PLANTING SEEDS OF FAITH
Exodus 2:1-9
There are many mothers mentioned in scripture, but few who shaped history like the mother of Moses. What little we know of her we find in these few verses, but what she did in planting the seeds of faith in her young son would forever impact his life, the Scriptures, and the very plan of God for Israel. Although Moses would be raised as a son of Pharaoh, we clearly see that he never lost his Hebrew identity. Although he was trained to worship many gods, he knew the one true God when he met Him in a burning bush on the desert floor.
How did she do it? If we understand that “weaning” age was 3 or 4 in that day and culture, how did she instill such lifelong beliefs in him in such a short time? Of course, we may never know the answer except to say that before she planted the seeds of faith in Moses, God had already chosen him for service. I believe that God took the seeds she had planted and grew him into the man he was destined to be. But make no mistake, unless Moses’ mother had scattered the seeds of faith in his life at such an early age, the great deliverer of Israel might have been named Bill or Rahib – not MOSES.
Isn’t your greatest desire that your children might grow up to be greater people of faith than you have been? And what about the grandkids, nieces and nephews, the children that sit with us here even today? Isn’t it our responsibility to prepare them for life by instilling in them the truth of faith in God?
Mom’s, grandmas, great-grandmas, it is never too late to have an influence on those you love. This morning I want to share 5 things you must do to plant seeds of faith. To plant seeds of faith you must:
I. PREPARE THE SOIL
“Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12
A. In your personal life
1. Mom’s, YOU are the soil of that child’s life.
2. To pass of faith, you must have faith.
3. The importance of personal holiness.
4. The importance of personal example.
Note: Good soil is broken up and soft. In our lives this comes from repentance and confession.
B. In your home
Children who see physical violence between their parents are six times more likely to abuse their own spouses after they marry. If those children were also hit by their parents as teenagers, they are 12 times more likely to abuse their spouses.
Bottom Line, in Homemade, November, 1985.
1. The home environment is very important
2. Not the outside (what you have), but the inside (who you are).
3. Genuine love that meets needs for safely and nurture.
4. Genuine faith that is consistent and open.
Note: Perhaps some house cleaning is needed.
II. SELECT THE SEED
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
A. You have to decide what you are going to plant
a. It must be a conscious decision
b. Because you are planting SOMETHING!
Some time ago "Reader’s Digest" told the story about a company who mailed out some special advertising business post cards with a mustard seed glued to it with the following caption that went something like this: "If you have faith as small as this mustard seed in our (particular product), you are guaranteed to get excellent results and be totally satisfied." -- Signed, The Management
A few months later one recipient of this promotional piece wrote back to the company and said, "You will be very interested to know that I planted the mustard you sent on your advertising card and it has grown into a very healthy bush producing wonderful tomatoes!"
(Sometimes we grow things we didn’t expect, because we plant that wrong seeds)
B. You grow what you plant!
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
III. PLANT THE SEED
“For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that is in you as well.” 2 Timothy 1:5
A. You must consistently and continually plant seeds through:
1. What you say - teaching
2. What you do - modeling
B. Religious principles are more CAUGHT than TAUGHT.
1. You plant seeds by what you say
2. But the greatest seeds are sown by the life you live
IV. PROMOTE GROWTH
A. Create the right conditions
1. Which is not found in the world
2. But in CHURCH
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.” Heb 10:23-25
A study once disclosed that if both Mom and Dad attend church regularly, 72% of their children remain faithful. If only Dad, 55% remain faithful. If only Mom, 15%. If neither attended regularly, only 6% remain faithful. The statistics speak for themselves--the example of parents and adults is more important than all the efforts of the church and Sunday School.
Warren Mueller in Homemade, May, 1990.
3. There are other life affirming and integrity building experiences out there, but none that can match the impact of a healthy church body.
(You would not expose your tender plants to the harsh elements, so why your children).
B. Water and fertilize
1. Water of the Word
“Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:14
2. Nourishment of believers
Ephesians 4:11-13 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:”
C. Weed as necessary
“And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22
1. Weeds are going to enter into the life of your child
(humanism, relativism, ungodly tolerance, immorality, etc.)
2. You can ignore them and let them kill the plant, or pull them out and save it. (Tough Love)
IV. PLAN FOR HARVEST
A. Sow with the harvest in mind
I’m not much of a gardener. Once I took a seed catalog and started out the door. "Where are you going with that?" my wife asked. "I’m going to show it to my tomatoes," I explained.
Source Unknown.
1. Know your goal
2. Be consistent
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
“Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:5-6
B. Never give up
Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
I think the mother of Moses must have done all these things. We see her as one who had good soil, well prepared with courage to what was right and with love for her son. She knew she could not plant everything in his life. Time was too short, so she chose the seeds of faith in God and national identity. She must have planted the seeds as soon as he was able to comprehend and as often as she could. Enough seed and surely something will grow! God provided the watering and fertilizing and weeding. No doubt she planted the seeds with her eyes on the harvest --- and what a harvest it was!
