(2/12) Welcome to all of you today. It is a great honor to have you here joining me to worship our God and Savior Jesus Christ. This morning, what I want to do is plant a seed, because for some of you if you will apply what you hear today, when you look back years from now, looking back to this moment, you will realize that this was when God started doing something very special in your life. And I don’t believe that’s an overstatement, if you will apply what we’re going to talk about today, if you… and here’s the title of today’s message, if you’re "Planted," you’ll find yourself prospering, making a difference, fulfilled and flourishing in life.

And so, I want to begin this message with a question. How many of you say, "I go to church?" You know, in the same way as you would say "I go to the movies, or I go to the game, or I go to the store?" I admit that I often say that, but may I suggest to you that we need to stop going to church.

I know you didn’t come expecting to hear that today, but here’s what I mean. God never intended for you as a follower of Christ to go to church. In other words, God’s purpose for you as a follower of Christ is so much more than going to a building. His highest calling for you is not a place, it’s not a destination, but it’s to be conformed to the image of his son Jesus Christ. As the Bible says,

"To prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-13).

In other words, not to go to church, but to be the church. Not to go to church, but to be planted in the church. Not to go to church, but to be a light shining in this dark world.

If you have your Bible with you today, would you look with me at Psalm chapter 92? As we turn to the Word of God, I want to show you that instead of going to church, God’s purpose is that you would be the church, sent out into the world to make a difference. And so, instead of going to church, that you would be planted in the house of God, because look at what the psalmist writes in verse 12. The Spirit of God tells us,

"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God" (Psalms 92:12-13).

In other words, it doesn’t say that those who go to church will flourish. It says the righteous who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish. And so, what does the word flourish mean anyway because that’s not a word that we use a lot today? Well, let me tell you what it is; it’s a really good term to describe what happens when you’re planted in the house of the Lord. Because to flourish means that you’re thriving, that you’re growing, and so when you’re righteous, when you’re planted in the house of the Lord, spiritually you’re blessed, spiritually you’re growing, and so you’re prospering in every way.

The psalmist compares this flourishing to the cedar and the palm tree. This may surprise you, but both the cedar and the palm tree are actually members of the Evergreen group. In other words, they’re not seasonal, their leaves remain green all year long, and so there’s life. And there’s strength because the cedar is known for its durability, it’s attractive finish, and its pleasant smell. And there’s victory, because the palm tree and its branches historically have been symbolic of triumph and victory.

And so, were given this image of life, strength, and victory, but then verse 14 tells us that the righteous who are planted in the house of the Lord,

"They will still bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh and green…"

Now, I don’t know about you, but I find that to be incredibly encouraging, especially as each year passes by. But the psalmist says that those who are planted in the house of the Lord are flourishing, they’re connected, they’re blessed, and they’re fruitful. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord are proclaiming,

"The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him" (Psalms 92:14-15).

Unfortunately, there are some of you who wouldn’t consider using the word flourishing as an adjective to describe your life. For some of you, you’re thinking, "I’m spiritually dry, or emotionally withering, or relationally barren, but certainly not flourishing." And so, instead of saying, "I’m fulfilled spiritually, making a difference, and full of joy." Many people would say, "I’m still searching, hoping for that something, that relationship, that job, that whatever it is that I don’t have. That one thing that would fulfill what I’m missing on the inside." Because you might say, "Honestly, I go to church, but I’m just not flourishing."

And so, today what I hope you will recognize is that your life is a seed and those who are planted are those who will flourish. In fact, the Bible describes it this way saying, if you are a Christian…

"You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God" (1 Peter 1:23).

In other words, your life is a seed, either perishable or imperishable, and every seed has the potential to grow, to thrive, to multiply, to be fruitful and be a blessing to others. But a seed that is never planted only has the potential to do what? To lie dormant, unproductive, unfruitful, and dissatisfied. And so, for some the potential is there but it’s not utilized.

That is a truth that is applicable to each of our lives, because the potential is there, but a seed can only grow if its planted. "I tell you the truth," Jesus said,

"Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds" (John 12:24).

In other words, he’s talking about planting, the giving of oneself, investing yourself, offering yourself as a living sacrifice, and only then can there be fruitfulness and multiplication. He said those who flourish are the righteous who are planted in the house of God.

But for some, the potential is there, and yet it’s lying dormant and unproductive. And even though God has set eternity in our hearts, there are things that he has put inside of you that your eyes have yet to see. There is so much potential within you, things your parents never imagined, things that God has declared that you don’t understand. Listen to what the Holy Spirit said through Solomon in Ecclesiastes chapter 11:

"As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well" (Ecclesiastes 11:5-6).

In other words, the Spirit of God is telling us, that there is a mystery, a process going on behind the scenes that can’t be explained, that can’t be identified, because it’s the unseen work of God. And so, there’s a process of growth, the process of a body forming, that got started because God breathed life into it. In the beginning, there was dirt, there was the breath of God, and whatever he breathes into comes to life.

For example, in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, the prophet tells us about a time when the Lord took him in the Spirit and set him in the middle of a valley full of dry bones. The Lord spoke to him and said,

"Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' So, I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet — a vast army" (Ezekiel 37:9-10).

And so, the Lord commands Ezekiel to prophesy, to declare the Word of God over this valley of dry bones, demonstrating that the only limit to God’s potential is our unbelief. The only limit to the unlimited resources of what God can do in your life is what you believe he can do. Like when Jesus returned to his hometown, it was there in Nazareth, among his own family that the Bible says,

"Because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any mighty miracles among them... And he was amazed at their unbelief" (Mark 6:5-6, NLT).

You see, in his presence anything is possible, whatever God declares, whatever God breathes into comes to life. The only limit to the unlimited potential of God is our unbelief. In other words, the only thing that ever limits what he can do in your life is what you doubt that he can do. You see, a lot of people believe God can do anything, but to begin to declare it, to begin to walk in it by faith, that’s an obstacle to seeing their potential released.

You know, it’s just like raising your firstborn child, you project all of your dreams and expectations upon them because you’re aware of their potential, but you just don’t understand the process. And so, we feel the pressure to perform, and we push and we push, but it’s just too soon to tell if my seven-year-old is going to make it into the NFL. That’s what Solomon was telling us,

"Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well" (Ecclesiastes 11:6).

In other words, you just don’t know, but you’ve got to sow your seed, you’ve got to plant it, you’ve got to be ready for the rain, and yet there’s still so much you don’t know. And that’s the mystery of a seed, because you’ll never know the potential of a seed by looking at it. You can pray over it, you can study it, you can consider the statistics, but the only way to discover a seed’s true potential is to plant it.

I believe that in the body of Christ there is a lot of potential that hasn’t been planted, it hasn’t been released. And I wonder if there are any of you here who recognize that there is potential in you that has yet to be planted? In other words, I believe there are a lot of seeds in this room, a lot of gifts, abilities, and ideas that have yet to be sown. You see, the Bible says,

"What you sow does not come to life unless it dies" (1 Corinthians 15:36).

In other words, until that seed goes into something bigger than itself, until it dies and breaks open, until you are planted and grow roots, you will never know the hidden potential within. And so, I want to encourage you to be planted, because you have no idea how much of a difference you will make until you are planted.

Jesus told a story about a farmer in Matthew chapter 13, giving an illustration that his contemporaries would have easily understood. "A farmer went out to sow his seed," he began in verse three,

"As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants" (Matthew 13:3-7).

In other words, the seed was scattered but it wasn’t planted in good soil and it never reached its true potential. Jesus said, "Here is what the parable means." In other words, here’s the comparison, here’s the application,

"The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away" (Matthew 13:20-21).

And so, Jesus said that some people have potential, but they never grow roots, and they may start to grow but then they quickly fall away. And then he said,

"The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful" (Matthew 13:22).

In other words, this is the person who starts to flourish, starts to thrive, but they’re easily distracted, and the worries of this life, the lusts and desires of this world choke out their growth, making it unfruitful. But look at what Jesus said next, verse 23 says,

"The seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown" (Matthew 13:23).

And so, it’s that seed that falls on good soil that flourishes, that becomes a blessing to others, because it’s planted in the house of the Lord and its roots grow down deep.

What I hope you will understand today is that going to church isn’t the same as being planted. In fact, there’s a really big difference, because when you’re planted, church isn’t a destination, it’s not a place you attend, church is a posture, church is who you are. We are the church, it’s not a place we go, it’s our identity, because it’s who is dwelling inside of us.

That’s why in my family we never have to ask, "Do you think we ought to eat today?" "Does anybody feel like breathing today?" Or "Are we going to church?" Because we are the church, it’s a nonnegotiable, we are worshiping God even if there’s 12 inches of snow outside. We are planted and as we gather together, our roots are growing deeper. And so, we’re not going to…

"give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing…"

Because when we are planted, we gather together in the unity of the Holy Spirit, and we gather together to worship and honor our God. We gather together to hear the Word of God, we gather together to use our gifts, and we are strengthened, "encouraging one another…

"and all the more as we see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25).

Because it’s not so much about what’s happening inside the building, it’s that we are the church, and we’re going out into the world. And so, when you’re planted, you realize that you are the church and you exist for the world. When you’re planted, you don’t come to church for its services, programs, or entertainment value. When you’re planted you gather as the ecclesia, the called-out ones, because you’ve been plugged into a calling, a supernatural movement, a mission ordained by Jesus Christ himself.

The prophet Jeremiah tells us that when we’re planted our roots grow deeper, and even though life may not always be perfect; even though storms may come, we can withstand the storms, because our roots are deep. Jeremiah says,

"We will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:8).

And so, when the roots grow deep, we’re not bothered by the heat, we’re not worried by the drought, and that’s why we need to be planted in the body of Christ, because we need each other.

I can promise you that in this world you will have trouble. You will face a trial, you will have a struggle, you will have a setback. You will face some sort of opposition in your life and if you have to face it alone you are more vulnerable and likely to experience defeat. But when you are planted in the house of God, there is a complex root system under the ground, a support system that sustains the growth above the ground so that you’re not bothered by the heat, you’re not worried by the drought, your leaves stay green and you never fail to bear fruit.

You see, when you’re planted you will produce fruit. Jesus said, "I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit" (John 15:16). In other words, when you’re planted, when you’re connected to the vine, connected to Jesus, the Bible tells us,

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).

The apostle calls it the fruit of the Spirit, not our own natural fruit, but a spiritual fruit that comes from God.

And so, when you are planted there is fruitfulness, you are flourishing, and all of these good things come up. You may be in a difficult season, you may be going through a difficult time, but love still comes out. You may be going through a significant trial, but you’re able to consider it pure joy, because God is doing something greater in you (James 1:2). Your love will be a blessing to other people, your joy contagious, and your peace attractive, because the fruits of the Spirit are not just for you. Suddenly you realize that you are planted and you are making a difference in the world.

This is so much more important than most of us realize. So many people today expect God to bless them and to take them deeper in their walk with him but every time they get uncomfortable, or any time they experience any conflict they go to another church. But we are the church and being planted means that the seed has to remain, and so your faithfulness is important.

The prophet Elisha faithfully served Elijah for 13 years before he ever understood what the mantle and the power of God meant. We often talk about Peter because he stepped out of the boat, but it was John who remained in the boat. Peter denied Jesus three times and when Jesus went to the cross it was John who was there by his side. It was John who took care of Jesus’ mother Mary, and in the same way, a seed needs to be planted, it needs to remain to be fruitful.

We don’t often celebrate those who stay quietly planted behind the scenes, but those people who have been here since the beginning of this church, those who are demonstrating the potential of a seed planted are bearing much fruit for God. They can look back and recognize that they are not just saved from their sins, they are saved for the glory of God to make a difference in this world. They can look back and realize that they have some deep roots in this place, this isn’t just a place where they go to church, this is their family.

There is such a big difference between going to church and being planted in the house of the Lord. My prayer is that many of you would make this declaration, "I am planted in the house of God, this is what God created me for, I am needed here, I am known, and I am loved." Now is the time for you to flourish like a strong cedar or a victorious palm tree. Because only those who are planted in the house of the Lord are those who can truly flourish in all that God has for you.

Read past sermons by Pastor John Talcott