In this talk from Passion 2024, Ben Stuart reminds us that sincerity precedes the supernatural. We must stop and ask ourselves if we have a deep desire and hunger to know the King or if we are just seeking the benefits of the Kingdom. Do we actually know the Jesus that we claim to love?
Key Takeaway
The Word of God has the power to transform our lives if we let it, but we must first seek God and have a hunger to know Him intimately.
The vast majority of Americans claim to know Jesus, but if you ask them questions about Him, they don't know much about who He was or what He said. So, who is it they love? Their own personal Jesus.
Made-up Jesus can't change you—He is someone you have created. If we want to be transformed by Him, we need the real Jesus, and we get that from His Word. There is world-shaping power in the Word of God, and we need to understand it.
If we can understand the Word, it can change us and make us an agent of change on your campus, with your coworkers, in your city, and in this world.
What are the sifting criteria for those who are transformed by the Word of God and those who just claim to know God? The sincerity of the search. Do you have a heart that has a humble hunger for Him?
Jesus introduced confusing parables to the crowd as a way to sift out people unwilling to seek Him. It exposed the people who had hard hearts.
Jesus then identifies four different types of soils, and Ben Stuart gives examples of what those soils could look like in the present day.
- Immediate rejection—the person who has been on their phone during the entire talk, whether the intention is apathetic, antagonistic, or personal.
- Eventual rejection—the person who experiences a sort of spiritual high but goes back to life as normal and doesn't share about Jesus. They don't want to be inconvenienced by God.
- Eventual rejection because of prosperity—the person who forgot about Jesus because the things around them are more interesting. They seek success, riches, etc., over God.
- Good soil—the person who is changed by the Word of God. The Word of God sank deep in the soil of this person.
Which soil is a Christian? The fourth one. You don't plant seeds not to have a harvest. Conversion is explained by the Holy Spirit of God landing in people's souls and transforming them from the inside out.
Transformation is a process, and sometimes it's slow, but there is an eagerness to hear the Word and a receptiveness to want the Word deep in you. You may not understand everything, but He invites you to ask questions.
The humble arrival of Jesus didn't look like a military coup—it looked like a mustard seed.
Quote
"It is a receptive heart that precedes a transformed life. You must engage if you're going to be changed."
Ben Stuart
Discussion Questions
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Ben Stuart Ben Stuart is the pastor of Passion City Church D.C. Prior to joining Passion City Church, Ben served as the executive director of Breakaway Ministries on the campus of Texas A&M. He also earned a master’s degree in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Donna, live to inspire and equip people to walk with God for a lifetime.
