Women’s Christmas Dessert Many heard the Good News

Some came to Christ

THANKS - to all who made the such a wonderful time in the Lord

Hostesses… men

RESOURCE TABLE Debbie Bryson’s Materials

Sarah MacInosh’s new CD

CHRISTMAS EVE NEW YEARS EVE

Matthew 13:1-23 Seed-Soil-Salvation pt.2

REVIEW

REMEMBER - One of our Lord’s favorite ways of teaching the people was by means of PARABLES.

We learned that at least one third of Jesus teaching was done by using Parables!

REMEMBER - A Parable has been described as an Earthly Story with a Heavenly meaning.

Jesus took EVERY DAY things - things that people could easily relate to - and used them to help His listeners understand heavenly things.

This Parable of the Sower and the Soils helps to

Explain the realities of proclaiming and the Word….

Answer questions about the effectiveness of God's Word.

Understand what is happening as you Share God's Word with others.

KEY INSIGHT: This parable is Foundational to our understanding of the Kingdom of God.

(Mark 4:13 NKJV) And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

(Mat 13:1-3 NKJV) On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. {2} And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. {3} Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a (THE) sower went out to sow.

Jesus began with

Something which at the moment they could actually see

Something that they were all familiar with

In order to open their minds to truth which, as yet, they had never seen.

KEY OBSERVATION: There are 3 common earthly things in this parable that Jesus uses to explain heavenly realities.

THE SEED

THE SOWER

THE SOIL

KEY OBSERVATION: Jesus not only spoke the parable, he also explained this parable…. so there is no doubt of its meaning.

JESUS SAID THAT The SEED IS THE WORD OF GOD

1.) Because the Word is “living and powerful” (Heb. 4:12).

Unlike the words of men, the Word of God has life in it

2.) Seed bears the BLUEPRINT for life within it.

In the physical world, if you want to grow a Living Plant, you must begin with a seed.

3.) Like a Seed, the Good News is small, yet Powerful:

POINT: NEVER underestimate the POWER of the Word of God… NEVER be ashamed of it….. because IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION. (Romans 1:16)

4.) Also like a Seed, God's Word is Extremely Fruitful.

God's Word can produce all kinds of Fruit in our lives.

5.) The Word, like a Seed, must be Planted to do any good.

The truth of God must take root in the heart, be cultivated, and permitted to bear fruit.

REMEMBER how we observed that three fourths of the seed did not bear fruit.

Jesus knew that most of the people would not receive His Word in a way that would bear fruit.

TRAGICALLY today there is a HUGE segment of Christianity that has FAILED to understand this FOUNDATIONAL truth of the Kingdom…

QUOTE: “Our dream is really to discover what God is doing and how he's asking us to transform this planet."

Jesus did NOT ask US to transform anything!!

He merely tells us to sow the Seed of His Word and IT transforms us by the renewing of our minds!

And He made it clear that the MAJORITY of the world will not receive His Word.

So those who see it as the churches responsibility to transform the world say

we have a message that no one wants to receive… so we have to change our message… or in their terminology… our “story”.

JESUS NEVER changed message.

BECAUSE He… the AUTHOR and the SUBJECT of the message…. understood the nature of the SEED… that it is GOOD seed.

He makes it unmistakably clear in this illustration that the problem is not with the seed but with the soil!

THE SOWER IS ONE WHO SHARES THE WORD

Originally, Jesus was the Sower.

Then, He passed the Seed to the Apostles, and eventually to us!

1.) We learned that FAITH is required when Sowing Seed.

In the agricultural world, the Farmer must have confidence that he is sowing GOOD seed and that the seed WILL grow!

We NEED to have confidence in the SEED that we are sowing.

We NEED to understand that we MUST never Sow God's Word Plus

Man's Philosophy

Man’s Theories

Man’s Traditions.

2.) We learned that Anyone who shares God's Word is a Sower.

A Sermon

A witness to a friend

A letter

A song

3.) We learned that we must Sow the Seed of His Word with COMPASSION.

Psa 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

4.) We learned that Kingdom sowing involves Team Work

It takes the team work of the Body of Christ to make a Good Harvest.

1 Cor 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

5.) We learned that PATIENCE is needed after Planting

James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

6.) We learned that The Farmer sows the Seed LIBERALLY

SOWED = BROADCAST…. Casting seed abroad!

CRUCIAL POINT: We should do it as MUCH and as OFTEN and in as MANY ways as possible.

CRUCIAL APPLICATION: In the DNA of what Metro is, is the PASSION to BROADCAST the seed of God’s Word

As MUCH and as OFTEN and in as MANY WAYS as possible.

Here.. In every area of ministry

Region (KFIA and hopefully more)

Uttermost parts of the World

THIS is THE GREAT ENTERPRISE of YOUR church! SOWING the seed of God’s Word is what Metro INVESTS in!

As WE CONTINUE this morning Jesus EXPLAINS how the different soils represent the different conditions of heart

{18} "Therefore hear the parable of the sower: {19} "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. {20} "But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; {21} "yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word,

immediately he stumbles. {22} "Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. {23} "But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

IN THE NATURAL - Soil has Great Potential

A simple plot of ground can become a Garden or Jungle.

KEY OBSERVATION: There are 4 Kinds of Hearts:

VERSE 19 - THE WAYSIDE HEARER

ILLUSTRATES The Hard Heart

REMEMBER - The WAYSIDE was the strip of ground between fields that was used as a FOOTPATH….

This ground was trampled under foot until it was hard as cement.

So too the heart of this hearer has been trampled under foot by the lies of the devil and the course of this world until it has become hard as a sidewalk.

Like seed sown onto a sidewalk… The seed of the Gospel has NO chance of penetrating the soil of this heart

And so this soil represents the man who Hears but does not Comprehend.

KEY OBSERVATION: Satan sees the seed and snatches it.

CRUCIAL APPLICATION: This ought to cause every church goer to examine his own heart.

DEFINE SEED – Packet of genetic information

WHAT is the information in the seed of the Gospel?

JOHN 3:16

ASK YOURSELF - Just HOW HARD does a heart have to be to shut out THAT message?

Satan works overtime to get the heart of a man or woman to the place where this precious packet of information can’t take root!

So here a crucial HEAVENLY REALITY explained with this EARTHLY PICTURE -

The Problem is not the Seed, but the Soil, or the Heart.

Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

VERSES 20-21 THE SHALLOW HEART

KEY OBSERVATION: Unlike the first soil, this heart is QUICK to receive the seed of the Gospel.

QUOTE: J. Vernon McGee

Instead of being in deep freeze, they are in the oven -- warm, emotional, shedding tears, greatly moved. These are what I call Alka-Seltzer Christians. There is a lot of fizz in them. They make as much fuss during a service as a rocket on a launching pad, but they never get into orbit. I classify them as the Southern California type. They have great zeal and energy during special meetings, but they are like burned out Roman candles after the meetings are over.

KEY INSIGHT: In the physical world, IF a plant is to bear fruit, it must be

1.) Rooted in soil

2.) Exposed to sunshine.

The man and woman listening to Jesus could literally see THAT to be true IN THE EARTHLY DOMIAN

He/she KNOWS that IF the Rocks are not removed the Seed cannot get deep roots

He/she KNOWS that WITHOUT deep roots the plant can not get the nutrients and moisture necessary to survive the heat of the sun

Jesus EXPLAINS to us that the heat of the sun represents persecution that comes because of the Word.

Persecution helps true believers grow. (Acts)

This explains why so many who profess to “believe” do not last

Their decision was not sincere.

NOTE WELL: It is possible to “believe” and yet not be saved

John 2.23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. 24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,

So - The Stony Ground represents the Emotional hearer

They quickly receive the Word

But they receive it in a shallow and superficial way BECAUSE they have

NO DEPTH of heart…

No DEPTH of CONVICTION concerning the message of the Gospel.

KEY INSIGHT: Jesus is saying that this person was never saved to begin with!

Unless there is fruit in the life, there is not saving faith in the heart.

VERSE 22 THE CROWDED HEART

HAVE YOU NOTICED that weeds do not have to be planted, Flowers do!

PLEASE NOTE WITH ME what it is that CROWDS out the seed of the Good News –

Verse 22 "The Cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches"

INSIGHT: Riches are deceitful because they promise more than they can deliver

Yet many people (including God's own children) devote themselves to the pursuit of riches and ignore the Wealth of God's Word!

NOTE IT WELL: The Crowded heart also does not bear fruit.

CHRISTIANS - On this side of the cross we need to guard our hearts against those things that CROWD out the seed of the Word.

VERSE 23 - THE FRUITFUL HEART

This is the heart which produces the Fruit of Salvation.

KEY INSIGHT: According to this foundational parable FRUIT is the test of true salvation

Matt. 7.16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

Matthew 12:33 for the tree is known by his fruit.

This would include

1.) The fruit of holiness

(Rom 6:22 NKJV) But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

2.) The fruit of the Spirit

(Gal 5:22-23 NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, {23} gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

3.) The fruit of good works

(Col 1:10 NKJV) that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

4.) The fruit of winning others to Christ

(Rom 1:13 NKJV) Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.

5.) The fruit of giving

(Rom 15:28 NKJV) Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain.

6.) The fruit of praising God

(Heb 13:15 NKJV) Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

The Parable of the Sower is found in the first three Gospels, and in each one, the closing admonition is different.

“Who hath ears to hear” (Matt. 13:9)

“Take heed what you hear!” (Mark 4:24)

“Take heed how you hear!” (Luke 8:18)

KEY APPLICATION: It is important that we hear God’s Word, because “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17).

TWO CLOSING APPLICATIONS:

1.) Last week we finished our study of THE SOWER and THE SEED by saying that we (individually and corporately) should sow the Word

As MUCH…..As OFTEN… In as MANY WAYS as possible.

As we close today with our study of the SOILS and SALVATION we are challenged to HEAR the Word.

Put yourself yourself within earshot of the teaching of the Word

As MUCH….. As OFTEN…. In as MANY WAYS as possible.

2.) These earthly things…. The sower… the seed and the soils…. illustrate to us a crucial heavenly truth

When it comes to the ministry of the Word we MUST focus on… and be concerned with…. the HEART

We MUST pray for the condition of the soil in which the seed is going to be sown.

The soil of another’s heart…. The soil of our own hearts.

PERSONAL / CORPORATE APPLICATION:

PRAYER: Saturday and Monday

Pray for the hearts of the Children… Teens…. Adults to be good soil!

PRAY FOR:

MISSIONS… God to prepare hearts to receive

RADIO…. For the soil of the hearts of the thousands of daily listeners

REVIVAL… Pray that the hearts of men and women would begin to yearn for and long for the seed of the Word.

KEY INSIGHT: When Satan fails in his attempt to oppose the kingdom by trying to snatch the Word from hearts (Matt. 13:4;19) he has other ways of attacking God’s work.

The next three parables

1.) Reveal his other schemes

2.) Show us that Satan is primarily an imitator:

> He plants false Christians

> He encourages a false growth

He introduces false doctrine.

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