Missionary Spencer Baker, to Hawaii, preached from Lk 8:14 and Ex 4:4-9 about the things that weigh us down and keep us from being able to fully serve God. The attitude of the world toward God’s work is that, like Pharaoh, the world despises the words of God, the men of God, and the people of God.

As God’s people we must, like Israel in the Exodus, leave the world’s view and serve God. But we often find in doing this that we are weighed down with things that cause the word in us to be choked and become unfruitful. We are faced with:

The burdens of life. The remedy for these is found in Gal 6:2 and 1 Pet 5:7.

The burdens of self. These weights must be laid aside, Heb 12:1.

The burdens of sin. We must regularly and often be relieved of these burdens through confession, 1 Jn 1:9.

If these are not cast upon the Lord, laid aside, and confessed, they will choke the word and our lives will be unfruitful for the Lord.