CONTRAST — PETER WAS TEMPORARILY POTTED
Peter told Jesus:
“I'll never deny You.”
But when pressure came and people started identifying him as one of Jesus' disciples:
Peter denied Him three times.
Fear moved Peter.
But thank God:
PETER DIDN'T STAY POTTED!
Jesus restored him.
The Holy Ghost empowered him.
And later the same Peter who denied Jesus because he feared people stood boldly before authorities and declared:
Acts 5:29
“We ought to obey God rather than men.”
Look what God can do!
The man who once moved under pressure became a man who could stand under pressure.
That means somebody listening today needs to know:
YOU MAY HAVE BEEN POTTED, BUT GOD CAN STILL PLANT YOU!
Failure doesn't have to be final.
5. PLANTED PEOPLE DON'T ALLOW PEOPLE TO UPROOT THEM
Some Christians can survive demons better than they survive people!
The enemy knows that if he can't tempt you away, sometimes he'll try to offend you away.
Somebody didn't speak.
Somebody criticized you.
Somebody didn't recognize you.
Somebody didn't invite you.
Somebody talked about you.
And suddenly you're ready to abandon your assignment.
NEHEMIAH WAS PLANTED
Sanballat and Geshem told Nehemiah:
“Come, let us meet together…”
But Nehemiah answered:
Nehemiah 6:3
“I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down…”
That's planted!
Nehemiah essentially said:
“I'm not letting people move me away from what God told me to do.”
CONTRAST — SOLOMON WAS MOVED
Solomon had tremendous wisdom.
But 1 Kings 11:4 says:
“…his wives turned away his heart after other gods…”
Be careful who has access to your roots.
Everybody you love should not have enough influence to move you away from God.
SHORT ILLUSTRATION — THE FARMER AND THE BARKING DOG
Imagine a farmer trying to plow a field.
Every few minutes a dog barks from behind a fence.
If the farmer stops plowing every time the dog barks, he'll never finish the field.
Sometimes you've got to let people talk and:
KEEP PLOWING!
Let them misunderstand—
keep working.
Let them criticize—
keep serving.
Let them talk—
keep praying.
You are doing a great work.
DON'T COME DOWN!
6. PLANTED PEOPLE PRODUCE FRUIT
Psalm 1:3 says:
“…bringeth forth his fruit in his season…”
God didn't plant you merely to occupy space.
God expects:
FRUIT!
Galatians 5:22–23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance…”
Here's the question:
WHAT'S GROWING ON YOUR TREE?
After all these years in church:
Is there more love?
More patience?
More forgiveness?
More kindness?
More self-control?
More faithfulness?
More humility?
RUTH WAS PLANTED
Ruth told Naomi:
Ruth 1:16
“…whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.”
Ruth planted herself in commitment.
And eventually fruit came from that commitment.
Ruth became part of the family line through which David—and ultimately Jesus according to His human genealogy—would come.
She couldn't see all of that when she made the commitment.
She simply stayed faithful.
CONTRAST — DEMAS
Paul wrote:
2 Timothy 4:10
“For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world…”
Demas allowed the attraction of the present world to move him away.
One stayed.
One left.
One was planted.
One was moved.
ILLUSTRATION — APPLE TREE
Nobody plants an apple tree simply to admire its trunk.
Eventually you're looking for apples.
Likewise, God isn't impressed simply because we can say:
“I've been in church forty years.”
The question is:
WHERE'S THE FRUIT?
Longevity is wonderful.
But longevity should produce maturity.
7. PLANTED PEOPLE KEEP PRODUCING THROUGH EVERY STAGE OF LIFE
Psalm 92:13–14
“Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age…”
I love that word:
STILL!
Still praying.
Still serving.
Still praising.
Still teaching.
Still encouraging.
Still witnessing.
Still giving.
Still loving.
Still believing.
Still useful.
PAUL WAS PLANTED
Look at what Paul endured.
He was beaten.
He was imprisoned.
He was stoned.
He was shipwrecked.
He experienced hunger, weariness, danger, and persecution.
Yet Paul declared in Acts 20:24:
“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy…”
There's our September theme!
NONE OF THESE THINGS MOVE ME!
Paul was saying:
Beat me—but I'm planted.
Imprison me—but I'm planted.
Talk about me—but I'm planted.
Reject me—but I'm planted.
Shipwreck me—but I'm planted.
Stone me—but I'm planted.
Because:
“NONE OF THESE THINGS MOVE ME!”
PLANTED OR POTTED? — LET'S LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE
Daniel was planted.
Pressure couldn't stop his prayer.
Saul was potted.
Pressure from people moved him into disobedience.
Joseph was planted.
Temptation couldn't move him.
Esau was potted.
Appetite moved him.
Job was planted.
Suffering couldn't make him curse God.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were planted.
The fiery furnace couldn't make them bow.
Solomon became potted.
Wrong influences turned his heart.
Nehemiah was planted.
Distraction couldn't bring him down.
Demas was potted.
The present world pulled him away.
Paul was planted.
He said, “None of these things move me.”
And then there's Peter.
Peter teaches us that somebody who has been moved can become planted.
JESUS DESCRIBED A POTTED CHRISTIAN
Jesus actually gave us a picture that fits this sermon perfectly.
Mark 4:16–17
He described the seed falling on stony ground.
They:
“…when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time…”
There it is!
“NO ROOT IN THEMSELVES.”
They shouted when they heard the Word.
They got excited.
They received it gladly.
But when trouble came:
THEY HAD NO ROOT!
Emotion isn't a substitute for roots.
Excitement isn't a substitute for roots.
A shout isn't a substitute for roots.
You need something that will hold you after the music stops.
Something that will hold you Monday morning.
Something that will hold you when trouble comes.
Something that will hold you when you're alone.
Something that will hold you when nobody is encouraging you.
YOU NEED ROOTS!
SEVEN QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
1. How deep are my roots?
2. Where am I getting my spiritual water?
3. Do I remain faithful when my season changes?
4. What happens to me when pressure comes?
5. Can people easily move me away from my assignment?
6. What fruit is my life producing?
7. After everything I've experienced, am I still planted
