Finally, let’s look at the pleasures of this life. There is no arguing the fact that this life has many pleasures to offer. And our admonition here is not to “forsake all things that are pleasing in this life.” The Christian is not expected to go around all of the time with a long, sad face. I’m suggesting that it’s just the opposite. We know that there are many references in the Scriptures that state that a Christian has cause to rejoice and to be happy.

But in the same way that the previously mentioned things cause problems in our spiritual life, Jesus warns against unabashed pursuit of pleasure, also. Paul warns Timothy in 2 Timothy 3—in verse 1, he says, “In the last days, perilous times shall come.” And in verse 3, Paul points out that one of the indicators of the last days and perilous times will be that “men become lovers of pleasure more than God.”

Would it be fair to say that our society today is “pleasure crazy?” There are, perhaps, more ways to “recreate” [to participate in recreation for personal pleasure], more things to do, more ways to find a pleasure than ever before. And like anything else that crowds the Lord out of our life, too much pleasure, or recreation, is wrong!

We say, “Well, we’ve worked hard! We go to school! We’re busy! We deserve some time off! We deserve some time to ‘recreate’!” That’s true, but when recreation, or the pursuit of pleasure keeps us from attending worship service, when it interferes with our ability to take part in the work and activity of the CHURCH, then it is wrong! It has become a thorn or a weed and is choking us spiritually!

In conclusion, let us notice the effect of these weeds and thorns. Jesus says that they cause us to become “unfruitful.” Note the apt continuation of the analogy here. Thorns and weeds affect the fruitfulness of a tree. Likewise, worldly weeds and thorns affect the spiritual man’s growth and productivity. Let’s notice what Jesus had to say about fruit bearing. John 15, verses 5 and 6: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” It’s abundantly clear from this passage that Jesus expects His followers to bear spiritual fruit. But how can we be fruitful if weeds and thorns have overcrowded our hearts?

Let us all, right now, take a look at our spiritual lives. What sort of spiritual fruit has your life produced for God today? This past week? Can we identify something? How much time and effort have we devoted this past week to spiritual things? Have our time, and thoughts and efforts been directed toward spiritual things? As we reflect on these things, can we only identify things in our lives associated with the job? with home? with school? with pleasure?, and so on? Have we allowed the cares of the world to crowd out our love and devotion for the Lord? Has the deceitfulness of riches choked our interest in eternal things? Have the lusts of other things strangled our regard for the Christian life? Have the pleasures of this life stifled our pleasure and joy of serving the Lord? Jesus said in Matthew 6, verse 24, that we cannot “serve two masters.”

May I urge each of us tonight to consider how our individual lives could be best characterized. Are our lives producing bountiful fruit? Or, is our ability to bear fruit hindered, perhaps to the point of being choked out by WEEDS and THORNS? That is, the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, the lusts of other things and the pleasures of life.