Parable of the Soils Matthew 13:1-23 the Parable of the Sower 13 That
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Parable of the Soils Matthew 13:1-23 The Parable of the Sower 13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.” 10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” 11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’[a] 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” PRAYER: May we have hears to hear what you have to say today. Open spiritual ears, soften hearts, prepare us today to hear. Pray against Confusion. Last Week: Why did Jesus speak in parables? Conceal and Reveal. - Hard hearts become harder and refuse the truth - Soft hearts God reveals o That is the backdrop of today. o No big review, today we are going to review and apply this to all of us. We are all hard and soft, probably a little shallow and thorny too. We are all a type of soil. o This parable explains why many people don’t really hear. Intro: Parable of the Sower / Parable of the soils - Sower and Seed are integral. Necessary. Yet, they are not the focal point of the parable - Central message is the type of soils. Word about the Sower and the Seed Q. Who is the Sower Christians we think we are the sower We share the gospel with everyone. Some hear and believe. - What is the context? - The Sower is God, specifically Jesus. - God is the one who is sowing the seeds. We are soil not the sower. - We are called to share the gospel. But it is God who does the scattering o the seed. Q. What is the Seed Seed is the gospel. What is the Gospel? Jesus died to give me heaven? - This is the Gospel o Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ as my everlasting enjoyment. o Gospel is not about being forgiven, better person, have heaven - DEFINE: God made it possible for us, sinful wretched people, to have relationship with God and to enjoy him forever as our highest treasure. o Everything else is part of that goal. o God himself is the gospel. God himself is the highest good of the gospel achievement. - God is the sower of the Gospel. God is the gospel. o That is the seed we are talking about. o The GOSPEL. The Seed, GOSPEL / is treasuring God as my highest enjoyment. - God wants everyone to hear / get seed / bear fruit enjoy him The Sower and the seed are not on trial today, it is my heart and your heart that is on trial today. - Examine our hearts / wrestle with question: What kind of soil are you REALLY? - We all think we are the soft nice soil. o If Christian / think good soil, you are deceiving yourself. Few soft hearts . Most fall in another category. o The judge of good soil is good fruit. Lot’s of fruit. o Simple test, no fruit no good. What is the fruit? Gospel at work in you. You treasure Christ more than anything. Want to be like him. Please him. Value what he values, love what he loves and hates what he hates. Live your life in such a way that people notice you Your life and the lives of those around you are changing and becoming more like Jesus. o How’s your fruit? Is your heart ready to look? 1. HARD SOIL: Hard Heart (4, 19) 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. - Path divides land - In verse 19, bird / evil one. o CLEAR = Enemy does not prohibit growth. Hard heart doesn’t receive . Then the bird/enemy comes. Enemy snatches because it was rejected. Not before it could be accepted. o The Gospel never penetrated the soil. Let sit there. - Hard hearts keep fighting against God. At some point God will say, “Fine” Go that way.” . Enemy comes in. We do not know when that is. We never stop caring or trying. o We all have family or friends who do not know Jesus. Our job is to never give up on them. Never stop preaching the truth. o Pray for soft hearts. Hard hearts can be softened through prayer. - In the end. It is not us that can do the work. It is the Holy Spirit in a heart that is ready. - Jesus spoke in parables so that some would believe and some would reject - God knows peoples hearts o Doesn’t stop him from giving them the gospel. o Gives everyone the opportunity to hear. - Parable = CLEAR o See cannot germinate if it doesn’t lodge beneath the surface. o It has to go into the heart - Not just for those who have not accepted Jesus. o There are hard hearts in the church. People who call themselves Christians. - The Pharisees were amongst those Jesus said had hard hearts. o They were religious. o Religious leaders. o This applies to you and I in our walk with God now. - The most dangerous words a Christian can say is, “I’ve heard it all before.” - There are many Christians who come into contact every day o Come to church / read Bible / Christian books o Gospel has never gone deep and taken root. - If this is you probably don’t realize it. Probably never thought of yourself this way. You think you are a good Christian. - Let me ask a question – o Ever seen power of Gospel deep in your heart and life? o Has there ever been a time in your life when the word of God began to dawn on you and you began to see things as you have never seen them before? o Has there ever been a time when hearing God’s word, you felt that you finally woke up from a deep sleep? o Has there ever been a time when you suddenly realized that the gospel shows you your deepest needs and at the same time meets them. - Perhaps, you are not allowing the gospel to move beyond the surface. o Not about grasping Gospel / letting it transform you . From the inside out it changes how you see the world and relate to it. If your life doesn’t have fruit. - When the gospel spreads its roots in our hearts we are truly transformed. Perhaps you have a hard heart. 2. ROCKY GROUND: Shallow Heart (5-6, 20-21) 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.