Walk Walk Sunday

#193- Matthew 8:18, 23-27#194- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

http://walkthewok.wordpress.comAll images are copyright their respective owners

Memory Verse

• Matthew 13:43– Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun

in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Before we begin…

Big Question

Do you understand?

Parable of the Sower

http://www.gotquestions.org/parable-sower.html

Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Sower highlights four differ

ent responses to the gospel.

The seed is “the word of the kingdom.” It is God’s Word, also

known as the Bible.

The ground is the response of the heart to God’s Word.

Four Different Soilsrepresent

Four Different Hearts

http://misslink.org/children/biblestories/dirt.html

1) The packed soil

Represents…

1) A hard heart

• Someone who is hardened by sin

• They hear but do not understand the Word, and Satan plucks the message away

• The heart does not receive God’s Word

2) The stony ground

Represents…

2) A shallow heart

• Someone who seems to receive the Word

• HOWEVER, God’s Word does not grow deep into their heart

• When difficulty and temptation arises for believing in the Word, they fall away from God

3) The thorny ground

Represents…

3) A crowded heart

• Someone who seems to receive the Word

• HOWEVER, their heart is crowded with riches, pleasures, and lusts of this world

• These things take time and attention away from God

• Person ends up not producing good works for God

4) The good soil

Represents…

4) A good heart

• Someone who hears, understands, and receives the Word

• AND THEN allows the Word to accomplish its result in their life– Produces good works

(good fruit)

Who is saved?

Who is saved?

Who is saved?

• The person with the heart of “good ground” is the ONLY ONE of the four who is truly saved, because salvation’s proof is fruit, or good works

You are saved by faith alone in Jesus

Good works will result if you truly have faith in Jesus

FOR EXAMPLE

Which tree will be chopped down because it is useless?

Which tree will be chopped down because it is useless?

Faith and Good Works

• Good fruit comes from seed growing well in good soil

• Good works come from true faith in Jesus

• First– Believe in Jesus Christ

• Second– God’s Word will live

through your life and produce good works

• Will go to heaven

Faith and Good Works

• Some people just do good works but do not accept God’s Word into their hearts

• Good works alone do not get you to heaven

• Bad tree or fake tree will be chopped down

• Will not go to heaven

Point of Parable of Sower

• A man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.

• Someone who is truly saved will go on to prove it by good works

Do you understand?

#193- Matthew 8:18, 23-27

Jesus Calms a Storm

#193- Matthew 8:18, 23-27

• 18 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.

• Pay attention to the above verse, it’s important!!!

#193- Matthew 8:18, 23-27• 23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed

Him. • 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so

that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.

• 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!"

• 26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

• 27 So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

Sea of Galilee

http://www.keyway.ca/htm2002/seagal.htm

Why did Jesus say “Oh you of little faith?”

• At the Sea of Galilee– Waves 9 to 10 feet

high

• The disciples were fishermen– They were

experienced with storms

– They understood this was a dangerous stormhttp://flickr.com/photos/hobbs_images/241620489/

Why did Jesus say “Oh you of little faith?”

• Jesus said something earlier that the disciples forgot

• Did Jesus command them to depart into the waters and drown?– NO!

• Jesus commanded them to depart to the other side! (remember verse 18?)

Why did Jesus say “Oh you of little faith?”

• God’s Word will ALWAYS come true

• The disciples had already heard Jesus’ command, but they did not understand or they did not pay attention

• Jesus said “Oh you of little faith” because they did not have faith in the command that Jesus gave!

Why did Jesus say “Oh you of little faith?”

• Jesus was sleeping peacefully– He knew what was going to happen because

He is God

• He knew disciples would face many difficult times in the future

• Tested the disciples with a storm to train them to trust in Him and His Word

Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?

• The disciples asked this question (verse 27)

• Where can we find the answer?

• God’s Word!

Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?

• Psalm 107:28-30– 28 Then they cry out to the LORD in their

trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses.

– 29 He calms the storm, So that its waves are still.

– 30 Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven.

• Notice which book and section of the Bible these verses are in!

Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?

• In book of Psalm, of the Old Testament!

• Written almost 600 years before Jesus and the disciples sat in the stormy Sea of Galilee!– The Psalmist already prophesied this event

way before it happened– The disciples probably read this verse before

but did not understand it

Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?

• The answer to the above question: the LORD

• Lord vs LORD– Lord: one having power and authority over oth

ers– LORD: Translation of YHWH, or name of God

• The person who has power over the winds and the sea is Jesus, who is God the Son!

How does this relate to me?

• You will have many storms in your life– Difficult situations

• Jesus has power over the storms of your life– He uses difficult situations

to test and see if you trust in Him and His Word

• Trust in Jesus because His Word is always true

http://flickr.com/photos/danheller/334470370/

Do you understand?

#194- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Parable of Wheat and Tares

And Other Parables

#194- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

• 24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

• 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.

• 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.

Wheat field

http://flickr.com/photos/simonemerli/204370085/

Wheat vs Tares

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolium_temulentum

(Weeds)

#194- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

• 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, "Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'

• 28 He said to them, "An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, "Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'

• 29 But he said, "No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.

• 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.""'

Do you understand?

The disciples did not so they asked Jesus.

#194- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

• 36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field."

• 37 He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

• 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.

• 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

#194- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

• 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.

• 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,

• 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

• 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Wheat

• Represents believers• Produces good fruit• Placed by Jesus• Will end up in heaven

Tares

• Represent nonbelievers

• Do not produce good fruit

• Placed by Satan• Will end up in hell

(unless they repent!)

Video

“Wheat and Weeds”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WlPkelp9KE

Watch out!

Watch out!

• Jesus knows– Church will not remain pure– Nonbelievers will mix in

and try to do harm to the church

• Satan places nonbelievers in areas where Jesus places believers– In the church!– Is your church teacher a

“tare”?

Watch out!

• Jesus told several other parables that relate to “wheat and tares” in Matthew 13:31-33

• Parable of Mustard Seed– Church starts off small (like a small mustard seed

bush), but will grow so big it will attract evil (birds)

• Parable of Leaven– Evil (leaven) will spread throughout the church

(bread)

Watch out!

• How can you know if your church teacher is “wheat” planted by Jesus or a “tare” planted by the devil?

• Answer: Always check with the Bible

• If teacher teaches you against what God’s Word says, WATCH OUT!

Is the Catholic Church filled with “tares”?

http://www.gotquestions.org/catholicism.html

Note: The following subject matter is understandably sensitive.

The purpose is to briefly bring to light how the teachings of Catholicism do not

correspond to Biblical principles.

Why question the “Catholic church”?

• The biggest group of people who “claim” to be Christians but actually are not

• Largely accepted in today’s politics

• Large evidence of “tares”

• Other groups who “claim” to be Christian but carefully compare with Bible and will see they are not– Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormon

Saved?

• It is impossible to give a universal statement on the salvation of all members of any denomination of Christianity.– Not ALL Baptists are saved.– Not ALL Presbyterians are saved.– Not ALL Lutherans are saved.– Not ALL Non-denominationals are saved.

• Salvation is determined by personal faith in Jesus alone for salvation, not by titles or denominational identification.

Saved?

• Despite the unbiblical beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, there are genuine believers who attend Roman Catholic churches.

• There are many Roman Catholics who have genuinely placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

• However, these Catholic Christians are believers despite what the Catholic Church teaches, not because of what it teaches.

Saved?

• The Bible clearly and consistently states that receiving Jesus Christ as Savior, by grace through faith, grants salvation.

• The official position of the Roman Catholic Church is that a person must believe in Jesus Christ AND be baptized AND receive the Eucharist along with the other sacraments AND obey the decrees of the Roman Catholic Church AND perform meritorious works AND not die with any mortal sins AND etc., etc., etc.

The Catholic church…

• Does not follow the Bible

• Is not the church that Jesus Christ established

• If a person believes what the Catholic Church officially teaches, he/she will not be saved

“Tares”?: Abuse in the Catholic Church

Catholic priests who abused children in various ways

http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/

Tares?

• Read your Bible• Compare it to what your church teacher

teaches• If your church teacher is not teaching you

according to the Bible, he is definitely not placed by Jesus Christ

• The goal here is not to bash anybody, but to direct our attention to the truth, to God’s Word

The following scenario is based on a true story.

Note: There were actually multiple people who claimed to be Catholic and said similar things to me. Because they claimed to be Catholic, they represent the teachings and upbringings of Catholicism at least from the area where I

am from.

You definitely know they are “tares” when…

• They tell you to listen to them rather than the Bible

• They tell you not to read your Bible

• They tell you the Bible has mistakes

Don’t take my word for it…

Take God’s Word!

Do you understand?

Wrapping up the parables

Matthew 13:44-52

• 44 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

• 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,

• 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Do you understand?

• Jesus is the man who sold everything

• We are the treasure

• Jesus gave up what He had to buy us back– Became a human– Suffered pain– Suffered death

Matthew 13:44-52

• 47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,

• 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.

• 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,

• 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

Matthew 13:44-52

• 51 Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."

• 52 Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."

Do you understand?

• Our treasure is the Bible

• Though we read and reread passages so that they seem like old treasure, there will always be new treasure found whenever studying the Bible

Do you understand?

Jesus wants you to carefully listen and understand!

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (verse 43)

So check the Bible to make sure Googie Walkthewok is not a “tare”!

Fortunately…

Googie Walkthewok is a “wheat”! (of course you should still check your

Bible!)

May God richly bless you as you seek to walk closer to Him!

For more resources, check out

http://walkthewok.wordpress.comAll images are copyright their respective owners