that falls on rocky ground represents those who receive the gospel with joy, but then quickly fall away when trouble or persecution arises because they have no root (vv. 20-21). People from this group may come to church for a while, but then leave at the call to repent and change.
The seed that falls among thorns represents those who hear the gospel but allow the cares of the world and the lure of wealth to choke out the message, so that they are unfruitful (v. 22). People from this group often choose to just follow their natural impulses, and end up following the crowd.
The seed that falls on good soil and bears abundant fruit represents those who hear the gospel and understand it (v. 23). People from this group are those who decide to follow Jesus and live to make an eternal impact for Him. We need to make sure that we belong to this group.
Jesus tells this parable on a boat, apart from the crowds who were listening on the shore (v. 2). We are also called to separate from the crowd and be the influencers, not the influenced, in society (see 2 Cor 6:17).
The greatest battle that you will face as an American Christian is making sure that you are not becoming part of the crowd and having a faith so compromised that you belong to one of the groups that Jesus warns about.
Jesus says to the church in Laodicea that He will spit out those who are lukewarm in their faith (Rev 3:16; the root word of Laodicea in Greek, laos, refers to a mass or crowd of common people).
The crowd will always try to stop you from getting close to Jesus, but you can break through to get to Him.
The paralyzed man was let down through the roof of a crowded house so that Jesus could heal him (Mark 2:1-12). The woman with the issue of blood pushed through the crowd in order to touch Jesus’s cloak, and was immediately healed (Mark 5:24-34). Zacchaeus also climbed a tree due to his short stature and was able to get Jesus’s attention despite the crowd (Luke 19:1-5).
The crowd can be your friends or family who tell you to cool off in your passion for God and involvement at church (those who essentially say, “be lukewarm”). The crowd can also be the temptation to prioritize success over serving God (e.g. cutting your grass on Sunday morning rather than going to church because you idolize your house). Be alert to such temptations, for the devil is looking to devour you (1 Pet 5:8).
Get in the boat with Jesus, and do not listen to the crowd who tells you that you must compromise your faith or else you will lose your job, etc. The greater the threats we face, the more the Holy Spirit will empower us.
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